The 2011 Coteaux du Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac L’Infidele possesses a subtle earthiness to go with notions of black cherries, underbrush, leather and herbs. It’s also classy and elegant, with a rock star palate that features medium to full-bodied richness, loads of texture and an overall polished, pure and layered feel. A blend of 30% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 15% Carignan and the rest Cinsault, that spent 20 months in 15% new French oak, enjoy it over the coming 7-8 years, although I suspect it will evolve longer. Meaning “One must remain” in Occitan, Mas Cal Demoura was created by Jean-Pierre Jullien in 1970. At the time, there was a mass exodus of vignerons away from their own estates, and the region in general, due to an inability to make a living producing wine. Jean-Pierre followed this trend, but in 1985, his son Olivier set off on his own, creating the now benchmark estate Mas Jullien (which is also reviewed in this report). Following his son’s example, Jean-Pierre left the coop in 1993, sold a number of his vineyards, but kept the best 5 hectares for his own estate. Jean-Pierre retired in 2004, selling the estate (after working with them for a year during the transition) to the current owners, Isabelle and Vincent Goumard, who both studied winemaking in Dijon. The estate now covers roughly 11 hectares located outside the village of Jonquieres, in the heart of the Terrasses du Larzac region. The wines are all noteworthy, with medium to full-bodied richness that’s always balanced by classy, elegant overall profiles that remain a joy to drink. They’re all highly recommended. www.caldemoura.com Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (518) 207-9100