|
Languedoc 2: Corbières
& Fitou
Languedoc 3:
Faugères, Saint-Chinian
& Minervois
Languedoc 4: Limoux
Malepère & Cabardès
Languedoc 5: Vin de Pays d'Oc
Languedoc 6: Sommières & Nîmes
This page in my
Languedoc series includes wine estates in these sub-zones: La Clape, Pic-Saint-Loup, Pézenas, Terrasses
du Larzac, Grès de Montpellier, Picpoul de Pinet, St-Georges d'Orques,
La
Méjanelle, Saint-Christol, Montpeyroux, Frontignan,
Mireval...
See blurbs below for more info on each one. Not that I'm trying to
be too appellation-obsessed or make things more confusing (they
don't need my help there), but I have to map out these guides
somehow!
Sainte Cécile du Parc
Christine Mouton Bertoli's "new" estate is found between Pézenas and Caux:
"inverted commas" as the vineyards aren't new but the winery is; or at least
should be in time for vintage 2010! More info to follow... I tasted these wines
with Christine at the London Wine Fair in May 2010:
2008 Notes Pures white Vin de Pays d'Oc (Sauvignon Blanc) - nice lively
gooseberry and citrus notes/flavours vs "fatter" lees-y side, rounded vs crisp finish.
85
2009 Notes Frivoles rosé (Cabernet Franc,
Merlot, Carignan) - gentle red fruits
vs creamier flavours, crisp and crunchy finish with zingy blast.
85
2007 Notes d'Orphée Coteaux du Languedoc (Syrah,
Grenache) - lovely aromatic
dark cherry and liquorice profile with wild herb edges; spicy/white-peppery
tones layered with dark liquorice and "tar," delicious wine and very
2007 with it. 89+
2007 Sonatina Coteaux du Languedoc - winey and a tad volatile or
something on the nose (it might have just been bottled)?
Rich dark palate vs firm and peppery, solid grippy texture with underlying minty
notes vs black fruits. Interesting stuff, still young for a 2007.
88-90
34120 Pézenas.
christine.moutonbertoli@orange.fr, 06 79 18 68 56.
saintececileduparc.com (under construction).
 Mas de Lunès
-
Devois des Agneaux - Mas Neuf
Click here to view my feature on
these Jeanjean estates. The following wines were sampled in situ in
late April 2010:
2009 Mas de Lunès white Coteaux du Languedoc
(Roussanne, Marsanne
13.5%) - attractive honeysuckle aromas with peachy apricot notes and
lightly creamy/oily edges; similar flavour profile on the palate,
lively vs richer mouth-feel with nice fresh bite too vs a bit of rounded weight.
87+
2009 Mas de Lunès rosé Coteaux du Languedoc (Grenache, Syrah)
- lively and zingy with subtle creamy strawberry/raspberry; attractively
refreshing with crisp finish, nice fruit and again a bit of plumpness too.
85+
2007 Bergerie de Lunès red Coteaux du Languedoc (Syrah, Grenache
12.5%) - lovely "sweet" black cherry and liquorice fruit vs wild floral and
peppery tones; ripe and lush vs attractive dry bite and light bitter twist,
finishing with a flourish of liquorice. Nice style. 85-87
2007 Mas de Lunès red Coteaux du Languedoc (Syrah, Grenache
12.5%) - similar but more intense, enticing crunchy berry/cherry fruit with
sweeter liquorice edges; a bit more structured and firmer textured vs lingering
spicy fruit, quite elegant and more mineral actually. 87+
2007 Mas de Lunès Réserve Coteaux du Languedoc (Syrah, Grenache
13%) - still has that attractive aromatic dark cherry and spice on the nose with
a deft touch of spicy coconut oak; juicy and concentrated with rounded tannins,
hints of dark choco oak on the finish but has tasty "sweet" fruit vs crunchy
berries and "garrigue" undertones; firmer finish and bitter twist (these samples
were cold though) vs smoother "vinous" feel. 88+
2009 Devois des Agneaux d'Aumélas white
Coteaux du Languedoc (Roussanne,
Marsanne 12.5%) - similar floral vs exotic
profile to the Lunès white above with milky lees edges; fatter spicier palate with nice juicy
and zesty length vs a touch oily and apricot/peach flavours.
87
2007 Devois des Agneaux d'Aumélas red Coteaux du Languedoc (Syrah, Grenache
13%) - more of those perfumed wild herb aromas and peppery dark cherry too;
satisfying
dried fruits with subtle concentration vs grippy mouth-feel and a touch of power,
then firmer and tighter finish. 87-89
2007 Grand Devois (more Syrah, Grenache
13.5%) - similarly charming "sweet/savoury" fruit mix, "garrigue" tones and black
cherry/liquorice profile; richer and more intense probably, pretty solid and
tight though vs ripe floral fruit with chewy edges too, nice body vs depth vs
balance. 89-91
2008 Mas Neuf L'Incompris (late picked Muscat petits grains, 13-14% alc. 60g/l residual sugar) - fermentation stops naturally
in barrel. Enticing floral grapey nose; rich and sweet palate vs zestier citrus
bite vs rounded, quite punchy and spicy vs delicious sweet grapey Muscat vs
tangy and zesty. Very enjoyable style. 89
 Mas de l'Ecriture
Pensive Pascal Fullá - écriture means writing, as you might have guessed
from his quill pen logo, so perhaps there's a latent wine author, philosopher
or composer behind the winemaking here (and he was a lawyer in a
previous life) - bought this estate in 1998 and made
his first vintage the following year. It's located in the
unassuming village of Jonquières (among a clutch of talented names,
it has to be said), and about half of the 10 hectares (25
acres) of vines have been replanted. The varietal make-up is fairly
typical, although with quite a bit more Mourvèdre (20%) than most
growers in the Languedoc (but not so unusual in this area), Syrah
(35%), Grenache (27%), Carignan (12%) and Cinsault (6%). Ecriture
lies at the feet of the dramatic Larzac hills, where the
grape-bearing earth is mostly
composed (although not solely by any stretch) of clay-limestone with plenty of stones on
top.
When I called by in rather warm late April 2010,
Pascal told me he's carrying on the "organic spirit" in the
vineyard and, since he's never used synthetic pesticides from the
beginning and focused a lot of attention in the field, is now over a
year into heading towards "Ecocert" certification.
On the winemaking and ageing front, since we were probably talking
about oak (uh oh, geek alert), Pascal clarified that "each variety
is aged on its own in the appropriate barrel." For example, he's
increasingly using those larger demi-muids (600 litres) "...with about 20% renewed each year. It depends on the vintage and
tasting rather than putting the same variety in the same type of barrel each
year... for about 12 months, then the wines are blended and bottled."
And back in the vineyard, Pascal commented on what I spotted and called "gobelets
palissés" (trellised bush vines): "you retain the character of a bush
vine but with better leaf surface area and you can treat the bunches
if necessary (as the leaves can flop over them)." The result:
delicious yet subtle (a word that crops up in each of my tasting
notes, by the way) Med reds, even if a little pricey at e.g.
£12.50/£19.95/£29.95 in the UK... then
again "you gets what you pay for," as they say. Mas Ecriture wines
are well distributed around the world: try Terroir Languedoc in
London, Royal Wine Merchants (NY) or Cynthia T Hurley (MA) in the US
and Cottage Vineyards in Hong Kong.
2006 Emotion Terrasses
du Larzac (Grenache,
Carignan, Syrah, Cinsault
13.5%) - this wine makes up about 2/3 of production. Shows lovely
fragrant dark cherry, liquorice and light white pepper notes;
attractive lush fruity palate with a bit of weight, elegant bite and
fine dry tannins; warming and fruity yet well balanced with
"sweet/savoury" finish and subtle length. Drinking quite well now
although should improve nicely over 1-2 years.
87-89
2005 Les Pensées Terrasses
du Larzac (more Grenache,
Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan
13%) - riper "sweeter" more floral nose with liquorice and spice vs
wild herb and blueberry hints; fairly rich and concentrated with
tasty "sweet/savoury" fruit, subtle power with light grip adding to
its delicious length; almost "mouth-watering" even (not a term I'd
usually apply to a red) leaving you wanting more!
89-91
2005 L'Ecriture Terrasses
du Larzac (more Syrah, Grenache,
Mourvèdre 13%) - again has that
enticing "garrigue" edge vs ripe berry/cherry fruit, perfumed and
peppery vs darker liquorice profile; feels weightier on the palate
and a tad firmer, although still has attractive balance and subtle
fresh length; lush dark spicy fruit with meaty edges, nice chunky
tannins with lovely mix of concentration vs ripe/rounded vs
elegance. 90-92+
Lots more info @
masdelecriture.fr/blog-vignoble. Rue de la Font du Loup, 34725
Jonquières. Tel: 04 99 57 61 54.
Mas Conscience
Laurent and Geneviève Vidal were (wo)manning a stand at the
enigmatically named "Salon du X" - it's not that much of a mystery,
actually, a tasting organised by their agent Xavier Peyrot des Gachons with a
dozen Languedoc & Roussillon winegrowers present (there were
originally 10, I think) hence the X - in April 2010 at Domaine
Gayda's
impressive winery & restaurant complex, found between Limoux and
Castelnaudary. And what a find: effervescent
Laurent and Geneviève farm 10 ha (25 acres) of vines biodynamically
(although not "certified" I don't think, if it matters) on the lower
slopes of the increasingly fashionable, it would seem, and very
beautiful Terrasses
du Larzac. St-Jean is found about 50 minutes northwest of
Montpellier and northeast of Béziers, off France's most dramatic
motorway, the A75, at the point where it begins to climb up onto the
Massif Central mountain plateau. I tasted these quirkily titled yet
nevertheless delicious wines, which are
available in the UK and US via Berry Bros:
2009 L'In vin de pays (Grenache blanc,
Roussanne,
Viognier) - aromatic and exotic white
with zesty and mineral touches; "chalky" vs leesy palate with
greener fruit edges. Attractive style. 85+
2008 La Petite Prise Coteaux du Languedoc (6 year-old
Syrah & Grenache)
- nice juicy vs ripe vs scented
garrigue fruit; liquorice vs crunchier side, tasty and soft vs a
bit of weight. 85
2009 Cieux ciel ciel vin de pays (100% old
Cinsault) - lovely "sweet" cherry and
lavender notes almost; quite elegant with fine tannins and
underlying liquorice and wild herbs. Unusual.
87
2008 Le Cas vin de pays (100% old
Carignan) - smokier and richer profile, again has that very
ripe black cherry fruit but with more grip and intensity; enticing
dry vs "sweet" texture, fresh and firm vs elegant fruit.
Approx £10/$15.
89
2007 As
Terrasses du Larzac
(Syrah,
Grenache,
Carignan) - delicious ripe aromas again vs lightly toasty
oak; good grip and tight mouth-feel, more powerful and lusher too.
Needs 1 to 2 years to open up. Approx £13/$19. 89-91
2007 MahaTma (Mourvèdre) - a tad
toasty at first with herbal undertones; riper palate with black
olive and garrigue notes too, interesting "sweet/savoury" style with
attractive tannins and subtle fruit. 87+
Route de Montpeyroux, 34150
Saint Jean de Fos. Tel: 04 67 57 77 42,
mas.conscience@wanadoo.fr.
Domaine Magellan
 This
profile also appears on page
5. vin de pays: why's that then? The village of Magalas is indeed very Languedoc
found just south of the Faugères appellation yet was never
"classified" within the so-called "Coteaux du Languedoc," for no
doubt a variety of odd, political and/or ultimately probably not
very interesting reasons. Until 2008 that is, the first vintage to
be "delimited" as such and hence Bruno Lafon and Sylvie Legros'
quite sumptuous Grenache Syrah wine below, sourced from a hilltop
plot lying on the Pézenas-zone side of their vineyards. Another
reason, and their original guiding philosophy actually, was that
Bruno (from the Lafon Burgundy family) and Sylvie could experiment
with the whole gamut of varieties (a dozen) planted across their
undulating terrain, which includes e.g. Merlot and Tempranillo among
the usual Med and Rhone grapes, based on "one
terroir, one wine". Over 10 years
later, their thinking is now more "Chateauneuf" than Burgundy; and
it's the subtle blending of complementary varieties, all sourced
from essentially two very different, although neighbouring "terroirs"
(Pech Redon: sandstone and pebbles, Caves de Paris: clay and
cobblestones) that create the most complete wines in the south.
Having done a quick tour through their vines with Sylvie back in
March 2010, it is remarkable how the soil, slopes etc. change from
one spot to another, as is often the case in larger Languedoc
vineyards. By the way, Le Fruit Défendu is an easy-drinking range
based on some old Cinsault, for the red and rosé, that was selected
from Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the 60s and they were advised to rip up
but decided not to (technical consultants, huh)!
2008 Magellan white (Grenache blanc,
Roussanne 14%) vin de pays de l'Hérault - attractive
honeyed oily notes vs spicy and a touch toasty vs quite rich and
buttery; nutty and crisp vs powerful, nice balance in the end
despite that initial punch! 87
2009 Fruit Défendu rosé (Cinsault, Syrah) vin
de pays Côtes de Thongue
- mouth-watering and crisp with rose petal tones and light red
fruits; clean, gummy and easy finish. 80-83
2009 Fruit Défendu white (Grenache blanc,
Muscat) vin de pays Côtes de Thongue - aromatic nose vs
rounder and juicy palate; crisp and mineral with honey and melon
flavours. 83-85
2009 Fruit Défendu red (Cinsault, Syrah)
vin de pays Côtes de Thongue - appealing juicy cherry and liquorice fruit; peppery palate with light grip and nice blackcurrant finish.
80-83
2008 Magellan Coteaux du Languedoc (Grenache, Syrah)
- lovely vibrant minty nose with spicy black cherry and liquorice;
attractive fresh bite and "chalky" tannins, tight long and balanced
finish. 87+
2007 Magellan red (Grenache, Syrah,
Carignan) vin de pays de l'Hérault - smokier and richer yet still minty with wild herb
and berry
notes, "sweet" liquorice and savoury edges too; grippy
with lingering
maturing fruit, big but very tasty. 89+
2005 Alios vin de pays de l'Hérault (Grenache, Syrah,
Mourvèdre +
Tempranillo etc.) - enticing savoury maturing nose with dried
black fruit edges; good mix of ripe and raisin-y vs solid and meaty,
quite complex and interesting flavours with herby vs savoury
profile, big finish and fairly firm tannins still.
90+?
467 Avenue de la Gare, 34480 Magalas.
Tel: 04 67 36 20 83 /
www.domainemagellan.com.
 Domaine
de la Triballe
You'll find La Triballe nestling about 15km (10 miles) northeast of Montpellier
sandwiched between the Grès de Montpellier and Pic Saint-Loup appellations.
Owners Sabine and Olivier Durand (pic.), who also make a good variety of vin de
pays wines and grape juice, took over the reins in 1990 and have been applying
full-on organics to their 14 ha (35 acres) of vineyards since 1996. I sampled
these wines with Sabine in Montpellier at the 2010 edition of Millésime Bio
organic fair:
2009 Aphyllanthe white (Rolle,
Roussanne) - honeyed vs gooseberry notes, very
lively and floral too; crisp, mineral and oily too with creamier yeast-lees
edges and "sweet" rounded fruit too. 87
2009 rosé - nice clean and straight style,
zingy and subtle with crisp intensity. 80-83
2008 Coteaux du Languedoc (Carignan, Syrah,
Grenache) -
slightly reductive / cassis nose; youthful
lively and crunchy fruit on the palate, turning lusher on the finish.
83-85
2007 En attendant que Coteaux du Languedoc - spicy Syrah-dominated style,
the wood's a tad intrusive although it does add attractive rounder texture...
2007 La Capitelle Grès de Montpellier (Grenache,
Syrah,
Carignan)
- spicy minty aromas with cassis and cherry; firm vs round mouthfeel, tasty
chunky vs fruity profile and dry vs "sweet" finish. 89+
34820 Guzargues,
www.la-triballe.com.
Clos Marie
This intriguing little number also appears under "wines of the
moment," winter 2010. Tempting enough to go and find out more about
this quite cult estate the next time I head up to "wolf peak," north
of Montpellier...
2006 Cuvée l'olivette Pic-Saint-Loup (Grenache,
Syrah, Mourvèdre) -
smoky and lush showing nice depth and weight, pretty chunky tannins
adding dry texture and bitter twist/bite; fair oomph and grip vs
dark cherry liquorice and tobacco, needs a year or so to come
together fully. Turns a tad rustic and leather-tinged with very firm
framework, but its solid trad Languedoc style seduces you in the
end. A bit dear though @ €12.50. 88
 Château Camplazens
Susan and Peter Close's award-winning estate lies at the top end of
La Clape (more on that below under Pech-Redon)
about as far as the "road" goes before you reach an air force base.
You can get there via the little village of Armissan or follow signs
for Hospitalet then "base aérienne."
Either way, the road does a long winding loop and it's a nice
peaceful drive. Susan and Peter, originally from northeast England
although they then lived in the States for 20 years, bought
Camplazens in 2000 after looking extensively around the wine world
for that perfect spot. They invested a fair sum in rebuilding the
winery and replanting part of the vineyards including Syrah,
Viognier and Marselan, a very promising crossing of Cabernet Sauvignon
and Grenache; as well as recently adding olive trees and new
machinery to bring an old well back to life and be self-sufficient
in water. Yann Claustre is their winemaker and estate manager, who's
worked for the Closes since the beginning. I tasted these wines with them at the property in January
2010:
2007 Viognier vin de pays d'Oc
(13.5%) - exotic and fat vs juicy fruit, attractive ripe oily
texture with light toast/spice tones; soft rounded and creamy then a
more floral and greener finish. Nice style.
87
2007 Marselan vin de pays d'Oc
(13%) - smoky liquorice vs
herbal cassis aromas; similar flavours showing lush vs crunchy
fruit, wild and spicy too with attractive rounded tannins; liquorice
vs fresh bite, very tasty sweet vs savoury aftertaste.
87-89
2008 Syrah vin de pays d'Oc
(13%) - appealing peppery black cherry fruit, soft and ripe yet
floral and pure; good depth of fruit vs light tannins, a bit of bite
and weight too. 87+
2007 La Garrigue La Clape (Syrah,
Grenache,
Carignan
12.5%) - lovely scented wild
herbs and spicy berry fruit; quite lush vs touch of grip, fairly
elegant style and subtle length with lingering fruit vs spice.
89+?
2007 Sélection Schwander La Clape (Syrah,
Grenache,
Carignan
13%) - he's their Swiss importer
by the way, the wine is their "Reserve" level I think. Similar
profile although more intense, spicier, wilder and richer; lusher vs
crunchy fruit, delicious style and depth, again shows balanced
length with subtle power. 90+
11110 Armissan. Tel: 04 68 45 38
89,
www.camplazens.com.
Château
Pech
Redon
Down-to-earth owner/grower/winemaker Christophe Bousquet also
happens to be the president of the Clape winegrowers association and doesn't have to
put up with annoying neighbours at all, as he doesn't have any; lost
as he is
up a rough meandering climbing track, perched up on the highest point (vines run from
150 to 200m/500-650 feet altitude at Pech-Redon) of the curious hunk of
untamed hilly rock that is La Clape. The dramatic terrain here is so different
from the flat land around Narbonne, which it overlooks obviously,
sticking out awkwardly and dropping into the Med. Christophe and his
fellow winemakers are working on shaping a separate mini-appellation
for La Clape (its name is already visible on labels alongside "Coteaux
du Languedoc"), which he thinks "should be in place by 2011." If
there is a more convincing argument for creating this kind of obscure
sub-AOC, then La Clape does seem like a case in point compared to
other oversized and varied/variable, compromise appellations.
Paraphrasing and summarising what
Christophe told me when I called by in January 2010, he's simply trying to make
the most expressive wines possible and as
naturally as possible (he does farm organically by the way) from his vineyards, and bring out the
true character of the grape varieties (Grenache,
Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and some whites too)
grown in them along with the environmental factors that shape them.
Which is a long-winded way of saying "terroir" wines, I
suppose, or wines
with a "sense of place" - me I mean, he didn't overuse
the "T" word like some people do. Having tasted quite a few wines from La Clape, you can
often pick up dark scented "garrigue" aromas, like roasted wild
herbs or something like that, and plenty of attractive sweet/sour
fruit character. Even if scientifically it's difficult
to prove how different plants could or do interact and draw flavours
from their soil or surroundings.
Anyway, let's not get too heavy here. Pech Redon's wines basically aren't
very textbook, a bit on the wild side even, and quite
well-distributed in English speaking markets - Christophe exports
most of his production. In the US, via Village Wine in NYC
and an importer in North Carolina, whose name I neglected to write
down (I'll ask him again sometime)! In the UK, try Terroir Languedoc, the Real Wine Company,
Discovery Wines (Cambridge) and Richards Walford sell a few bottles into
posh
restaurants in London. I tasted these wines with Christophe in his
little barn-cum-cellar:
2008 white (Grenache blanc,
Bourboulenc) - wild cidery and mineral
style, turning fatter and nuttier on the palate vs crisp and
refreshing twist; gets more exotic with oxidising hazelnut tones,
complex and attractive in fact. 87+
2002 Les Genêts (Chardonnay,
Viognier 14%) - apricots and buttery
tones with a touch of toasted vanilla; "sweet" palate vs aniseed and
hazelnut twist, creamy and mature yet still has a hint of freshness
and life about it. 89+
2008 Les Cades (Carignan,
Cinsault, Syrah,
Mourvèdre,
Grenache
14%) - smoky and ripe, "tar" notes with spicy wild herbs too; dark
vs crunchy fruit, quite firm yet with nice fruit vs bite; closes up
on the finish, although you still get more of that aromatic floral
character then darker side. 87+
2005 L'Epervier (mostly Syrah
+
Grenache
14%) - more open on the nose, pretty wild and smoky with spicy
cloves and minty/medicinal tones; concentrated with solid tannins vs
dark cherry, spice, thyme, leather and balsamic flavours; powerful
finish with slightly bitter grip yet quite lush wild fruit too. Not
everybody's cup of tea (and possibly a tad faulty) but I kinda like
its one-off style. 87+
2007 Lithos (50/50
Syrah/Grenache
14.5%, unfiltered) - fairly upfront and lively style showing
crunchy, red-pepper tinged fruit vs baked black cherry and sweet
cassis; pretty firm mouthfeel and weight vs rich and smoky finish.
89-91
2002 La Centaurée (Syrah,
Grenache,
Mourvèdre
14%) - meaty development on the nose with background vanilla notes;
grip vs depth on the palate, a tad over-extracted perhaps vs
substance? 87
2003 La Centaurée (Syrah,
Grenache,
Mourvèdre
14%) - more aromatic and spicy with attractive liquorice notes,
turning to leather vs dark ripe fruit; has more substance, weight
and roundness with a more generous, complex maturing finish.
90-92
Route de Gruissan, 11100 Narbonne.
Tel: 04 68 90 41 22,
www.pech-redon.fr /
blog-pech-redon.moonfruit.fr.
 Domaine Saint Andrieu
The Giner family is a big fan of the Mourvèdre and Carignan
varieties (and not forgetting Grenache and Syrah of course); for example, their meaty smoky Les Marnes Bleues contains
around three-quarters of the former and one-quarter the latter. Other traditional-styled,
slightly rustic yet elegantly balanced red blends include La Séranne and
L'Yeuse Noire; all sourced from a variety of plots totalling 17 ha
planted at between 130 and 330 metres (425 to over 1000 feet).
Charles Giner made his first vintage in 1995, although has been
growing grapes since replanting new land with his wife in 1980 and
taking over much older family vineyards at that time (now 50 to 70
year-old Carignan).
Their wines age very well and
start to show real complexity after about five years; the charming Charles takes great pleasure in tasting and talking about them with
you in their cave-like old cellar (as we did in February
2009: see my
notes below). It’s worth driving - or better still walking - around the Montpeyroux area,
by the way, to take in its remote beauty, with vineyards mixed in
among swathes of wild herbs, flowers and bushes; as well as
visiting other estates such as Domaine Boisantin (Charles’ daughter
Anne Jeffroy actually); and the village co-op also makes good everyday
wines.
2005 Vallongue Coteaux du Languedoc Montpeyroux (mostly
Carignan) - aromatic blueberry and
cassis aromas, interesting herbal tones too; quite soft and savoury
with maturing dried fruits v a bit of grip, quite elegant with
subtle tannins. 85
2003 La Séranne (Carignan,
Mourvèdre,
Grenache, Syrah) - smokier and
more leather tinged with cooked fruit notes; weightier (14%) with
more solid tannins yet nice mature fruit and still quite fine,
despite it being a hot-vintage 2003. 87-89
2002 Les Marnes Bleues (Mourvèdre,
Carignan) - shades of animal and dried
black olives but also enticing 'sweet' fruit, complex smoky and
mature; firmer and tighter, very attractive now yet still alive for
a 2002 (less good vintage). 87+
2001 L'yeuse noire (45% Mourvèdre
+ Syrah, Carignan, Grenache) - more
intricate and toasted/rustic with fig, dried cherry and liquorice
notes; elegant, concentrated and mature with rounded v firm
structure, power v finesse. 89-91
2002 Domaine Boisantin L'Embellic (Grenache,
Syrah, Carignan) - developing 'volatile' meaty balsamic nose
with 'sweet' berries, mint and liquorice; similar balance and style,
firm v fruity, drinking now as it won't get much better.
87
Earlier vintages
here ("Meet the winegrowers tasting,"
Montpellier 2005).
La Dysse, 1 Chemin d’Aigues Vives, 34150 Montpeyroux. Tel:
04 67 96 61 37; giner.charles@wanadoo.fr,
www.montpeyroux.typepad.com/saint_andrieu.
Château de Stony
Frédéric and Henri Nodet live and breathe Muscat: in addition to a
couple of
classic Muscat de Frontignan Vin Doux Naturel styles, and a
drink-young zesty dry
white; their sometimes sublime Lumière d’Automne speciality is made from very ripe,
late-picked grapes
(leaving 50 grams/litre residual sugar) and aged in oak. They also
make an aromatic tasty Muscat (Petits Grains) grape juice and "real"
honey on the estate. To find Chateau de Stony, follow signs for La
Peyrade rather than Frontignan town centre: this peaceful pretty
property feels quite isolated, once you go down the dusty track into
their yard, even though it's on the edge of a residential area and
not that far from the, erm, least attractive side of Sète (slight
understatement but if you do visit the latter, ignore the rather
grisly eastern side and head straight for its attractive, canal-side
centre). I visited Stony and tasted these in March 2009:
2007 Muscat sec - distinctly
Muscaty nose, aromatic and grapey; still quite crisp and aniseedy
although, in the end, best to move on to the 2008 soon.
85
2006 Kermès Vin de Pays d'Oc (Syrah, Mourvèdre,
Grenache 13.5%) - showing quite a bit of vanilla oak on the
nose but also has nice red fruits and spices; dry v coconut texture
with chunky finish, needs a few months to open up fully.
87
2007 Muscat de Frontignan
Sélection de Vendanges (15%) - attractive juicy grapey style with
honey and marmalade notes; lush and sweet yet has nice citrus /
orange peel finish and cut and the alcohol doesn't hit you staying
in the background, so quite elegant actually in the end.
87+
2004 Lumière d’Automne Vin de Pays d'Oc (Muscat
14%) - oxidising pecan nut nose, luscious fruit v light oak texture;
actually quite powerful with fresh acidity too v underlying
sweetness. Different. 89
Previous vintages
here ("Fetes des Vignes," Montpellier 2004).
Route de Balaruc, La Peyrade, 34110
Frontignan. Tel: 04 67 18 80 30,
frederic.nodet@9online.fr.
 Domaine La
Sauvageonne
The city of
Montpellier, or any city or town even, certainly feels very distant from
aptly named La Sauvageonne, with its spectacularly rugged hilly
vista perched up on the lower edges of the Massif Central range.
This face-lifted 32-ha domaine (80 acres), which was bought by
businessman Fred Brown in 2001, is found about 50km northwest of
Montpellier in fact; on the Terrasses du Larzac high ground just beyond the little village of St-Jean-de-Blaquière.
A sommelier in a past life, English estate manager and winemaker Gavin Crisfield nurtures premium Syrah, Carignan and Grenache from different vineyard parcels
(at 150m - 400m altitude = 500-1300 feet), much of it covered in chunks
of brownish red schist and rough stones (see pic) making the terroir
here all the more tangible and challenging. Hence the names of each
wine on the label, such as Pica Broca and Puech de Glen - the
latter, curiously Occitan/Scots sounding cuvée made mostly from
their best and highest-lying Syrah. Tasted in situ February
2009:
2007 Sauvignon blanc Vin de Pays du Montbaudille (with a hint of
Muscat and, from the 2008 vintage, will have Vermentino and Viognier
too) - still quite
fresh and zesty actually, nice lively mineral side with light citrus fruit.
80+
2008 rosé (Cinsault,
Grenache)
- lively and refreshing style, attractive raspberry and cream
flavours, very drinkable on its own but would be good with most food too.
85+
2007 Les Ruffes (Grenache,
Carignan, Syrah,
Cinsault)
- smoky v lightly herby with liquorice and leather edges; lovely
fruit and 'sweet & savoury' profile with subtle bitter twist and
grip in the mouth, nice depth and richness v drinkable refreshing
style. €6 87-89
2007 Pica Broca
(Syrah, Grenache,
Carignan)
- more black cherry and chocolate aromas / flavours; firmer
structure as well although again has that attractive balance of lush
v tight mouth-feel, long finish too; needs 6+ months in bottle but
it's still nice now! 88-90
2005
Pica
Broca (Syrah, Grenache,
Carignan)
- delicious smoky maturing nose; has more depth and concentration
than the 07, chunky with nice coating of tannins layered with
'sweet &
savoury' complexity and lovely length.
90-92
2005 Merlot/Cabernet
Vin de pays - cassis and tobacco on the nose; pretty rich v very
firm and powerful palate, its 14.5% adds a bit of oomph but it's
also very concentrated with dry savoury finish. Wow.
90
2005 Puech de Glen (mostly Syrah)
- enticing grilled wild black fruit nose with herbal v meaty edges
(echoes of maturing Cote Rotie!); concentration and big tannins on
the palate, stylish too with nicely developing fruit yet still
plenty of life in it. €16 92-94
Previous vintages here.
Route de
Saint Privat, 34700 Saint Jean de la Blaquière.
Tel: 04 67 44 71 74, la-sauvageonne@wanadoo.fr,
www.lasauvageonne.net.
 Domaine
Clavel
Pierre
Clavel’s name often crops up among those estates considered as
leading lights in the Languedoc; and when you taste his wines, it’s
not hard to see why. But they aren’t showy, like the people behind
them (a
laid-back welcome to this attractive neck-of-the-woods, just
north of Montpellier, is part of their style by the way); showing in
fact purity, depth
and balance as a hallmark across the range. Pierre is Jean Clavel's
son: a long-time Languedoc winegrower, activist and historian who has
an info-packed
blog dedicated to the
region's wines and the fate of its growers, past (especially the 1907 Revolt)
and future (e.g. news and views on EC wine reforms); and who was a
great help for an article I did in Decanter magazine (December 2007
issue) - more on that by clicking
here.
Back to Domaine Clavel, having worked more or less organically for
many years, Pierre will be officially certified (or rather the vines
will, not meaning to imply he's certifiable!) from the 2008 vintage;
a particularly cracking one too from evidence of the tank and barrel
samples I tried, see below. They recently replanted a very
stony chalky and sloping vineyard at Mas de Périé with Syrah and
Muscat (possibilities of a Languedoc-style Cote Rotie perhaps?), and
have also leased some plots in the nearby Pic Saint-Loup
appellation, whose official ‘border’ is actually only a few hundred metres away
from here. Otherwise the bulk of Pierre's older vineyards are
located in ‘Grés de Montpellier’ country on the highly rated
terroirs of La Méjanelle and
around Saint-Christol.
My favourites include Le Marteau and Copa Santa, both of which need a few years to open
up and express themselves fully. Next time you're in Montpellier,
why not try them in the comfort of their neat
spacious and large-windowed tasting room opposite the cellar? To get there, drive
through the village of Assas heading north, following the sign for
Sainte-Croix, then take a left down the tree-lined track (second left a few
minutes out of the village) that leads up to the winery buildings.
They also have a family holiday gite on site or do B&B outside of
the summer season - see website for details. Pierre's top reds might
be on the pricey side - Copa Santa €14.50 and Des Clous €26 - but
his Le Mas red and rosé start at €5.60: "you have to eat and keep
things ticking over," as he put it. These
wines tried and tested at Millésime Bio wine show (Montpellier
January) and/or at the domaine in February
2009:
2008 Cascaille Coteaux du Languedoc 'La Méjanelle'
(Roussanne,
Grenache blanc, Vermentino &
splash of Viognier) - lean mineral
edges v pear and citrus fruit, layered with light yeast-lees notes
and finishing with nice elegant bite. 85+
2007 Cascaille (13%) - lightly exotic and aromatic
with subtle lees undertones, fresh mineral bite v gently creamy
finish. 85+
2008 Les Garrigues (Grenache Mourvèdre)
- lovely perfumed herbal nose v rich liquorice too, thick fruit and
tannins yet relatively light and juicy; concentrated dark fruits,
liquorice and spice lead the charge on the finish.
89(+)
2006
Les Garrigues
(Syrah Mourvèdre
Grenache) - nice smoky ripe black fruits; fine grained soft-ish
tannins, quite elegant and tasty length.
87(+)
2008
Le Marteau (Syrah
Grenache Carignan from St-Christol) - delicious spicy wild
herbs and black cherry Syrah style; again concentrated yet juicy
fruity with solid v fresh finish. 91+
2007 Le Marteau - closed nose at first, moving on to spicy
minty black cherry fruit, quite rich and seductive; firm tannins but
not very, attractive lively undercurrent as well.
90+
2006
Le Marteau
- rather cold but showing a slightly richer nose v herbal cassis
complexity; firm structured and powerful v spicy dark fruit and
bitter chocolate on the finish (no wood though); needs a few months
and warmer environment to open up, as it's beginning to taste well.
89+
2008 Copa Santa (Syrah Grenache Mourvèdre
from La Méjanelle) - slightly reduced on the nose to start
(unfinished sample remember), turning cassis;
much firmer and tighter v lush liquorice, big grip and
concentration; very promising, please don't swamp it in too much
oak! 92-94
2006
Copa
Santa - again rather cold with coconut oak quite prominent;
thick coating of tannins and fruit, tight and long finish; needs 1-2
years. Next day: the oak has merged in more, revealing denser
'sweeter' fruit v thick layer of dry yet nicely grained tannins;
dark cherry, chocolate and spice lurking in the background.
90-92
Copa Santa
2004 here
("Languedoc & Roussillon reds over €10" tasting).
Mas
de Périé, Route de Sainte-Croix, 34820
Assas. Tel: 04 99 62 06 13,
info@vins-clavel.fr,
www.vins-clavel.fr.
Languedoc
"odds and sods"
A couple of forgotten plush reds (re)discovered from the tasting
table at Millésime Bio 2008
organic wine show (Perpignan Jan 08). I didn't get around to
following up with the producers on their stands or writing them up
until now, six months later although none of them is in danger of
fading away! So 'ones to watch' perhaps or 'ones to call in on' when
next in the area...
2006 Campredon Coteaux du Languedoc
Alain
Chabanon (Syrah Mourvèdre Grenache
Carignan) - nice smoky black cherry fruit with light coconut
edges; extracted tight palate leading to very dry finish, but there
is depth of fruit underneath. 89+?
www.domainechabanon.com
2005 Les Cadières Coteaux du Languedoc St-Georges d'Orques
Domaine de la Prose
(Syrah
Grenache Mourvèdre Cinsault Carignan)
- ripe and smoky nose moves on to liquorice, raisin and tobacco
flavours; grippy tannins v 'sweet' fruit, quite elegant.
88-90
www.laprose.com
 Natolix
Not a winery as such but a winemaking consultancy team headed up by
Jean Natoli, who created the well-regarded
www.oenoconseil.fr. They work with some of the leading estates
in the Languedoc and had a stand at this year's
Vinisud wine show (Montpellier Feb 2008), where they lined up
a wide selection of their clients' wines available for tasting. I've
picked three of my favourites below with a bit of info about each
one. It may or may not be worth adding that I found a few others,
which didn't exactly set the world alight or were a bit heavy-handed
on the winemaking front with some of the wines swamped in chocolatey
new oak. And one particular white was corked but already sampled, rather inexcusable
considering the stand was full of highly qualified winemakers who
should have checked every bottled opened... Anyway, enough of the
cheeky telling-off, here goes for a trio of seductive reds:
Domaine de
Familongue
Martine and Jean Luc Quinquarlet's recently created estate is
located 30km west of Montpellier and grows vines and olive trees
side by side, the former classified under the new Terrasses du
Larzac Languedoc subzone.
2006 Le Carignan de Familongue
Vin de pays Mont Baudile - almost reduced
in character but in a complex way, showing tangy cassis and
liquorice fruit; tight palate with a dry coating of attractive
tannins and underlying fresh acidity too, it's different for sure.
€6 87-89
3 Rue Familongue, 34725 Saint André de
Sangonis. Tel: 04 67 57 59 71,
www.domainedefamilongue.fr.
Le Prieuré Saint Sever
Thierry Rodriguez is a winemaker and broker specialising in sourcing
top end Languedoc wines for export and also owns Mas Gabinèle, a 10
hectare (25 acre) vineyard in AOC Faugères, and a rather
smart-looking holiday gite too.
2007 Basalte cuvée Stratagème Coteaux du Languedoc (Syrah
Grenache) - rich dark colour and fruit profile, perfumed
herbal and mineral in style with bitter chocolate and fig
undertones; subtle length and freshness too, again somewhat
different and rather good although not for everyone this one. €9
90-92
Campagne de Veyran, 34490 Causses et Veyran.
Tel: 04 67 89 71 72,
www.prieuresaintsever.com.
Domaine Stella Nova
Philippe Richy is yet another refugee Paris businessman who packed
his bags and headed south, learned about vines and wine and in 2002
purchased vineyards near Caux, in the new Pézenas subzone. He's also
converting the estate over to
biodynamic farming methods, man.
2004 Les Pléiades rouge Coteaux du Languedoc (Syrah
Grenache Mourvèdre) - very lush and extracted but it has
lovely ripe resiny fruit on top of those BIG tannins and powerful
finish. €13.50 90
546 Route d’Usclas, 34230 Paulhan.
Tel: 04.67.00.10.76,
www.stellanova.fr.
 Domaine
Coston
Joseph, Marie-Thérèse and affable brothers Philippe and Jean-Marc Coston
were a cooperative grower family until creating this off-the-beaten-track
estate in 2002, the year they released their first (mostly red)
wines. Nine hectares (22 acres) of vineyards have been certified organic since
1999 and six are in the second year of conversion (meaning another
year before they can be certified), all located around the village of Puéchabon and neighbouring Aniane
(home to Mas Daumas Gassac
among others), some of which fall into the new
Terrasses du Larzac
subzone (click there for a few more comments on that: something I'm
a bit ambivalent about although there certainly are some very good
wines coming from this area).
I first discovered the Coston's wines a couple of years ago at
Millésime Bio 2006
and was impressed, especially considering they were showing only their second
vintage. So I followed it up with a visit a few months later to this
appealing neck of the woods.
Range
highlights include Les Garigoles, a hearty yet quite fine Languedoc red and a funky barrel-fermented
white, which I tried again
at
Millésime Bio
in Perpignan, January 2008 (see notes below). In terms of visiting,
individuals and small groups at the max are preferred, as their
cellar's rather compact. Ring in advance, as
they don’t speak much English but a friend of theirs does (a
teacher). Or catch them and several other local producers at the Aniane
wine growers fair, usually held over the third weekend in July:
www.salondesvinsdaniane.com.
2005 Coteaux du Languedoc white (Roussanne
Grenache blanc, barrel fermented) - quite toasty nose still although it has nice creamy,
perfumed and exotic fruit too; turning oily textured with fairly big
finish. 87-89
2006 Vin de Pays red (Carignan Grenache
Cabernet Franc) - attractive mix of peppery and rustic tones with a
juicy-fruited v firm palate. 85
2004 Les Garigoles, Coteaux du Languedoc (Syrah
Grenache 14%) - lovely nose showing 'garrigue'
notes v liquoricey Grenache fruit, tobacco and raisin edges; firm
tannins and power on the palate v quite elegant, well-balanced finish.
92
2004 Terrasses du Larzac red (similar varietal blend) - smoky
and ripe raisin
aromas, lovely liquorice fruit on the palate showing wild herb and
tobacco leaf edges; solid grippy framework and finish.
90
And as mentioned from
Millésime Bio 2006:
2003 Coteaux du Languedoc (Syrah, Grenache
&
Carignan) - lovely herbal spicy blackberry fruit,
turning earthy with liquorice notes;
quite tight fresh palate, showing grip and elegance with mint and black
cherry on the length.
89+
2003 Coteaux du Languedoc, Les Garigoles
(Syrah & Grenache) - more complex and spicier
than above, rich liquorice and hints of leather then tight firm mouth-feel,
very light oak on top of ripe perfumed fruit,
powerful framework yet balanced. 90-92
2005 Coteaux du Languedoc blanc (Grenache Blanc
& Roussanne) - quite rich mealy and aromatic, citrus peel
notes set against very light toast, apricot and cream; good mineral bite and length.
87-89
3
Route de Montpellier, 34150 Puéchabon. Tel: 04 67 57 48 96,
www.domainecoston.fr.
 Domaines de Petit Roubié
Floriane and Olivier Azan’s specialities include
delicious
examples of arguably the Languedoc's most distinctive, dry white wine
discovery: Picpoul de Pinet. Often concentrated, zesty and lively when young
yet filling out with a year's bottle age turning peachier, honeyed
and towards creamy yet still with 'mineral' edges.
This
medium-sized (by Languedoc standards: it actually covers over 1000 hectares)
appellation is located to the north & west of the Bassin de Thau
-
an unexpected, picturesque and sometimes smelly lake/lagoon lying
not far from the sea that shelters those world-famous Bouzigues
oyster farms - which is a good 30-40 minutes southwest of Montpellier.
Meaning the Picpoul vineyards lie roughly between Sète,
Agde and Pézenas.
Growers here are
working towards becoming a separate AOC by honing the borders and
production rules, which might actually exclude certain less good
sites and producers, I'm told.
Other Pinet estates to look out for include Château de Pinet and
Domaines Félines-Jourdan, des Lauriers and Mas Saint-Antoine.
Picpoul wines, rather unique in a world of samey Chardonnays etc.
and often good quality / value for money, deserve to be more widely
appreciated around the world (I'll get off my soap box now). A bit obscure perhaps but it's one of
those once you've tried it, assuming you can find it in the first
place, you're converted wines (well, most of
the time anyway). More info can be found on
www.picpoul-de-pinet.com. Back to Roubié,
I tasted this pretty quintessential P de P, as far as I'm concerned, at
Millésime Bio
in Perpignan, January
2008. Click here: Millésime Bio 2006
for notes on older vintages and other wines including their
characterful varietal Marsanne, one of 16 varieties (more white than
red in fact) planted across their organically farmed (since 1985, so
a serious track record there) 40 hectares.
2007 Chateau Petit Roubié, Picpoul
de Pinet (12.5%) - very zesty citrus v oily apricot and white peach
notes; lovely yeast lees tanginess, concentrated fruit extract and
zingy fine length. 90
The above Picpoul was re-enjoyed, in moderation of
course, in September 2008 following a quick visit to the domaine.
It's lost some of its immediate freshness and zestiness, not
surprisingly, but it's still a lovely wine; rounder, more honeyed
and peachier showing medium weight, tasty fish-friendly style and
classy finish. Value @ under €5. 88-90
And from MB 2006 as mentioned above:
2005 Marsanne - characterful waxy honeysuckle fruit, nice fresh
bite v yeast lees intensity. 87
2004 Picpoul de Pinet - lovely concentrated zesty gummy fruit
balanced by crisp acidity and fine length. 90
Roubié, 34850 Pinet. Tel: 04 67 77 09 28,
roubie@club-internet.fr,
www.picpoul-de-pinet.com/petit-roubie
 Domaine
de Malavieille
This 44 hectare (100 acre) organically grown Languedoc estate -
certified in 2000 and now following the path to
biodynamic enlightenment (or
rather mystery perhaps) - is owned and run by Mireille and André
Bertrand, who sell most of their wines in France but do also export
a bit (Belgium, Spain, Japan, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany), so that
gives you English-speakers a good excuse to go and discover them for
yourselves. Their vineyards are mostly located within the very
promising Languedoc sub-appellation called
Terrasses
du Larzac
(meaning there are several very good producers in the area, who
appear to have justified claims that it merited being delimited in
its own right), heading towards Faugères in one direction and the
outskirts of country town
Clermont-l'Hérault
in the other (so, a good bit west of Montpellier).
Surrounding the ruins of the 14th-Century Chateau de Malavieille,
there are also parcels that stretch into Montpeyroux and Saint-Saturnin,
two other neighbouring Languedoc 'terroirs' staking a claim to
making individual wines.
Overall, the Bertrands make an inspiring range of reds fashioned
from nine different varieties, although with the region's
famous-five at their heart (see below); plus a few surprises such as
La Boutine, a
rich dry white made from Chenin Blanc - a variety you don't see much
of in this area and one of seven white varieties planted here.
I tasted this, probably their flagship red at
Millésime Bio
in Perpignan, January
2008. Click here: Millésime Bio 2006 and here:
MB 2005 for
notes on other wines including the very nice 2001 vintage of Permien.
2005 Permien rouge, Terrasses du Larzac (Carignan Grenache Cinsault Mourvèdre
Syrah) -
lovely floral spicy black cherry nose, leading on to soft ripe
liquorice fruit v firm tannins adding a refreshing, bitter/sweet
twist. Good value too at €7. 90
Malavieille, 34800
Mérifons.
Tel: 04 67 96 34 67,
domainemalavieille.merifons@wanadoo.fr,
www.domainemalavieille.com.
 Domaines
Paul Mas
Domaine de Nicole, one of four Mas family properties in the Pézenas area and now
their HQ, has been refitted to house a tasteful tasting/reception area and shop
with an enlarged "wine tourism site," including a restaurant, due to open in
late 2008. If they get the planning permission through soon, that is (a somewhat
French case of bureaucracy over progress it seems). A Languedoc modernist with
irreverent labels like Arrogant Frog (the wine’s good too) and excellent
varietal Vins de Pays such as La Forge Merlot, Chardonnay or Viognier;
Jean-Claude Mas and brother Michel also produce serious, more 'traditional' Coteaux du Languedoc reds such as Château Paul Mas (see vertical tasting of five vintages
below) and Les Faïsses. In addition, they've now launched wines from a recently
converted organic vineyard plus three new 'single terroir' reds called Mas des
Mas from the 2006 vintage (also below), which show great promise and firmly knock on
the head any thoughts that they're all marketing (although they're pretty good at that
too). Oh, guess which country is one of their main export markets? Australia!
Click on the pic above or
here for more
wines and older vintages tasted between 2004-2006. The ones below were sampled at
Vinisud Montpellier, February 2008:
2006 Château Paul Mas (all five are mostly
Syrah
plus
Grenache
Mourvèdre)
- showing spicy coco oak layered with lovely black cherry fruit and peppery
tones, attractive textured tannins balanced by depth of fruit, well-handled oak
and power on the finish. About £10 in the UK, available shortly at Majestic.
90-92
2005 Château Paul Mas - a touch smokier and richer v firmer and more powerful
palate, yet still ripe, rounded and showing great balance of oak/tannins/fruit;
lovely concentration v solid grip, the alcohol is a little more noticeable but it
works in this wine. 92-94
2004 Château Paul Mas - much more developed than the last time
I tasted it two years ago (obviously
perhaps but you know what I mean), showing complex liquorice and leather notes;
'sweet' peppery palate with solid structure, grippy tannins yet elegant finish.
92-94
2003 Château Paul Mas - dried fruits, leather and complex herbal v savoury nose;
stonky tannins and weight v big rich fruit and power. 90-92
2002 Château Paul Mas - maturing rustic tones with leather and liquorice,
further delicious liquorice fruit and savoury tobacco edges on the palate; again
still firm tannins but nicely layered, drinking well now.
92-94
2006 Les Tannes Cabernet -
Merlot (organic) - nice herbal v tobacco nose with
ripe cassis, tangy tannins and quite concentrated & fine finish.
87-89
2006 Mas des Mas, Pézenas (mostly
Mourvèdre)
- quite closed on the nose, showing tight structure and quite austere in style,
oak textured but very concentrated and long. Needs a year or two to open up.
90-92
2006 Mas des Mas, Terrasses
du Larzac (more
Syrah)
- again structured and powerful but a bit richer with black cherry Syrah style;
chocolate oak background to its concentrated, firm and commanding finish, yet
well-balanced too. 92-94
2006 Mas des Mas, Grés de Montpellier (50%
Mourvèdre)
- more black fruits and liquorice in style and a tad more savoury too, also
peppery with subdued oak; very firm tannins and big weight v 'sweet' fruit and
black pepper coming back on its promising finish. 94+?
2007 'lower alcohol' Viognier (10%) - surprisingly characterful, aromatic and
faintly exotic with fresh finish; winemakers normally say Viognier isn't an
interesting variety unless fully ripe therefore 13-14-15% even.
80-85
2007 Enigma (late harvested
Chardonnay
blended with 10% Muscat and 20%
Viognier both fermented dry, leaving 30 grams/litre
residual sugar) - quite exotic v fresh citrus tones, doesn't seem very sweet
thanks to its refreshing crisp finish. Nice wine. 87
Stop-press April 08: Jean-Claude had seven wines selected in the 'Top 100 Vins de Pays' competition, an annual tasting held in Britain aimed at the trade.
They were
La Forge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (Trophy
for best Cab Sauv), Arrogant Frog Ribet White Chardonnay/Viognier
2007, Claude Val Rosé 2007, Paul Mas Rosé de Syrah 2007, La Forge Estate Merlot
2007, Paul Mas Merlot 2007 and Paul Mas Cabernet Sauvignon 2007.
Domaine de Nicole, Route de Villeveyrac, 34120
Montagnac. Tel: 04 67 90 16 10,
info@paulmas.com,
www.paulmas.com.
Château
L'Euzière
Brother
and sister Michel and Marcelle Causse run this charming, old
family property found on the main road through Fontanès.
Or rather their mini-manor house and winery at least:
the 23 ha/55 acres of vineyard spread out around the village, a mixture of older
vines and more recent plantings as they continue to improve quality in the field. The
top red cuvée,
les Escarboucles, is based mostly on Syrah; L'Almandin is an
earlier-drinking, 'SGM' blend but still quite serious with
aromatic pure fruit; and they also make a very nice white called
Grains de Lune. One to watch and relatively reasonably priced
(Pic-Saint-Loup commands higher prices than other parts of the Languedoc) at
€6 to €12.50 across their range. These wines sampled in
their cellar
and handsome
vaulted stone tasting room in October 2007:
2006
Almandin
(tank
sample,
Syrah
Grenache Mourvèdre)
– lovely perfumed black cherry with gamey edges developing
into liquorice and violets, firm and fresh showing nice elegance
with a touch of weight and length too.
89
2006
Escarboucles
(barrel
sample, more
Syrah
+
Grenache
Mourvèdre)
– quite a bit of spicy coconut at the moment (12 to 14
months in one year-old casks) but again has that delicious black
cherry fruit, more structured with firmer tannins; closed finish
with dry texture v underlying 'sweetness'.
89-91
2005
– quite
smoky with blackberry and cassis, a little closed up offering
light spice and liquorice tones with gamey edges, rounded v soild
mouth-feel although again it's quite elegant.
90+
More of their wines
here.
Ancien Chemin d’Anduze, 34270
Fontanès.
Tel: 04 67 55 21 41,
leuziere@chateauleuziere.fr,
www.chateauleuziere.fr
 Château
La Roque
The
elegantly imposing country château is the first thing that
hits you coming up the dusty gravelly drive: it is indeed made
from rock, although the estate's actually named after an
eponymous 13th Century
noble family. Old rock too: the tasting cellar vault is part of a
restored, former Medieval post-house, I'm told. La Roque is a
long-standing ambassador for the
Pic-Saint-Loup appellation,
which is found not far north of Montpellier scattered around its
namesake peak (650 metres/2000 feet high), although the Languedoc
capital feels a long way off given how quickly the terrain
transforms into untamed scrub-land and pointy cliff-faces.
La
Roque's specialities include their often superb Cuvée
Mourvèdre, a challenging variety in this area but
rewarding in certain sites in the right hands*; Syrah-based Cupa
Numismae and Clos des Bénédictins, an unusual
barrel fermented white. The property was taken over by Jacques
and Marion Figuette in late 2006 (I didn't have the cheek to ask
them how much €...), who sensibly appear happy not to make
any major changes and have kept prices fairly reasonable, for
such a sought-after name: €7 to €13 a bottle across the
range.
*Previous owner Jack Boutin planted 9 ha/22 acres (out
of 42) of Mourvèdre, which faces due south on steep pebbly
terraces at approx. 200 m/650 ft altitude. Another local
Mourvèdre fan is Jean Orliac at
Domaine
de l’Hortus (Valflaunès),
who has 11 ha ("and increasing" as he told me back in
2005) in one similarly elevated vineyard sitting smack-bang
between Pic St-Loup and Mont de l’Hortus.*
I tasted
these Ch. La Roque wines with Marion Figuette in October
2007:
2005
Tradition blanc (Rolle
Roussanne Marsanne)
– oily honeysuckle tones, nice texture and maturing fruit v
lightly crisp elegant finish.
85-87
2006
Clos des Bénédictins blanc
(Rolle
Roussanne Marsanne)
– toastier and creamier yet very floral with exotic white
peach tones; zingy v fat with attractive balance and style.
87-89
2004
Tradition rouge
(Syrah
Mourvèdre Grenache)
– tangy cassis and cherry fruit, lightly creamy palate with
firm fresh bite, drinking well now in fact.
85-87
2005
– a
touch richer and more concentrated than above with attractive
cherry and liquorice fruit, followed by dry grip and good length.
87-89
2003
Cupa Numismae (60%
Syrah
40% Mourvèdre)
– smoky and slightly animal showing lush dark cherry and
blackberry/olive notes, a bit of spicy oak adds texture to a
solid firm palate; good balance of ripe v structured and maturing
v a few years ahead of it.
89-91
2004
– more
fragrant floral and spicy (the Syrah comes out more), more
delicate mouth-feel yet still juicy lush and firm with elegant
length.
89-91
2005
– closed
and chunky, attractive concentration and rounded fruit, powerful
tannins at the moment which should unfurl nicely.
89-91
2003 Cuvée
Mourvèdre (90%
plus 10%
Grenache)
– 'sweet' herbs liquorice and black olive, ripe with resiny
development, quite delicate actually (considering the hot
vintage) v dry tannins and lovely length.
90-92
2005
– smokier
and a tad toastier yet still 'sweet' herbal and liquoricey,
delicious fruit concentration and fine tannins on a commanding,
mouth-coating finish; yum, give it a couple of years to really
shine.
92-94
Older
La Roque vintages on this page, from a visit in 2005.
Château
La Roque, 34270
Fontanès.
Tel:
04
67 55 34 47,
contact@chateau-laroque.eu,
www.chateau-laroque.eu
Vins Gérard Bertrand
- Château l’Hospitalet
Gérard Bertrand’s little empire seems to be going
places and comprises four properties in some of the best sites in the Languedoc.
Hospitalet
is an impressive estate with
hotel, restaurant, art gallery and also hosting a jazz festival in the summer.
You'll find it not far from Narbonne-Plage in the unluckily named La Clape sub-appellation, after this 200 metre (650 ft)
high
mini-range of rocky
hills rising up from the sea (it was an island once). Domaine de Villemajou
is located in
the new Corbières AOC zone Boutenac, Château Laville Bertrou in Minervois la
Livinière and Domaine Cigalus is home to ‘international’ grape varieties (in
addition to the Bertrand family themselves).
They make some lovely varietals from here under the Collection label and have also set up
a joint venture with co-op growers in Tautavel, across the mountains in the
Roussillon.
Tasted October 2006:
2002 Le Blanc de Villemajou
Corbières - ripe exotic nose (perhaps some botrytis
even?) v light coconut, attractive developed fruit with dry mineral finish.
Surprisingly good for a white from here. 87
2004 Château Laville Bertrou Minervois la Livinière (Grenache
Carignan Mourvèdre Syrah,
14.5%) - nice spicy black cherry with perfumed herbal notes, dry grip yet well
integrated tannins; elegant length despite the high alcohol.
89-91
2004
Château de l’Hospitalet
Coteaux du Languedoc, La Clape (Syrah Mourvèdre)
- a bit closed on the nose, opens up to appealing perfumed wild flower and berry
fruit, tight and elegant. 89-91
2003
Domaine de Villemajou Corbières red (mainly
Carignan) - smoky and rustic with richer liquorice
fruit, leather notes v dried fruits; quite firm and powerful.
87-89
2003 Cigalus vin de pays d'Oc (Merlot Cabernet)
- more like plum and blackcurrant fruit, good depth v ripe chocolate tannins; might v
grace, chunky fruit v bite of tannins. 88-90
2003 Le Viala Minervois la Livinière - herbal aromatic black cherry, very
Syrah style; fine dry tannins, quite elegant v weighty and concentrated.
90-92
2003
L’Hospitalitas
Coteaux du Languedoc, La Clape (Mourvèdre
Syrah) - a late ripening parcel: again lifted garrigue and lavender, concentrated with tight long finish; needs time to
open up. 92-94
2003 La Forge
Corbières (old vine Grenache) - smokier with a
touch of chocolate oak, lovely rich fruit and light leather lead to tight firm
finish; again has nice textured tannins v powerful length (although only 13.5%).
90-92
2000 Banyuls Grand Cru (Grenache, 16.5%) -
complex caramel and prune fruit, lush and sweet v tight tannin & alcohol
structure; beginning to develop nicely. 90-92
Bought in a supermarket August 06:
2003 Domaine Georges Bertrand Corbières Fût de Chêne - dark colour
beginning to turn brown on the edges, lovely smoky leather and liquorice nose
with pungent dark plum and wild herbs; lush and mouth-filling, quite big yet
well made, a touch of tannin v soft ripe fruit. €5 88-90
Consumed (with moderation of course) summer 2007: their new 'Dégustez-le avec...'
branded varietal range
launched into French supermarkets (priced between €3.50 and €4). Features recipe
ideas and a few words of poetry too.
2006 Caressant Grenache
rosé, vin de pays d'Oc (13.5%) - nice lively aromatic fruit set on a
fairly weighty palate, crisp dry and long. 87
2005 Coquin Cabernet Sauvignon, vin de pays d'Oc
(13.5%) - smoky ripe cassis fruit with leather and liquorice tinges, full and
rustic yet has tight firm framework too. 87
There's a Merlot as well, which was less exciting, and Sauvignon Blanc which I
haven't tried yet...
Autumn 2008 update: extensive tasting of all GB wines and fuller story
here, plus
latest latest here
(2009 Languedoc "vintage report")..
 Revamped by the might,
money and know-how of the AXA Millésimes group (assurance/insurance/property
investment: owner of Château Pichon-Longueville in Pauillac,
Disznókő in Tokaj and Quinta do Noval Port among others),
who combined two
vineyards - Château Ste. Hélène and Château Belles Eaux - to form a 90 hectare
(220 acre) estate. Here you'll find Syrah (some
grafted onto underperforming Carignan), Grenache,
Mourvèdre (4
ha replanted)
and parcels of old vine Carignan on the
gravel/clay slopes of Caux in the
central Languedoc, lost (and I mean
lost, without the mysterious imaginary monsters though: they're improving the signposting) between Pézenas and Montpellier.
The stately 16th to 19th Century buildings (from the original barrel cellar to
handsome chateau added later) are being renovated, part of which houses the
remodelled and re-equipped winery.
Stockists
in the UK include independent wine merchants such as the splendid PW Amps in Peterborough, Ipswich Fine
Wines, JH Logan of Edinburgh, Topsham Wines near Exeter, crammed-with-lovely-bottles Wimbledon Wine Cellars
and direct e-tailer fromvineyardsdirect.com. For more info on their UK
and US distribution, contact Marie Louise Schÿler:
mlschyler@chateauxassocies.com. They also launched a
bag-in-box red a couple of years ago in
France, which doesn't, in retrospect, really seem to fit in with their
'premium-positioning' plans (to use the marketing babble), but I haven't heard
anything about that since then.
Tasted August
2006:
2003
Fûts de Chêne (Syrah Grenache
Carignan
14.5%, 12 months in French 20% new oak) - rich purple turning red/brown at the edges,
ripe plum and black cherry notes, smoky and rustic with very light cedar and
spice undertones; quite concentrated, nice soft rounded palate v grip and power,
drinking fairly well now. Better balance than the Ste-Hel in terms of alcohol,
extraction etc. £7.99 88-90
2003 Sainte-Hélène (same varieties plus
Mourvèdre, from selected plots) - delicious
earthy plum and black cherry/olive, very ripe and aromatic with subtle
background oak; lush and forward, rich and soft with textured tannins and light
oak; pity about that 14.5% alcohol (at least I'd say), which throws a very nice
wine out of kilter. A victim of heatwave 2003? Look forward to the 2004. £15
87 (because of its overly hot finish).
Update: I visited the winery in October 2006 and re/tasted the following:
2004 Chardonnay fûts de chêne (no new
oak) - creamier and fatter than the basic Chardy with nice oat character v light
peachy fruit; more power and texture, rounded with well judged oak.
85-87
Muscat vendanges d'automne (13.5% 80
grams/litre residual sugar) - made "for fun" from sun-shrivelled berries:
gorgeously exotic, slightly botrytis aromas lead
to lovely citrus and peach fruit; quite fresh acidity actually v lush sweetness.
89
2003
Fûts de Chêne
- nice
ripe spicy black cherry with light liquorice, beginning to develop; fairly soft
texture v quite powerful alcohol v dry rounded tannins, attractive fruity length
with well integrated wood. 89
2003 Sainte-Hélène - a little woodier but not much (from the 05 vintage
they're only using 1 year old barrels, by the way), richer more intense dark
fruit aromas and palate; firmer and tighter yet still rounded tannins, pretty
concentrated v slightly hot alcohol. 89
2004 Fûts de Chêne (10% more Syrah
than the 03, 13.5%) - a touch more vanilla, the fruit's a little subdued on the
nose; however the palate launches into attractive black cherry intensity, firm
tight and fresher than the 03, shows greater elegance and promise.
89-91
2004 Sainte-Hélène (20% more
Syrah, more Mourvèdre, Carignan,
less Grenache; 14.5%) - light coconut notes v rich
liquorice and cherry fruit, firm grip with good texture and weight; fine length
with alcohol much better integrated, needs 6-12 months to open out and the oak
to merge into the fruit. 90-92
Update 2007/08: for a start, they've relaunched the estate
and its top reds as Mas Belles Eaux with the promising 2005
and 06 vintages. Cédric Loiseau, the winery & vineyard manager placed in situ by
AXA, has overseen replanting of over 20 ha and upgrading parcels of Syrah with
"top-grafting and retraining," as their blurb says (meaning young
Syrah was grafted directly onto old Syrah or a different variety more likely,
then the trellising was redone accordingly). In addition, the "two-level
winery" is nearly finished and fitted out with small temperature-controlled
concrete vats (very de rigueur). Big boss Christian Seely commented: "This was a
departure from our normal policy of restoring great vineyards to their former
glory. This time we are creating one instead. I truly believe that Mas Belles
Eaux is capable of producing some of the great red wines of the Languedoc."
Mind you, they'll have to be
given the high prices they're aiming for - see below.
Tasted December 2007:
2006 MBE Vieux Carignan,
Vin de Pays de Caux
(100% 60 year-old Carignan, 13.5%) - light coconut
oak lifts off to reveal fragrant cassis, damson and liquorice fruit;
intense and tangy v ripe and full palate, attractively tight grip
with concentration and chocolate cherry length.
89-91
2005 MBE Les Coteaux, AOC Languedoc (70%
Syrah
20% Grenache 10% Mourvèdre
14.5%) - similar to the Sainte-Hélène, below, but a touch quirkier (maybe
it's the Mourvèdre?) and less overtly oaky-smooth, showing vibrant black cherry
and chocolate with earthy undertones; fresh tannins v rounded ripe mouth-feel,
in the end the alcohol is pretty well integrated too. 90 £12.99
2005 MBE Sainte-Hélène, AOC Languedoc (80%
Syrah
10% Grenache 10% Carignan
14.5%) - impressive and lush with ripe concentrated black cherry v
coconut oak texture, underlying spicy smoky liquorice notes too, rounded and
structured with tighter bite to finish. It's almost a bit too Bordeaux,
oak-textured and seamless; yet those rich vibrant Mediterranean edges, which
might develop over time, carry it. 90+?
£21.99
Mas Belles Eaux,
34720 Caux. Tel: 04 67 09 30 96 / 95 (the
latter Cédric Loiseau's direct line),
contact@mas-belleseaux.com,
www.mas-belleseaux.com |
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