Pas de l'Escalette

The Pas de l'Escalette is where the RN9, now replaced by the A75 autoroute tunnel, penetrated the Larzac plateau through a carved out nick in the Dolomitic limestone cliffs. The valley below down to Lodève delivers one of the most spectacular big scenery settings in the region. The Lodève tourist office has been holding a series of "Duo Vignerons" mornings consisting of a guided pastoral stroll followed by a local cave and wine tasting visit. The Domaine du Pas de l'Escalette was one of the more interesting vinously given its reputation, plus the walk on this occasion was through the domain's dramatic vineyards.

Despite being well into the second half of September the harvest had yet to start, some two weeks late as is the case for rest of the Hérault valley. These prime Grenache bunchs are still a little rosé

Electric defences

The valley is surrounded by woodland, mainly dense native oaks which means sanglier territory. All the Domaine's vineyards use electric fence protection, something I've not seen before for vines. I have though seen the results of sanglier grazed vines, they strip grapes from the stems as cleanly as any vendanges machine.

Young Carignan Blanc vines

Delphine Rousseau joined us on the walk and explained how enthusiastic they had become over the more naturalised varieties - Grenache, Carignan and Syrah for reds and Carignan blanc, Terret and Grenache blanc for their white. For me their white Le Clapas Blanc is the icon of the estate, up there with the likes of Mas Jullien and Mas Gabriel. It was heartening to see that Carignan blanc had been planted to expand production.

Delphine Rousseau, fig basket to hand, explains all.
The cliffs of the Larzac plateau provide a spectacular backdrop

Back at their recently constructed chai we tasted Le Clapas Blanc 2012 followed by Le Clapas Rouge 2011 and the sturdily built Le Grand Pas 2011. The reds I know go well with food and benefit from a bit of bottle age. Certainly a generous tasting with the average bottle price working out at 20€.

The Domaine Pas de l'Escalette line-up

A BIB from the Terrasses du Larzac

The Permian Rouge from Domaine de Malavieille is a wine I've enjoyed over the years, but not recently as I have to admit being annoyed by the excessive rise in price, perhaps the outcome of having become certified organic.

I came across the BIB Cinq Pierres de Mérifons from the Domaine at friends. The only information is what it says on the box; a Vin de Pays 2012 at 13% abv and made from organically certified grapes.

The wine has a reassuring full colour with attractive clean ripe rounded fruit flavours. Seriously easy drinking as in the mouth it's all very straightforward and does lack balancing acidity. It would also benefit greatly for being slightly chilled.

At €18 a box the bottle price is €2.70 so a reasonable deal if you want your wine on tap and care about grape production.

Carignan Blanc - Clos des Clapisses

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.

La Réserve d'O Red 2008

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 de Malavieille Permian Rouge

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.

Terrasses du Larzac Circulade Vigneronne

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.

Terrasses du Larzac Geology

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.

Domaine d’Aupilhac tasting and dinner

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

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

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.

Terrasses du Larzac Map

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.

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.

Mas du Pountil

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.

Alain Chabanon Dinner

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

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.

Uplifting tasting on the Pic Baudille

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.