Celebrating Georges Duboeuf's Pay d'Oc Wine Lineup

[Steve Mirsky]

The Duboeuf family has been producing wine in the south of France for more than four centuries, but it wasn't until 1964 that Georges Duboeuf launched Les Vins Georges Duboeuf.

Duboeuf's perpetual quest for high quality grapes adheres to his ancestors’ traditional methods, rooted in unique terroir and authentic winemaking techniques, rigorous selection, and careful monitoring at bottling time. This translates into exporting locally favorite IGP varietals from the Burgundy regions of Beaujolais and Mâconnais leading to his world renown as premier ambassador for nearly 300 Burgundy winemakers.

Grapes for their sustainable collection are sourced from south-facing IGP vineyards in the Pays d’Oc department of Aude, a few miles from the medieval city of Carcassonne situated in the Pyrenees Mountain foothill valleys between lush mountains and the deep blue Mediterranean. Wine is bottled and labeled with each varietal featuring a picture of a native Pays d’Oc wildflower like Scabiosa, Cornflower, and Yellow Gentian that profusely blossom each year in the vineyards.

Georges Duboeuf Pays d'oc Cabernet 2017 - Shimmering deep ruby and aromas of black cherry jam, spice and vanilla, jamminess on the nose quickly reveals rich yet uncloying plum and strawberry. A deeper spicy bramble berry on the palate with a bold luscious mouth feel defined by silky tannins benefiting from a subtle touch of French oak perfectly accompanies a wide range of meats and fowl like roast beef, grilled steaks, braised lamb, and roast duck breast.

Georges Duboeuf Pays d'oc Merlot 2017 - A clean, crisp bouquet quickly delves into rich tart brambleberry that's smooth on the finish, making it a perfect balance of astringency and mellow tannic structure allowing the fruit speak for itself. You get a well calibrated blend of grapes from different vineyards in the region making this bottle a tasty alternative to pricier labels from the same region on the market now. Ideal pairings range from beef to lamb and dishes like pasta bolognese, as well as spicy Indian and Thai dishes.

Georges Duboeuf Pays d'oc Pinot Noir 2017 - Exuding red fruit aromas like cherry and wild strawberry, it has an elegant and luscious fruit-forward mouth feel thanks to stainless steel fermentation with notes of spice from light French oak aging. Well balanced even minerality makes this an easy sipping Pinot without too much astringency. Perfect with soft cheeses, charcuterie, grilled lamb, and fish dishes.

Georges Duboeuf Pays d'oc Chardonnay 2017 - Shines with a buttercup-yellow hue exuding pronounced aromas of fresh fruits, crisp apple, peach, citrus and a bit of toastiness from the French oak. Well rounded even minerality and light lemon zest with a clean mouth feel transitions to a smooth and creamy yet clean finish. A great accompaniment to fish and seafood of all types and preparations, including sushi, grilled fish, and Sichuan boiled fish.

 

Photos: Steve Mirsky and Georges Duboeuf