Cheap Grapes: Gerard Bertrand Montpeyroux 2007

This is not a bargain basement wine (it is just under $18 here in Ontario), but I think it tastes like a $30 wine. 2007 seems to be shaping up as a stellar year for French wine, and while while the wealthy can brag about their $500 bottles flown in from Bordeaux, the rest of us can benefit from the trickle down effect. Montpeyroux is a commune within the Coteaux-Languedoc appellation, in southwest France. My wife and I spent some time in Corbieres and Minervois a few years ago and were simply blown away by the quality of the wine, much of which never makes it across the Atlantic. I am happy to report that the same can be said for Montpeyroux. This one is a blench of Mourvèdre, Syrah, Carignan and Grenache, and while it is medium bodied, there is a real depth to it. I got some hints of cherry and blackberry; a nice bittersweet taste that it cemented by a real earthiness in its bones. It is complex enough to be interesting on its own, but I really think it has a high enough 'fruit juice factor' to please a diverse crowd.