KERMIT LYNCH WINE MERCHANT

Over forty years of doing business in France and Italy have given Kermit Lynch a level of expertise that few in the wine industry can boast. Countless hours with growers in some of the most famous vineyards and cellars of Europe have offered more than just a casual look at what it takes to be a great grower, let alone a great winemaker. Kermit Lynch was the first to champion the benefits of unfined and unfiltered wines, long before they had become fashionable. This belief is really a matter of taste, and the proof has always been in the glass, offering a purer expression of fruit and an unadulterated reflection of the terroir. Kermit’s conviction has been so strong over the years that he has been able to persuade even the most hard-headed vignerons to test his theories. Long-term relationships with vignerons in every major wine growing region offer a tremendous array of opportunities. Every year, Kermit enjoys a creative collaboration with some growers to find the best of their selections. Together, they work towards creating a final blend that showcases the region in all its glory at a price point that is difficult to match.

LANGUEDOC

The Kermit Lynch blend from the Languedoc, like our blends from other regions, is born from one of our longstanding relationships in the region. Our history with vigneron Jean-Claude Zabalia dates back to the early 1990s when he was the winemaker at St. Martin de la Garrigue, a standard-bearing winery in the Languedoc for many years. In 2012 he departed the domaine to start his own business, Château des Deux Rocs, which focuses on the high-elevation appellation of Cabrières. Kermit’s collaboration with Jean-Claude now brings us what most certainly is one of the great value reds produced in France today. The fruit is sourced from Jean-Claude’s own holdings in one of the Languedoc’s most up-and-coming terroirs—Cabrières. These appellations are tucked away in the mountains of the Languedoc at over 1000 feet above sea level. The vines benefit from the long summer days but the elevation provides a much-needed cooling effect each night, thus giving the wines an uncharacteristic freshness for the region. Jean-Claude’s concept is to allow these two great terroirs to complement each other, or as he puts it, “to see if one plus one could equal three.”