In 2002, at the age of 30, Lidewij van Wilgen moved from her native Netherlands to an 18th century farmhouse with surrounding vineyards in the Languedoc. There she raised her three daughters, enrolled in and graduated from the local oenology school, and began producing organic, low-intervention wines under the name Terre des Dames (“Land of the Ladies”). She is, as she describes herself, “Dutch by origin but Languedocienne by heart.” 'La Diva' is the estate’s flagship red wine: 55% syrah, 30% grenache, and 15% alicante from 50-to-100 year-old vines, aged in 600-liter French oak barrels for 12 months. And it’s 10 years old. The wine exudes deep, dark berries, with a hint of tar in the nose. Yet in the mouth, there is lift and lightness. This is a wonderful example of a wine from a modest appellation that has aged beautifully for a decade. Drink it with a rich, savory stew - cassoulet originated in the Languedoc, after all - or well-aged cheeses.
