We discovered one of our favorite wines from the Languedoc region of France quite by accident. It was New Year's Eve 2005 and  we settled in to a quiet table for 2 at Chez Henri, a terrific French-Cuban restaurant in Cambridge, MA. The extensive wine list offered a wide and varied selection at all price points. We ordered a California blend that came highly recommended from the Wine Spectator. When the waiter presented the bottle to Gary for inspection, he noticed the vintage was a year younger than the one listed on the menu.  A big no-no since wines can swing wildly in taste from year to year..  We sent it back and asked the sommelier  for a recommendation. He asked about our wine preferences and we said we wanted a fruit-forward wine with soft tannens and a long finish.

He eagerly suggested the 2001 Pic St. Loup Clos Marie L'Olivette. One taste and we were both smitten by the velvety tannins and berry flavors. We don't recall the meal from that New Year's Eve, but the memory of the Pic Saint Loup remains.  We recently opened one of the bottles we purchased in early 2005 and found that it had cellared quite well. It currently retails for @$18.00, which even qualifies it for the VinoDuo "Good and Cheap" category.  We can't recommend this wine enough and look forward to opening another bottle of the 2001 with roast chicken, lamb, tenderloin—it's that versatile and good.

Check out Catherine Granger's review of this yummy wine in her blog Purple Liquid: A Food and Wine Diary.