Region: Languedoc, France
Composition: Carignane, Syrah
Background: André Iché inherited an estate (complete with castle) in the Minervois region and spent years growing grapes and making wine, but sold the wine in bulk. Fifteen or so years ago, another winemaker was visiting and happened to try his wine, and convinced Iché to start bottling and selling it himself. He makes several AC Minervois wines, as well as this Vin de Pays l'Herault wine (it can't be AC Minervois because it is mostly Carignane, and AC Minervois won't allow more than 40 percent of the wine to consist of Carignane).
The name of the wine, "Les Hérétiques", is in reference to the Cathars, who lived in the Languedoc and came into trouble with the Catholic church because they had differing beliefs: they believed in dualism, (a good god and a bad god), reincarnation, didn't believe in marriage, and thought the world was an evil place. They were mostly vegetarian, frowned upon procreation, and treated women as equals. They thought Jesus was a ghost since they did not believe that the good god could appear in any physical form (and thus tainted by sin).
The popularity and heresy of these beliefs was very disturbing to the Catholic church, but there was one belief that probably irked them more than any of the others: the Cathars didn't think they had to pay the Catholic church's tithes. So of course the church started a 40 year crusade (actually, a series of crusades, known collectively as the Albigensian Crusade or the Cathar Wars) against these heretics and pretty much exterminated them by the middle of the 13th century. Now there is not much left: some ruins throughout southwest France, a regional dialect (the langue d'oc), and this wine, named for them.
Notes: Deep ruby purple in the glass. Nose of dust, minerals, and red and black berries with a hint of anise. Very dusty tannins all throughout the palate which slightly dry the mouth, with some spicy red fruit in the front and some toasty spice in the back. Nice acidity thoughout. Slightly harsh at the finish-- slightly rough-- but a decent bottle of wine for the price.
Cost: $8
Overall: B/B-
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