2021 Chateau Des Hospices Canet Artemis Cotes du Roussillon 750 ml

The Roussillon is a part of France, but it’s a world away from Paris. First, the colors. The soil and the buildings boast a deep ochre hue that remind you you’re practically in Spain. Second, the sky. Whereas the skies over Paris and the north seem to always have puffy clouds above, France’s “Midi” boasts’ big blue skies, blown clear by the other defining aspect of the area: the winds.

In this part of the country, it seems like the winds are always blowing, either warm breezes off the Mediterranean or chillers from the Atlantic or the north. The latter was whipping our shirts around when we visited with Marc Benassis, the Opus One-trained winemaker of Hospices de Canet. 

In and around Marc’s native Canet-en-Roussillon, ancient vines survive and thrive by plunging their roots deep into the soil for water and nutrients. Meanwhile, the winds protect their thick, gnarled surface free of fungus and pests. What results are vibrant red wines boasting all the ripe fruit you’d expect from the sun-kissed region.

For the 2021 Artemis, Marc relied on the area’s classic combination of Syrah, Carignan, and Grenache, employing carbonic maceration for the first two. He fermented the destemmed Grenache traditionally, and the result is a deep but lively and fruit-forward wine that took home a serious honor: three stars from France’s revered Guide Hachette, plus a “Coup de Coeur” designation. 

This is exactly why our road trips are worth it. It’s a gorgeously ripened, strikingly lively wine from the land of ink-black tooth-staining reds—exactly what you crave in the warm climate of France’s Midi, a wine that will serve you well at the grill.