($20, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.): Hecht & Bannier is a high quality négociant specializing in the wines from the Languedoc.  If you ever want to explore how the wines from the different appellations in this part of the South of France differ, pick up bottlings from Hecht & Bannier and taste them side by side.  The winemaking style is constant so the difference you taste is the difference between the appellations.  Minervois, one of the many appellations in the Languedoc, is known for wines that combine elegance with the ripeness ubiquitous to the region.  Stéphane Roux, Director of Minervois appellation, attributes the elegance to the winds that continuously rush through the meteorological corridor linking the Atlantic with the Mediterranean, cooling the adjacent hillsides.  Whatever the reason, the wines from Minervois seem to have an alluring herbal component that, in this instance, Hecht & Bannier have captured.  They have combined the ripe and spicy notes you’d expect from the usual Mediterranean blend of Carignan, Syrah and Grenache with a floral aspect that makes this Minervois impossible to resist.  It’s another ideal choice when you fire up the grill.
90 Michael Apstein Apr 23, 2013