Chateau Guilhem - "Pot de Vin" Merlot VDF 2022 750 ML (13% ABV)

Delicious and organic Merlot with a story? For this cheap? Hell yeah! Winemaker Bertrand Gourdou found a label searching through an old desk for a wine called "Le pot-de-vin" which, in French, translates to "the bribe". Turns out it was a label his great grandfather had made in the 1970s. This inspired Bertrand to make a natural but simple wine.

Despite the vineyards’ proximity to the Mediterranean, the climate here actually sees quite a bit of influence from the Atlantic; in addition, the soil here is atypical of the rest of the region, with a high proportion of calcareous sandstones. These stones help the soils to retain moisture over the winter so that the vines can flourish in the summer. The cellar was built in the late nineteenth century; old casks and concrete tanks stand next to modern stainless steel vats. Bertrand pulls both from older traditions and modern ideas in order to produce fresh, aromatic wines.

Sourced from an old, single family estate in the west of Languedoc which cultivates Bordeaux varietals. 

Always a crowd-pleasing delight! One of the best value reds we have tasted. An easy-drinking option for Bordeaux drinkers on a budget. Medium bodied, herbaceous, red fruit, supple mid palate, hints of red bell pepper and graphite, subtle structure - so this is delicious with or without food.

region: VDF (Malepere, western Languedoc), France

varietal: Merlot

style: crowd-pleasing red

farming/cellar: certified organic, practicing biodynamic, fermented with native yeast and a very minimal dose of So2 added at bottling, raised in concrete tanks

pairing: eggplant parmesan, burgers, chorizo tacos