It's easy for reds to feel ponderously heavy in the summer, especially when they are concentrated, elevated in alcohol and lavished with new oak. But, we all still want to drink red wines from time to time during warm weather. Leave it to the out-of-the-box renegade - and seriously good palate and globe-trotting winemaker - Ernst Loosen to find not only a solution but also a very gently priced one. Moreover,  the wines come from France's Languedoc, a region formerly strapped with the reputation of producing clumsy, jammy wines. 

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Sanssouci 2017 Le Rouge Red Blend Pays d’Oc 13.5% $11.99
“Sans souci” means “without a worry”, and this wine’s drinkability certainly feels that way. This Syrah and Grenache blend is sleek on the palate and very slurpable thanks to the relaxed tannins and focused, palate-lifting acidity. Candied plums, blueberries and violets permeate the flavor spectrum and give this wine a youthful, fresh focus. Drink up as this mildly concentrated wine fades quickly on the palate, even its the overt and sweetly toasted oak tones. This works nicely with a touch of chill!
Drink: Through 2020 

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Sanssouci 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Pays d’Oc 13.5% $11.99
This wine starts out nicely bright with fresh black currant flavors tinged by licorice. There’s a moderately meaty mid-palate supported by stringy tannins and a pithy, acidic freshness. Frank and straightforward thanks to its vibrantly youthful flavors and no new oak use, this is best with grilled meat dishes. Drinking well now, the wine’s lightly concentrated, easy-going and fruit-driven flavors suggest that there is no need to wait for mature flavors to develop. This shows best at cellar temperature.
Drink: Through 2020