Languedoc: Borie La Vitarèle, Saint-Chinian

UPDATED JAN 2014 (goes there) - and see links at bottom too.

Certified organic and farmed along biodynamic lines by Cathy Planès and Jean François Izarn, this charming 16 ha/40 acre property is lost in the countryside beyond the village co-op (it's nicely signposted though). Their Saint-Chinian appellation wines are labelled by vineyard site, such as Les Schistes (more than one type of schist, obviously: plural schists sounds odd in English) or Terres Blanches (chalk & clay), reflecting the varieties planted and nurtured across different plots and soils. They also appear to have been quite successful with Cabernet and, more surprisingly, Merlot (see notes below) in this area since setting up the domaine in 1990. Cathy and Jean François can also provide full-blown meals in their cosy ferme-auberge (farmhouse-inn literally) for a minimum of ten people,if booked in advance (including a good dose of organic food, I assume, matched with the estate's wines), which must be a great way to integrate the actual flavours of their labours, andphilosophy, with good hearty local produce.

I tasted these in situ in November 2007:

2006 La Cuvée des Cigales, Vin de Pays des Coteaux de Murviel (Grenache Merlot) – nice fruity spicy style showing a bit of grip and depth too, easy drinking and ready to do so. 83-85
2006 Terres Blanches, St-Chinian (80% Grenache 20% Syrah) – attractive rich black cherry fruit with liquorice tones, quite chunky tannins v fruit concentration, power and length; needs a few months at least to open up, lovely length and style. 89-91
2001 La Combe, Vin de Pays des Coteaux de Murviel (60% Cabernet Sauvignon plus Syrah Merlot) – appealing 'volatile' complexity and developing fruit, meaty with perfumed cassis edges; maturing palate v rather stonky tannins, powerful yet lush finish. 88-90

And these at Millésime Bio wine show Jan 2009, Montpellier:
2008 Terres Blanches (vat sample) - lovely intensity of peppery black cherry and cassis fruit; firm and 'chalky' texture v fruity and silkily structured. 89+
2007 Les Schistes (Grenache Syrah Carignan) - firmer and more structured v richer mouth-feel, very spicy dark fruit with power and promise. 90-92
2007 La Combe (Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah) - smokier and more rustic, very chunky and solidly textured v ripe cassis and prune, again powerful finish. 90
2006 Les Crès (Syrah Mourvèdre) - still a bit closed on the nose, concentrated and very firm with a tad of coco/chocolate oak; pretty huge and quite extracted but also has nice developing tobacco edges and plenty of lush fruit. Needs 6-12 months to come together properly. 92+?

View my notes on more BLV wines by clicking here (Millésime Bio 2006) and here (Montpellier 2005).

UPDATES: latest La Vitarèle HERE (special St-Chinian supplement Jan 2014), here (St-Chinian report April 2011 inc. their Terres Blanches 2009 & 2010 vintages) and here (2009 vintage report, June 2010).


La Combe, 34490 Causses-et-Veyran. Tel: 04 67 89 50 43, fax: 04 67 89 70 79; jf.izarn@libertysurf.fr, www.borielavitarele.fr.

Languedoc: Château La Baronne, Corbières

I'm a bit lacking in the information department here, although pretty sure the property is located in the Fontcouverte area, just south of Lézignan and the lovely A61 motorway (although you don't notice it most of the time). Their sales guy showed me (at Millésime Bio wine show, Jan. 2009 Montpellier) some geological maps of the various plots and what's planted where (more interesting than it sounds, "can I show you my geological maps, ooh err..."). Anyway, let the wines do the talking shall we as they're pretty good... Update: have since found a website (added below), La Baronne is owned by the Ligneres family (pic.).

2005 Las Vals white (Grenache gris, Roussanne & Vermentino) - oily nutty developing style, quite fat and rounded with yeast-lees creaminess and toast v still fresh on the finish actually. 87+
2005 Pièce de Roche (very old Carignan: "the 1892, unmistakeable...") - perfumed floral Carignan nose with a tad of coconut oak underneath; rich, powerful and concentrated v minty and lively, firm tannins yet lush texture and dark fruit too. 90+
2005 Alaric (Syrah Carignan Mourvèdre) - quite rich and dark with black pepper and chocolate oak tones; nicely textured and concentrated with big lush mouth-feel v solid and dry, lovely underlying fruit. 90+
2005 Las Vals red (Mourvèdre) - smoky and ripe with a black olive twist; sumptuous depth and concentration, powerful firm finish. 90+

11700 Fontcouverte. Tel: 04 68 43 90 20, www.familleligneres.com.

Languedoc: Domaine La Borie-Fouisseau, Faugères

Domaine La Borie-Fouisseau

Véronique Vaquer-Bergan's perhaps promising, small estate amounts to seven ha (17 acres) lying on dry stoney slopes, with some vines planted at up at 500 metres altitude, around the dead little village of Laurens in deepest Faugères country. Although Béziers is only half-an-hour or so south of here, you don't have to go too far north before you hit the edges of fairly serious mountain ranges. Véronique is Ecocert organic-certified and at the moment makes just three AOC red wines, which I sampled at Millésime Bio wine show in January 2009 in Montpellier.

2006 La Salamandre (Grenache Cinsault Syrah Carignan) - a bit closed up and firm to start, some dark fruit lurking underneath; I wasn't sure about it, at that moment at least.

2004 Garance (mostly Mourvèdre) - warm spicy garrigue tones with black olive and dried fruits, very aromatic; solid powerful mouth-feel v fragrant fruit and wild herb edges; lively and different. 89

2005 Clara (mostly Grenache) - 'vinous' nose with lots of liquorice, very firm tannins on a punchy palate; a touch over-extracted but it's intriguing and promising. 

10 Avenue de la Gare, 34480 Laurens. Tel: 06 18 38 00 60,vaquerdago@aol.com.