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 "Winegrowers
in the Fenouillèdes region, draped across a dramatic, elevated valley
landscape bridging Corbières and French Catalonia, are
talking enthusiastically about their wines and the unforgiving terrain that
cradles their vineyards." This wine fair revealed a
number of up-and-coming quality estates keen to spread the word. Richard Case of Domaine
Pertuisane describes the old vine Grenache
here as "unparalleled anywhere
in France..." Read on for other names to look out for with my comments and tasting notes.
Click here for further reflection and prosaic
scribbling: Finding Fenouillèdes
country. More wines from the area under
Roussillon-French Catalonia.
Domaine des Soulanes
2004 Bastoul Laffite, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (Grenache) - lifted spicy nose with
very light oak, power v elegant fruit, nice dry structure and length.
88-90
2004 Sarrat del Mas Côtes du Roussillon Villages (CdRV) (Grenache Carignan Syrah)
- smokier and richer, again shows that black fruit and pepper combo,
weight v finesse and dry v 'sweet' texture; more power and oak than above
but it's impressively balanced. 92-94
Château Saint Roch
2004 La Bastide
blanc - toasty and creamy
with aniseed undertones, fat yet mineral and crisp; good foodie white, may
be too toasty for some. 85-87
2003 Kerbuccio CdRV (Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre)
- smoky tar and black olive, luscious maturing fruit set against firm
powerful backdrop, good stylish length. 90-92
 Domaine de l'Edre
2005 CdRV
blanc - yeasty and fat start leads to fresh mineral poise,
crisp and dry v rich mouth-feel. 87-89
2004 Dom de l'Edre CdRV (Syrah Grenache Carignan)
- rich vibrant blackberry fruit with chocolate oak texture, firm closed up
finish but it reveals more with a little aeration, dense and powerful
(14.5%) yet
has mineral bite too. Needs time. 87-89
Domaine Barriot - Clos de l'Origine
2004 Vin de Pays rouge
(40% Mourvèdre, no sulphur dioxide) -
aromatic black olive and cherry notes lead to quite rich concentrated
fruit, firm fresh and a little closed up on the finish but that black
fruit/olive comes back impressively. 89-91
2004 CdR (Carignan Grenache Syrah)
- quite fleshy with a touch of spicy oak, soft and elegant though with
fresh length, light tannins and attractive fruit.
89
Domaine
Serrelongue
2003 Extrait de Passion (Mourvèdre Grenache)
- maturing raisin fruit and wild herbs, the oak's now melted into it
better; oily textured tannins, perhaps won't last much longer.
87
2004 Saveur de Vigne CdRV - nice ripe peppery fruit with choco oak
backdrop, firm rounded tannins, good weight and style despite slightly too
much wood; promising nevertheless. 89
2005 Syrah cask sample - appealing fresh spicy black cherry aromas
with cinnamon oak edges, nice pure Syrah peppery 'medicinal' style with
firm fresh finish. 90+
Domaine
Rivaton
2004 Gribouille Latour de France CdRV - (2nd bottle; the one
in the blind tasting was bottled too soon and suffered from reductive
taint) nice smoky tar and leather tones, rich and ripe v firm and tight,
attractive style. 90
2005 Latour de France CdRV ("probably": cask sample) - smoky
leather tinged with black cherries, rustic and lush with solid yet elegant
finish. 90
Domaine les Tourdelles
2004 Granit Vin de Pays (Carignan)
- lovely ripe liquorice fruit, soft and elegant finishing with a little
dry & fresh tannin/acidity. 87
2004 Cuvée Pierre Damien CdRV (Syrah Grenache Carignan) -
light cedar background notes, firm mouth-feel yet shows subtle fruit too,
closes up a bit but should be good. 87-89
Domaine
des
Schistes
2003 Les Terrasses CdRV (Carignan Grenache Syrah)
- herbal aromas lead to a luscious peppery black fruit palate, solid and
powerful with oak undertones; but it's the dark fruit and structured
tannins that stay with you. 90
2003 La Coumeille CdRV - tobacco leaf, spice and scented oak
underlined with maturing complex notes; firm and commanding, again showing
concentrated blackberry, tobacco and olive flavours. Wow.
92-94
Domaine Duran
2004 Dom du Vieux Cépage CdRV (Grenache Carignan Syrah)
- appealing cherry fruit intensity v coating of tannins and a touch of
wood, bite and grip v power of fruit and alcohol (a bit much at 15%).
87-88
2005 barrel samples - Syrah Grenache:
rich fruit v high alcohol and firm tannins, very spicy with fresh bite and
more elegance than the 2004. Carignan Grenache:
more liquorice and black cherry/olive than the first one, firm and dry
with similar freshness and power. Should blend up to a
90+ wine.
Domaine Terre Rousse
2004 CdRV (Grenache Carignan Syrah Mourvèdre)
- smoky and intense, a little oxidised but not too much, spicy tobacco and
liquorice fruit set against firm fresh finish. 87
2005 CdRV (before going into barrique) - delicious wild
herbal black cherry fruit, firm dry structure and power v sexy fruit and
length. Does it need oak? 89-91
Domaine de la
Balmière
2005 Muscat sec - very lively mineral style with crisp citrus fruit
v lightly rounded finish. 87
2005 Côtes du Roussillon (CdR) rosé
- floral white peach and redcurrant fruit, attractive dry finish and
length. 87
2005 Latour de France CdRV (1/4 each of Grenache Carignan Syrah Mourvèdre) -
lovely peppery ripe black fruits and olive, firm dry mouth-feel with
generous rounded texture. Promising. 88-90
Domaine de la
Pertuisane
2004 Le Nain Violet (Grenache Carignan Syrah)
- closed up and difficult to taste as it had just been bottled: firm yet
elegant and long with attractive underlying fruit and well handled wood
texture. 88-90
2004 La Pertuisane (90% Grenache, Carignan) -
similar story to above: pretty oaky at the moment with fleshy underlying
fruit, very concentrated and powerful with firm grip and oak coating.
However, it is balanced despite all this and 15% alc, thanks to its subtle
mineral freshness and that lovely dark fruit. Needs time.
90-92
These wines are available in London from Planet of the Grapes
on New Oxford Street, priced from £15 to £40.
Mas Karolina
2004 CdRV (Grenache Syrah Carignan)
- smoky and sweet-scented, nice ripe black fruit, concentrated and
powerful enough to soak up the oak, dry grip v sweet coating; brawny (15%)
but brainy too. 89-90
Maury Vin Doux Naturel (VDN) -
luscious black cherry and liquorice, opulent and sweet balanced by lively
bite of alcohol and tannins; try with a mature hard cheese such as
Gruyere. 90-92
Vignerons de Caramany
2004 CdRV - a bit cardboardy on the nose but this was a vat
sample, elegant layered fruit with subtle tannins and fresh bite.
85-87
Domaine
Jouret et Fils
2004 Cuvée les 3 Soeurs CdRV - red pepper and spicy black live
aromas, 'sweet' v floral; stiff and fresh mouth-feel with interesting wild
ripe side. 87
Mas de
Lavail
2004 la Désirade CdRV - ripe 'tar' notes lead to an oaky palate,
rounded and full; closes up firmly with slight bitterness, again too young
to tell. 89+
2004 Tradition CdRV -
subtle perfumed fruit showing damsons with light oak, perhaps a little
'burnt' in style yet has good power and black fruit centre. 87-89
Clos de l'Oum
2004 Numéro Uno CdRV - the nose is a bit 'reductive',
moving on to a concentrated firm palate set against blackberry/olive
fruit; rather closed up and awkward but could develop nicely.
87-89+
Domaine de la Fou
2004 Ricochet CdRV - alluring cassis and black cherry fruit, fine
and soft v fresh and firm, stylish length. 87-89
2004 la Clue (Cinsault Grenache) -
closed nose to start, cinnamon spice and raisin fruit on the palate, quite
big and firm yet nice ripe depth of fruit too. 87
Les Clos Perdus
L'Extreme Vin de table - wild rustic notes surrounded by rich black
cherry, attractive mouth-feel with earthy black olive undertones, grippy
and powerful with lively core. 87-89
Mas des Frèdes
2004 Grenache Noir, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes - attractive floral
cherry and liquorice, elegant fruit v a tad of dry tannin, nice easy
drinking style. 85-87
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