“Mar y Muntanya”, Côtes Catalanes Rouge

“Mar y Muntanya” (“Sea and Mountains” in Catalan) combines 45% each Syrah and Carignan with a splash of Grenache, raised in a mix of cement vat and large oak barrel. Semi-carbonic maceration gives this wine a certain lift and fruit-driven exuberance, though its easygoing vinification does nothing to hamper its expression of stoniness and garrigue-y depth. This wine has the spirit of a Côte de Beaune rouge, showing just how distinct Calce is from its neighbor Languedoc-Roussillon. It may lack the imposing depth of L’Horizon’s more serious wines, but it’s hard to imagine one from this region that is more satisfyingly delicious.