Once again, I’m delighted to be selected as a lab rat. When I opened the package to reveal this bottle of Mas De Lunés. I was pretty excited. I love mixed reds, and with a 70/30 Syrah-Grenache split, it sounded right up my alley.
On first open, It did not have any discernable odor – neither a breath of fruit nor one of alcohol. It was just… there. It poured deep garnet, pretty much in-line with the grape. A little more fruit came through on the pour, but much more reserved than I expected or experienced with other, similar blends.
I paired it with a half-slab of BBQ baby back ribs, baked potato and sauteed mushrooms. YUM!
I found the first taste to be a little rough. More acidity and heavier tannins that I would have thought, because of both the age and blend of this wine. And I’ll be honest. I didn’t love it. It wasn’t bad per se, but not nearly approachable as the Spellbound Syrah or the Farmstrong mixed red, for example. Those were much more drinkable in my opinion and have a better mouthfeel. It was very fruit-forward, but not sweet. Frankly it left me a little confused. It tasted of a younger Malbec, or similar enough, and not the relaxed blend it purported to be.
Here’s the other thing I noticed…. No legs at all. I don’t know if it lacked the structure or chemistry or what, but the glass rolled clean, something I haven’t seen from a wine selection in a long time. This shot is immediately after my first taste.
I finished off the bottle the second day. Day 2 was kinder to this blend, and it did lose some, but not all, of the edge I got when opened the previous day. It was better, but not amazing. Not surprising from something I found okay but not great. And maybe not even good.
I’ll wrap this by restating from previous reviews: I’m no expert. The things I found “less than” in this varietal might in fact be the very things that connoisseurs deeply appreciate. But for me this was about a 6 out of 10. As I said, The Spellbound is about the best “open and enjoy” I’ve had here, so I’m using that as the basis of my comparison, if that helps at all.
Thanks again for the opportunity to try and review this wine. I hope this was useful and happy to answer any questions. Cheers!!
@ACraigL Nice notes and you actually prove a good point. Languedoc syrah is typically a different animal from something you find domestically.
Also wine legs have nothing to do with the quality of a wine, not that you necessarily inferred that. Wine legs are pretty much just an indication of alcohol and sugar. Good little article here:
@ACraigL (since i finally got my Lab Rat notes posted i can read your analysis). The initial opening was pretty dull for us too. My wife kept saying “it’s just nothing but dust and old office building” (not in my official tasting notes, btw).
It seems i enjoyed it more than you. It was fun. It was fruity. I think your Malbec comparison was very apt, thinking back. It had that softer, fruity thing on the first day.
@radiolysis Yes, I think if I was a little more experienced with Languedoc, my expectations for this wine may have been different – my headspace was around Syrahs I’ve known.
To save RJQ some cut-n-paste, I’ll recap at the BEGINNING [aka BLUF]:
This is a youthful wine, fruit punchy, with an undercurrent of dusty earth and herbs and best after a few days of air.
On the first day we got it from Brown, and popped into the fridge for a few hours to get it down to temp. On pop-n-pour it was quite closed and hard to get much nose. Swirling helped bring out some red fruits which one of the tasters said was like fruit punch. Otherwise it had the garrigue dusty vibe in spades. Laundry list from the tasting guide: Dry to barely off dry (i think that was just the fruit talking), barely hazy, maroon colored, clear meniscus, low acid, low tannin, medium-short finish.
This certainly isn’t a Northern Rhone Syrah. No olive-y, meatiness, savory stuff. The herbal notes are more floral than stemmy/leafy.
We finished about half the bottle on day one and into the fridge it went.
(Second night was too busy to taste)
Third night! It had been stored in the fridge and i think it showed a little better. The tannins started to be a little more noticeable, but it had more complexity and depth. It was still all red fruit, slightly less dustiness, but gave more to work with. Quite murkier and wasn’t as nice to look at, but seemed more together.
Food pairing recommendations for me would be veggie and light cheese dishes. Like a summer squash tart, chevre salads or toasts, perhaps a spicy chicken skewer.
The pricing here is in line with what i’d expect for a Languedoc red blend on a discount.
Any sediment adding to that murkiness at the bottom of the bottle. LRRs can be tough given the compressed time we frequently are pressed into. Too many bottles have their own idea of needed time to taste.
@radiolysis@rjquillin
From experience, I think this type of wine is particularly prone to bottle shock. Even just being freighted cross-state, I found that rustic French reds don’t show well upon arrival. It’s a nice reminder to all of us that wines need time to sort themselves out upon arrival.
Nice review - and it should be obvious to all that it’s a bit unfair to compare a Languedoc Syrah blend to a Northern Rhone Syrah - a totally different beast indeed. I would expect it to be more fruit-forward and lower in acid and tannin - but should be quite approachable, which it appears it is . . .
@tercerowines I’ll work to phrase it differently next time. It would have been more shocking if it DID show like a Northern Syrah. And ‘approachable’ is a great word for it – it was enjoyable alone, which a great many of my preferred wine styles are not.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2015 Mas de Lunès ‘e6-g’ Languedoc Red - $20 = 13.33%
2015 Mas de Lunes ‘e6-g’ Grès de Montpellier Collection Terroir, Languedoc
90 Points, Meininger (German Magazine) Gold Medal, Concours des Vins des Vignerons Indépendants de Mâcon
Tasting Notes
E6-G is the name of this cuvée, part of the terroir collection, and the label illustrates the geological map of the estate. The blue color makes reference to the sea that once covered the region more than 100 million years ago. This blend of Syrah and Grenache reveals complex aromas of red fruits, spices, and garrigue herbs. The wine is well-balanced and shows great freshness in the mouth.
Matthieu Carliez is the technical director for all the Jeanjean vineyards. Matthieu likes to say that The Mas de Lunes is a Cru in itself because it is completely isolated sitting on a plateau with 2500 acres of garrigues all around. E6-G is the technical name of the unique and rare soil type our vines are planted on. It is a rare combination of red clay and round calcareous stones that makes it so special. Some say that clay imparts a profile to wines that is similar to the texture of clay itself — thick, round, and generous while pebbles are most helpful in absorbing heat and reflecting it onto grape varieties, particularly at night when temperatures tend to cool. This allows a region to make wines that are bigger and more alcoholic than they typically would be in that climate. Here the climate is Meditteranean; dry and hot but at the same time kept under control by the Mediterranean Sea located 6 miles away. Matthieu likes to say that he produces “Vins éclatants” translated into English as “Dazzling wines”
Important and intense work in the vineyard : green harvesting, clearing of clusters for cooling and aeration. Manual harvesting with sorting in the vineyard and at the cellar. maceration and fermentation in tronconic vats and stainless-steel tanks at à 23-28°C. Daily pumping over and two rack and returns for optimal extraction. Long maceration of the Syrah. Malolactic fermentation.
Specs
Vintage: 2015
Blend: 70% Syrah, 30% Grenache Noir
Age of vines: 35 years
Soil Type: Red clay, calcareous round stones (Galets Roules)
Selection of the most qualitative blocks of the Gres de Montpellier AOP
Elevage: 50% Barrique French Oak for the Syrah, of which 1/4 new, 3/4 spent bottled at the domaine
Alcohol: 13.5%
What’s Included
6-bottles:
6x 2015 Mas de Lunes ‘e6-g’ Grès de Montpellier Collection Terroir, Languedoc
Case:
12x 2015 Mas de Lunes ‘e6-g’ Grès de Montpellier Collection Terroir, Languedoc
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $264/case MSRP
About The Winery
Winery: Mas de Lunès
Mas de Lunès was acquired in 1936 by the family-led winery Vignobles Jeanjean. At a time when nobody was interested in these low-yield soils in the middle of the garrigue (scrubland), the Jeanjean family bought in the Languedoc, realizing the terroir’s potential. They were visionaries. The estate has no direct neighbors, so no influence from other vineyards and was certified organic in 2013.
Today, this region is recognized as a wine production area, but it was not always like this. We could say that Vignobles JeanJean, was the one who discovered the great potential this area had to offer to the world!
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Once again, I’m delighted to be selected as a lab rat. When I opened the package to reveal this bottle of Mas De Lunés. I was pretty excited. I love mixed reds, and with a 70/30 Syrah-Grenache split, it sounded right up my alley.
On first open, It did not have any discernable odor – neither a breath of fruit nor one of alcohol. It was just… there. It poured deep garnet, pretty much in-line with the grape. A little more fruit came through on the pour, but much more reserved than I expected or experienced with other, similar blends.
I paired it with a half-slab of BBQ baby back ribs, baked potato and sauteed mushrooms. YUM!
I found the first taste to be a little rough. More acidity and heavier tannins that I would have thought, because of both the age and blend of this wine. And I’ll be honest. I didn’t love it. It wasn’t bad per se, but not nearly approachable as the Spellbound Syrah or the Farmstrong mixed red, for example. Those were much more drinkable in my opinion and have a better mouthfeel. It was very fruit-forward, but not sweet. Frankly it left me a little confused. It tasted of a younger Malbec, or similar enough, and not the relaxed blend it purported to be.
Here’s the other thing I noticed…. No legs at all. I don’t know if it lacked the structure or chemistry or what, but the glass rolled clean, something I haven’t seen from a wine selection in a long time. This shot is immediately after my first taste.
I finished off the bottle the second day. Day 2 was kinder to this blend, and it did lose some, but not all, of the edge I got when opened the previous day. It was better, but not amazing. Not surprising from something I found okay but not great. And maybe not even good.
I’ll wrap this by restating from previous reviews: I’m no expert. The things I found “less than” in this varietal might in fact be the very things that connoisseurs deeply appreciate. But for me this was about a 6 out of 10. As I said, The Spellbound is about the best “open and enjoy” I’ve had here, so I’m using that as the basis of my comparison, if that helps at all.
Thanks again for the opportunity to try and review this wine. I hope this was useful and happy to answer any questions. Cheers!!
@ACraigL Nice notes and you actually prove a good point. Languedoc syrah is typically a different animal from something you find domestically.
Also wine legs have nothing to do with the quality of a wine, not that you necessarily inferred that. Wine legs are pretty much just an indication of alcohol and sugar. Good little article here:
https://www.winetraveler.com/wine-resources/tears-of-wine-legs-explanation-gibbs-marangoni/
@kaolis Thanks for your comment! I appreciate the insight for something I have less experience with.
@ACraigL (since i finally got my Lab Rat notes posted i can read your analysis). The initial opening was pretty dull for us too. My wife kept saying “it’s just nothing but dust and old office building” (not in my official tasting notes, btw).
It seems i enjoyed it more than you. It was fun. It was fruity. I think your Malbec comparison was very apt, thinking back. It had that softer, fruity thing on the first day.
@radiolysis Yes, I think if I was a little more experienced with Languedoc, my expectations for this wine may have been different – my headspace was around Syrahs I’ve known.
@ACraigL Thank you for the rattage & perspective.
This is a youthful wine, fruit punchy, with an undercurrent of dusty earth and herbs and best after a few days of air.
On the first day we got it from Brown, and popped into the fridge for a few hours to get it down to temp. On pop-n-pour it was quite closed and hard to get much nose. Swirling helped bring out some red fruits which one of the tasters said was like fruit punch. Otherwise it had the garrigue dusty vibe in spades. Laundry list from the tasting guide: Dry to barely off dry (i think that was just the fruit talking), barely hazy, maroon colored, clear meniscus, low acid, low tannin, medium-short finish.
This certainly isn’t a Northern Rhone Syrah. No olive-y, meatiness, savory stuff. The herbal notes are more floral than stemmy/leafy.
We finished about half the bottle on day one and into the fridge it went.
(Second night was too busy to taste)
Third night! It had been stored in the fridge and i think it showed a little better. The tannins started to be a little more noticeable, but it had more complexity and depth. It was still all red fruit, slightly less dustiness, but gave more to work with. Quite murkier and wasn’t as nice to look at, but seemed more together.
Food pairing recommendations for me would be veggie and light cheese dishes. Like a summer squash tart, chevre salads or toasts, perhaps a spicy chicken skewer.
The pricing here is in line with what i’d expect for a Languedoc red blend on a discount.
@radiolysis I can work with that prefab quote.
Any sediment adding to that murkiness at the bottom of the bottle. LRRs can be tough given the compressed time we frequently are pressed into. Too many bottles have their own idea of needed time to taste.
@radiolysis Thank you for the review.
@radiolysis @rjquillin
From experience, I think this type of wine is particularly prone to bottle shock. Even just being freighted cross-state, I found that rustic French reds don’t show well upon arrival. It’s a nice reminder to all of us that wines need time to sort themselves out upon arrival.
Nice review - and it should be obvious to all that it’s a bit unfair to compare a Languedoc Syrah blend to a Northern Rhone Syrah - a totally different beast indeed. I would expect it to be more fruit-forward and lower in acid and tannin - but should be quite approachable, which it appears it is . . .
@tercerowines But Syrah is Syrah is Syrah! Right? /snark
@klezman or you are a funny guy!!! By the way, ready for sime tercero pinot? Not on here but soon . . .
@tercerowines I’ll work to phrase it differently next time. It would have been more shocking if it DID show like a Northern Syrah. And ‘approachable’ is a great word for it – it was enjoyable alone, which a great many of my preferred wine styles are not.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2015 Mas de Lunès ‘e6-g’ Languedoc Red - $20 = 13.33%
Main page says vintage 2015, here it says 2018. Which one is it?
@salpo My bottle says 2015. I’d go with that.
2015 Mas de Lunes ‘e6-g’ Grès de Montpellier Collection Terroir, Languedoc
90 Points, Meininger (German Magazine)
Gold Medal, Concours des Vins des Vignerons Indépendants de Mâcon
Tasting Notes
Specs
Selection of the most qualitative blocks of the Gres de Montpellier AOP
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $264/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Friday, Aug 13 - Tuesday, Aug 17
Mas de Lunès ‘e6-g’ Languedoc Red
6 bottles for $74.99 $12.50/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $129.99 $10.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2015 Mas de Lunès ‘e6-g’ Languedoc Red
@radiolysis
Does one of the (lab)rats need some cheese to go along with their wine?