Languedoc Wine

France Show, but where is the Languedoc-Roussillon?

2012-01-14T09:31:00.000-08:00

The France Show has been an annual early January event at Earls Court in London for some years. It seemed well attended but not heaving, although the offer of free tickets to (presumably) previous attendees like us suggests a numbers boost was sought. The event is essentially for deprived Francophiles and wannabe future French home owners. It splits into two halves physically. A more serious property, finance, legal and business section on the right vs. lifestyle - food, wine, travel, fashion, language, entertainment and the like - on the left.

Now France is pretty big – the Languedoc-Roussillon is one of 22 regions on the mainland. Nevertheless, for a region on the top tier in the expansion and tourism league it had a near zero presence. Just one obvious representation out of 150 exhibitors; a new build specialist based in Narbonne called Villas from Languedoc. Their website URL name is www.languedoc.co.uk as befits an established business of 28 years.

This is a wine blog so I’ll get back on topic with, on this occasion, much despair. I eyed well over 100 bottles on various stands and only spotted two L-R examples. There were two wine theatres and one was dedicated to Bordeaux. The other admirably featured Alsace and, seemingly forgetting this is January in London, Provence Rosé. The Sud de France logo, which covers food as well as wine, was nowhere to be seen. That said, with one cowboy stall charging £39 a kilo for 24 month old Comté to the uninformed, perhaps disassociation isn't a bad thing. That said, such extreme rip-offs were as rare as bargains.

We chatted to a charming couple who are 3D Wines www.3dwines.com and operate a vine rental scheme that supports small family operated vineyards. Their portfolio is 33 strong but with zilch from the L-R and just 3 from the Rhône to prop up the south. While they did tell us to "watch this space", we concurred that image and the lack of icon wines remain as L-R challenges.

I'll end on a more positive note. The Languedoc-Roussillon's reputation as a hidden secret is safe for now.

Old Red Wine

2012-01-06T02:42:00.000-08:00

My last post touched on a lunch with some special classic wines brought along by a group of disparate wine lovers. I remarked that only 2 of the 14 wines were of this century, including the Mas de L'Écriture 2001 I brought to the party. The other was a Ruchottes Chambertin F Esmonin (Burgundy of course) and was the wine I’d most like to imbibe again. The oldest was 1966 Chateau Palmer (Bordeaux) along with Graham’s port of the same year.
The event prompted me to ponder some fairly deep personal matters – vinous of course. It distils down to this - ‘has my taste changed to favour younger red wine’?

I discovered wine in the early 1980s. In hindsight this could be considered the golden age of wine given that, with the exception of the so called Bordeaux great growths and a few equivalents, icon wines were affordable. A 10 year old Palmer from a modest vintage back then cost me a similar amount after inflation to the L'Écriture. These days Palmer is ×5 and up that of L'Écriture. Of course much has changed in 30 years. Fine wine has become a serious investment and therefore distorts values of course, but most crucial has been the revolution in wine making know-how and equipment. Poor vintages are enjoyable rather than near undrinkable or even a write-off. Often overlooked is that wines back then were usually made to go with food, or more pertinently simply needed food, and traditionally rich food at that. They also possessed less alcohol generally and the fruit seemed to be in a lower key.

Most fine reds needed to be aged. In their youth they seemed tannic monsters, or at least somewhat hard, and most soon withdrew into a comparatively dumb period for several years. With luck, a palatable complex wine would eventually emerge, usually after several disappointing bottles had been broached along the way. Perhaps I exaggerate a to make a point, but this did apply to plenty of well reputed clarets I owned or tasted.

Some wines are still built to age of course, but most have riper tannins and fruit making them more attractive throughout their life. There are also new styles. So called fruit bombs mainly from the new world are one that don’t appeal. Vibrant, expressive, supple and perfectly balanced wines do.

Going back to my analysis of ‘has my taste changed’ then perhaps the answer is not so much ‘yes’, but more ‘my taste has grown to appreciate, and often prefer, certain modern styles’. There are several Languedoc domains making reds (from Mediterranean varieties) that I’m familiar with and with a proven track record of ageing well for 10 years or more. Along with L'Écriture, aged cuvees from Alain Chabanon, Virgile Joly, Mas Jullien, Marfée and Ollier Taillefer have all given great pleasure and, in the future as a treat, will continue to do so. Golden age the 1980s may have been, but with the choice and diversity available today certainly not missed by me.

Mas de L'Écriture flies the Languedoc flag

2011-12-24T11:01:00.000-08:00

I recently went to a hugely enjoyable and relaxing "Christmas" lunch in the private dining room of the excellent Medlar - a relatively new restaurant in Chelsea. It’s organised by enthusiasts who converse on Tom Cannavan's wine-pages.com in the wine forum. As a discussion board it befits wine itself for being one of the the most civilised forums I’ve encountered. Everyone is treated with respect, whether someone is seeking a £3.99 miracle wine or indulged in a rare near unobtainable icon.

Back to the lunch. Of the 14 bottles generously brought by the group only two were (just) from this century. The rest went back to the 1960s. The majority were reds with two vintage Champagnes doubling as dry whites. My contribution, by popular demand from the organiser, was my last bottle of Mas de L'Écriture, L'Écriture 2001 – a bend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre made around Jonquieres in the Terrasses du Larzac. It was partnered with no less than a Chave Hermitage 1998, a Penfolds Grange 1991 and a Beef en Daube. It was certainly not humbled despite the Chave being informally voted one of the wines of the lunch. I much preferred L'Écriture to the powerful Grange, an extraordinary wine in contrast to the line-up with the volume turned so high any Languedoc would seem meek. L'Écriture had a lovely ripe sweetness with elegant baked plums and waves of smoke. There was consensus that it didn’t come across as belonging in the Languedoc, something I’ve found less pronounced in more recent vintages. An interesting coincidence is that Mas de L'Écriture features strongly on the Medlar’s wine list. It’s also a restaurant I look forward to returning to.

The event was, for me these days, a rare foray into some mature classic wines. Something I'll muse on in my next post.

For the record the line-up was: -

Cheese choux puffs

Krug 1985

Grilled bream with baby squid, risotto nero, gremolata and shaved fennel

Chapelle Chambertin Ponsot 1998
Chapelle Chambertin Ponsot 1997
Ruchottes Chambertin F Esmonin 2001

Middle white pork chop with celeriac puree, black cabbage, crackling and marjoram

Palmer 1966
Leoville Barton 1978
Vieux Chateau Certan 1998

Daube de boeuf with parsnip puree, parsnip crisps and bourguignon sauce

Le Mas de L'Ecriture 2001
Chave Hermitage 1998
Penfolds Grange 1991

Dom Ruinart 1996 (palate freshener)

Tarte tatin with crème fraîche ice cream

Chateau Pajzos Tokaji Aszu 1993
Huet Le Haut Lieux Moelleux 1989

Coffee/Tea
Graham's 1966 (port).

Floyd Uncorked in the Languedoc

2011-11-24T08:32:00.000-08:00

The late Keith Floyd changed TV cookery programmes forever in the 1980s. For Francophile gourmets the landmark Floyd on France series was and remains essential viewing. He also filmed a less well remembered series on wine, Floyd Uncorked, back in 1997. This episode on YouTube, kindly uploaded by a user known as gelert456 and split into two parts, covers the Languedoc. As well as wine talk and tasting enjoy the many scenic "spot that location" moments - mainly around Sète, the Étang de Thau and Béziers.

Cookery features of course and this takes place in vines with Carcassonne as a backdrop where Floyd demos his interpretation of Cassoulet and Crudites Anchoïade. While it lacks some of the pace and energy of his earlier food and cooking series, Languedoc wine lovers should nevertheless find it interesting.

To view these full screen and to browse other episodes in the series start on YouTube here

Cave Cooperative futures

2011-10-31T02:45:00.000-07:00

Like many in the region, the Cave Cooperetive at Aspiran on the west side of the central Hérault valley has been in decline. Wine hasn't been bottled for pushing a decade, no doubt because a massive investment in equipment is required to make wine to modern standards. It hasn't always been like that. 1957 saw the first, at least for a Languedoc cooperative, Vaslin horizontal presses installed (replaced in 1975). As recently as 1988 was another first when a Bucher pneumatic press was acquired.

There are similar stories in the area. The cooperative at Caux closed several years ago and is already a decayed building - the grapes go down the road to Les Caves Molière at Pézenas. Nizas has a similar tale.

The trend has been for cooperatives to combine to create even greater economies of scale, but there are notable local exceptions. Fontès and Cabrières seem to do well and are certainly good at marketing. Fontès boasts the best rosé in the area and a new customer reception salon has been constructed this year. Cabrières uses their reception space to host art exhibitions and has managed to maintain a reputation for its wine. To the south at Florensac a light and airy tasting and sales space has been created with an excellent and popular attached restaurant Bistro d'Alex serving their wine at near retail price. Adissan has more land suited to growing Clairette and their bottles line the shelves of the regions and no doubt beyond supermarkets. Much will also be supplied to make Noilly Prat in Marseillan (blog article here). Further afield I have commented on the quality of the Roquebrun Cooperative in the Saint-Chinian appellation.

Things are looking more promising for the grape growers of Aspiran to obtain a higher price. Between 1963 and 2003 eight villages combined to produce wine under the Clochers et Terroirs branding. An enormous modern facility at Puilacher now makes all the wine and the Aspiran cooperative has joined in. The relatively dull cooperative building (photo above) survives for now as the harvested grapes are collected and de-stemmed there before being tankered off to Puilacher. I tasted some of the wine at a recent village event and the Chardonnay for example was well made and offered some interest.

Dinner with friends (oh, and some wine)

2011-10-24T04:29:00.000-07:00

I have never invited wine makers to dinner before, but with the harvest and much of the subsequent cellar work out the way it was their turn to relax and for someone else to feel some pressure. Being friends, any pressure is of course imagined and bears no resemblance to what growers experience at the climax of a years work. Nevertheless, fuelled by the presence of a sommelier, restaurateur, lawyer and finance director (all ex of course), there was no shortage of imagined pressure.

I supplied the wines and had declared my guest's products interdit in advance. For the heart of the evening I had procured three whites and three reds with some tenuous connections to the guests - grape, style and all Languedoc of course. They were served blind, but I did reveal they were from the region. Most interesting were some of the comments. A white icon of the Terrasses du Larzac was harshly deemed by one of us to have contrived acidity and no more complexity than a Picpoul. Everyone, I think, agreed on which white showed best - Domaine Fons Sanatis B… d’Agniane 2009 (Aniane, geographically in the Terrasses du Larzac). A Vermentino I tried last year that had now shrugged off most of the oak of youth and opened into a lovely clean and rounded wine full of haunting interest. A comment "Riesling of the south" sums it up.

The bottle has an attractive glass closure originally held in place by the capsule. It avoids corked bottles and is certainly a more stylish (and expensive) alternative to a screw-cap.

The three reds generated a similar number of comments. Brett was detected by one observer on the first, but for the rest of us it was an expressive start. A still youthful 10 year old icon Carignan surprised everyone and it was the best equipped to complement cheese.

We all agreed the Léon Barral Tradition 2008 (Faugères) was the red of the night. Spiralling circles of flavour captured everyone's feelings. It will be hard to dislodge as my red of the year given how delicious it was on two previous occasions. I must make an effort to procure some.

For the record the menu included: -

Roast aubergine and courgette with Pesto and Tapenade
Brandade made with olive oil from Mas Cal Demoura, fresh Paimpol beans, capers from the commune and roast red peppers
Pig's cheeks braised in Cévennes onions, fresh sage and bay, garlic, reduced Noilly Prat and home salted anchovies (no other added liquid) accompanied by green beans with garlic and aforesaid oil, a baked mix of Jerusalem artichokes and new potatoes.
Selection of cheeses including a Brebis called Nauc from the Larzac and chèvres from Le Chalet Roujan.
Quince Frangipane Tart with home made vanilla ice cream
Mature Armagnac soaked chocolate coated prunes.

Vendanges thoughts

2011-09-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

"Great wine is made in the vineyard" is a pretty established saying but obviously only tells part of the story. I read recently, and rather like, a more embracing sentence that amounted to:- the vineyard determines the quality while wine making determines the style.

The step that's missed out here is getting those grapes from the vines and into the hutch where the wine making process can assume control. On a per vine perspective the harvest is a short but intensive and critical process. Deciding when to pick is mainly a style decision, unless wet weather influences the pace, otherwise everything about the vendanges focuses on quality.

Here are two extreme and contrasting images.

The top picture has been machine harvested and is destined to be dumped into the receiving pit of a cooperative - a cooperative that hasn't bottled anything for at least six years. It will be tankered off for use in an anonymous blend or even to create industrial alcohol.

Below, cinsault bunches have been hand-harvested by a family with vigneron friends and placed into shallow cagettes. Quality control on selection takes place at the best point - the start of the process. There are no rotten or unripe bunches, no leaves, no stalks, no snails, no grasshoppers.

This is not a dig at mechanical harvesting which has many advantages, not least the ability to pick volume, pick quickly, and in the cool before dawn. Nevertheless, the very best machine results will need a pass through the vineyard in advance to, for example, remove late forming unripe bunches coined «grapillons». On harvest day a labour intensive sorting table will be needed to receive the grapes. Hand and machine both have their place. A fun way to look at it is something like this. A drinking fountain will struggle to put out a fire, hundreds of drinking fountains could, but only with some serious resource and organisation. Think carefully before taking a drink from a fire hydrant.

For finer wines the Languedoc-Roussillon favours both approaches. In most years the grapes will be in fine condition and less selection is needed than in northern climes where the harvest is later. The diversity of grape varieties grown spreads the elapsed time of the harvest to 6 or more week.This aids hand-picking on small holdings where perhaps half a hectare is manageable in a long morning of picking and gives vignerons time to help out neighbours and share expensive modern equipment.

Rosé in a day at Mas Gabriel

2011-09-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

The plan, with the timing dictated by grape ripeness tests, was to pick for the rosé at Mas Gabriel over two days immediately after a couple of relatively tame days picking some parcels of red. Forecast rain changed the plan to pick and, this being rosé, also press in just one day. Plenty of pickers ensured a measured pace in the vines - the limiting process being transporting the cagettes (red and grey containers in the photos) to the cave and finding a corner to store them. Part one then was complete by lunchtime.

Every available container is used for storing grapes - Carignan, Cinsault and Grenache - ready for pressing.

The rosé is made the same way as the white. The de-stemmer ejects whole grapes into the empty white container - the only container other than the bath not storing grapes. The whole grapes, along with their separated stems, are then popped into the basket press to be gently pressed with the exuded juice pumped into a cooled cuve to settle overnight. That's it. Problem is there's well over 200 cagettes worth of grapes that, in the end, required three pressing runs.

The basket press in action. Surrounding it with a glass perspex screen (most visible on the top) not only catches skins as they are squeezed out, but also keeps in the carbon dioxide regularly dispensed over proceeding to minimise oxidation. It may look dramatic, but the press is very gentle and very slow. Just to be sure, the juice is tasted frequently towards the end of each pressing for any trace of bitterness.

Juice collects in the white bucket and is pumped away to a cuve through the purple tube.

The basket sits on a trolley so it can be wheeled out of the press mechanism to be topped up with more grapes and eventually emptied.

Despite these precautions, skins can be ejected indiscriminately - in this case on Peter's second shirt of the day. Even the ceiling took a minor hit.

I calculate the skin contact with the juice to be about 90 minutes on average. Long enough to give the wine a seductive colour plus impart a hint of grape tannin.

At the end of each pressing the cage and staves are removed to reveal a "cake" of skins and stalks. It's prised apart and loaded onto the tractor to be returned to vineyard.

The stalks help the release of juice during pressing.

Answers to what's being said on a postcard

Rather like a big party, there's all that washing up and cleaning to be done at the end, and some happy winemakers.

Hérault varietal trends

2011-09-04T03:01:00.000-07:00

In my last post I referred to this site Observatoire viticole of the Hérault. Maintained by the Conseil General de l'Hérault it's packed full of data and statistics on all matters relating to the grape in the department. I've been pondering the area planted by vine in 2009 (most recent data) compared with 2004 (oldest data published).

The bare statistics are quite something. 15% of the department is under vines, but as a majority of the terrain is mountainous then where they grow they're dense. If all the vines were in a single square vineyard the sides would be over 30 Kms wide.

From 2004 to 2009 the total surface under vine has declined by more than 13%. In 2004, 99% of the vines consisted of 37 varieties with the remaining 1% is classified as "autres". In just 5 years four varieties have dropped from the list - Servant (blanc), Terret noir, Auban (noir) and Grenache gris.

Back in 2004 Carignan noir was the most widely planted at about 22% of the total, but has declined to barely over 15% - a fall of 40% and accounts for over two thirds of the nett vine loss. While this is alarming, at least 14000 ha (hectares) remain out there - plenty for independent start-ups looking to make something interesting. The other big losers are the reds Aramon, Alicant and, perhaps surprisingly, "king" of the rosé Cinsault loosing more than 30%. Grenache has lost 900 ha or 8%, but at least this is less than the average (13%) loss.

Just picked Grenache vines at Domaine Ribiera Aspiran 23rd August 2011

Just 8 varieties take up nearly 80% of vineyard space - Syrah, Carignan, Merlot, Granache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault plus two whites Chardonnay and Sauvignon. All big global players except the Carignan of course, but at a time when the world is warming up only three are Mediterranean varieties. Sauvignon has shown the most growth in 5 years of over 37%, Chardonnay expanding some 8% and Syrah a slight increase at just over 1%. The other five are in decline.

Other big winners are Pinot Noir, more than doubling in 5 years but only to a modest 522 ha and driven totally by the premium price for the name - the big case of Pinot Noir fraud in 2010 illustrates this. More aligned to the potential for interest and quality late ripening heat lover Mourvèdre is up 5%. Of the whites, and presumably mirroring the overall increase in white production, is a welcome increase in the Mediterranean varieties Roussanne, Marsanne and Vermentino. Starting from a higher base, Picpoul and Viognier have seen double digit growth with over 350 ha planted between them. Colombard, which didn't appear in the 2004 charts, has stormed in with 383 ha.

Conclusions
These are statistics for part of the biggest vineyard in the world and as such will have little bearing on the fine wines that merit talking about for pleasure. The vast majority of production goes into anonymous blends and big brand names. However, the increase in better known popular varietals, and especially the whites, must be creating a good base for competing in world markets with a more locally identifiable product.

Carignan blanc

2011-09-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

My first experience of grape picking was at Mas Gabriel last year. This year I joined in with the white vendange of their two parcels of mainly Carignan blanc. Do see Rosemary George's detailed and informative description with photos of the Mas Gabriel 2010 white harvest. There really isn't anything I can add beyond what happens to the press at the end of each pressing, but I'll save that for a report on the rosé harvest.

Given the quality and popularity of the Clos des Papillons, the Carignan blanc from Mas Gabriel, I am intrigued as to why this variety is virtually unheard of and seemingly rare. After all, red relation Carignan is arguably the defining contributory grape to the identity of the region's red wine. Having picked it for a couple of days I now appreciate that, like the noir, yields need to be low and that even in the best years a labour intensive thorough triage of the bunches is essential for a quality wine. It basically isn't economically viable and can only really exist as a second fiddle for an independent producer.

I came across this site Observatoire viticole of the Hérault maintained by the Conseil General de l'Hérault. Its packed full of data and statistics on all matters relating to the grape in the department. Finding stuff is a bit clunky, much of the content is just documents, the search facility works well at a high level when one gets the hang of it.

In 2009, the most recent data, Carignan blanc is reported to occupy 230 hectares. Maybe this sounds a fair amount, but it represents just 0.25% of the Hérault's surface area under vines. Much of it will end up as the minor component of a blend, but if there's any good news it should all be good quality low yielding old vines. By comparison, in 2004 there were 392 hectares representing 0.36%. At this rate it will be very rare indeed by the end of the decade.

Vendange 2011

2011-08-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

I spent my first day grape picking this year at Régis and Christine Pichon's Domaine Ribiera in my village Aspiran. 7 am start yes, but at least there was no commute involved. To my surprise it was going to be Grenache and the 22nd August was believed to be the earliest recorded day for a Grenache harvest the village had know. That said, the objective was to make a fresh and expressive wine for drinking young which is not too rich and not too alcoholic. To achieve this the Grenache was being picked "early" and the instructions were to discard all unripe bunches that, by my estimation, amounted to 30% of the crop. Once it starts to ripen Grenache apparently ripens quickly so waiting until those 30% of bunches were ripe would mean 70% were overripe.

It occurred to me that passing through the vineyard a second time at a later date was an option, but as the photo shows, healthy leaf growth makes it near impossible to see and assess the ripeness of an individual bunch without actually cutting it away from the vine. The discarded bunches will return their goodness to the soil and vines so no waste, just loss. I calculated the resulting yield was around 30 hl/ha - the ideal spring flowering conditions have ensured a good crop.

The team were clearly experienced locals with the classy smooth action of hairdressers and speed of champion sheep shearers. 6 hours of picking had just one pause café when I managed to snatch this picture of the team (Christine had popped back to the cave).

No doubt I was expected to make my apologies but kept going and even helped with the destemming of the last batch before a very late lunch. Here the destemmed grapes will be pumped directly from the base of the machine into the cuve, a system that minimises exposure of the juice to the air.

Next up will be the Carignan blanc at Mas Gabriel. As white wine needs to be pressed immediately in one batch the picker's duties will be limited to the size of the press - a lighter interlude is in prospect.

Vinotaure (a Bio Wine fair)

2011-07-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

Vinotaure 2011 is a Salon des vins Bio et naturels organised by Epicuvin, who describe themselves as a club of wine and gastronomy lovers from Montpellier. Overall this was a slightly disappointing showcase for Bio wines. Several producers offered poor value and there were also too many underwhelming wines, an observation magnified by a few notable exceptions. That said, "regular" wine shows in France are just as variable, but if you're going to have a Bio/Natural Wine event they need to excel and differentiate themselves in the glass as well as on paper.

The event took place at a rather soulless resort complex the Résidence Domaine du Golf near Fabrègues east of Montpellier. A navigation check on Google Streetview reveals a scene of bulldozed terrain - that's how new this regimented village is. Fear not though, the spacious tasting hall turned out to be near ideal.

There were 17 producers billed, including 10 from the Languedoc and Roussillon. About the right number although the majority were showing five or more wines. It was also worryingly quiet on the Saturday and several producers understandably vacated their pitch for a early and long lunch. A few didn't even turn up, at least for the morning.

There were no new "discoveries" to report at producer level, but there were some interesting individual wines.

I enthused about the 2008 red from La Réserve d'O back in April. Equally impressive is the white (2009?) lovely balance, fresh, clean yet complex with hints of white flowers, fennel and preserved lemon. Unusual blend of Chenin, Grenache and Roussane grown at 400m above Arboras in the Terrasses du Larzac. Sanssoo is a play on Cinsault (but also has some Syrah) and never sees sulphur so is natural wine by any definition (La Réserve d'O is also biodynamic). Harmonious ripe red fruits and unusually fresh raspberries - a flavour and berry rare in the Languedoc. Along with Mas Gabriel they were the star attendees with wines I'd be happy to, and do, buy.

Mas Delmas is at Salses-le-Château just north of Perpignan. I found the whites more successful and the Marie Delmas Muscat Sec, a blend of Muscat de Petits Grains and often derided Alexadria, the most interesting. It combined aromatic grapeyness with a backbone of earthiness and grapefruit peel. Their reds disappointed - jammy sums them up.

Domaine Mămăruta just north of Fitou is relatively near Mas Delmas. A white from 70% Macabeu and 30% Carignan Blanc showed best - a nice balanced seafood wine with a pleasant acidic bite. Otherwise an oaked nutty Muscat was a bit too offbeat and another white just apples.

Stella-Nova at Caux (Pézenas) takes low sulphur seriously and their white Les Pléiades 2009 from mainly Grenache Blanc and Clairette was a fine effort - delicate yeasty eldeflower. The red Mira Ceti is zero sulphur and I just noted cider.

Mas Zenitude is sited in the hallowed Montpeyroux/St Jean de Fos patch of the Terrasses du Larzac. Audace 2009 is admirably pure Cinsault. Fresh, not heady, nice mouth feel and quite tasty. Vent d'Anges 2009 is a well made carignan - ripe, soft fruit with some classy smoke and tapenade. Only problem is the RPQ (15€ and 20€ respectively).

Domaine Turner Pageot at Gabian is just to the south of Faugères. I found their whites different and a very personal style. For example La Rupture 2009 is an oaked Sauvignon Blanc with plenty going on - coriander seeds, preserved lemon, resins and cats. I returned later to try the reds and left with an impression of fruit driven wines with an oak backbone.

In the 1990 I was an admirer of Domaine Henry (Saint Georges d'Orques) who were on an early wave of the region's rising stars. The reds were always an oaked style and my personal taste has moved on. Nevertheless, I was shocked at how inaccessably woody they were. In their defence they are food wines that need ageing, but cheap they are not. The wines also seemed totally out of character if one of the objectives of organic practices is to allow terroir to express itself.

I didn't taste Abbaye de Valmagne having drunk quite a few in the recent past and always finding them a bit overworked and short on character.

One out of region wine demanded a mention. Domaine du Picatier is a Côte Roannaise by the upper reaches of the Loire. They make a nice fresh Chardonnay, easy drinking Gamays and a delicious, balanced gourmandaise Pinot Noir 2009 Auver-Nat-Noir.

Bordeaux getting worried?

2011-07-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

Today's Midi Libre, a regional daily covering the Languedoc and Aveyron, had a snippet about a court case involving Château Taillefer in Pomerol challenging one of the leading lights of Faugères, Domaine Ollier-Taillefer, over their use their name. After a year and a half the tribunal at Bordeaux is reported to have ruled in favour of the family from Fos.

Considering Ollier-Taillefer has been the name for the Domaine and bottle labels for over 10 years its curious why this challenge has been so long in coming. Perhaps the continuing rise of Languedoc independents is starting to be seen as a threat that justifies court action. The tide is turning?

Too hot for reds?

2011-07-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

As inside temperatures, even in the evenings, edge above 25 deg. (77 °F) plus then common wisdom dictates a regime of rosé or dry white wine. Nothing wrong with that, but as a lover of reds these can be tough times. While white and rosé make fine aperos, not moving on is like a cricket match with the second innings rained off.

This season I've been much bolder at putting a bottle of red into the fridge for an good hour or so followed by a move to a wine cooler and all seems to work just fine. The wine quickly warms up when poured and the evolution in the glass takes on a few more stages that warmer wine ever can. It's also more refreshing. I'd hesitate to try this on a fully mature bottle, wines proffering a good dose of primary fruit do best as do those where the oak is low key. A hit so far.

Intercep Protection

2011-06-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

These young Vermentino vines at Mas Gabriel enjoy a home built solution to weeding and lunching rabbits, hares and the like. Hundreds of metal bars have been bent into a hoop and supported by a central bar attached to the trellis. The blue net is a common solution to deterring the hungry while the metal enables the use of an intercep for weed control - a special plough that uproots weeds growing between the vines. An intercep happily bounces off and around a grown stump, but these vines are barely thicker than pencils.

While this construction requires considerable work, the prospect of weeding young vines by hand is equally daunting.

Growing at the base of the vine on the right is perslane (pourpier in French) - one of the finest wild salads there is. Being biodynamic perslane it was manually weeded for lunch.

Outsiders Revisited

2011-06-08T01:31:00.000-07:00

Outsiders are a group of some of Languedoc-Roussillon's best and most creative producers who have relocated to the region. The tasting last November in London was a wine highlight of the year. A few members were at the London International Wine Fair to support their importers and wrapped up one of the long days with a get together, along with their founder Louise Hurren, to say a few words, chat and share a few bottles.

This was a chance to drink rather than taste. The newest Outsiders member is Domaine Sainte Rose - with the exception of La Grange de Quatre Sous the one I've known the longest, starting with Charles and Ruth Simpson's first harvest back in 2002. Les Derniers Cépages 2009 is from late ripening Mourvèdre and Petit Verdot and has heaps of velvety ripe black fruit with just the necessary tannic grip. La Garrigue is a classic Languedoc blend - Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre, and a favourite red. I have bottles going back to 2002 but the 2007 has refined elegance with a wonderful fresh finish. Domaine Sainte Rose is north of the axis between Pezenas and Béziers in the Côtes du Thongue. This is also one of the region's most suitable white wine areas - their whites are just as good. Easily the best value Languedoc available, and as it happens widely available, in the UK and elsewhere.

Domaine Jones can only be described as a micro domaine at barely over 3 hectares in some of the wildest terrain imaginable. The product is simple, a Grenache rouge and a Grenache Gris blanc. The Jones Blanc 2009 was the most enjoyable wine I'd tasted all day. Since last November it seems to have relaxed a bit while retaining its extraordinary mineral structure and discreet savoury interest. Do read Katie's blog.

I rarely come across wines from La Clape, a rugged coastal ridge near Narbonne. Along with Banyuls, it's the only Languedoc-Roussillon red wine area near the cooling sea. The reds have an almost haunting perfume about them - lavender is the best association I've read. I need to get used to their character and the Château d'Anglès Rouge (2009 I recall, mainly Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre) is something I appreciate the more I try it. It combines softness with structure perfectly.

Sud de France Prestige UK wines

2011-06-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

At the London International Wine Fair Sud de France were showing their prestige selection of 42 Languedoc-Roussillon wines that are available in the UK. A varied panel of 11 influential names from the UK wine scene made the selection by blind tasting 200 wines presumably submitted by participating distributors. Now 200 different wines sounds and is a lot, but for a start this is a region with over 20 recognised areas plus near infinite Vin de Pays tucked in and between. Multiply this by factors such as red, white, sweet, rosé, aromatic, mineral, oaked, full bodied, fresh, mature - let alone grape varieties - and you get the picture.

The 158 wines that didn't make the selection aren't disclosed but knowing the lists of some of the importers all could equally have made the selection. Either by chance or some judging fine tuning, the 42 do project a diverse but balanced range of styles and a good spread on the map.

I came across the stand late and wished I'd discovered it earlier, so didn't taste them all. Still, my personal highlights and observations were: -

Plenty of boutique growers were represented alongside some of the big name producer/negociants.
Four terrific Rivesaltes Ambrés - natural sweet wines usually from Grenache Blanc and/or Macabeu from around Perpignan. Totally underrated wines that are clearly easier to find in UK than much of the Languedoc. Good move to show four to make a point. Surprisingly there was no sweet muscat in the line up.
Nice to find a couple of cool Orb valley (Bedarieux) masterpieces from Domaine de Clovallon, including the Les Pomarèdes 2008 Pinot Noir.
Virgile Blanc 2005, Domaine Virgile Joly I'd tasted at Dudley & de Fleury Wines and again showed how brilliantly complex a Languedoc white can be.
The fresh and vibrant white Mas Bruguière Les Mûriers 2010 has scored twice by also showing at the overlapping London Natural Wine Fair
I was disappointed with Château de la Negly "La Falaise" 2008, a wine I'd enjoyed in the past but this was too much of an inky blockbuster. Maybe the wine has changed, but more likely my taste has moved on.
Others I'd put in this category include a 100% Syrah (not sure the excellent spiral bound booklet is accurate on this) 2007 Domus Maximus, Massamier la Mignarde from reputed Minervois la Livinière. Hot, heady and spicy - perhaps aimed at those prepared to lay it down.

A thoroughly professionally presented line-up that seems to have been kept a bit of a secret. Fingers crossed I'll get another chance and taste a few more of them.

Carignan Blanc - Clos des Clapisses

2011-05-30T00:37:00.000-07:00

Occasionally I do make a spontaneous purchase of a wine new to me, although this quite often results in a rather uninspiring evenings drinking - even if recommended by a cavist. This is a shame as for every grower I've heard of within 10 miles there are at least two I know nothing about. This is the size and complexity of the Languedoc.

Clermont l'Herault is a typical market town, the Wednesday market is a must, and could be described as the gateway to the Terrasses du Larzac. The Huilerie Cooperative is renowned for olive oil but their recently expanded touristy shop also stocks some quality food stuffs along with interesting trinkets and beauty products at fair prices. This bottle of Clos des Clapisses Carignan Blanc 2009 caught my eye as I'm a big fan of the rare Carignan Blanc from Mas Gabriel (see my post here). It comes from nearby geological marvel Octon, although this cepage has to call itself a VdP Coteaux de Salagou rather than Terrasses du Larzac.

It's a splendid effort. White flowers and mineral oat cake lead to a clean palate with a savoury gunflint - a sort of ripe Chablis of the south and at 12.5% the delicate flavours are nicely balanced. From about €9.

London's Natural Wine Fair

2011-05-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Natural Wine Fair held recently at London’s Borough Market is not the first. Les Caves de Pyrène are at the forefront of “natural wine” promotion in the UK and have held annual trade tastings for some time. Things are starting to come of age and expansion has included four other importer/retail partners and a day devoted to paying consumers like me. It seems much of this is down to Isabelle Legeron, who is on a mission to raise awareness using her considerable communication talent. I wrote about her re-vamping of the Hibiscus restaurant wine list here, admittedly focusing on how a Michelin 2* London restaurant now lists as many Languedoc-Roussillon wines as it does Bordeaux.

Well over 100 growers were present or strongly represented with 500+ wines to tempt. It felt busy but never crowded with a great buzz as the day went on. The growers had plenty of time to engage and this did sabotage note taking. A master stoke, actually a Borough Market necessity, was to be outside and avoid booming wall syndrome. “Natural” psychology was at play.

19 growers from the Languedoc-Roussilon represented a sixth of the total and was right up there with recognised pioneers the Loire and Italy. There were no Bordeaux wineries. In the spectrum of natural wines pretty much everything was on offer, often from individual growers, but the majority I would class as independent producers trying to get the best expression from their patch. Well known Languedoc names heading on the organic path were there - Daumas Gassac, Aupilhac, Alain Chabanon (all Hérault valley) and Mas Bruguière (Pic Saint-Loup). At the wilder “modern rustic” end Fontédicto (Caux) and Clos Fantine (Faugères) proffered textbook examples.

My L-R discoveries included Domaine Ferrer-Ribière (Roussillon) for a sublime Grenache Blanc and wind swept Carignan. Mas Foulaquier (Pic Saint-Loup), actually a bit of a rediscovery, for delicious clean purity and freshness of the fruit. It was also good to taste the Clos du Gravillas (St Jean de Minervois) range, including the legendary Carignan and delicious minerally white L'Inattendu, wines I'd recently bought but have yet to broach.

Writing this I regret not tasting more L-R wines, but I need to get out more and so much from the Loire, Alsace, Beaujolais and Italy beckoned. As regions I encounter less often they brought home the contrast in styles and, with Beaujolais and Loire reds especially, how noticeably much less varietal they were.

Conclusions?

These were essentially wines at the organic end of the spectrum from family scale growers in mainly "country regions" imported by five UK merchants. Calling them natural wines is getting them attention and that’s a great thing for small artisan producers everywhere.
Grape varieties are less obvious and perhaps less important with these wines.
I tasted/spitted some 50 wines. Normally my palate would be numb after half that number, but the minimal use of oak made all the difference. Yes, many will be too tannic for some, but I find grape tannins dissipate faster.
There were no real duds except perhaps an Alsace Pinot Noir that really was too low key. Quite a few whites had an oxidative style that was countered by complexity. You either like them or don’t – our household is certainly divided.
The fair needed more than a day. All three in fact. I didn't try any Rhone or South West tables.
Last but not least it was a fantastic opportunity to meet so many caring passionate growers, something one takes for granted when on their own patch. Sadly, depersonalised wine fair really doesn’t have that ring about it.

Terrasses de Maynard aka Roquebrun coop

2011-05-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

I'm always wary of cooperative wines. There is something depersonalised about them. The wine can only be as good as the poorest performing grape grower and usually undergoes particularly heavy handed winemaking to counter this. Most I've tasted at events along with independents and they show badly, but it has to be recognised they provide a massive service for the sub €5 a bottle market and have local affinity.

Coops are aware of this image and seek the cachet of an independent grower with their flashier cuvées. This bottle of 2008 Saint-Chinian Roquebrun "Terrasses de Maynard" is testimony to that - you need to read the micro-print to spot the origin as Cave de Roquebrun. I encountered the wine at dinner where the hosts, who spotted it at a local grande surface, stated they followed the cave and its fine reputation for decades. In the glass it was a pleasant melange of brambles, cherry and smoke with some grippy tannins and a nice medium weight. The oak was kept in the background - rare restraint with cooperative "premium" wines. It finished as it started, but was nevertheless a pleasant drink, confirmed a few days later having procured a €6.40 bottle to consume chez nous. 60% Syrah with Mourvèdre and Grenache from a schist terroir very similar to Faugères that borders to the east. A pity so few co-ops seem able to achieve this standard and hence value for euros. The flowers are wild garlic by the way.

Montpeyroux Toutes caves ouvertes

2011-04-29T00:12:00.000-07:00

As local village wine events go this is the one to look out for. My first, back in 2003 on a sweltering June day, was a memorable family bash and included a twinning with the other Montpeyroux up in the Puy-de-Dôme. This made it replete with the likes of Aubrac cattle and aligot (melted cheese and potato). Subsequent years have been patchy on the animations and attendance front. One year it was cancelled altogether at a few weeks notice when someone twigged it clashed with the annual Roger Pingeon cycle race that needed open streets.

This year was well advertised and organised, well attended and blessed with ideal tasting sunshine. 17 Domaines is perhaps too much, especially as they they all offered at least three wines. Tactics were to start with the established stars with fresh palates.

A weeks holiday back in 1993 ended up in a nearby village by complete chance and marked a personal discovery of the region. A visit to Aupilhac was a wine highlight. These days the cave seems to have expanded into the houses next door, but there are still star wines. From a rather rapid fire tasting I would highlight Le Carignan 2009, still the regions benchmark for that grape, supple and complex with lovely grip. Montpeyroux Red 2008 and 2003 with the latter ageing well for the legendary canicule year. Cocalières 2008 red, from vines planted by Sylvain Fatat high above the village, had great elegance. Of the whites Cocalières 2010 blanc stood out - fresh white flowers and, in this vintage, the right amount of oak for me.

Along with Aupilhac, Pascale Rivière's La Jasse Castel set a very high standard. The 1998 vintage was her first and at the time the wines made a memorable impression with their clear expressive style. All four current wines impressed. L'Égrisée (2010?) blanc intriguing floral and citrus grapefruit, La Pimpanella 2009 a straightforward red with heady primary fruits and quite gourmandise, La Jasse with its seductive Syrah that doesn't bully. Finally La Combariolles proved that serious Grenache is growing on me, but is sadly expensive to make (€27). Pascale also invited us to taste a stunning library selection going back to 2000. It proves the wines age well with the great 2001 vintage shining along with 2000. Plenty of complex mushrooms and forest floor.

Also of note was Alain Chabanon's wines. Campredon 2009 rouge with a nice perfume and balance offers plenty for €10. L'Esprit de Font Caude 2006 was surprisingly expressive but needs time to develop complex layers - it has a track record, Alain has been making it for at least 10 years.

Mas d’Amile make one wine, a pure Carignan that I discovered at the 2009 Montpeyroux bash. The 2007 has developed hedgerow flavours and still has great meaty tannins. 2008 is supple and fresh while the 2009 is earthier and currently a bit chunkier. All recommended and great value at around €8.

Three other estates sadly disappointed with two hampered by following the stunning quality of La Jasse Castel. Next year will need a strategy that visits more caves.

Grand new order revisit #1

2011-04-19T00:53:00.000-07:00

It was 8 months ago I posted here about the proposed new hierarchy for Languedoc wines. After a splendid but tiring day at the Montpeyroux's "Toutes Caves Ouvertes" I relaxed with a mug of tea to catch up on Sunday's regional daily paper the Midi Libre. The Languedoc wine hierarchy was front page news - read the on-line version, in French, here. There isn't anything particularly new in the article. Five of the appellations involved have voted and signed up, but with no indication as to whether this progress matches any plan or timetable.

I subsequently found a press dossier issued by CIVL and dated 2011 here which looks to be a key source for the Midi Libre article. Quite why this didn't appear back in August to keep up the momentum and clarify rumours perhaps hints at the politics involved. Interestingly, the introduction states the criteria for Grand Vin and Crus is "qualitatifs et économiques". The only elaboration on the quality aspect is a restriction on yield, how long the wine stays in the cellars and that wines are bottled locally - but no mention of harvesting techniques. Obviously these are in addition to the underlying AOC rules.

The press release includes this useful bit of "power point".

For me, two key points come out of the press dossier.

Firstly, it reveals hard evidence that the classification is very tenuously based on the quality of the wines and their terroir i.e. as would be revealed by a tasting or looking at current market prices. Back in August I was shocked that Faugères had only been classified as a Grand Vin and not a Grand Cru. The Terrasses du Larzac is a Grand Cru but the dossier reveals that Montpeyroux and Saint-Saturnin, villages geographically, climatically and geologically at the heart of the Terrasses du Larzac, are merely Grand Vins. If anyone from CIVL was at the Montpeyroux Toutes Caves Ouvertes and actually tasted the wines they will realise something is very wrong and there are big problems. Another upshot of the Montpeyroux and Saint-Saturnin islands is to add unnecessary complexity and confusion.

Secondly, there is a strong emphasis on the price of wine at the heart of this. Appellations that qualify geographically to be Grand Crus, a status depicted as being at the top of the pyramid, will only be able to label their wines as such if they retail at €10 or more. For the middle tier of Grand Vins the price is between €3,5 and €10. The principle here is that if producers and retailers cannot sell their wines at these price points then it will have to be labelled AOC. So, Grand Cru becomes a badge that says this wine comes from a designated AOC and can be yours for at least 10€. An upside of this is that the middlemen will need to satisfy themselves that the Grand Cru wines they buy will shift at over 10€ and hence focus them on rigorous selection. No doubt the hope over time is for Languedoc Grand Cru and Vins to gain a quality reputation with consumers. As a consumer, I would also expect hand harvested grapes for a 10€ plus bottle, a quality aspect that's not mentioned.

Here's a telling quote in the Midi-Libre article from the Director of the the AOC Languedoc Jean-Philippe Granier, who incidentally makes an exiting red Les Vignes Oubliées from forgotten vines under the rim of the Larzac plateau.
"Un grand cru à 10 €, ce n’est pas du luxe, c’est la réalité. Aujourd’hui on trouve des produits superbes à des petits prix. A l’heure actuelle seul un connaisseur peut s’y retrouver. Pas un Chinois. Un grand cru ou un grand vin, c’est plus facile à comprendre.".
My translation is that "Grand Cru quality does cost 10€ but at present only connoisseurs can unearth these great bargains. A Chinese consumer would have no chance until he/she can read "Grand Cru" on the label."
In reality little will change for connoisseurs as many of the best wines will be made outside the "Grand" territories or use non-qualifying grape varieties.

Obviously for me the Languedoc is about Independent Vignerons because they make the most exciting wines crafted from vine to bottle by characterful dedicated individuals. The problem being tackled here is the prosperity of the wine business as a whole, something as important to the region as Finance is to London. Just as politicians never please everyone, CIVL must be in the same position - they too have procedures involving voting.

Back to Montpeyroux. Today they can use the village name on labels and must see that as a bigger brand today than Terrasses du Larzac or Grand Cru. As far as only achieving Grand Vin status I propose a couple of theories; a ploy by CIVL to get them to embrace the Terrasses du Larzac combined with no big negociants producing in Montpeyroux so it's all below the radar in the overall scheme of things. Somewhere "seul un connaisseur peut s’y retrouver".

For more on this I'd recommend Ryan's O'Vinyards blog - just type CIVL in the search box. In the meantime I suspect it may be less than 8 months before returning to this topic.

La Réserve d'O Red 2008

2011-04-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

I've been close to commenting on the wines of Marie Chauffray's La Réserve d'O but held off while waiting for a late season repas vigneron last year that was unfortunately called off. However, this bottle of 2008 red I've just picked up impressed and is worthy of an immediate mention. I'd enjoyed the 2005 (their first vintage) and 2006 over the past couple of years, although the latter become disappointingly closed of late. La Réserve d'O 2008 oozes ripe blackberries and sweet chestnuts with an almost lemon verbina freshness. Supple with a nice mouth-filling structure yet subtle at the same time. The vineyards are 400m up the slopes of the Larzac above Arboras - a small neighbour of Montpeyroux. The cépage 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 10% Cinsault apparently.

I've also tasted the wine's heady and opulent big brother Le O on a couple of occasions (60% Syrah, 40% Grenache). No doubt an even better wine but most of the time I prefer the more restrained La Réserve d'O that's also two thirds the price at €11.50. Perhaps having 40% rather than 60% Syrah is one reason? All I need to do now is secure a few more bottles.

Domaine des Trinites

2011-04-03T03:42:00.000-07:00

I'd heard good things about Simon and Monica Coulshaw's Faugères based Domaine des Trinites from friends so an opportunity to visit, albeit in a group of over 40 others, was hopefully going to be a vinous pleasure as well as a social one.

Trinites is really two domaines in one. 24 hectares are split between vines on the schist soils of Faugères around Roquessels and less than 5 Kms away around Montesquieu. Here the land is mixed and includes limestone, basalt and other schists with the result that the area has been classified in the relatively distant Pézenas appellation. My overall impression after the tasting was more than just well made wines at a price point (from €4 to €8 and not much more for the last wine). They are uncomplicated but lively, well balanced and let their lights shine. The 2007s are a glorious first effort.

First were two whites. Viognier 2009 and Rousanne 2008 were grown on the Pézenas parcels. The Viognier was more herbs and grasses than fruit and would disappoint someone expecting classic aromatic apricot notes. The Rousanne was linseed and melon meets apple peel, a very attractive food white and a bit of a bargain.

Rosé 2009 was dry and mineral with a perfumed palate, very much Provence style and ideal with a meal. Made from the free running lightly coloured juice (saignée) of mainly Syrah.

2007 was the Coulshaw's first harvest after purchasing the estate, the under performing Domaine du Moulin de Couderc and a name re-used for one of their Faugères reds.In 2008 the devastating early September hailstorm only spared the Rousanne and was a massive blow for established growers let alone new arrivals.

Simon and Monica

Pézenas Tradition 2007 showed elegant light ripe red fruits with hints of mild coffee beans. Soft with a mature roundness. Simple yet drinks well. I tried a bottle a few days later and it didn't disappoint. 70% Grenache plus Syrah and Carignan. Simon talked about the challenges making Grenache poses and he's clearly equal to the task.

Faugères Tradition 2009 has more structure and nice gripping tannins with darker fruits, pepper and spices. Do the terroirs make a difference? Here my vote would go to the differences due to the cépages. This Faugères has 40% Syrah and 30% each of Mouvedre and Grenache.

Pézenas les Dèves 2007 is a fuller version of the Tradition with more pepper and hints of thyme (Grenache reduced to 50%). Sort of a weekend wine to the midweek Tradition.

Faugères Mourels 2007 is meatier and sweeter with a richer finish than its Tradition counterpart. It also ups the Syrah content.

To finish there was an interpretation of Simon's curiosity to emulate one of his favourite wines Côte Rôtie. A Syrah/Viognier 2007 oak aged with 90% Syrah from a schist vineyard. This didn't do much for me - too much oak vanilla that hides its roots and I found the structure curious even though the idea is for the Viognier to soften the Syrah. I would keep a few years to aid integration. I also admit to not having tried a Côte Rôtie for many years.

Léon Barral Tradition 2007, naturally

2011-03-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

Léon Barral is a Faugères name I've known for years but a wine I don't recall ever trying. If I had, it would have been more than a decade ago and obviously failed to leave an impression. Either way, I had a glass at a gathering of wine lovers at La Fromagerie South Kensington where the month's theme was, topically, natural wines (my observations on this subject are here). We each brought a bottle or two and of the 17 wines the red Léon Barral Tradition 2007 was my wine of the evening. Beautifully balanced with ripe damson acidity and fruit along with heathers and bonfire - straightforward yet not simple and seemingly at its peak.

It wasn't the most complex and layered red - that accolade goes to the warmer and weightier 2005 Domaine Viret Maréotis (Côtes du Rhône) I brought along having tasted it back in December (that post is here). A favourite of many of the imbibers, but the elegance of the Faugères won me over. Not surprisingly, the Faugères wasn't as cool, fresh and mineral as the 2008 Foillard Morgon Cotes du Py, a wine with a bit of a reputation as a hero of Beaujolais and natural wines - a reputation it lived up to.

Disappointing was 2007 Le Temps des Cerises Les Lendemains qui Chantent from just north of Bédarieux in the cool upper Orb valley. I had a bottle (earlier vintage) at Octopus in Beziers 5 years ago where I perceived it as a fun wine for warm weather. The sommelier decanted it and proceeded to shake the decanter violently - one reason why the memory stuck. It certainly divided opinions on our table of two. This bottle had nice tannins and some classy smoke, along with scrumpy cider yeasts and pear skin odours. Then after a while it was distinctly apply. Perhaps this is what observers coin as the wild end of the natural wine spectrum. There was a suggestion it hadn't travelled well - stability with such wines is an issue. Price is another, apparently 16€ at the cellar door and a disproportionate increase on the 22€ restaurant price in 2006.

This wasn't a France only tasting and I placed 2009 Cos Pithos Rosso (Sicily) up there with the Léon Barral Faugères, Viret Rhone and Foillard Morgon.

There's a lot to conclude. The wines certainly made for a convivial evening, for many this was a first look at the "style" beyond the odd bottle. There were two orange wines, "red" wine made from white grapes, that were nothing if not complex. The two whites were at the conventional end of the natural wine spectrum. Alas three were corked - maybe not statistically significant but worrying. Two or three had faults by most yardsticks; nail varnish and scrumpy cider character with the latter working very nicely on a pétillant Gaillac but not the reds please.

The wines continually evolved all evening and with hindsight decanting in advance would have helped. None of the wines were remotely reductive nor notably oaked. No headaches were reported the next day. None seemed to be a bargain, although at some 12€ on it's home patch I'll be seeking out the Léon Barral. Natural wines are a bit of a punt when it comes to bottle variation and deterioration. I suspect the skill of the grower/winemaker is magnified dramatically, something that was big back in the early 1980s before the pendulum swung the way of technological manipulation.

We finished with a 2007 Domaine Ribiera late harvest Grenache from just off the Herault valley north of Pezenas. The evening was well beyond note taking by then. All I can say is that the style is young vintage Maury, quite cherry with nice pure fruits and tannins.

Dudley & Fleury Wines tasting

2011-02-27T07:49:00.000-08:00

French Mediterranean wine tastings are still rare in London. A big thank you to Louise Hurren for bringing this one to my attention. Louise is based in Montpellier and doing an outstanding job promoting the region's wines - masterminding the recent Outsiders events (my experience is here) is just one example. Following her on Facebook (or Twitter, although I'm not a Twitterer myself) is a nice lazy way of keeping abreast of Languedoc wine news and events (along with her taste in music).

Dudley & de Fleury Wines started last year and are still building their list. Currently it sports a majority of producers from outside the traditional stalking ground of most UK based merchants. The full gambit from their three Languedoc, actually Hérault, imports were available for tasting at their elegant Notting Hill mews office.

To ease my London streets sabotaged palate I started with ISA White from Chemins du Bassc (Cotes du Thongue). Nice fresh acidity and whiffs of wild rose with a nice dry finish.

La Grange de Quatre Sous

Hildegard Horat was at the Outsiders tasting I mention above and a wine I first tasted back in 1993, so it seemed the obvious place to start. Her wines are Saint-Chinian's but her choice of grapes rules them out of the appellation.

Chardonnay 2008 reminded me of coconut and straw and has a nice nutty finish - a reassuringly southern style. Jeu de Mail 2007 has a nice perfume and creaminess about it and a streak of almonds and olive. The last white Bu N'Daw 2006 is made from Petite Arvine. I found restrained pineapple with dried herbs and deliciously mouth filling. Clearly a grape with little of its own character to get in the way which is what interesting Langudoc whites are all about for me.

Garsinde 2009 has a lovely pure raspberry and cassis fruit jelly character. Uncomplicated, fresh with nice length. An ideal restaurant luncheon wine. Les Serrottes is the wine I know best and older vintages usually needed ageing to be at their best. More recently, including this 2006, it drinks well young without compromising on the meaty tannins and this has interesting herbaceous fruit to contemplate. Lo Molin 2006 is rich and solid with tar and heaps of tannin and is worth keeping. Finally La Grange de Quatre Sous 2007 is like a grown up version of the Garsinde with an extra dimension of flavour.

Mas de L'Ecriture

I tasted Pascal Fulla's 2004 on his village Jonquières' open day last spring. Here was a chance to sample the 2006 and 2007 vintage along with a 2001 which would help me decide when should I broach my last couple of bottles. Serious Languedoc reds from 2007 have been surprisingly approachable for their age and these followed the pattern. Les Pensees 2007 has warm ripe heady fruit with a gentle spiciness while l'Ecriture 2007 has a fuller more concentrated style with sweet leathers. In contrast both Les Pensees and l'Ecriture 2006 needed more work to appreciate through their big tannins and illustrated why Pascal advises decanting well in advance - something I discussed with Richards behind Dudley & Fleury. Everyone agreed that the quality of fruit on all these wines is outstanding. L'Ecriture 2001 is starting to integrate and grow layers of complexity. It was well oaked in its day and the style has evolved to make oak less prominent - something that parallels my changed taste in the same period. Certainly a treat of a flight.

Virgile Joly

Virgile's arrival in the Languedoc as a grower winemaker is well documented at a personal level through Patrick Moon's Virgile's Vineyard published 8 years ago. I still have some 2001 Virgile Rouge that started as an uncompromising new oak beast that's only been ready to my taste in the past few years. Saturne 2008 Blanc has sherbet and pineapple but isn't over the top tropical but on the palate it seemed a bit flatter - this could be a white that would benefit from a decant. Virgile 2005 Blanc is an extraordinary complex yeasty (fino sherry or Jura flor) and oxidative style yet has a lively mouth feel. Joly Rouge 2008 makes for pleasant early drinking. Heady, ripe tarry fruit that seems the hallmark of Saint Saturin terroir (more clay content perhaps?). Saturne 2007 Rouge is adorned with elements of baked liquorice and molasses while the Virgile Rouge 2004 shows maturing fruit and leathers and seems as oaked as I remember the 2001.
I never found Virgile's wine offer particularly good RQP, but with Dudley & de Fleury pricing (link below) things are heading in the right direction despite the recent weakness of the UK pound against the Euro.

For retail prices check Dudley & de Fleury's list.

Their other French Mediterranean offerings, such as Mas de Gourgonnier, are worth checking out. Interestingly grape varieties aren't emphasised as much as most retailers, preferring to let taste be the focus.

Restaurant wine lists - on the up?

2011-02-11T01:29:00.000-08:00

Fiona Beckett's recent article on her Wine Naturally blog describes how highly rated London restaurant Hibiscus has launched a new wine list (PDF download here) where some 90% of the wines could be described as "natural wines" - the subject of my previous post on this blog.

What stuck me most on studying it, however, is that more Languedoc-Roussillon wines are listed than Bordeaux - 30 vs 21 including magnums and dessert wines. Even on reds alone its evenly matched at 17 to 18 clarets if one ignores four half-bottles of Bordeaux. Obviously excepting restaurants in these respective wine growing regions I've never seen such a ratio.

On the negative side, UK restaurants invariably offer a Languedoc Vin de Pays d'Oc as their house or entry priced wines and this can only fuel the perception that the region isn't for choosing a better more expensive bottle from. Back in France, a rural restaurant in Normandy recently listed zero L-R wines and on chatting to the owner she commented lovely wines but no customer demand. Back at Hibiscus, the entry price is £26 for a red from the Gard but you could part with £390 for a magnum of “Le Merle aux Alouettes” from Alain Chabanon, a Merlot from near Montpeyroux that pipped Petrus and others in a blind tasting a few years ago.

As the market for natural wines evolves the image of the Languedoc-Roussillon, along with other "country wines" will only benefit although the window of opportunity may be short lived.

Natural Wine

2011-01-13T01:47:00.000-08:00

I first read about natural wine less than a year ago, but more recently the term just keeps cropping up. Unlike Bio and Biodynamic farming practices there aren’t any formal standards that define natural wine, it’s just a term coined by the media to describe a trend. The definition I like is 1) Grape growing to Bio or Biodynamic standard 2) No added yeast 3) No filtering or fining and minimal racking 4) No other additives such as sugar, tartaric acid and stabilisers including (the big one) sulphur.

Now I could fold my arms and state “so what” since all these practices have been a trend for many Languedoc vignerons for years even though they never seem to talk about «vin naturel». I find a great deal in common with the nouvelle cuisine fad coined by journalists to restaurant food in the 1970s. It was a move away from heavier usually overcooked dishes dominated by cream, butter and flour - techniques developed to make indifferent ingredients interesting. Many of France’s top chefs were cooking lighter, fresher last minute dishes where the flavours of local regional ingredients were allowed to shine. There are more than a few parallels here. Turning indifferent grapes into something drinkable is one. Then there is the contrast between international style wines that could come from anywhere vs. regional wines with the character and taste of the area (expressing the terroir). Natural wine making must be the way people originally made wine with the big difference being modern hygiene and equipment combined with global shared knowledge. Perhaps an extreme example of retro is fermentation in Amphoras (giant clay pots) - something one domaine in the Rhone is trying.

Going back to my “so what” stance I’ve checked details of domains I regularly imbibe. Of those where such info is available, most qualify as natural wine except in the yeast and sulphites department – by far the two riskiest aspects of natural wine production. I’ve heard of one small producer losing 20% of their vendage to a natural fermentation gone wrong. Nevertheless, many rely on indigenous yeasts such as, I quite quickly found, four top notch domains from the Terrasses du Larzac: Montcalmes, Mas Conscience, La Reserve d’O and La Terrasse d’Elise.

When it comes to the high-wire act of no added sulphur I’ve since discovered, following a cave and vines visit, that Ribiera in Aspiran is in that category (my October tasting notes, when I didn't know the wines were "natural", are here). A tasting of all ongoing cuves was fascinating. A barrel of 2007 Rousanne was at 15.5% and still fermenting (apparently it’s not like this every year). Oak is no longer used as it disguises expression, plus I suspect up front cost is an issue. Syrah is being phased out in favour of heat loving Cinsault and Grenache. More mysteriously, old Carignan has been grubbed up and that vineyard put up for sale. Bottled wines are kept in temperature regulated storage in Montpellier to ensure stability.

Returning to my nouvelle cuisine parallel, it was soon tarnished with a bad name as it was practised by chefs who jumped on a fad without the skills demanded by the style. It's also long dead when it comes to describing restaurant food today although, tellingly, all the principles are alive and well in contemporary dishes.

For now, I've made a New Years resolution to try some more extreme examples.

Fiona Beckett writes a great natural wines blog with plenty of links in her posts here Wine Naturally.

Vins Méditerranée tasting

2010-12-26T08:31:00.000-08:00

The Cercle Francais de Chiswick meets most months with an evening centred around a presentation in French on a subject with a strong French connection. Even if the topic or speaker fails to grip me, I at least get some practice at listing to spoken French. Most years they devote a session to food or drink matters and this month they invited Anthony Auguin of very local and highly reputed wine merchant Lea & Sanderman to introduce French Mediterranean wines.

Five wines were shown, one each of sparkling, white, rosé, red and Vins Doux Naturel.

2006 Crémant de Limoux Brut Jean-Louis Denois (Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir) attractive apple blossom, yeasty, butter and toasted breadcrumbs with a clean finish. One of the best examples I recall tasting. Apparently Pinot Noir has been recently allowed under the appellation rules and Anthony feels this has improved Crémant de Limoux considerably. UK retail £13.50.

2008 Le Sarda Blanc Côtes du Roussillon Domaine Sarda-Malet (Grenache Gris, Marsanne, Malvoisi) very aromatic and quite fat with sage, thyme, green olives and grapefruit. For me a one glass wine but a good example of an up-front aromatic white, although personally I would prefer a Picpoul that should also come in a bit less than the £10 for La Sarda.

2009 L'Hydropathe Élite Rosé Côtes de Provence Sainte Victoire Domaine Sainte Lucie (Grenache and Syrah) with 5 other varieties) boiled sweets with pomegranate. Well made and pleasant enough but little more and poor value at £14. Apparently this is popular in Chiswick at Christmas which sort of figures.

2005 Côtes du Rhône Villages Saint Maurice Cuvée Maréotis Domaine Viret (Grenache and Syrah). My first impression, actually more a hit both visual and nasal, was of some sort of dense fruit bomb. Deep dark colour, cassis, prunes, fruit cake, spices, very ripe tannins, farmyard (Brett) with nice freshness and delicious flowing silky mouth textures. Amazingly 15% but doesn't seem like it. The vineyard is "cosmoculture" biodynamic with no additives, including sulphur, in the wine making - something many would coin a "natural wine". Extraordinary and I loved it.
Anthony pointed out and defended the brett in the wine - a bit advanced for such as audience but hopefully they weren't put off. £18.

2006 Mas Amiel Vintage Maury Vin Doux Naturel (Grenache) was served with chocolates to illustrate its compatibility. This is the (relatively) modern young fresh, sweet, spicy, supple concentrated cherry style of Maury. Delicious, but perhaps finishing a bit short making it too easy to drink. £17.

Interesting to see the approach to representing the French med in just five wines. While I'm disappointed the Languedoc missed out, tasting the Domaine Viret Maréotis more than made up for it.

Les Obriers de La Pèira 2008

2010-12-19T08:13:00.000-08:00

La Pèira En Damaisela is in the heart of the Terrasses du Larzac and interesting to me because it seems to have a strong reputation outside France and yet locally is well below the radar. I've never noticed any of their wines at a cavist or restaurant wine list, although La Terrasse du Mimosa in Montpeyroux lists Les Obriers. I've also never come across any at the many excellent festive events in the area.

Back in London I came across the 2008 Les Obriers when investigating the new branch of The Sampler in South Kensington. This is essentially a wine store with some intriguing technology offering self-service tasting samples for 80 different wines. While there were several bottles from two well known regions beginning with B plus a Rhone, no other French reds were on tasting. Still, the Languedoc selection on the shelves was fine and I was keen to savour a whole bottle anyway.

Les Obriers is a blend of two thirds Cinsault and one third Carignan. While most growers would make Rosé with the Cinsault or use just a dollop in a blend, a big chapeau for making a red. With the Carignan giving the Languedoc x-factor this is very much a local style rather than, say, a Syrah Grenache Rhone look alike or worse.

I found fresh mulberry with a hint of rose water and a raspberry palate with some plum and a black olive finish. A couple of days later and the wine had changed surprisingly little. Nevertheless, for me it was holding something back. It's bit like looking at a coral reef through glass at an aquarium. While this is the experience most prefer and enjoy, I fancy the snorkel and flippers approach for a different more edgy perspective. Either way, it has the balance to last for many years and will be well worth revisiting when it has more bottle age. I'll also keep an eye out for older vintages.

Domaine Treloar Dinner

2010-12-12T10:07:00.001-08:00

Jonathan Hesford of Domaine Treloar in the Roussillon hosted a dinner at Le Café Anglais in Bayswater after the outstanding Outsiders tasting (see my November posts).

One Block Muscat 2009 (Muscat Petite Grains) was dry and refreshing with a clean muscat scent, a rare aromatic Languedoc white when the second glass was as enjoyable as the first. One comment on what differentiated this dry muscat from the pack was how well the finish held up. It has some lees age and I think this toned down the fruitiness a notch and helped the transition to the wine's finish.
The pickled squash salad with prawns was unfortunately not a particularly wine friendly dish.

La Terre Promise 2009 (50% Grenache Gris, 30% Macabeu, 20% Carignan Blanc) was fresh and minerally and yet had assertive layers of cooked fruits and garrigue. Apparently has less Macabeu than previous vintages which has calmed the tropical fruit notes to let the dry flavours of the other grapes come through. A wine to savour.
Duck paté en croute, actually a delicious posh meat loaf served warm, went well.

The reds were all served together with a deep flavoured Beef en Daube with mash.

Three Peaks 2007 (60% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache) is the red I'm most familiar with. Has a deceptive dry style and one needs to look for its brambly fruits with tobacco and some spice. Le Secret 2007 (80% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, 10% Grenache) struggled a bit against the heady Daube and may have benefited from decanting. Nevertheless, there was some classy blackcurrent in there and a nice structure. Tahi 2006 (50% Syrah 30% Mourvedre and 20% Grenache) has more oak, richness and perfume and did the best job at marching the Daube. While delicious now it needs a few years to integrate nicely.

Jonathan made the interesting comment that he makes three wines from similar blends to cover a broader spectrum of tastes. A fair point given I found the Tahi the least typical Roussillon red of the three.

Muscat de Rivesaltes 2009 served with roasted pineapple seasoned with ginger and chilli and panacotta was the food match of the evening. The sweetness of the muscat didn't dominate and the wine had a nice purity and balance.

Le Café Anglais gave us excellent food and service. They don't appear to have a professional Sommelier and were obviously not familiar with the wines, which may explain some of the questionable food matches. That said, for me this really didn't matter and it was a fine way to end a great day.

Olive Harvest

2010-11-17T02:38:00.000-08:00

This is not a post on wine, but there is a connection and, sadly, a shared plight. Olive groves have been sprouting up all over the place in the central Hérault valley over the past decade. Many of these will have been given a start in life by EU vine grubbing up payments - sadly a blunt instrument of a policy that doesn't protect prime terroir, but that's another subject.

Young olive trees overlooking the Hérault valley

The Clermont l'Hérault olive oil coopérative was founded in 1920 and is famous in the locality. It was one of the few "huileries" to survive the devastating frosts of January 1956 that killed or crippled all the trees (and quite a few vines) in the south of France for years. Recovery has been painfully slow but steady since the 1990s.

This year the trees are heaving with olives and picking for oil production started at the beginning of November (most eating olives are picked from September when green and not fully ripe). While wine overproduction is nothing new in the Languedoc the Clermont huilerie seems to have an oil overproduction crisis as well.

According to the region's Midi Libre daily paper they sell 80,000 litres of their member's oil a year. However, last years harvest generated 215,000 litres so to address this, and help keep the price to the growers at €8 a litre, 15% less olives will be accepted from their members this year (I assume in practice the olives are pressed but the surplus oil is returned). There are exceptions for producers of less than about 40 litres plus those who signed up to the special "Japan" cuvée who will have all their oil accepted.

The challenge for southern French olive oil is the climate is actually at the northern limits for the olive tree. It's a bit like Riesling from the Mosel. While quality and finesse is excellent and sometimes unbeatable, the yield is low and variable - a fraction of that achievable in southern Spain, Algeria, Greece etc. A typical tree will give just 2 to 3 litres of oil and to be economic local oils need to retail at around €14 to €18 a litre.

Outsiders Tasting Part 2

2010-11-15T18:20:00.000-08:00

For an introduction to the Outsiders tasting do read Part 1.

I’d heard and read good things about Domaine Cébène so this was a first taste. All three (Ex Arena 2008, Les Bancèls 2009 and Felgara 2009) managed to combine garrigue flavours of the south with fresh, ripe concentrated – but not baked or too spicy – fruit. The Ex Arena, from vineyards just north of Béziers, showed the most pepper and savoury garrigue herb character. Les Bancèls and Felgaria is grown on schist in the heart of Faugeres. Les Bancèls had intense but structured black fruits with wild flowers. The Mouvèdre dominated Felgaria was much headier and meaty, even iron, and needs time to integrate. The big clue was savouring the flavours that lingered in the empty glass of all three wines – while dangerously attractive now they will keep. Brigitte Chevalier has been making wine for others for some time and the wines show a much more advanced state of work in progress than most new domains.

O’Vineyards must be as well known for Ryan O’Connell and his extrovert Languedoc wine videos as it is for wine. Being near Carcassonne the Mediterranean influence is relatively feeble which is why Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are more suited. One word that summarises the three 2005s, their first full vintage, is oomph – but these wines are certainly not out of control and are not trying to be Bordeaux. O’Syrah 2005 is nice and chewy and I got pine, mint and dried plums. Trah Lah Lah 2005 (Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) had spice and plenty of classic Merlot fruit cake and plum. Proprietor’s Reserve 2005 (Syrah with Merlot and Cabernet) combines the elements of the first two but racks up the fruit concentration while keeping everything in balance – it will go on for years.

The smallest domaine on show is Katie’s 2.7 ha (but soon to expand) Domaine Jones. Having worked with wine in the area (Corbières) for 16 years Katie is perhaps less of an outsider than most. Jones Blanc 2009 (Grenache Gris) lovely clean white flowers with citrus and a nuttiness from the lees. Jones Rouge 2009 (Grenache) rowanberry, sweet heathers, fennel juices, delicious mouth coating tannins. Great to have a pure Grenache for the area that doesn’t taste like a Maury.

Chateau d’Anglès is sited in La Clape among hills right by the Mediterranean. The Classique Rouge 2007 (Syrah, Mouvèdre and Grenache) was what the French coin gourmandise, moreish with quite sweet lush ripe fruit and some liquorice. The Grand Vin Rouge 2007 (Syrah, Mouvèdre, Grenache and Carignan) had some cool supple fine tannins but seemed more international than Languedoc in style. I found the two whites were not for me – a bit flat and lacking zip.

Domaine Hegarty Chamans lies in the Minervois and has been established since 2002. Les Chamans Blanc 2008 (Marsanne and Roussanne) was both creamy and crisp. Cuvee No.2 2008 (mainly Grenache with Mouvèdre and Cinsault) was my pick of the reds – sweet, earthy, black cherry with some nice dry tannins and worth stashing away for a couple of years.

Mas des Dames is north of Béziers where Lidewij van Wilgen has been making wines since 2002. Unusually for November in London she was showing a Rosé which leaned more towards a firm food style nose with an attractive strawberry palate and long finish - really nice. The Blanc 2009 seemed closed and quite hard to taste, perhaps it had been recently bottled, unfortunate as the anticipation of a pure Grenache Blanc excited me. La Dame (Grenache, Syrah and Carignan – I didn’t note the vintage) was smooth with soft quite sweet fruits and black cherry, although too heady and four square for my taste.

A wonderful tasting and full of variety. Fingers crossed it becomes and annual event.

Outsiders Tasting Part 1

2010-11-14T15:45:00.000-08:00

The “Outsiders” tasting at London’s Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon hosted grower-winemakers who moved to the region, be it from nearby Bordeaux, Europe, USA or even New Zealand.

Why Outsiders? The Languedoc-Roussillon offers the best value in France for a newcomer to potentially make interesting wine. With the decline of co-operatives for example, affordable established but underachieving vineyards on fine terroirs are available. These Outsiders have either brought new ideas or simply open minds to their craft, but are all strongly motivated by a love of wine and making it.

From a UK tasting perspective these “Outsiders” all have a fine command of English to communicate their all important philosophy. This perfectly organised event was also buzzing but not heaving so there was plenty of time to engage with those behind the wines – and surprisingly little to write notes.

Of the 12 growers (links at the foot of this post) I am familiar with three. Mas Gabriel tasted just as fine in London as it does in the Hérault (see Leon Stolarski’s blog comments here), as did Treloar – I’ll post separately on a memorable Treloar dinner that evening.

La Grange de Quatre Sous I’ve enjoyed for many years and Hildegard Horat’s Les Serrottes 2007 (Syrah and Malbec) is fat and supple with sweet blackcurrant and a delicious balanced mouth feel. The white Le Jeu du Mail 2008 (Viognier and Marsanne) has hints of sherbet and elderflower with a bit of depth from ageing on the lees.

The surprise of the day was Château de Combebelle which turns out to be just 3 Km from La Grange de Quatre Sous. Peaking at 300m it’s has the highest vines in Saint Chinian plus they have been organic before Catherine Wallace purchased them in 2005 and went biodynamic. “Les Fleurs Sauvages” 2008 is 90% Syrah and the surprise was its elegance – this is Syrah that lets the light in, gentle red fruits and hints of game and reminiscent of northern Rhone. My suspicion of such a Syrah dominated (Languedoc) wine was completely derailed. “Henri” 2008 uses up the Syrah from young vines and was hand bottled in just 150 magnums(takes half the time of bottles), Lovely fresh, unsophisticated but luscious fruit with hints of smoke.

I was introduced to one wonderful Limoux Chardonnay this year and I can now add a second. Château Rives-Blanques Cuvée de l'Odyssée 2009 oozes mineral coolness with racy white flowers. Apparently fermented in barrels but you hardly notice. Vintage Rosé 2007 is crémant style and I find the soft mousse mouth feel ideal as an aperitif – strawberry and dry fruit with citrus tones.

Chateau d’Anglès
Domaine de Calet
Domaine Cébène
Chateau de Combebelle
Mas des Dames
Mas Gabriel
Domaine Hegarty Chamans
Domaine Jones
La Grange de Quatre Sous (no website)
Chateau Rives-Blanques
Domaine Treloar
O’Vineyards

Spider from Mars

2010-11-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

Spotted in a vineyard.

It's purpose is to dispense fertiliser (I assume) into a tractor pulled trailer.

Pinot Noir of the South

2010-10-31T10:30:00.000-07:00

Back in the spring the first International Grenache Symposium took place in the depths of the Southern Rhône. While obviously a trade event, it was good to see that anyone could make a case to be invited and, thanks to bloggers, quite a bit of video and written commentary on the bash is available.

Of Languedoc interest Ryon O’Connell posted a video (embedded below) of this round-table session led by Robert Joseph Grenache and Carignan in the Languedoc-Roussillon. In it Robert makes reference to Grenache being “the Pinot Noir of the South”. John Bojanowski of Clos du Gravillas, by way of describing how good Carignan can be in the region, makes a case for Carignan. It’s not the first time I’ve heard the term “Pinot Noir of the South”, but I’m curious as to what the simile really means to those who use it.

Pinot Noir’s home is Burgundy in the centre of France and here it has five interesting and probably relevant characteristics: -

1. Been around for centuries
2. Is used as a 100% varietal in almost all wines, and is especially king of the fabled Côte d’Or
3. Is challenging to grow, is challenging to make good interesting wine from, and has limited success outside of its homeland
4. The wine is reasonably recognisable as being Pinot Noir (at least when young)
5. It has the ability to take on endless different subtleties depending on where it grows – even down to vineyard level.

For a bit of fun I’ll score Grenache and Carignan against these characteristics and tally the results.

Both Grenache and Carignan have been in the midi for at least a couple of hundred years. Not as long as Pinot Noir in Burgundy, but then the midi has needed to change grape plantings to meet market demands. Both score 3 (out of 5).

Languedoc wines are generally blends. The exceptions are basic quaffing varietals and, curiously, some very top end wines. Carignan makes a few interesting 100% examples, Grenache even fewer (except perhaps in the Roussillon). Carignan 3 Grenache 2.

Old vine Carignan naturally restricts the yield of this phenomenal cropper. John Bojanowski points out in the video that the trick is harvest it late so the tannins fully ripen – it still retains good acidity and the sugars don’t go beyond 13.5%. It does have problems with odium and late harvests increase risk for growers. Very little Carignan exists beyond the Languedoc these days. Conversely Grenache is grown all over the planet so is presumably as easy going as vines get. The challenges are its narrow picking window of desirable ripeness and tendency to oxidise.
Carignan 4 Grenache 2 – but some growers will no doubt score this one differently.

Carignan wines from the region invariably posses varying degrees of bramble fruits, black olives, coffee and dark chocolate. Grenache is more variable in style and I find it hard to recognise – pepper is one indicator, forest floor, animal, sometimes rustic, sometimes sweet red fruits. My score Carignan 3 Grenache 2.

The last characteristic is about reflecting the Languedoc terroir and is presumably the main reason why Syrah is not a candidate, plus Syrah already has a happy home in the Northern Rhône. The more chameleon Grenache wins out here. Carignan 2 Grenache 4.

For what it’s worth the totals are Carignan 15 and Grenache 13. My candidate for Pinot Noir of the South is Cinsault, not as the workhorse of rose but for serious examples of red. Trouble is, these are as rare as hens teeth.

Lledoner Pelut

2010-10-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

Lledoner Pelut is related to Grenache and apparently has hairy leaves. It's unusual to see it named in a blend, let alone used as a 100% varietal bottling. I know of two. One is made at Domaine Canteperdrix at Gabian in the north of the Côtes de Thongue, although I haven't tried (or even seen) a bottle for several years. The other is made due south from Gabian on the outskirts of Béziers at Domaine La Colombette.

I picked up a bottle of the 2004 Domaine La Colombette Lledoner Pelut (Vin de Pays des Coteaux du Libron) from a local caviste at the height of summer. Even in the hottest weather I can't live without drinking red, but stick to young vigorous wines. As this has some age I resisted broaching it until cooler autumn weather.

I found it balanced and pleasantly mellow. Black cherry fruit with spice and some butch tannins that leaves the side of the palate with a warm slightly chewy but pleasant feel. Good elegant length and lovely to savour.

Does Lledoner Pelut differ from Grenache in taste and quality? One problem here is that there are relatively few Grenache or even Grenache dominated blends made in the region. Roussillon does better and famously Grenache make its vins doux naturels (Maury, Banyuls). Grenache is king in the Southern Rhone but I've tasted few in recent times. The Languedocs I am know vary in style - degrees of oak and ripeness. Grenache seems able to express terroir better than most varieties, which is to say it reveals different subtleties in different vineyards. Conclusion - I find the question more or less unanswerable.

For Leon Stolarski's enthusiastic review of this wine see his blog here

For Rosemary George's review of Domaine Canteperdrix see her blog here

Special Mas de Daumas Gassac dinner

2010-10-19T23:41:00.000-07:00

In the 1980s the restaurant Le Mimosa in Saint Guiraud and Mas de Daumas Gassac across the Hérault valley were complementary pioneers for the area that today is the heart of the Terrasses du Larzac. With the Pugh’s hoping to hand over the restaurant to a new chef during the 2011 season this was a celebratory dinner instigated by the Guibert family.

Rosé Frizzante was what it says, a gently pétillant fragrant fruity róse. I’m surprised more serious growers don’t try making this style.

Blanc 2009 The apricot and peach from the Viognier was shining through, with dancing but structured flavours of white flowers and minerals underneath. Certainly my dry wine of evening and went wonderfully well with fois gras on a potato and onion rösti, and later with the stronger red wine challenging cheeses.
Apparently the whites received no oak after the millennium vintage, an admirable step that makes them fresher and much more consistent and interesting in their youth.

Rouge 2008 Quite intense blackcurrant and some tight tannins, but certainly not too much apparent oak. Worked better with the wild mushroom risotto than on its own, but ultimately a shame to drink it so young.

Blanc 1995 Posh caramel with honeysuckle and grapefruit. Plenty of fresh acidity. An aristocratic match for lobster with mint beurre blanc.

Rouge 1996 Acorns and leaves with berries and some charcuterie. Dry and reminiscent of when I drunk Bordeaux in the 1980s. Went well with pigeon with lentils, liquorice and an artisan pastis sauce, but lacked the layers of flavours and length one would have hoped for. [I tasted this wine back in January, see this post].

Rouge 1978 This was their first vintage and had been cellared at the property for 32 years, something very special indeed to be able to taste. Mushrooms and stalks with some pastel leathery fruit. Dry but certainly neither lean nor drying out unduly. Certainly exceeded my expectations. Later I discovered a near new cork by one of the bottles, it had been re-corked relatively recently so a much longer life is expected. Unprecedented for a Languedoc red.

Vin de Laurence 2007 Muscat and Sercial (the Madera grape). The Muscat is late harvested and the Sercial gives it heaps of acidity. The result is gentle orange flower with quince wine with lovely balance and purity. Absolutely delicious. Has only been made in four years since 1998.

Domaine Ribiera

2010-10-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

Aspiran has an historical legacy of growing Clairette that ends up in that rather aristocratic vermouth Noilly Prat. With the Terrasses du Larrzac starting just up the road and a basalt lava flow identical to that at Caux (near Pézenas) just to the south, Aspiran definitely under performs. Things should start to change once some new wave independents become established. Already some vineyards are owned by outsiders in neighbouring villages and new plantings are evident on some of the hillside sites.

Of the half dozen independents, Domaine Ribiera excites the most. Before starting in 2005 Christine and Régis Pichon had, between them, previous lives that included sommelier, restaurateur and wine buyer for a prestigious épicerie. They now have 6 hectares in various parcels throughout the commune and practice organic and natural wine techniques including fermentation using the yeast present on the grape skins.

Carignan and Tapenade

La Vista 2008 2/3 Grenache and 1/3 Carignan. Peppery fruit, redcurrents, fennel. A gentle wine, probably connected to the absence of Syrah and oak, that's deceptively full of flavours that gently spiral around. One of those wines I didn't get on my first encounter back in the spring. Proves that oak isn't essential for complexity and rounded tannins. €9 to €10.

Carignan 2005 chocolate, liquorice, blackberry hints of eucalyptus freshness on a base of stalks. More than a quaff. Note that this wine is no longer made but Le Nez dans le Verre in Pézenas have some for just €6.

Les Canilles 2008 white Roussanne with 10% Clairette. Not tasted since it was younger and needing time to open up - quite herby with a good clean mouth feel.

Domaine de Malavieille Permian Rouge

2010-09-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

The Terrasses du Larzac's Domaine de Malavieille is just off the western edge of Lake Salagou close to Octon, home of the well known Mas des Chimères that shares a similar terroir. The landscape is dominated by a red soil and red rippling hillsides known, at least locally, as Ruffes. This is oxidised fine grained sandstone formed some 250 million years ago at the end of what Geologists call the Permian era. Mixed in with this is basalt from volcanic activity - the picture below was taken at the base of an eroded volcanic plug.

A blend of Carignan, Grenache and Cinsault the 2006 Permian Rouge is the domain's entry red. It has gentle soft red fruits with suggestions of mint and a cherry stone finish. An uncomplicated but satisfying drink and good value at €6, although younger vintages will be a bit more and sport an all red label. Definitely on my distressingly short list of red wines with some interest and character for under €6. Malavieille has also been certified bio for several years.

The domaine also makes a Carignan dominated red Le Mas de Bertrand from vineyards over the hill in the Saint Saturnin - Montpeyroux axis, a wine that also offers excellent value for that terroir.

Vermentino

2010-09-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

Several northern white grapes have been planted in the Languedoc over the past 20 plus years. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc along with Viognier from the northern Rhone are the most obvious examples, mainly driven by fashion and are hence easier to sell. Chenin Blanc isn't fashionable, but does well because it keeps its acidity.

Vermentino has its base in southern Italy. In the Languedoc it was, until quite recently, commonly referred to as Rolle. This is Vermentino's northern outpost where it ripens late and is more likely to result in a more mineral style of wine. While usually a modest proportion in a blend, I would like to see more near 100% Vermentinos made - I know of less than half a dozen Languedoc examples.

Chateau Malautié is in Aspiran between Pézenas and Picpoul country to the south and the Terrasses du Larzac to the north. Malautié is a long established independent in what is a fading bastion of Clairette and a cooperative that only supplies wine tankers. Their Vermentino is gently floral with a lemon balm background. It has all the acidity of Picpoul with the tropical fruits toned down a notch, plus at €6 is at a similar price point. I love it as an apero. The 12% alcohol is also welcome.

Malautié also make an oaked version I haven't tried, but I did have a glass in a restaurant the other day of a young oaked Vermentino Domaine Fons Sanatis from Saint-Jean de Fos in Terrasses du Larzac country. The oak transforms it into something different and it will no doubt gain in complexity, as it should for around €20.

An alternative in the Malautié mould is Domaine Saint Hilare on the edge of the Picpoul Appelation. I find their basic inexpensive un-oaked Vermentino by far their most successful wine.

Outside the region it may be easier to buy Corsican examples and, outside of France, look to Sardinia. Even so, they seem to be few and far between - something that should change.

Vendange manuelle

2010-09-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

It’s surprising how many friends one bumps into at the excellent Pézanas Saturday market despite the crowds who flock there in season. The Cores from Mas Gabriel in nearby Caux (my previous posts here) were taking it relatively easy for a few days having bagged the Carignan Blanc vendage and were waiting for their red varieties to ripen. Would you like to come and do some picking? was almost a passing comment. After a quick assessment of my back (now improved having quit a 30 year career sat at a keyboard or in meetings) along with a “is this a polite invitation or a time of need call” I said yes.

The day started at 7 a.m. when it’s just light enough to see a bunch of grapes. The training course at three sentences was the shortest I’ve ever experienced. 1. Cut the bunches with the secateurs next to the cane as this will free two bunches at once (at least it does with Syrah). 2. Put the bunches into your bucket that can be emptied into cagettes (basically airport x-ray machine bins) strategically placed between the vines. 3. Finally, and most importantly, no grappons – these are small unripe bunches on thin tendrils resulting from later growth and flowerings.

Day 1 young syrah. Picking is done in groups of 2 or 3 to a row so the trained vine can be tackled from both sides and to make it a social event. Young vines are green harvested to give three bunches and avoid overstressing the vines. They also have relatively few leaves so easy pickings – this is definitely low hanging fruit. Picking was faster than tractor transportation to the winery so stretch breakes seemed frequent. Cloud rolled in by lunch time and kept the heat down. Before 3.30 p.m. it was job done. 1750 litres of de-stemmed grapes and juice. At the post analysis beer consumption meeting the forecast rain for the next day was discussed. Solution was to find an internet site (meteociel.fr) that wasn’t forecasting rain.

Day 1 sunrise

Off to the winery

Day 2 adult syrah. A few more vines and a couple of less pickers. Denser foliage and more bunches made for slower picking than transport capacity so less breaks. Young girl whizzes along with Edward Scissorhands action - turns out she's done some hairdressing. Post lunch was clearly an effort with concentration needing to overtake conversation. The sun was out now. Even so, by 4 p.m. it was job done.

Day 2 and job done. Unfortunately one picker is incapable of standing.

Meanwhile, back at the cave.

For a different perspective do see Rosemary George’s account of the Mas Gabriel white harvest.

Foire aux Vins

2010-09-14T06:01:00.000-07:00

September is the season of the French supermarket “Foire aux vins” – wine sales. It coincides with vintage time, presumably as everyone needs to move stocks on and make space in the cellars and warehouses for more wine.

Midi Libre, the department’s daily local paper, devoted a full page to the matter. I was a bit shocked to read that wine from Domaine Henry (Saint-Georges-d’Orques near Montpellier) would be appearing in the sales. This estate is long established and right up there with finest of the region, making wines that deserve some ageing – I still have some 2001. The wines are only sold to cavistes and négociants and in this case have been sold on to a supermarket as they weren’t selling or an export order fell through. The article states the wine is 18,95 € “Foire des vins” price but only 16 € from the property, which will also be the caviste price.

This isn’t an isolated example. This Midi-Vin caviste’s blog is rightly keen to point out they sell Clos Marie L'Olivette (a top Pic St Loup estate) at 13,30 € vs. 15,50 € at a supermarket, although after deliver charges there won't be much in it.

Both the intermediary and supermarket are making money out of this at the expense of the consumer who presumably thinks "foire aux vins" means a bargain. Perhaps more worrying is that these are established wines that are struggling to sell. Maybe, but I’ll be optimistic and believe that the cavistes or négociant is taking the lazy route to shift the wine in these examples.

Note that non-foire supermarket prices I’ve seem are generally identical to a caviste’s.

The Grand new order of things

2010-08-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

Anyone who follows the Languedoc wine scene will probably have read about the new wine hierarchy of Grands Vins du Languedoc and Grands Crus du Languedoc. Commenting objectively is tough as little has been announced.

The body concerned is CIVL (Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Languedoc) who translate this to “the joint trade council of the wines of Languedoc”. Note CIVL doesn’t cover Roussillon who may be observing this with bated breath. CIVL receive funding from anyone who produces wine in exchange for the right to label it “AOC Minervois” or equivalent, so it's reasonable to assume they represent winemakers interests at all levels. Their President is, after all, Frédéric Jeanjean who owns that giant of a producer Jeanjean.

The problem being addressed is that the Languedoc Appellation system is too complex, the result of gradual developments as more areas and sub-areas qualified for AOC status over the years. It needs simplifying and it needs to be clear to the consumer. In fairness to CIVL it’s a case of they’re dammed if the don’t and perhaps dammed even more if they do. To their credit they've made a move with the launch of the new order of vineyard areas, although some ratification is needed by the INAO – the AOC authority for all agricultural products in France.

The terms “Grand Vin” and “Grand Cru” are going to be recognised by any consumer of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Alsace. The Rhone and Beaujolais regions were more modest with simply named “crus” for the better areas or villages such as Gigondas or Fleurie. While “Grand” is quite a brazen tag, Languedoc wine is now in a global market and bold confidence is needed.

My initial reading of the announcement was like a schoolboy eyeing sports league tables – who was placed where. The Grand Crus are Minervois La Livinière, Corbières Boutenac, Saint Chinian Roquebrun, Terrasses du Larzac, Grès de Montpellier, Pic Saint Loup, Pézenas, La Clape and Limoux (still wines). The Grands Vins du Languedoc are Minervois, Corbières, Saint Chinian, Limoux (sparkling wines), Malepère, Faugères, Cabardès, Muscat areas and part of the Terroirs des Coteaux du Languedoc including Picpoul de Pinet.

My schoolboy reaction was how come Faugères isn’t a Grand Cru (and what have they done to upset CIVL), that Grès de Montpellier covers a large diverse area with few exceptional wines, and I couldn’t think of a wine from Corbières Boutenac. On further research it turns out some AOC sub-areas were created in 2005 including Boutenac and Roquebrun in Saint Chinian. Awarding them Grand Cru status seems consistent with that initiative, although why not Saint Chinian Berlou as well? On a positive note the catch all “Coteaux du Languedoc” disappears.

For wine lovers the real Languedoc is about the vignerons; the small independents or even the more interesting of the larger enterprises such as Paul Mas. The authorities are still sticking to the principle that quality of the terroir and restrictive rules about grape varieties is what matters in a classification. This was appropriate for a time when all wine was made in pretty much the same way before the technology and knowhow revolution. I’m all for terroir, but quality grape growing and accomplished winemaking must be in place first and foremost. Only then can it be about the all important efforts to make the wines express their origins.

For more on this and a winemaker's perspective do read Ryan's O'Vinyards Winemaker Blog

AOC nonsense

2010-08-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

The subject of AOC, wine and the Languedoc would make anyone with hair want to tear it out. I came across a particularly poignant example on a French caviste’s web site. I won’t name the site (any French one has the same issues) other than to say it fronts premises not far from Montpellier and is strong on Languedoc specimens. The ‘catalogue’ has over a score of regions listed in France and beyond. Drilling down on the Languedoc section (Roussillon has its own entry) came up with the following: -

CORBIERES
COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC
COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC MONTPEYROUX
COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC PIC ST LOUP
COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC ST GEORGES D'ORQUES
COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC TERRASSES DU LARZAC
FAUGERES
MINERVOIS
SAINT CHINIAN
MUSCAT de ST JEAN de MINERVOIS
VDP des COTES de THONGUE
MOUT de RAISIN
VDP d'OC
VDP de L'HERAULT
VDP de la VALLEE du PARADIS
VDP des COTEAUX DU SALAGOU
VDP des MONTS DE LA GRAGE
VDP du MONT BAUDILE
VDP DU VAL DE CESSE
VIN de TABLE DU LANGUEDOC

I changed the order from alphabetical to illustrate my points - reducing confusion is impossible. The first half down to Côtes de Thongue, except Coteaux du Languedoc, at least indicate the area concerned although only locals will know St Georges d'Orques is near Montpellier and the Thongue river is to the west of Pézenas. Overlap occurs here because Monteyroux is in the Terrasses du Larzac and Georges d'Orques in Grés de Montpellier. Bad enough, but some producers in these villages opt out of the broader appellation, apparently as politics and villageism are more important than addressing consumer confusion.

That was supposed to be the easy bit to explain. Of the rest I didn’t know where the Paradis or Cesse rivers or Monts de la Grage are. Salagou and Baudile are in the Terrasses du Larzac. One famous grower in Jonquieres has wines in at least four of these categories. VDP de l’Hérault includes some of the finest wines in the region such as Grange des Peres. And so on.

My gold award goes to the wines in the Vin de Table category for presumably waving two fingers and the whole AOC/ADP/VDT system.

Arguably none of this matters for consumers who are unfamiliar with the region except that in France the merchants (and restaurants) have to use these headings and this is doing the Languedoc wine image, in France at least, no good at all.

I’m all for the idea of AOC in food products. The upbringing of a Poulet de Bresse or production of Roquefort has been honed over centuries and needs little if any fine tuning. I have some favourite Roquefort producers, but couldn’t name a single poultry farm so the AOC label coveys a great deal about the bird and justification for the price. Languedoc wine is at the other extreme and is simply changing far too fast for the AOC/VDP/VDT framework to be applied in the current form.

My vote for a way forward would be for labelling standards and diverting effort away from AOC bureaucracy to further tackling fraud and ensuring the label tells the truth.

Wine scoring

2010-08-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

First the up front bit. Scoring wines isn’t an option for me. I simply don’t taste enough different wines often enough to be consistent in marking. The closest I get is at tastings where I may give relative scores in little more than a ranking exercise. The challenge is if, say, 90/100 is penned one moment then would the same score for a different, but of similar style, wine on another day mean the wines are equal quality? For a relatively short period in the mid-1980s I attended several tastings a week, so I can appreciate that with a high degree of palate exposure (or is that palate assault) one has a fighting chance of the calibration necessary for noting consistent scores.

There are other factors. I taste wine to decide whether to buy for drinking at home or, generally for expensive wines, because I’m curious or simply find it interesting. Professional tasters usually have to think of customers or readers. I try to be optimistic and seek out interesting qualities I like rather than look for faults, but marking is perhaps easier based on a subtraction principle - assume a “perfect” wine and deduct for what’s missing or even faulty. Even Robert Parker in explaining his adopted 100 point system states that the approach is a "very critical look at wine". When it comes to Languedoc reds some tasters find too much volatile acidity for their taste, but that's often part of the package with a hot climate.

Another challenge with scores is that actually drinking the stuff, as opposed to tasting, is much more than the wine. Expectations, company, mood, location, event, climate and weather, food (or not), glassware and even wines that came before influence the enjoyment factor. A tasting sample can woo, but back home after the first couple of mouthfuls the wine can be anything from too overblown and heady to flat and one dimensional – fruit driven reds and viognier have track records here.

All that said, I usually enjoy reading wine scores for wines I know or writers I am familiar with, as long as a score does not replace a tasting note and an insight as to whether the taster actually likes the wine rather than just admires it.

Richard M James’s excellent site (until recently subscriber only) and accompanying blog is strong on Languedoc, as it should be given that Richard is based in the region. He also proffers scores, although does state “First and foremost, I don't really like giving a score to wine”. More than likely this reflects the reality of being a wine professional.

Past its best - remains of a wine storage pot at the excavation site of the oldest known winery in France (dating from the 10th year AD) at Aspiran in the Hérault valley

Terrasses du Larzac Circulade Vigneronne

2010-07-12T00:04:00.000-07:00

The Terrasses du Larzac Circulade Vigneronne is now a regular fixture for the first Saturday in July but this year was our first attendance. St Jean de Fos, with its backdrop of Larzac foothills, was host village for this year’s bash.

The event is seriously popular and only early departure slots available a couple of weeks out. Arriving at the departure gazebo at 16:40 we were issued with various essentials – nice hat, glass, menu and guide, pencil, cutlery, neck pouch and breathalyser kit. We’d heard stories that food had run out the previous year, so an early start seemed a good idea in that respect, but it wasn’t ideal for the chaleur.

The organisation turned out to be exceptional – excellent signage, grass cut to cross fields, lollipop wardens at road crossings, handrails erected for the odd stony section, plenty of drinking water, tables and chairs laid out – the list goes on. To combat any food shortages due to greedy attendees a voucher for each course was needed.

The format is to walk a kilometre or so to reach a pleasant spot such as an olive grove where a field kitchen backed by a number of vignerons await. Stay as long as you like and then move on. Over 40 (more than half) of the Terrasses du Languedoc producers were represented, the deal being they could only show one wine. That wine had to qualify for the AOC (now AOP or whatever) regulations, sad evidence that reform is needed urgently.

Being well over 30°C and breezy it was more an occasion for overall wine impressions rather than definitive note taking.

We started with a rosé from Domaine La Croix Chaptal 2009. Made “the old fashioned way” with much riper grapes than would be suitable for making red. The result is a nice chewy rosé with cool soupy fruits. Made a note to seek out and try a bottle.

Of the four whites sampled the pleasant surprise was Château de la Devèze Monnier 2009 Blanc. Pointing out I’d never heard of the place, the explanation that 75% of production is sold at the cellar door accounted for the low profile, as did being sited beyond Ganges north of Pic St Loup. The vineyard grows a menagerie of varieties but this Roussanne and Marsanne blend is aromatic with a nice integrated citrus zip.

White Mas Brunet 2009 was recently bottled and the floral Viognier shone through. By contrast, Mas de la Sérranne les Ombelles 2008 is a much richer and heavier style and not for me, as was Domaine d’Anglas Face au Château 2008 which seemed reminiscent of ripe banana.

Red is what the area is all about. Broadly they fell into two categories – those that opened a window onto layers of intertwining savoury and fruit flavours. These also possess what the growers describe as fraîcheur (freshness) that balances the Mediterranean richness.
The second category were full bodied with rich fruit, showing quite a monolithic flavour and sometimes noticeably oaked wines that were ideal barbeque accompaniments or a pleasant quaff. To be fair, most in this category are cheaper and would have shown better had they not been up against the area’s finest.

Reds in the first category: -
Domaine Archimbaud Enfant Terrible 2008 - nice juicy fruity and spice, satisfying finish.
Mas des Chimères AOC 2007 - plenty of grip, structure and, surprisingly, blackcurrant like fruit.
Domaine du Pas de L’Escalette Les Clapas 2008 - verging on lean, but would cut into savoury food well, pity it wasn’t at the main course station.
La Reserve d'O 2008 - summer fruits, nice balance, touch of cinsault giving a pleasantly sweet finish.
Domaine de Montcalmès 2007 - spicy with perfect balance, long and delicious.
Domaine des Grécaux Terra Solis 2007 - a wine that for me is hit and miss. Perhaps it’s a vintage thing, but this was a hit. This is very individual and oozed addictive and expressive garrigue flavours.
Domaine de Familongue Trois Naissances 2007 - Straightforward but with lovely fruit and a well knit mouth feel.
La Jasse Castel La Jasse 2007 - elegant, ripe, savoury, layered, fresh and long.
Mas Cal Demoura L’Infidèle 2007 - quite understated, subtle with lighter fruits.
Mas Conscience L’As 2007 - heaps of spice, savoury notes, big but not clumsy.

St Jean de la Blaquière was wine village of the event. All three had a deceptive simplicity, heaps of fraîcheur and a savoury mouth feel.
Domaine La Sauvageonne Pica Broca 2008, Le Clos du Serres La Blaca 2008 and Capitelles des Salles Hommage 2008.

The oldest wine presented was Domaine des Conquêtes Les Convoitises 2004 and not surprisingly the heat was against it, so difficult to assess.

Reds that disappointed were: -
Domaine des Orjouls Nandou 2007 - too much oak for me, a bit flat.
Domaine Jordy Tentation 2008 - again quite oaky.
Domaine Alexandrin Alex 2007 - seemed sweet and tutu fruity.
Château Capion Le Juge 2007 - big and monolithic.
Domaine des Crés Ricards Les Hauts de Milesi 2007 - noticeable wood and straightforward.

On the night we’d have walked away with the Montcalmès and Jasse Castel. For once the most expensive wines (although both are comfortably under 20€) showed best and perhaps the accessibility of the 2007 vintage helped them.

On the food front the best dish was an aspic of rabbit with coriander, but there were other highlights such as fresh goats cheese with tapenade, diced courgettes and olive oil. A gaspacho of red fruits to finish was spot on. The main plat was a fricassee of veal with rice and vegetables and for mass catering was a fair effort. A fine evening that's in next year's diary.

Champ's Avenue & Vintage

2010-07-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

Aspiran is a traditional wine village that was once famous for Clairette, a variety many of us would have tasted after some serious transformation into that noblest of vermouths Noilly Prat (recommended for cooking when anything originating from the sea is involved - I get through a couple of bottles a year). Today Aspiran has a co-operative on its last legs and a few, but gradually growing, band of independent vignerons. For some reason, perhaps the abundance of limestone and basalt based terroirs, quite a few vineyards are worked by growers from elsewhere.

The village even lends itself to a grape variety; Aspiran blanc, gris and noir. One of the oldest known in the Languedoc, pre phylloxera it was a major workhorse grape but most of it was gone by the 1950s. Also known as Ribeyrenc there's still some at Domaine Henry at St Georges d'Orques, Domaine Thierry Navarre at Roquebrun and Domaine de Centeilles in Minervois.

Located in the central Hérault valley Aspiran has a population of some 1250. When friends told us that a Champagne Bar had opened it was both jaw-dropping disbelief and elation. The village has a typical French bar but Champ's is totally complementary - smart but not posh and a place liquids of the vine take pride and place.

The owner Jean Paul was a vignerone in the Champagne region and sold up to presumably fulfil an ambition to create and run a wine bar. In a too narrow for vehicles central street what was once a shop has been totally renovated.

Original stonework has been exposed and cleaned. The entrance leads to three rooms with the bar in the back room. A small courtyard offers relief for smokers and atop an open spiral staircase is a delightful terrace.

Champagne obviously tops the bill and is extremely reasonably priced. Respected names that barely advertise are best value - Waris Larmandier, Legras & Haas, Duchene and Villmart. These can, and have, been enjoyed for around €26 a bottle and if you're with label drinkers then big names are also available. When it's time to move on to still wine a broad selection of commune and nearby domaines is stocked, although perhaps not as rigorously selected as the Champagne to my taste. That said, there are a few I've yet to try or not sampled for several years. My pick would be reds from Terrasses du Larzac Domaine La Sauvageonne and a white Rousanne Les Canilles from village grower Domaine Ribiera.

Champ's does a selection of tapas style dishes and, like most wine bars in the region, is also a cavist.

Buying Wine - Languedoc Select Wine Club

2010-07-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

When I first heard of the Languedoc Select Wine Club I must admit to being sceptical. For quite a few Euros (price now reduced) you receive a 10% discount at around 60 independent vignerons listed on the web site. Perhaps not quite as beneficial as it sounds as, with a reasonable purchase, vignerons usually throw in a bottle of something you didn’t buy to try anyway. Tastings are also organised where a number of growers bring their wines, something I’ll definitely attend when location and diary permits.

The other week I heard the main man, Colin Trickett, talk about Languedoc Select (as well as other Languedoc wine matters, but I won't diverse). Colin had a career in the wine industry and this seems to give him a refreshing and pragmatic perspective. The idea is to help independent vignerons while encouraging wine lovers to discover how much more character their wines have over what’s available in the supermarkets and co-operatives. There’s also the dimension that wine isn’t anonymous; seeing where it’s made and the people behind it increases understanding and appreciation.

With way over 1000 independents in a region with some 6000 wineries everyone has their favourites, but the Languedoc Select list of 60 growers have passed some very specific criteria. Firstly, they’ve been visited unannounced to ensure a friendly welcome. Tasting facilities need to be available. Coverage across the region is even with a spread of prices for all pockets and occasions. There's also a broad mixture of styles e.g. international vs regional grape varieties. While fun, apparently 200 domaines were visited, all this research involves seriously significant travel costs, something the now reduced to €10 annual membership is unlikely to cover.

As with any list of Languedoc producers there are plenty I’ve never heard of or are just a name. In the Hérault the following Domaines are well worth checking out - Canteperdrix (Gabian), Ollier-Taillefer (Fos, very reliable wines), la Croix Belle (Puissalicon), Jordy (Loiras), Domaine Saint Hilaire (Montagnac, I love their simple Vermentino), Domaine Ribiera (Aspiran), Domaine des Conquêtes (Aniane) and Mas Brunet (Causse de la Selle). Mas Brunet is an established favourite. A bottle of Mas Brunet Cuvée Prestige 2006 red the other evening had savoury red fruits and blackberry plus a hint of sweet leather from some oak. Ripe and mouth filling with some fruit stone grip and showing well. Syrah (75%) with Grenache. A Terrasses du Larzac that could pass as a Pic St Loup. About €13, but 10% less if one joins Languedoc Select and makes a visit. The white is also delicious although a touch too oaked for my taste in some years.

Domaine Rimbert Mas Au Schiste 2006

2010-06-23T05:02:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've tasted any Domaine Rimbert wines. Most recently was a Les Travers de Marceau in a restaurant - a good uncomplicated and inexpensive luncheon choice with the benefit of a relatively tame 12.5% alcohol.

The Mas au Schiste is about a third each of Carignan, Syrah and Grenache with a splash of Mourvèdre. Schist is the clay/shale soil found in this part of Saint-Chinian, the village of Berlou, along with neighbouring Faugères. I decanted it a couple of hours in advance as advised by the caviste. Chocolate red colour. Quite an elegant and gentle wine - mineral with hints of sour cherry, wild mint and smoke. Nice finish. It's not a layered wine, more a sweeping curve of flavour, and it certainly doesn't come at you.

The flowers are a type of wild garlic (allium acutiflorum) that grow by vines.

Two Carignans

2010-05-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

Other than the extraordinary Le Carignan 1998 from Domaine d'Aupilhac I haven't said much about pure red Carignans. It's well understood these days that old vines with self-regulating low yields on poor soil can give Carignan the one thing it normally lacks; interesting fruit flavours to contrast the clumsy tannin and acidity it possesses in spades. These two examples illustrate this, and at around 8€ and 9€ respectively are pushing half the price of the areas benchmark.

Mas d'Amile Vieux Carignan 2007 I came across at the Montpeyroux Toutes Caves Ouverts day in 2009. There are too few interesting sub 10€ wines in this commune these days, but at least this was one of them. I know little about it except that 2007 was the first vintage, there isn't much of it, and the wine is unfiltered - witness the sediment in the empty bottle. It's also produced by Amélie, daughter of Le Mairie of Montpeyroux, which is perhaps all one needs to know. In the glass there's cool thyme and blackberry and the mouth gets a pleasant coating of meaty fruit, certainly a fine quaff with interest.

I mentioned Mas Gabriel Les Trois Terrasses 2008 here when I purchased a half-case of the then just bottled wine after nearly a year in tank. It has settled down to layers of mint leaf, composting leaves, ribena and wild rose. There's also a ripe freshness and while there's heaps of tannin this stays in the background. I will be stocking up with more - the last bottle posed for this picture and yes, I pasted the image in.

Terrasses du Larzac Geology

2010-05-14T04:32:00.000-07:00

I posted a map of the Terrasses du Larzac appellation in an earlier post here. Thanks to Languedoc Wines on Facebook I recently came across this fascinating video (in English) on how the Terrasses du Larzac were formed. It features Charles-Walter Pacaud of La Croix Chaptal, a domaine in the tiny hamlet of Cambous at the southern end of the Terrasses - the stepped plateaus that Charles-Walter explains and points out in the video.

Jonquières May Day “Caves Ouvertes”

2010-05-04T07:06:00.000-07:00

Montpeyroux’s “Toutes Caves Ouvertes” day has always been a great success the couple of occasions I’ve been over the years. Well attended despite low key publicity, even in 2009 when someone realised very late on the annual Roger Pingeon cycle race would be passing through and the date was hastily rearranged. The village is sealed off to vehicles and you purchase a glass and a map for a few euros that gives access to a tasting at a dozen or so of the producers. This year was the first equivalent event for Terrasses du Larzac next door neighbour Jonquières.

Here the format was more low key. There was a bustling “bin end” pottery sale in the centre of the village and leaflets were handed out showing how to navigate to the nine participating caves.

This was all well and good except that few people seemed to be actually visiting the caves – we were on our own with growers for much of the time. Given this was a major public holiday and they gave up their day, no doubt with a three line whip from the Mairie, I’m sure there will be an inquest over a lack of publicity. Debates will also ensue on whether to broaden the appeal of the day – animations is the French term that comes to mind. Paying for the tastings is another. Nevertheless, with the exception of Mas Jullien where no mainstream wine is available for sale due to advance allocation, everyone was generous with their time and had plenty to say about their products.

First up was Mas Cal Demoura with a thorough and personally tutored run through the range by articulate Vincent Goumard himself. These are wines that impress me more every time I taste them, no doubt due to Vincent’s approach of considered evolution rather than revolution since taking over in 2004. Rosemary George’s impeccable recent blog post here has all the background and tasting notes. I would only add that L’Infidèle, the main red, has moved on to the 2007 vintage; a cooler year that has resulted in elegant reds that are relatively attractive now. This has fresh red berries and a touch of garrigue about it, not dissimilar to neighbour Mas Jullien’s 2007 except it’s approaching half the price - €13,50. A 2002 L’Infidèle, made before Vincent took over the estate, was available to taste and showed continuity in style and how elegantly a cooler year can mature.

A short walk out of the village is Pascal Fulla’s Mas de L’Ecriture, a wine I encountered in London when the first vintages (1999-2001) were being launched. Then the young wines were impressive and seductive but for some reason, perhaps not decanting in advance as Pascal emphasises, those I’ve broached have not been memorable. Pascal put on a splendid show of decanted ready to drink vintages.

Emotion Occitane 2006 €10 is a Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan mix. Plenty of red berries, quite elegant, hints of liquorice and sweetness. Seemed lighter than it was. Les Pensées 2004 €18, half Grenache with Cinsault, Syrah and Carignan. Ripe raspberry and blackberry with quite mellow integrated tannin and a fine finish. The Tour de Force, L’Écriture 2004 €29, is 60% Syrah with Grenache and Mourvèdre. Much richer fruit with some spice. Silky mouth feel, complex and long but more of a progressive curve of pleasure than layers of flavours. There was an extra surprise, Message Personnel 2005 €18 (on the day, but not normally for retail) with 70% Syrah plus Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan. The Syrah, apparently from an excellent Syrah vintage, comes from a vineyard on a small hill called terroir de «Pechaurel». I would crudely describe the “soil” as consisting of large stones of fossilised shells such as oysters. It has a seductive fatness, rich but with less opulent fruit, dashes of smoke and a finish that was trying to dance around a bit. It had no problem following the L’Écriture. I don’t often buy €18 wines but left with a bottle of this. To me the wines illustrate what must be a dilemma for many Languedoc winemakers. Edgy, less crafted wines that strive to express the terroir that I’m continually learning to love seem impossible to market at this price level. The area desperately needs more prestigious global wines, and this is one that’s doing it with Mediterranean grape varieties, so a chapeau to Pascal for that.

Back in the village to visit Mas de Pountil that I wrote about last year - click on Mas de Pountil on the contents menu. The wine that stood out was the rouge 2006 (€10), that blends all five of the mainstream red grapes. It has a reassuring grip in the background from a touch of oak and a pleasant mixture of cooked fruits, leathery aniseed along with a hint of butterscotch.

Marcillac

2010-04-23T03:32:00.000-07:00

Marcillac is just west of Rodez in the Aveyron so not part of the Languedoc, even historically, and is well away from any Mediterranean influence. With only about 160 hectares in the AOC it’s also pretty small and perhaps one reason for being relatively little known, although it does crop up on a surprising number of restaurant lists in the UK.

Usually considered a South West French wine the grape, Fer Servadou, is certainly a South West speciality. The area does have one thing in common with the Languedoc – it shares the same red volcanic soil. A Permien Sandstone with bands of limestone coined ruffes also occurs in the bit of the Terrasses du Larzac below Lodève; this picture was taken near Octon and Lake Saligou.

For the absolutely delightful Vieux Pont restaurant in Belcastel, Marcillac is the local wine. 1997 Domaine Laurens had fresh juicy fruits with some herbaceous and mineral notes. The palate seems quite light and hollow and this can be a shock, but everything is in proportion all ends a good finish. A modest 12.5% makes it an ideal luncheon choice and at just under €20 extraordinary value given the quality of the dining experience.

2007 Reds, Corks and Wine Boxes

2010-04-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

The more serious 2007 reds have been emerging from producers cellars over the past year. I’ve tasted several in the last couple of weeks from some favourite domains - Mas Jullien (Jonquières), Aupilhac Montpeyroux, Ollier Taillefer Grand Reserve (Fos in Faugères), Mas Gabriel, Clos de Lièvre (Caux) and Treloar Three Peaks (Trouillas, Roussillon). They all make attractive drinking now; the tannins seem softer with the fruit more the red rather than purple end of the spectrum. They're certainly ripe, balanced, not short of concentration and, by Mediterranean standards, elegant. Recommended as a restaurant young wine choice.

The 2007 growing season was somewhat cool and the results are not unlike the 2002s, also a cool year although one that suffered harvest downpours to the east of the region.

Corks
I'm not going to even begin discussing the merits of various wine closures. Whatever the problems with tradition corks and corked wine, nothing beats the look of them. So what to do with all those pulled corks and, in the Languedoc, increasingly rare wooden wine cases?

Here are some ideas.

A sculpture with corks, part of a wine box and a vine leaf	Or a bedside shelf with a wine box
Maybe some bathroom shelves	Perhaps a door fly screen
Or simply box in some pipes

“Traditional” Languedoc red wine?

2010-03-31T08:25:00.001-07:00

If asked what a traditional Languedoc red wine was I would proffer a blend at least two of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mouvèdre and perhaps Cinsault in reasonably balanced proportions. With the reality that the vines planted have come and gone over the centuries then either these varieties are it, or traditional red hasn’t been made since phyloxera forced total replanting over 100 years ago.

For most producers these are benchmark wines. One of my all time favourite examples was Domaine Alain Chabanon's Font Caude Tradition. I say was, because 2000 was the last vintage he produced. Four years later he launched Campredon, but that has a different objective – unoaked, can be drunk young and is ready to go after 6 months thus keeping the price down, making room in the cellar and no doubt providing much needed cashflow. By contrast his “Tradition”, a wine that built Alain’s considerable reputation earlier in the 1990s, took the best part of 3 years to exit the cellar. Fortunately I still have a few bottles of the 2000 to reminisce over, a 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 10% Mouvèdre blend.

Alain Chabanon Font Caude Tradition 2000 Savoury, red berries with tobacco and a touch of chocolate. An understated wine that you need to meet half-way. Consumed over two evenings the empty bottle still yielded a gentle perfume for hours.

Looking at the excellent technical fiche provided with the wines it’s interesting that the yield was 35 hectolitres/hectare – well over 50% higher than his other reds, the Syrah dominated L’Esprit, Grenache Les Boissiers and Merlot Merle aux Alouettes. While I’m all for winemakers moving on, and it’s one reason why the Languedoc is so exciting, why abandon something so good? Despite branching out as well, nearby Domaine d’Aupilhac for example still makes excellent Montpeyroux rouge usually containing all five of my “traditional” grapes.

At least I have now found a worthy alternative in Domaine Treloar's Three Peaks. Curiously, the 2007 has the identical assemblage in exactly the same proportions with the same yield as the Font Caude 2000. Even the soil types are both described as argilo-calcaire, albeit the domains are over 130 Km apart.

Domaine Treloar Three Peaks 2007 Dried cherries, bay and tobacco. Ripe, round and mellow fruit which characterises the best Roussillon reds. The next day it became deliciously brambly with good length.

Rosé tasting in London

2010-03-06T08:24:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that, on the back of the coldest winter for 30 years, the 2nd March for a London Sud de France rosé tasting was going to need something special. This came in form of a day of Languedoc quality spring sunshine that beamed through the front window of the Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon on London's Cavendish Square (the address “behind John Lewis” will make better sense to Londoners). Obviously the timing is dictated by the need for the new vintage to reach retailers and restaurants in time for, well, appropriate rosé weather.

The 109 wines were sorted by price. This makes being objective tough, but with the sheer number involved any other system would probably mean chaos. At lease a splendid brochure eased navigation. Styles ranged from plain fruity through to slightly more serious dry food wines. As would befit a statistical normal distribution most clustered in between. Personally I like rosé to be pure, fruity and balanced with something to savour – those that slip down too easily leads to regrets. I can’t taste 109 wines in one go, but managed 47 with none of the oral after effects whites or reds would have inflicted – must be a complement to the wines and their style. My selection was made by trying properties relatively near to the Herault valley along with examples from farther afield.

Overall impressions?

There were plenty of worthy specimens at all price levels. That said, the presence of volatile acidity (pear drops or at worst nail polish remover) inflicted at least six wines. It’s a fine line though; a couple had just a trace that actually enhanced the wine – a nice hint of quality tinned pears.

There were wines from big producer/blenders, cooperatives and independent vigneronnes with no one sector standing out. Some of the larger producers entered several wines and surprisingly most were inconsistent despite a house style. The several wines from Saint-Chinian and environs (Orb valley) seemed the most consistent and reliable.

Various grape varieties are used, either as a single variétal or blended. While the visibly pinker and fruitier wines contained Syrah, the hand of the winemaker seems to have more influence on the overall result.

In general the entry level wines (from €1.50 ex-cellars) were lighter with strawberry and raspberry fruit progressing to more complex peach and melon aromas that lower yields generate. Here are some solid specimens, some more interesting wines and a couple of disappointments.

Les Vinobles Montagnac, Cuvée Saint André was the cheapest wine in the tasting and had an attractive light raspberry colour; dry and clean with hints of pine and herbs. Simple food wine.

Paul Mas Claude Val Rosé was perhaps the pick of the sub €2 (ex-cellars) wines. Fresh clean simple strawberry in a touch more concentration than its peers. Also showed better than the other two Paul Mas wines.

Cave de Roquebrun Col de Lairole attractive colour with nice strawberry fruit. Herbaceous, some sweetness but nice fruit. First runs on the board for Saint-Chinian.

Mont Tauchmoint Tauch, Le Village du Sud Unclean nutty smell although the tutti-frutti palate fared better.

Les Vignerons de Montblanc, Les Fleurs Touch of pear and a pleasant flavourful fruit salad palate. Good party fayre.

Domaine Borda, Faugeres Refreshing herbs and flowers but a bit short.

Chateau Saint Martin des Champs, Saint-Chinian Floral red fruit aroma, nice mouthful. Good apero style.

Domaine de Familongue Eté and La Basitide aux Olivers These wines are virtually identical in make up and with only one tasting glass their similarities far outshone any differences. Dry, mountain ham and nuts. Plenty of interest and a good food wine. Familongue produce good value wines in an area overflowing with big names. A bargain at €2.65 (ex-cellars).

Chateau St Martin de la Garrigue Clean, simple and well made but that’s it. Probably from recently planted vines at this excellent prestigious property near Montagnac.

Chateau viranel Another Saint-Chinian that showed well – raspberry and cherry, melon in the mouth but not too sweet.

Chateau de Lancyre A well established name in the Pic St Loup, but one of the wines where pear drops upset the balance.

Les Vignobles Assemat Domaine des Garrigues Lirac (Rhone). Fresh fruit with floral peach and herbal taste. Refreshing.

Rambier Ainé et ses Enfants, Les 3 Filles The poorest wine tasted. Sweaty, musty, resins, flat. Frosted bottle and naff label says it all.

Domaine de Nizas Sherbet, clementine and some aromatic garrigue. Different from the rest and really quite intriguing.

Domaines Julien & Fils, Cabrals From the outskirts of Beziers another different style. Lingering grapefruit aroma with pleasant floral and mineral notes. More like a white wine and quite interesting.

Domaine La Croix Belle, Le Caringole Hints of liquorice and mountain ham. Melon and peach in the mouth. Nice classy party fayre and worth €4.30 (ex-cellars). Property that Rosemary George is a fan of - see Rosemary's blog article.

Domaine des Carabiniers Tavel Nutty, classy boot polish. Nice chewy palate. Closer to a very light red than rosé.

The Restaurant Wine list - Le Mimosa

2010-02-20T05:19:00.000-08:00

No restaurant wine list in the region I've seen or heard of comes remotely close to Le Mimosa’s. On depth alone the statistics are extraordinary: -

11 vintages of Grange des Pères red (3 in magnums) plus 7 of the rare white
22 vintages from Daumas Gassac (with endless magnums) and 4 whites
42 different wines from Mas Jullien (Jonquières is just a mile away)
A mere 24 from Alain Chabanon, 20 Aupilhac, 15 Peyre Rose and 14 Clos Marie in the Pic St Loup.
One of our favourites, the good value Grange de Quatre Sous, is represented by 16 specimens.

Gems from Provence, notably 32 Domaine Tempiers, along with the Rhone, such as 14 vintages of Cornas (Clape) and 8 Hermitage (Chave), would merit an enviable reputation in those regions. With a particular soft spot for red Loire, especially when a change from Mediterranean power is needed, there are a dozen to choose from.

All of this takes years to amass. Le Mimosa was started in back in 1984 when Bridget and David Pugh finished converting a former wine maker’s property in the centre of St Guiraud into their restaurant and home. David devoted considerable energy seeking out growers each winter when the restaurant closes, obviously starting in the days when few of today’s stars existed.

Prospective wines are always tasted irrespective of vintage and reputations. Bottles are collected directly from the domains to lie in the permanently climatically conditioned cave. Local wine makers who enjoy their own wines from the cellar remark on have fresh they are in relation to their own stocks.

David ensures this is a living list. The popular six course menu “capricieux” is often taken with the dégustation offering of six wines that David will choose based on what will match the guest’s dishes and what’s drinking well. For whole bottles there’s a fixed mark-up of 16€ for most wines which obviously makes the more expensive wines particularly good value. That said, and as David’s suggestions will testify, many diners will end up with a hugely enjoyable bottle for less than their initial ideas.

What of the list's future? With so many excellent and exciting growers in the immediate area I predict the emphasis will be on local wine and the Terrasses du Larzac in particular. In 2007 the Pugh’s bought the nearby Montpeyroux wine bar and cavist they named La Terrasse du Mimosa and only stocks very local wine.

For an excellent article on the Pugh's see this The Vine Route article.

For more on the regions restaurants visit my Languedoc Dining site.

Matured with the same care as the wines, Le Mimosa's cheese trolley.

Mas de Daumas Gassac rouge 1996

2010-01-10T08:18:00.000-08:00

Aimé Guibert's Mas de Daumas Gassac single handedly put the Languedoc on the fine wine map back in the 1980s. Cabernet Sauvignon was planted in 1972 and Émile Peynaud hired as consultant resulting in a wine very much in the Bordeaux mould. It seems by luck his property had a cooler micro-climate from being overlooked by the high Larzac plateau. It also needed Aimé's considerable passion and energy to promote his wine and the region in the right circles. For a recent video of him reminiscing on this period don't miss this Love that Languedoc episode.

My first purchase, a case of the 1988 vintage, was a couple of years before first visiting the region (accidentally) in 1993. Having tried it at a tasting I simply perceived it as better value than Bordeaux. It more than fitted the bill and subsequently I bought most vintages until the 1998, of which I have high hopes but have yet to taste - my case lies with a friends in bonded storage. All this said, something changed after the 1991 vintage - leaner more closed wines that have not been at all memorable.

I broached my second to last bottle of the 1996 (80% Cabernet Sauvignon) and consumed it over two evenings. Dark garnet with little browning for it's age. Distant blackcurrant, although this emerged somewhat the next day, and a palate of tight fruit with hints of broom and pepper. Reminiscent of a Medoc in structure with plenty of chewy tannins that I enjoy. More balanced 24 hours later, but ultimately it lacks the richness and generosity of the better 1980s vintages. Further ageing could well help.

Proving that the Languedoc can deliver a Bordeaux style alternative seemed a necessary first step to shake up the fine wine merchant and consumer mind set. There is, of course, still a long way to go for the regions mainstream Mediterranean cépages.

Domaine Les Aurelles, Solen 2001

2010-01-05T12:47:00.000-08:00

Looking back over eight months of articles I see that all the wines I’ve commented on I’ve been reasonably enthusiastic about – stimulating wine does get the though processes going. This wine is a bit of an exception, and also one I could find very little about on the World Wide Web beyond the Domaine's web site

I had asked Sue, who has stopped imbibing to recover from a virus, what wines she didn’t particularly care for that I could broach. A rummage through our stocks, many of which are going to need consuming over the next year or so, turned up Domaine Les Aurelles 2001 Solen. I recall this came from a mixed sampler case of the Domaine bought some years ago and is, along with a magnum and bottle of the Aurel cuvee, all that remains.

A blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Carignan from the fine 2001 vintage, grown just north of Pezeans and made without oak, certainly reads well on paper. The colour was a healthy dull garnet red. The smell a little dusty and hints of marinated cherry and spice needed to be coaxed out. The taste was more revealing – leather, black olives, rosemary oils. The next day I continued with the second half of the bottle. The nose had all but gone, although this was partly compensated for by more warm spice and richness on the palate.

From memory, this is the house style of Domaine Les Aurelles – quite serious and better suited to drinking with food. Bottle age doesn’t seem to have helped either way. Certainly decent wine, but we prefer reds that are suppler with edgy layers and a better balance between smell and taste. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how the Aurel (Mourvèdre, Syrah and Grenache) fairs, but the magnum may have quite a wait.

Most enjoyable of 2009

2010-01-03T07:09:00.000-08:00

Much of the media seems to be reviewing 2009 so I’m joining in with wines I’ve enjoyed most.

As the Languedoc is essentially a red wine region I’ll pick three reds.
Aupilhac (Montpeyroux), Le Carignan 1998 (from magnums) was the pinnacle at the splendid Repas Vignerons hosted by Sylvain Fadat and La Terrasse du Mimosa.
Ollier Taillefer (Fos in Faugères), Castel Fossibus 2001 and 2002 enjoyed at several meals with friends chez nous and fully mature.
Mas Gabriel, Clos Gabriel 2006 as the exciting newcomer.

For white I’ll pick just one, a Viognier Clovallon Les Aires (Bedarieux) 2006 severed as an apero on the balmy terrace of Le Mimosa and as rich and balanced as any Condrieu I’ve tasted.

For sparkling wine, plus the bargain of the year, is Clairette de Die Jaillance Tradition purchased at Carrifour’s Foire aux Vins (€10 for three bottles). While actually from next door Provence it’s a blend of Clairette (also grown in our village) and Muscat. Simple, fresh, light, sweet, frothy, low in alcohol and brilliant with any fruity summer dessert in the setting sun.

The wine events of the year have been the aforementioned Repas Vignerons (Mas Jullien especially, Aupilhac, Alain Chabanon, Terrasse d’Elise and Pas de l’Escalette) plus their revealing and fun Dégustations à l’aveugle - informal blind tastings. Also up there, literally, was the Ascension Day walk up and down the Pic Baudille. Here was evidence that Mas Brunet and Mas Cal Demoura are making great strides.

The Pic Baudille at 849m guards the edge of the Larzac plateau and overlooks the finest Herault valley vineyards.

Wines stocked up on, beyond ongoing odd bottle purchases, were the Picpoul bargain Domaine de Bridau, reds from Ollier Taillefer, a selection from Domaine Treloar in the Rousillon and find of the year Mas Gabriel.

Wine in Restaurants

2009-12-04T14:46:00.000-08:00

Languedoc restaurants have a challenging existence being in a region where the main industry is tourism. Trade is seasonal and, beyond the cities that form an arc along the A9 from Nîmes to Perpignan, markedly so. This means few restaurants can charge the prices or sustain the volume needed to keep regular staff, let alone a sommelier, all year round. Wine consumption in restaurants is also in decline as, quite rightly, customers become more drink-drive conscious. That said, they do have on their doorstep a massive choice of the best value wines France has to offer.

As passionate restaurant goers, cuisine is our first priority and dishes are chosen before any consideration is given to wine. If the wine doesn’t complement a dish we pause our drinking. After all, a classic vinaigrette will ruin the taste of just about any wine while some modern creations have too much going on. Fine wine goes best with simple food.

Can Peio – this delightful Catalan restaurant in a converted train station near Sommières has closed and is much missed, except the wine list that is.

A personal but hopefully realistic wine wish list for the regions mainstream restaurants is: -

Make the core of the list local wines e.g. Minervois, Grés de Montpellier etc. including one as nearby as possible (that merits listing of course). Source these wines directly from the producers or perhaps a local cavist.
List wines from growers or even co-ops rather than anonymous blends from large enterprises – those wines should focus their resources on much needed exports
List wines by the glass and state how much a glass is. Also list 250cl or 500cl carafes decanted from bottles. Do this even if only one white, rosé and red can be offered in this format. These carafes have been a most welcome trend in London but haven’t come across them in the Languedoc.
Stock 50cl bottles, if necessary in preference to 37.5cl halves – a trend that’s growing but clearly needs cooperation from producers. That said, if carafes can be offered for a reasonable selection then these bottle sizes are redundant.
Use appropriate glasses for the quality of the wine, but definitely nothing heavy and chunky or the wrong shape
Make sure the bottle is in reach of the diners and don’t be upset if they pour the wine themselves
Only list wines that can be enjoyed now. A possible exception is when several vintages of the same wine are listed. Especially guilty are lists with a token young bottle of Mas de Daumas Gassac, Grange des Peres, Peyre Rose and the like. Customer demand or not, it must be unfair not to show these expensive wines at their peak.
State the alcohol by volume of every wine
Indicate the cepage. A Vins de Pays could be a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Carignan – obviously a big difference.
List some wines of the moment, but make sure these are worthy wines. This helps customers choose and can help the restaurant with stock control.
Taking this further, the Languedoc is a large and far more complex region for the styles of wine made than other French regions. Include a one line description of the wine to at least indicate how rich and full bodied it is. This is especially important unless knowledgeable staff are readily available and greatly helps those of us who read French better than hearing it. If this is impractical for all wines at least do it for the mainstream ones.

The length of the list isn’t important as long as a cross selection of styles is offered at sensible price points. On prices and marks ups all I will say is that while restaurants are obviously businesses, I strongly object to any drinks being a source of profit over food.

Some considerations to get value from a list are: -

Where more than one wine from a domaine is listed the “lesser” wines can often drink much better than the “prestige” cuvees.
Where there’s a fixed mark-up policy, rather than a percentage approach, then the more you spend the greater percentage of the cost goes towards the wine
The pricing of older wine needs to reflect the cost of tying up money for years. That said, restaurants can occasionally pick up small parcels of mature wine from growers or simply need to shift older stock. Either way you clearly need to enjoy mature wine.
Where a restaurant buys direct from growers then some will charge the restaurant a wholesale price, others a near retail price. Of course spotting these wines, assuming the restaurant isn’t profiteering, means happening to know their retail price and that the wine is good value in the first place.
Buying a bottle and taking home what you don’t drink is often better value than a half bottle, plus the chances are the wine will be in better condition.

Coming soon, the Languedoc list that all others are compared to.

Why Languedoc?

2009-11-20T19:20:00.000-08:00

The place. Discovering the Languedoc geographically was by chance. After years of taking holidays touring around gastronomic France in a hire car and living out of a suitcase, we took the opportunity through friends of a friend to have a fixed base for a week. On 3rd April 1993 we arrived at a converted manger of a village house in Soubès near Lodève. Despite chilly weather and little evidence of spring we fell in love with the varied countryside, the light, the wine and the amazing Le Mimosa restaurant.

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Past tastes and influences. Conversion to near exclusive consumption of Languedoc wine was a slow process. In the 1980s our tastes were pretty broad – the classic French regions (especially Alsace and better Bordeaux), Spain, Italy, Germany with dips into California and the start of the Aussie invasion; even Bulgaria. The early 1980s were also, arguably, the golden age for fine wine – classics were relatively undiscovered and affordable, but there were also plenty of duds. The biggest single influence on our tastes for almost 30 years has to be Mike and Liz Berry who now run Vins Fins de la Crau in Provence. A first purchase in 1980 from their mail order Mulberry Vintners, soon to be La Vigneronne, was a treasure trove of classics – Hermitage, 2nd growth Claret, top Sauternes, 20 year old vintage port. The cost today would be over double in equivalent money.

The most educational wine experience is to attending tastings. Mike and Liz started regular tastings that ran for years while Charlemagne Wine Club in West London (soon to celebrate 30 years) cover more everyday wines with the occasional look at the classics.

As the 80s progressed a change was needed. Old world red wine was often unreliable, hard, closed when young and required ageing. Prices increased as investors, informed amateurs and posers came on board – the 1982 Bordeaux vintage seemed to be the starter gun and it wasn’t long before fashion also encroached on the Rhône. We were also long term Alsace lovers – it was reliable and didn’t have the drawbacks of red, but even that was changing with richer and later harvest styles.

New World fayre didn’t arrive in the UK in earnest until the 1990s. The original Seaview Cabernet Sauvignon Limited Release from Oddbins was a sensation at the time; like a young fruity 1982 claret on steroids. In the white department New Zealand’s Cloudy Bay had similar impact. While not enough to sustain varied drinking it did mark a watershed for the adoption of modern winemaking practices in France. As for the Languedoc, it was just hidden under the bucket banner of “French Country Wine” that seems to cover anywhere vinous south of the Loire that isn’t Bordeaux, Burgundy or Rhône. Wines like Jurançon and Madiran were listed alongside the likes of Faugères and Minervois – and frankly they usually are today in the UK (Adnams is just one example, and they have made efforts over the years to seek interesting Languedoc wines out).

Enlightenment. 1990 was a turning point. The Berrys proffered 1988 Mas de Daumas Gassac (70% Cabernet Sauvignon) as the Claret alternative from a place called the Languedoc. Arguably this is gaining recognition by stealth, but why not – the Guggenheim worked for Bilbao. Liz Berry published The Wines of the Languedoc-Roussillon: The World’s Largest Vineyard in 1992 and the Berrys started to seek out and offer growers’ wines from the area.

Having visited the region regularly since 1993, by far our most enlightening guide has been David Pugh of the restaurant Le Mimosa – also described in Liz’s book and credited by the Berrys for many of the wines they listed. David’s extraordinary palate and talent to root out local gems that are well made and simply trying to be themselves is a beacon. His wine list deserves to be and will be the subject of another post.

The wine. For us Languedoc wine, and the reds in particular, combine the best of old and new world characteristics. They are Rhône and Provence style, i.e. full bodied, but better value. Most give great enjoyment when young and there’s great diversity thanks to the many sub-regions, the range of grape varieties planted and large number of growers. Few bad harvests is another bonus with enough vintage variation to give interest.

Of course there is a downside to these fine attributes. The wines are near impossible to classify in a way recognisable to the uninitiated consumer and every conceivable style is made. Even worse, most of the quality wines are only available in small quantities from growers so only small independent merchants stock them. Beyond Internet-only retailers, the most interesting UK selections seem to appear on adventurous restaurant wine lists.

Mas Gabriel - find of the year

2009-11-09T04:37:00.000-08:00

There’s plenty of opportunity to try local wines at various events and village fairs, especially in season. By far the most intriguing encounter this year was Mas Gabriel back in May. Three wines were on tasting, their white, rosé and red. The rosé was clean and fresh with gently perfumed red fruits and strawberry yet had a serious stony backbone that could partner food. The white and red didn’t leave any particular impression other than an astonishing purity that underlined all three wines. A couple of bottles of Les Fleurs Sauvages 2008 rosé were soon consumed chez nous and confirmed how delicious it was. Being made from 50 year old vines of Carignan and Cinsault clearly makes a difference.

We soon made a trip to Caux for more supplies and the opportunity to taste the white and red again, although this time from pre-opened bottles. Clos des Papillons 2008 is made from old and rare Carignan Blanc and fresh almonds, lemon peel and rosemary were all evolving in the glass with a fresh hay finish. Clos Gabriel 2006 is 63% Carignan, 28% Syrah and 9% Grenache. A soft ripe blackcurrant and blackberry start becomes classy boot polish. Mouth filling and robust without being heady and the finish is balanced with reassuring tannins. When we returned in the autumn the rosé and white were sold out, although lovers of fine food should note that O-Bontemps in nearby Magalas will be listing the white. Just bottled in October was the Les Trois Terrasses 2008 Carignan – my bottles will rest over winter before I broach them. Cellar door prices are 6 € to 12 € and offer better value than most growers in the more fashionable Montpeyroux triangle.

Alchemy in action

2006 was Peter and Debora Core’s first vintage having been lucky enough to purchase some extraordinarily diverse parcels of vines from parts of the esteemed Domaine de la Garance. Now expanded to 6 hectares with some new plantings the vineyards, which were tendered organically, are currently in the three year “bio” certification paperwork marathon. The Cores also practice bio-dynamic principles. Before starting Mas Gabriel over two years were spent in New Zealand and Bordeaux learning the practicalities of viticulture and winemaking – yes this was a complete career and lifestyle change.

Mas Gabriel is easy to visit – on summer weekend afternoons just turn up, otherwise phone or email first to avoid disappointment (details here).

Domaine d’Aupilhac tasting and dinner

2009-10-31T05:09:00.000-07:00

Sylvain Fadat started Domaine d’Aupilhac back in 1989 and along with Olivier Jullien (see Mas Jullien posts) was a pioneer for the area. In addition to his vineyards around Montpeyroux, Syvain’s big investment has been in forging new vineyards out of the garrigue at altitude above the village. This means a broad range of wine styles are produced, ideal for what was the last tasting and repas vigneron evening of the season at La Terrasse du Mimosa in Montpeyroux.

13 wines were tasted over the evening, 5 with the delightful dinner.

Les Cocalières blanc 2005, 2007
Roussanne, Marsanne, Vermantino, Grenache Blanc. From vines 350m above sea level on dolomitic limestone overlooking Montpeyroux. Aromatic floral with gentian and fennel leading to a palate of lemon peel and apple. The 2007 was fresher – lemon balm with lime and a fine partner for risotto with mussels.

Mont-Baudile blanc 2008, 1996 Ugni blanc, Grenache blanc and Chardonnay. Creaminess of youth with fresh, citrus, fennel and churned butter in the 2008. Worked well with marinated salmon. The 1996 was the first vintage. Nuts and figs with vanilla but done dry and in perfect balance, extraordinary. There were two bottles, one of which did not have a malolactic fermentation. With only one tasting glass I couldn’t detect a difference.

Montpeyroux rouge 2003, 1997 Mourvèdre, Syrah and Carignan with 10% Grenache and 5% Cinsault. Simplistically clay and chalk (argilo-calcaire) vineyards with lots of oyster fossils apparently. 2003 was the year of the canicule and many fine reds have not aged well but this isn’t one of them. Animal with ripe cassis and a pepper finish. 1997 was a difficult wet and cool year but this wine was a masterpiece – Burgundy sweetness and delicacy with some liquorice, good length and poise. Would be impossible to place if tasted blind.

Le Carignan 2008, 2000 (Magnum), 1998 (Magnum) A landmark wine for the region. Sylvain was generous enough to credit les anglais for buying it in the early days and I was one of them. Most vintages show best when young or older with a closed run of years in between. The 2008 was heady ripe fruit propped up by good acidity and a tannin canvas. The 2000 still had a dense colour, damsons and soft spice. The 1998 was my wine of the night – spices, olive, bay, brambles and damson and just so complete and satisfying.

Les Cocalières rouge 2005 Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre grown at 350m altitude. Quite sweet and heady with elegant brambles. The lighter style went well with the duck.

Le Clos 1999 (Magnum), 1989 (Magnum) Mourvèdre and Carignan with 20% Syrah. Fresh farmyard with mushroom. Herbs and supple oak tannins - will keep. 1989, the first vintage for Le Clos, was earthy, sweet and elegant with garrigue herbs.

"La Boda" Rouge 2006 Mourvèdre and Syrah with 10% each of Carignan and Grenache. An assemblage from Montpeyroux argilo-calcaire vineyards and the altitude Cocalières. Dark and brooding with cassis, liquorice and spice. Clearly needs time and will no doubt please important export markets.

Great winemakers make good and interesting wines in difficult vintages and d’Aupilhac is the best proof of that I've come across for years.

A good week

2009-10-10T06:17:00.000-07:00

It’s always satisfying when wine exceeds expectations and this has been a satisfying week.

Ollier Taillefer (Fos in Faugères) makes consistently good wine at a fair price and seems to know how to market it. Castel Fossibus is their oaked Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre blend designed for ageing and the 2002 is still at its peak. A browning rim and a soft, ripe herbal nose leads to a mouth filling rounded and gentle spicy palate. It’s mature enough to perhaps come from anywhere, but was delicious. The 2002’s have proved to be a most elegant year, at least to the west of the Gard that suffered a severe harvest deluge.

My experience with tasting reds from Saint-Saturnin (Terrasses de Larzac) has yet to particularly excite me. I find the characteristics to be rich dark fruits and chocolate and this was exactly what I found drinking Virgil Joly 2001 - notes of black olives, chocolate and even hints of coffee were not for me. That said, it was beautifully mature and balanced with a soft mouth feel and good length; the last bottle and more enjoyable than expected.

Viognier has been trying to become fashionable for decades despite being tricky viticulturally. In the Languedoc it has made some successful everyday wines - the Cotes de Thongue between Beziers and Pezenas produces good bottles (as it does Chardonnay as well). Domaine La Condamine L' Evêque’s Viognier for example has always been a reliable restaurant wine list spot. A touch also works well in white blends adding fat and exotic perfume. Of the pure Viogniers from the region Domaine de Clovallon Les Aires has consistently come closest to good specimens from Condrieu Rhone territory. Vintage differences are more pronounced up in Bedarieux and the 2006 is exceptional – apricot, hints of peach stone with (unsweetened) Chantilly cream and linseeds in the mouth. Normally a one glass then move on wine, but not this bottle. My thanks to David Pugh of restaurant Le Mimosa for the tip off and being prepared to part with a couple of bottles. Alas, this was the second bottle.

La Terrasse d’Elise tasting and dinner

2009-09-27T03:50:00.000-07:00

Xavier Braujou started La Terrasse d’Elise in 1998 but it was 2001 before his range started to expand. I was introduced to his wines through a mixed tasting case bought in the UK back in 2004 from Mike and Liz Berry who now run Vins Fins de la Crau in Provence. This was another terrific repas vignerons at La Terrasse du Mimosa in Montpeyroux with Xavier there to introduce his wines.

Saint Jean de Fos is where the Herault gorge exits to the plain having swathed through the high Larzac plateau and this results in a microclimate of cooler nights. Nature dominates Xavier’s total approach from minimal vineyard treatments through to several of his cuvees even avoiding the use of sulphur.

Le Puech n°8 (Chardonnay) 2008 A cask sample hence the slightly foggy grape juice colour. Grapey and honeyed with a lemon sherbet palate and gentle bitters finish. Not at all varietal, just as I recall a much earlier vintage was.

Rose 2008 Luminous garnet. Rose hips and raspberry. Sorbet like freshness. Delicious but feels alcoholic. Cinsault and Carignan.

Le Pradel 2005 (Cinsault) Light colour. Vegetable, beetroot and boiled sweets make it intriguing and attractive to smell. This was the wine I mistook for Pinot Noir at a blind tasting in the spring. Palate seems new world in style – fine tannins, clean and relatively simple fruit. Doesn’t seem Languedoc, probably because so little quality Cinsault red is made in the region.

Le Pradel 2006 (Cinsault) Red fruits, quite spirity. Plumy fruit body with good structure – serious yet remarkably fresh. Developed well over a few minutes.

Le Pigeonnier 2004 (Carignan) Fuller colour. Liquorice and soft leather. Berries and chunky but evolves all the time and is extraordinarily fresh.

Le Pigeonnier 2005 (Carignan) Rhubarb, cherry and lychees (Nico’s observation). Lemon balm palate with great acidity and finish. Yes it is red wine. The finest Carignan I recall tasting and my wine of the evening.

Elise 2002 (Syrah and Mouvedre, aged 2 years in barrels) Blackcurrant with lemon. Elegant, racy, great length. Felt like there should be more, but that’s probably from tasting too many Languedoc blockbusters – this is more Northern Rhone. Worth keeping to see if the flavours start to layer.

Elise 2003 (Syrah and Mouvedre, aged 2 years in barrels) Sweaty, animal with mouth coating tannin. Quite baked. If the 2002 is cool Rhone this is Spain. 2003 was of course the difficult year of the canicule. Went very well with the sublime roast lamb later in the evening.

Mas de Blanc 2003 (Merlot) Prunes and chocolate. Baked and hot. Not good evidence that Merlot is at home here – would have been nice to try a cooler year.

The reds all show an underlying personal style – freshness, elegance and a racy acidity. These were also drunk after the tasting with the delightful meal and were not phased by red mullet, chocolate roulade or even the strong herbed fromage Boulette d’Avesnes. My only gripe would be that after four hours of tasting and drinking the style began to tire – as would any style. I much preferred the Le Pradel and Le Pigeonnier - the latter a very reasonable €13, nearly half the retail price of the Elise.

Dégustation à l’aveugle (Blind tasting)

2009-09-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

La Terrasse du Mimosa in Montpeyroux is running blind tastings on the second Monday of the month. It’s an informal stand-up tasting around the bar and there’s no charge. One brings a bottle (disguise the label of course) and sommelier Nico orchestrates proceedings, which is to say he pours the wine and does much of the analysis. Guessing as to what the wine is isn’t really the point. It’s to personally decide whether you like and enjoy the wine without any preconceptions generated by seeing the label and knowing the price.

This tasting was well attended; I counted 17 of us, including local star Alain Chabanon, and there were 10 wines. There’s no theme to the wines people bring so the resulting selection can be pretty eclectic.

Ballade en Straminer (Gewürztraminer) 2007 Domaine de Bachellery.
Aromatic but fresh and quite racy. At the grapefruit end of the Gewurtz spectrum that I like. Alsace on steroids – only on revealing the bottle were the more tropical flavours apparent.
Malaga Blanc, Thailand Unlabelled bottle.
Can’t recall a wine with so little colour. Dry, strange herbs and minerals. The panel though it could be Muscadet. Clearly needs some spicey Thai food. Apparently Louis XIV gifted the Malaga vines to the King of Siam 200 plus years ago.
Picpoul de Pinet 2007, Domaine St. Martin de la Garrigue
Full straw colour. Sweet oak nose (despite being no use of oak....), dry elegant acidity. Bitters finish with a touch of pine. Certainly surprised everyone.
Domaine de la Petite Gallée, "Vieilles Vignes” (Gamay), Coteaux du Lyonnais
On to the reds. Garnet colour. Firm fruit, metallic mineral, redcurrant. Good structure but straight. Could well be worth ageing. Apparently made from gamay vines planted in 1896.
Domaine du Grand Crès 2002 (red), Corbières
Ripe blackberry fruit leaps out of the glass. Delicious liquorice palate. Everyone heaped praise on it. I though it very much like Domaine Barroubio Cuvée Marie Therese
Domaine Saparale Casteddu 2006 (red), Corsica
Mulberry fruit. Hot, tannic, noticeably alcoholic. A bit edgey, almost clumsy, perhaps needs time to settle down – or is it just rustic?
Domaine Croix de St Privat ''Cuvée du Papé Laurent '' 2007, Aniane
Quite rubbery with some mineral. Peppers and cassis, brazil nut sweet ripeness. By now most peoples palates were becoming a little disorientated (Aniane is only a few kms away)
Gigondas Cuvée Prestige 2006 François Arnaud
More constrained nose than the predecessors. Soft berry fruit, quite hot finish. Food wine. I would keep this.
TMV Syrah 2006, Swartland South Africa
Spicy and leathery, smokey. Fine tannins and good balance. Not obviously Syrah – one taster suggested Cinsault.
Teófilo Reyes Crianza 1996, Ribera del Duero Spain
Browning red. Sweet ripe farmyard. Mature, long and flavoury. À point now, but old enough to be from anywhere hot.

Organic Wine - inevitable?

2009-09-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Shaun Hill, one of Britain’s finest chefs and restaurateur, wrote a few years ago in his book How to Cook Better that “organic is good, but not all good things are organic”. He was talking about buying vegetables and fruit, but as far as wine is concerned there may be a long way to go.

Simplistically I observe the evolution of organic wine production as having three ages: -

Early enthusiasts. Here organic production is mainly by newcomers to grape growing and wine production. Results are mixed, mainly due to inexperience.
Leaders convert. Established growers set out to become organic. Commercially this will add value by giving the wine a marketing edge; but for many producers I’d like to think it’s simply a case of being the right thing to do in the quest for a better environment – after all their families live and work in their vineyards.
Organic is the norm, where consumers expect their purchases to be organic and not being so is a distinct disadvantage.

In the Languedoc at least, age two is now an irreversibly underway as evidenced by domains such as Aupilhac, Mas Bruguiere, Virgil Joly and Alain Chabanon. Julia’s post on the Montpellier organic wine fair suggests there are now over 300 certified producers in the Languedoc.

Personally there’s another key aspect. As someone who loves to walk and cycle in vinelands, then the sight of vines on scorched earth and skeletons of dead plants is, frankly, sad and repulsive. Just as serious is the impact of the weed killers responsible on my foraging for salade sauvage.

Of course things are never black and white. Many producers are effectively organic but haven’t become certified because they would like the option to spray in an emergency – the emergency being the otherwise severe cut in quality grape production and hence income. Then there’s time and all that certification paperwork. Growers who don’t use weed killers will at least have more natural looking vineyards and keep my eyes happier.

Will we ever get to stage three? That will depend on consumers so in general no, but for fine wine maybe.

Do organic wines taste better? I haven’t tasted enough to comment, but most I’ve had recently have been fine and do possess a purity about them. Much has been written, but one point that seems key is that organic wines need skilled winemaking as there is less scope for the winemaker to manipulate the final product. This, and consumer apathy, could leave many producers struggling to make it to the first age.

Scorched earth

Mas Bruguière (Pic St Loup)

2009-08-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

The Pic St Loup, seen here from the Pic Baudille about 27 Km away, is just 12 Km north of Montpellier but feels a world away. It is one of the coolest and wettest of the Languedoc wine areas, although still warm enough in places to ripen Mourvèdre. Here the reds are generally a touch more charcoal and fennel than tar and liquorice.

Mas Bruguière sits in the valley between the Pic St Loup and the Montagne d’Hortus - one of the most stunning locations imaginable for a vineyard with the dramatic profile of the valley discreetly introduced on the labels.

Even more remarkable than the geology is the family history. The Bruguières have been farmers in the area since the 13th century and vignerons for seven generations since the Revolution.

In 1986 Guilhem boldly gave up the local co-operative and there’s been continuous investment and improvement ever since. The first vintage we tasted was the 1994 and we’ve regularly stocked up ever since. It’s an easy place to visit ad-hoc as Isabelle has her artist’s studio above the chais (open mornings and afternoons except Sundays). Today Xavier has taken over from Guilhem and bio certification is in progress.

What about the wine itself? A well hung and perfectly cooked steak is as complex and unbeatable as the finest creation of a starred chef. For me the reds, such as the unoaked Syrah/Grenache L’Arbouse (named after the strawberry tree), are the steak of the wine world with the complexity in its fine structure rather than layers. There’s also good acidity that gives the wine a freshness and must help it age so well – the 2003 was still delicious in 2009.

Currently available in the UK from Yapp Bothers.

Terrasses du Larzac Map

2009-08-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

The Terrasses du Larzac appellation was defined in 2004 to essentially give a bit more granularity to the massive catch-all Coteaux du Languedoc appellation. The www.terrasses-du-larzac.com site lists 59 producers and these are shown on the map below. Note that this simply illustrates the producer's business location and not necessarily where the vineyards are, although in most cases they will be nearby.

map loading...

This map began as a means to become familiar with using Google maps as a web site development tool, but the real challenges were getting them to work in a Blogger environment. Rather unfortunate given they are both products of the same organisation.

Domaine de Barroubio Red

2009-07-19T01:51:00.000-07:00

Domaine de Barroubio occupies most of a hamlet above the sleepy village of Saint-Jean-de-Minervois was one of the first domains we visited on discovering the Languedoc back in 1993. It was to seek out the elegant floral and citrus vins doux naturel Muscat we had enjoyed in a restaurant. It’s always been our preferred style of the region’s sweet Muscat – more grapes than raisons and a bit racier.

It was on later visits that we were introduced to Barroubio’s reds from vineyards lower down the slopes. The basic Minervois is a Cariginan, Syrah and Grenache blend that's rounded, fruity, balanced and fine easy drinking. Available fairly widely from cavistes and at just 5 € it’s one of our reliable everyday drinking staples.

The Cuvée Marie Therese is 75% Syrah and 25% Granache and spends a year in large oak barriques. We’ve been drinking the 2000 in the UK over the past three or so years having filled our boots through irresistible bin-end offers. The colour is full garnet red that offers a soft fruit raspberry aroma with fresh thyme and a hint of liquorice and cherry. It tastes as it smells with a supple mouth feel and gentle finish and is not too heavy. In its youth it had a more defined structure with handbag leathers, more spice, and a lot less raspberry which is the surprising character of what is now a fully mature wine that will soon decline. The 2006 is around 9,50 €.

There's a third highly regarded red of mainly old vine Carignan, Cuvée Jean Miquel that for some reason I’ve never tasted. Raymond is the current winemaker from the Miquel family who have been at Barroubio for many generations.

French Coutry Wine RIP?

2009-07-06T07:23:00.000-07:00

OK, this entry has nothing to do with the Languedoc, it's about a holiday wine on the Ile de Ré. Perhaps the only connection is that it concerns a Vin de Pays, and Languedoc wine lovers will know this isn't an indicator of quality.

I ordered this white, Le Royal from the island's only coop, for a family lunch on the sun drenched quayside bar bistro at La Flotte. While the food is best forgotten, along with the near x4 mark-up on this 3,50€ wine, it left two lasting impressions.

The first was the extraordinary descriptive note on the back label. I translate and précis a little (click on the image to read the French).

«By its style and taste, this wine presents itself to the gourmondise. It is faithful to its terroir. This white is proud of its insular expression. It suggests to you a well-being gourmand.» Now for the tasting notes «Colour pale luminous yellow. Nose floral (broom, mimosa, lime flower). Hint of lemon-balm and, when swirled, passion flower. Lively palate with notes of citrus fruits.» After this are the more practical food accompaniment suggestions and serving temperature. Amazingly there was no mention of the cepage - Colombard with some Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

The second impression was the taste of the wine. With some imagination, and allowance for the low-key finish that necessitated a good mouthful, the tasting notes are just about believable despite the French tendency to seriously elaborate the (in this case) floral similarities. The real point, however, is this wine could have come from anywhere; California and South Africa being strong candidates. Nowhere on the label was «faithful to its terroir» explained. No vine on the island can be more than a mile from the sea, but any character this imparted wasn't detectable by me nor mentioned on the label. Three quarters of the grapes grown are used to make Cognac or Pineau Ilrhéa, the local name for Pineau des Charentes (one third cognac, two thirds grape juice). Nevertheless, the wine just tastes like a stainless steel international success. French Country wine RIP?

Mas du Pountil

2009-06-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

On the memorable Ascention walk and picnic tasting with the winemakers on the summit of the Pic Baudille one property we've never tasted stood out as producing good value drinking at a more everyday price. Mas du Pountil at Jonquières has been in the Bautou family for generations and seen it all with modern winemaking starting in 2000.

«Gourmandise» 2006 is a Grenache dominated red blend with ripe sweetness, mouth filling red fruits and streaks of pepper and liquorice. This was a brilliant barbecue wine posessing some structure and is much more than a good quaff. 6€.
	The Mas du Pountil rouge is Syrah, Grenache and Carignan dominated and partly oaked. The 2002 has a browning edge and is well into its plateau of maturity. Warm with cassis and liquorice. The palate is rounded and voluptuous, rubbery yet elegant. Quite easy to drink, but for just 23 € in a local Michelin starred restaurant (De Lauzun) a steal. Around 10€ at the caviste.

Mas d'Alezon 2005 (Red Faugères)

2009-06-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

With the Languedoc sun and chaleur now well established then any red with refreshing characteristics is most welcome. Mas d'Alezon 2005, drunk on the terrace of a restaurant, had just that. Structured ripe fruit with a cool blackcurrent undertone supported by just a little spice, both on the nose and palate. A delicious mouthful but not a quaff - the length sees to that. The 12.5% alcohol seemed to give the subtle fruits a chance to shout. From Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre this is also another wine grown at altitude; 450m in this case, right on the northern tip of the Faugères appelation. Around €13 to €14. Mas d'Alezon is actually produced by Catherine Roque of Domaine de Clovallon, who makes our favorite special occasion Viognier and a good value cool Pinot Noir.

Alain Chabanon Dinner

2009-06-21T10:06:00.001-07:00

Serious anticipation...........

This spring has seen some terrific tastings and dinners thanks to the team at Les Mimosas and the area’s producers. The latest was none other than Alain Chabanon hosting a dinner at Le Mimosa, and a big thank you to Alain for providing the wines free of charge. We have more of Alain’s wines than any other producer by a fair margin. One reason for this is simply down to their longevity and the older reds we drank on the night will still develop further. On a day that reached the mid-30 degrees C conditions were not ideal for serious red wine. Le Mimosa’s dining room was laid out with four long tables and helped generate a convivial atmosphere with Alain introducing each wine. The delivery and standard of the dishes served to the 50 of us never faltered. Rosé Trémier 2008 aperitif. Pale colour. Strawberry sorbet, herbs. Floral palate with a hint of bitters. Has the body of a food rosé but is hugely enjoyable on its own. Trélans 2006 hummus with seed and olive bread roll Vermentino and Chenin Blanc. Gentle toast, linseed oil, fennel and grapefruit. Racy, long palate that dances in the mouth. Trélans 2002 marinated citrus scallops Pale gold colour. Nuttier – hazel. Aromatic and again grapefruit, but balancing acidity. Took the lemon sauce with the scallops in its stride. I’ve had mixed experiences with Trélans and some years such as 2004 really need food, but this pair showed very well. Les Boissieres 2000 Magnum girolle and cheese mille feuille tart Mainly Grenache. Tinted red colour. Sweet leather and warm red berries with pepper. Full flavoured without being tannic and powerful. Campredon 2007 Magnum red mullet, prawn and shellfish Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache and Carignan. No oak. Full red, ripe heady and warm – cherry and cherry stone. Ripe tannins avoided problems with the seafood. Drink young or keep (the 2004 is still delicious) L’Esprit de Font Caude 2003 Magnum rabbit and its abats with mash Syrah and Mourvèdre. Browning colour. Warm, bay, mushroom and farmyard with a pepper palate. The searing heat of 2003 has made this approachable now but needs time to develop complexity. (the 1999, which has more extraction, is delicious now) Le Merle aux Alouettes 2001 incontournable à point cheese board Merlot and a little Grenache. Sweet, ripe and balanced. Full flavoured – blackberry. Did as well with cheese as any red. Again needs time to develop layers of flavour (the 1999, his first vintage of Le Merle, is drinking well now) Villard 2001/2003chocolate sponge, chocolate sorbet, apricot and crème brûlée Chenin Blanc. A blend of two years to get the balance right. Amber. Orange peel, bitters, raisins and caramel all concentrated on a steel backbone. Quite an evening.

Mas Jullien tasting and dinner

2009-06-20T06:23:00.000-07:00

Mas Jullien’s wines are part of our history in the Languedoc. We discovered and fell in love with the area by accident in April 1993, renting a converted manger of a village house in Soubes near Lodeve for just a week through friends of a friend. We also discovered the amazing Le Mimosa restaurant where we were introduced to Olivier Jullien’s wines. A bottle of warming but supple 1991 Les Depierres red by a roaring wood stove will stick in the memory forever. From a family of vignerons in Jonquières, Olivier started back in 1985 after studying viticulture and oenology. Since then his journey seems to have been a quest for the ideal combination of terroirs by acquiring various vineyards in the folds of various soils that flow from the Larzac plateau and the Pic Baudille which dominates the Herault valley. 24 years on Olivier hosted a tasting and repas vigneron at La Terrasse du Mimosa in Montpeyroux. As the cepages vary from year to year, plus even Olivier’s memory is not perfect, my notes on the grapes used will be incomplete. Given how many different wines he makes the approach was to taste ready to drink and fully mature examples. Also bear in mind that most of these wines have been stored in an air conditioned cellar since bottling so have matured slowly and evenly. Mas Jullien White 1999 the first year a single white was made. Carignan Blanc, Chenin Blanc. Melon and aromatic herbs, heaps of acidity, oils. Good length and perfect balance. Presented as a “wine of the south with a goût of the north”. Mas Jullien White 2006 presented after the 1999 to show the progression in wine making. Fresh, citrus peel, grasses and minerals with a strapping palate. Blanc 2007 served afterwards with dinner – mineral blast, citrus peel reminiscent of Alsace like steeliness. Mas Jullien Rose 2008 Grenache, Carignan Blanc and others. Scarlet colour. Gariguettes (strawberry) and quince but not overly blowsy. Full bodied but dry. Delicious alone or with food. Red Les Etats d'Ames 1997 Being a Grenache based blend makes it approachable to drink young, but this proves it ages beautifully despite 1997 being a relatively difficult and forward year. Brick red. Ripe, supple, elegant with hints of farmyard, almost burgundian. À point maturity. Red Carlan Les Etats d'Ames 2004 First year from a sandstone vineyard at altitude tucked under the Larzac plateau. Grenache, cinsault, carignan. Elegant red fruits, rubber with herbs. Still has plenty of structure. Red Les Cailloutis 1996 (Magnum) Mouvedre, Carignan, Syrah, Grenache. Heady, ripe. Bay and game. Tannic grip but rounded, balanced and long. Illustrates the ageing potential, something Olivier admires about les Britanniques with their love of ageing wines. Red Les Depierres 1996 Syrah blend from schist terroir. Fresher, racier fruit with pencil, elegant, warm weight. Perfectly cellared. Mas Jullien Red 1999 In 1997 Olivier moved to making one Mas Jullien cuvee. Claret like mature fruit and wood. Chamois and daube with juniper. Pleasantly heady. The 2001 drunk with squab pigeon had the liquorice and prune characteristic of the best 2001’s. Clairette Beudelle (sweet) Vintage not noted. Made from partially dried (passerillés) Clairette grapes. Barley and honey with lemon, terrific concentration. Mas Jullien La Méjanne Blanc 2005 (sweet) Late harvest Chenin Blanc and others. Dry, fresh but weighty and grapey. Pineapple and gentian. Long and delicious. A very special evening.

Dry Whites - some favorites

2009-06-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

In general the Languedoc is a red wine area as befits the climate. Most well known white grape varieties struggle to make dry whites that are anything other than heavy, flabby and lifeless. Grapes more suited to the chaleur – Rousanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc and Clairette to name a few, result in wines that are full bodied and aromatic; more herbal and grapefruit than the fresher, grassy, lemony mineral whites from further north. Relatively recently a new generation of wine makers have been planting or rejuvenating vineyards in the relatively cooler microclimates and at altitude. This goes some way towards simulating more northerly growing conditions. These are whites that we’ve enjoyed most and have been consistently fine. Mas Julien Blanc. The blend varies over the years, but a touch of oak and usually some viognier make this vibrant and complex. Also ages well thanks to the balancing acidity. Not much is made and it’s always been sought after. Les Clapas Blanc Domaine Le Pas de l'Escalette Carignan blanc and Terret Bourret. Rescued vines at a heady 350m on steep limestone scree right under the Larzac plateau produce a flinty mineral white that’s impossible to place in the Languedoc. First vintage was 2003. Mas Brunet Blanc Causse de la Selle. A causse is a limestone plateau and this one is over 200m above the gorges of the Herault. A delicious blend of Roussanne, Vermentino and Viognier that has flavours dancing around the mouth. A good value alternative to Les Clapas. “Les Aires” Domaine de Clovallon is a 100% Viognier made in the slightly fresher climate at Bedariux on the river Orb. In its more successful years it competes with the best Condrieu has to offer yielding plenty of the elusive apricot and peaches factor. The Pic St Loup area north of Montpellier is cool and wet for the region. Two whites have been consistent over the years. Manon Clos Marie from Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Maccabeu, Carignan Blance and Clairette has subtle tropical fruit tones while Les Mûriers Mas Bruguière is a fine example using the more aromatic Marsanne (80%) and Roussanne varieties which pulls off zippy citrus flavours. Domaine de Bridau Picpoul de Pinet. Picpoul is the region's Muscadet. Relatively light, easy to drink, and ideal with shellfish and seafood. Domaine Bridau make a brilliant everyday wine at a miracle less than 4 € a bottle. Unlike most Picpoul, the vineyards are in the hilly garrigue behind Montagnac which gives what can be a fairly low key neutral style of wine a hint of fresh aromatic herbs. Hard to source although easy to buy from the property. Muscat sec is another good buy (around 5 €) for a simple refreshing aperitif white. Three fine examples come from Mas des Chimères at Octon near lake Salagou - the land of basalt and the extraordinary red Permien era deposits; Domaine de Barrioubio St Jean de Minervois (also the address for elegant and racy sweet Muscat) and Domaine Treloar at Trouillas in the Pyrenees-Orientales with their One Block white (and an extraordinary effort from the unfashionable Muscat d'Alexandrie). The most complex (and rarest) Languedoc dry white comes from the Grange des Pères at Aniane made from Rousanne, Chardonnay with a touch of Viognier and aged in oak for two years. Critical is the proximity of the Larzac plateau and Herault gorge that bring lower night time temperatures.

Blind tasting is tough

2009-06-13T23:32:00.000-07:00

Wine tasting is hard. This week at a blind tasting I thought that La Pradel from Domaine La Terrasse d'Elise, a wine that's 100% Cinsault, was Pinot Noir. There is some comfort in this - I was not alone. Fortunately I didn't then have to pronounce where this Pinot Noir came from (St Jean de Fos, Hérault). Needless to say this is an exceptional Cinsault; elegant, ripe, balanced, full of fruit and flavour but not big. Delicious drinking. Perhaps worse was yet to come. When offered three glasses of white and told two are identical then identifying the odd one out should be easy. Wrong again. The trick here was that they were the same wine, it's just that one had been diluted with water. I blame the 30 plus degree Languedoc sun on that one.

Uplifting tasting on the Pic Baudille

2009-05-31T02:42:00.000-07:00

May 21st is of course Ascension day and what better than an invigorating ascent of the Pic Baudille - the mountain that dominates the vineyard heart of the Herault valley. What's better is combining the walk with fine wine and a bring your own picnic. Many of the local wine producers, we counted over 10, bring their wine (driven up not carried!), families and friends. Even engraved glasses were available, apparently provided by the Terrasses du Larzac. We found the finest wines were Mas Brunet (Causse de la Selle), Reserve d'O (Arboras) and Mas Cal Demoura (Jonquiers). Also good, and at a more everyday price, was Mas Pountil (Jonquiers). The standard was very high, perhaps the weakest wine by far was from the Montpeyroux Coop and that has a good reputation. Just as memorable was the walk back taking in the magical and serene Larzac plateau.