Roussillon: Saint-Bacchus Awards 2009

Words

The award-winning wines gleaned from this annual French Catalan taste-off were this year (2009) billed as "the finest representation of the Roussillon region," which it probably isn't although for sure there are some good wines to pick from here. As in any competition, the winners are only as good as the wines submitted in the first place and, I assume as I don't know what the original 'pre-selected' line-up was, it appears the majority of the Roussillon's best growers and winemakers didn't/don't actually enter the Saint-Bacchus. Why don't they?

Instead of moaning that it's a PR stunt for co-ops and big wineries (paraphrasing what I've heard from more than one source, and admittedly there's apparently a minimum volume requirement for any wine entered), they should put their wine where their mouth is, so to speak, so in the end it does truly represent "the region's finest." By the way, this rant certainly isn't a criticism of the tasters (I know and respect some of them) nor judging process; wine judges can only give their verdict on the bottles put in front of them. Just a missed opportunity maybe due to local wine politics! So, why not allow any wine regardless of the quantity available?

Talking of judges, just to fill you in a little on how the competition works... 158 wines out of 327 submitted (see what I mean, not that many) were singled out in Perpignan last April by local winemakers, sommeliers and wine merchants. These were then sent to London the following month to be tasted blind by an "international" panel (eight different nationalities I'm told) at the Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon (yes, they've blown a load of money on some swanky premises in the West End), who picked 21 winners. I tasted all of these in September 2009, not blind and mostly in the kitchen over dinner by the way! See my notes & reviews opposite, for what it's worth.

Many thanks to the CIVR (Roussillon wine industry body) for the samples, who are doing a bit of a St-Bacchus autumn roadshow around France and further afield. More info: www.roussillon.wine.

Wines

In no particular order, apart from colour/style and when they were opened. Do a search by winery name (box above) for lots more wines from most of these wineries.

White

2008 Le Petit Blanc de Saint Roch, vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (13%) - tastes like a closet dry Muscat (doesn't specify the grapes although it's actually 50/50 Muscat/Sauvignon blanc) with floral, grapey, orange peel notes; not bad weight and roundness, oily texture and a bit of depth vs crisp and dry, fairly simple style but attractive. €6 cellar door. 83-85

2008 Cuvée Centenaire Domaine Lafage, Côtes du Roussillon (Grenache blanc & Roussanne 13.5%) - well-made "New Worldy" white with just a hint of oak, quite fat and creamy with "sweet" fruit vs lovely fresh mineral bite; juicy yeast-lees notes vs crisp and dry finish, nice balance and style. €8.50 cellar door, £9.50 Bibendum Wines, London; US: European Cellars, Charlotte NC. 87-89

2008 Viognier Arnaud de Villeneuve, vin de pays d'Oc (13%) - leaner zingy style showing very lightly exotic peach and pear fruit vs juicy crisp mouthfeel; not very Viognier in the end, although it's a refreshing wine and went well with a quite strong chicken curry actually! £6.99 Liberty Wines, London. 80-85

2008 Collioure Cornet & Cie (Cave Abbé Rous, mostly Grenache gris, Roussanne, Marsanne, Vermentino 14%) - the second time I've tried this wine and I can't really get on with it I'm afraid: perhaps less oaky than I remember and juicier, oilier and more mineral although still rather toasted; powerful with a touch of crispness on the finish, but it's quite charred too vs not enough "fat" for me. Mind you, my neighbours liked it so there you go. €11.50 cellar door, £8.99 M&S (from November).

2008 Côtes du Roussillon Château Rombeau (14%) - peachier and spicier style with creamy lees notes too; more exotic and richer vs lightly toasted flavour/texture; honeyed leesy creamy palate vs crisp bite and spicy bitter edges, pretty weighty mouthfeel too. Perhaps better even after being open for 24 hours. €7.50 cellar door. 87+

Rosé

2008 Rosé des Vents Château de Caladroy, Côtes du Roussillon (Grenache, Carignan, Syrah 13%) - full-on rounded fruity "vinous" style (as the French say) with lots of raspberry fruit and rose petal edges; chunky mouthfull with a tad of tannin even vs dry crisp finish. Well-made gourmet rosé. €6.50 cellar door and French supermarkets/wine shops, US importer: Vintage 59, Washington DC. 87+

2008 Parfum de Vignes Domaine Lafage, Côtes du Roussillon ( Syrah, Grenache, Carignan 13%) - quite full and "chunky" with attractive rounded creamy strawberry fruit vs fresher edges and food-friendly weight; perhaps lacks a bit of zing though. €8.50 cellar door, £8.25 Bibendum. 85+

2008 "Rozy" Dom Brial, vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (Syrah & Muscat 13%) - quite aromatic Muscaty nose, moves on to a leaner Provence style palate showing nice light floral red fruits, oily mouthfeel and dry bite; keep it well chilled though. €5.50 cellar door. 80-83

Red

2007 "Colline Matisse" Le Dominicain, Collioure (Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan 14.5%) - a touch reduced / vegetal to start vs "sweet" liquorice and black cherry; mouth-filling and fairly soft, a bit clunky and unbalanced but it's an attractive enough, big-hearted style. €7 cellar door. 85

2006 "Le Grand A" Domaine Arguti, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache, Carignan, Syrah 14.5%) - well-made polished style, powerful and peppery with maturing dark fruits vs coconut oak spice and textured tannins; drinking quite well with e.g. fillet steak although it's a bit too punchy and warm on its own. Leave it till winter. However, it does have attractive dry vs lush fruity texture vs savoury flavours; the next day, it was meatier with more savoury/leather notes vs that "sweet" dark fruit and the oak merging into it better; quite nice tannins with a bitter twist, although I still found the alcohol a touch dominant, definitely a big food wine. 89+

2007 "Les Audacieux" Pierre Audonnet Domaine Piquemal, vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes ( Merlot Syrah Grenache 13.5%) - smoky spicy liquorice aromas mingle with earthy herbal red pepper tones; turning into blackcurrant and plum with darker cherry and chocolate, chunky fruity style underpinned by a bit of grip and power; tasty and savoury vs "sweet" and spicy, nice now although has a good 2-3 years in it yet. US: Beaune Imports, Berkeley CA and Idela Wines & Spirit co. Inc, Medford MA. 87-89

2007 "Kerbuccio" Château Saint-Roch / Domaine Lafage, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre 15%) - dense rich colour and nose, very powerful with white pepper, liquorice, black cherry and damsons vs light background oak; juicy plump fruity palate vs dry and firm texture although rounded "chocolate" tannins adding light oak texture too (much more subtle than previous vintages); that 15% is pretty punchy and peppery on the finish, putting it out of balance (at the moment anyway) but difficult not to be seduced by its lush fruit vs dry coating. €23 cellar door, £18.95 Harrods; US: European Cellars, Charlotte NC. 89+

2006 "Soleil Rouge" Mas Baux, Côtes du Roussillon (Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache 14.5%) - has certain charm with maturing smoky raisiny fruit and leafy cassis (funny mix of ripe vs not very); dry tannins vs savoury black olive flavours on the palate, the alcohol is a bit overpowering vs lack of concentration and lushness. Quirky style that gets better with food after airing, although perhaps still lacks substance over power. €12 cellar door, US: Small Production Wines, Portland OR. 85+

2007 "Cuvée Alexandre" Domaine St. Sébastien, Collioure (14.5%) - punchy and spicy with quite attractive "sweet" liquorice fruit and hint of vanilla oak; big rounded palate, again lacks a bit of depth vs that %, although improves over 24 hours turning smoother, less fiery and strangely more chocolate oaky; again quite a nice foodie in the end. 87

VINS DOUX NATURELS

2008 Muscat de Rivesaltes Château L'Esparrou - hmm, I don't get it: I've tried much better Muscat de Rivesaltes than this! When first opened, a bit odd, simple and "chemistry lab" (sugar, alcohol, aromas...) without really coming together. But it got better with aeration turning into, well, a rather heavy sweet Muscat... €8 cellar door.

1974 Terrassous "Rancio" Cave de Terrats/Vignobles de Constance Rivesaltes Ambré "Hors d'Age" ( Grenache blanc & gris 15.5%) - yes, the vintage is right. Very complex oxidised pecan-nutty aromas with lightly cheesy Madeira-like edges; coconut sweetness vs tangy toasted nuts on the palate, turning more treacly yet with subtle cut underneath; very long and smooth sweet/sour finish with caramel and intense roasted pecan/hazelnut flavours. Keeps well in the fridge so tasted again and again: toffee apple and baked nuts, quite intensely sweet yet it gets more intricate, nuttier and tangier too. €35 cellar door. 93-95

2003 "Camille Descossy" Le Dominicain Banyuls "Grand Cru" ( Grenache 16.5%) - coffee and cherry liqueur aromas, perhaps not as oxidised as and much redder than some BGC although is characteristically dried and wild herby; the % is quite punchy supported by lush liquorice and quite firm coating, savoury vs sweet with nice cut and maturing leather and cough mixture notes! Leaves lovely dried fruit, coffee and meaty aromas in the glass and turns more savoury, toasted and complex after a few days open; smoother and less fiery too with a bit of bite vs liquorice and dried fruits. Kind of between LBV and Tawny in style. €13.50 cellar door. 90+

1993 Muscat de Rivesaltes Château les Pins / Dom Brial (15.5%) - its quite big ullage didn't really seem to have affected this unusual "oxidative" Muscat style: golden brown/amber colour, oxidised cooked marmalade fruit character; oily and exotic orange peel vs sweet nut notes, odd but very attractive with the alcohol nicely melted into its caramelised citrus and clove finish. Complex lingering sweet vs tangy flavours, turning more quince and dried apricots after a day or so open, really quite delicious and intricate fruit/citrus cake wine! €9.20 cellar door, US importer: La Ville Imports. 90-92

2005 Banyuls "Muté sur Grains Mise Tardive" Cornet & Cie ( Grenache 16%) - very different from the "Grand Cru" wine above, this "modern" LBV style ("mise tardive" means this) shows vibrant extracted blackberry and plum fruit with touches of sweet oak; nice lush palate vs good grip and power. Very attractive, although ironically it doesn't really keep for long after opening as it oxidised quite quickly! About €18 cellar door and on-line merchants, Michael Jobling Wines UK and several distributors in the US (see www.abberous.com). 89

1995 Maury "Vieille Réserve" Vignerons de Maury (Grenache 16%) - ...whereas this one is pretty indestructible! Fragrant caramelised molasses touches and squashed dried raspberries, intricate "red Madeira" style with liquorice and brown sugar flavours vs tangy walnut, light bite of tannins and nice cut; sweet kirsch layered with marinated dried olive and mature cheese notes, not so sweet thanks to those tangy savoury flavours and lingering alcohol underneath keeping it alive. Gets richer/sweeter yet better too after opening (keeps well in the fridge actually), turning more toffee-ish and pecan pie vs complex and old; surprisingly good with apple crumble or a nice mature Cantal (cheese from the Auvergne). €13.70 cellar door. 91-93

1990 Rivesaltes Tuilé Domaine Cazes ( Grenache 16.5%) - in fact, this is "red Madeira"! Very complex pecan/walnut/hazelnut nose with molasses and dried raspberry too; rich caramel vs nice bite of alcohol/tannins, perhaps tastes drier (and certainly older) than the Maury although probably isn't, lovely tangy oxidised fruit and powerful long tasty finish. Coming back to it (again keep it in the fridge): still quite complex in a 20 year-old Tawny kind-of way, sweeter and perhaps becomes less interesting and less alive than the Maury in the end. €19 cellar door. 89-91

All rights © Richard Mark James October 2009

Roussillon: Vignerons de Terrats

This usually exemplary co-operative winery, sporting a bizarre kind of giant stack of vats work of art visible from kms around, dates from 1932 and is found in the so-called Aspres zone in the middle of Côtes du Roussillon country a little southwest of Perpignan or northwest of Collioure. The very Catalan village of Terrats is a bit dead but the scenery all around it, with its red-clay coated rolling vineyards, is very attractive (I used to live down the road, by the way). They're now part of the Vignobles de Constance alliance with local co-ops in Thuir and Fourques (I think). Tasted their wines on and off over a five-plus year period, which can be bought at the cellar shop or in all supermarkets and restaurants in the area, which were usually very reliable, although something odd happened with their 2009 rosé and white with strange background flavours on at least three bottles I tried, from memory. Anyway, here's a bit of a back-catalogue:

August-September 2005:
2004 Le Blanc de Blancs de Terrassous (Grenache Blanc Vermentino Macabeo 12.5%) - Nice and dry & smooth, interesting nutty floral leafy characters underneath, crisp but has weight too. €4 from the cellar or supermarkets. 87
2004 Le Rosé de Terrassous (13%) - Ample ripe juicy red fruits and medium-full rounded yet dry palate with a hint of crispness to balance. €3.90 from the Cave. 87
2001 Terrassous Côtes du Roussillon red (Grenache Carignan Syrah 13.5%) - Attractive ripe developed fruit showing gamey leather edges, liquorice and plum with earthy backdrop and firm-ish tannins. About €4.50 from the cellar. 89
2004 Terrassous Côtes du Roussillon red (Grenache Carignan Syrah 13.5%) - Straightforward enjoyable blackcurrant/berry and blueberry fruit, medium weight finishing with light bite of tannins and acidity. €4 from the cellars or supermarkets. 85

And some of my French "wines of the moment" originally posted on WineWriting.com...
December 05/January 06:
2005 Blanc de Blancs de Terrassous (Grenache Blanc Vermentino Macabeo 13%) - tight and steely at this stage, subtle zesty intensity v attractive oily nutty tones, crisp and dry. 88
May-June 06:
2005 Le Rosé de Terrassous Côtes du Roussillon - fresh aromatic roses and red fruits, tight elegant palate, zesty and dry. €3.82 Auchan 87+
Summer 2007:
2006 Le Rosé de Terrassous, Côtes du Roussillon (13%) - lively raspberry fruit and full body v elegant, fresh and attractive style. €3-€4 87
Summer 2008:
2007 Le Rosé de Terrassous Côtes du Roussillon (13%) - fairly chunky red fruity style with nice food-demanding weight, turning rounded and slick with underlying wild red fruit and biscuit notes; still alive and well. €4 87
Autumn 2009:
2008 Terrassous rosé Côtes du Roussillon (13%) - quite chunky vs creamy red fruit cocktail making this a good all-round foodie rosé style; rounded and oily with wild cherry fruit and refreshing dry finish. €4.50 87

And a sensational, very old, medal-winning Rivesaltes from the 2009 Saint-Bacchus awards:
1974 Terrassous "Rancio" Rivesaltes Ambré "Hors d'Age" (Grenache blanc & gris 15.5%) - yes, the vintage is right. Very complex oxidised pecan-nutty aromas with lightly cheesy Madeira-like edges; coconut sweetness vs tangy toasted nuts on the palate, turning more treacly yet with subtle cut underneath; very long and smooth sweet/sour finish with caramel and intense roasted pecan/hazelnut flavours. Keeps well in the fridge so tasted again and again: toffee apple and baked nuts, quite intensely sweet yet it gets more intricate, nuttier and tangier too. €35 cellar door. 93-95  
terrassous.com

Roussillon: Domaine Sarda Malet, Perpignan

UPDATED IN 2013: CLICK HERE.

Bearing in mind it’s located on the city's southern outskirts not far from the motorway, this sizeable estate (50 hectares, 124 acres) isn't easy to find. And once you get there, you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere: best approached from the by-pass between the two N9 turnoffs - Girona and Perpignan centre or vice versa - look out for the prison on the other side of the road! Or try the Perpignan south - Canohès rough back road.
One of the leading lights in the Perpignan city area, the winery and vineyards are run by Suzie Sarda-Malet and her young estate manager Vincent Bascou. Their Carignan and Grenache were mostly planted in the 1930s and 40s; in the 80s, Suzie and her father stopped using synthetic sprays to return to traditional manual work in the vineyards. At the same time, they started replanting Syrah and Mourvèdre and white varieties Roussanne, Marsanne, Malvoisie and Viognier to supplement the old Grenache blanc & Macabeo.
I tasted some of their range on a warm sunny mid October day:
2005 Le Sarda Côtes du Roussillon blanc - perfumed and floral with lightly volatile complexity, interestingly fresh and mineral palate. 85
2005 Le Sarda Côtes du Roussillon rouge - delicious black cherry / currant fruit leads to a liquorice palate, juicy and attractive v light tannins in the background. 85-87
2003 Réserve Côtes du Roussillon rouge - intricate leather and spice notes, ripe and rounded showing subtle oak v plenty of developing fruit; good bite and length, elegant for a 2003 (hot vintage). 88-90
2003 Terroir Mailloles (low yielding parcels of Syrah and Mourvèdre) - enticingly smoky nose, lush dark fruit and background oak; oakier on the palate but there's more of those nice black fruits with chocolate texture, concentrated and powerful yet hides its 14% and new-ish oak quite well. 89-91
L'Insouciant 4 (100% low yielding Grenache, 2004 vintage but they aren't allowed to state the year - hence the cryptic 4 - as it's classed as table wine!) - attractive 'sweet' fruit and spices, soft and leathery v oomph (the 15% isn't obvious though); in the end quite fine actually, very enjoyable mouthful. 90-92
2003 Terroir Mailloles blanc - toasty yet has lots of floral apricot fruit, quite rich and fat then fresher finish; pretty oaky but it works thanks to that lovely maturing fruit. 89
2005 Muscat de Rivesaltes - appealing freshness v concentrated and sweet, plenty of flavour and pizzazz on the finish. 89
1999 La Carbasse Rivesaltes (Grenache) - liquorice and ageing fruit, oxidised truffle notes too; dark chocolate mouth-feel with delicious complex maturing fruit, not so sweet in the end with very long finish, keeps opening up. 92-94

News update 2009: Le Sarda red and white are now available at independent merchants Lea & Sandeman (4 shops in southwest and west London) for £8.95.

Chemin de Sainte Barbe, 66000 Perpignan. Tel: 04 68 56 72 38, www.sarda-malet.com.

Roussillon: Domaine Arguti, St-Paul de Fenouillet

This is Ugo, Marie-Christine and daughter Angélique Arguti's promising little estate, yet another Bordeaux (Saint-Emilion to be precise) winemaker who realised the Roussillon is better! On a haphazard journey through the region in April 2004, they were so struck by the steep elevated (at 300 metres/1000 feet altitude) vine landscape around Saint-Paul, that they bought four hectares (10 acres) within a few hours. Or so the romantic story goes... These two 2006 wines presented at the Fenouillèdes wine show, held in April 2007 in Tautavel, were barrel samples.
2006 Grenache Gris, vin de pays - pretty toasty but creamy and spicy, nice juicy fruit and concentration, weighty yet fresh too. We'll see how it develops once in bottle. 87-89
2006 Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Carignan Syrah) - lovely intense aromas, black cherry fruit v rich ripe tannins; delicious already! 89-91

2009 update: gosh, two years have just whizzed by again! So, these three Argutis were tasted at the Fenouillèdes wine fair, April 2009:
2008 Le Grand A white (Grenache Gris) - lightly toasty coconut vs juicy lees notes, refreshing mineral mouthfeel vs fatter apricot fruit. 87
2007 Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache/Syrah/Carignan) - quite coconut oaky at the moment although quite rich, spicy and structured too for an 07; tight and firm palate vs dark berry and liquorice fruit. 87-89
2008 CdRV (cask sample) - darker fruit profile, perhaps more concentrated with chunky framework, attractive fruit and style; liquorice and pepper vs solid and dry on the finish. 89+

And this wine in early September 2009 (a medal-winner in this year's St-Bacchus competition - click for full report and reviews of all the wines):
2006 Le Grand A Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Carignan Syrah 14.5%) - well-made polished style, powerful and peppery with maturing dark fruits vs coconut oak spice and textured tannins; drinking quite well with e.g. fillet steak although it's a bit too punchy and warm on its own. Leave it till winter. However, it does have attractive dry vs lush fruity texture vs savoury flavours; the next day, it was meatier with more savoury/leather notes vs that "sweet" dark fruit and the oak merging into it better; quite nice tannins with a bitter twist, although I still found the alcohol a touch dominant, definitely a big food wine. 89(+)

14 avenue du 16 août 1944, 66220 St-Paul de Fenouillet. Tel: 05 57 74 69 82 (in Bordeaux), mobile 06 80 18 36 22, domainearguti.fr.

Roussillon: Château Saint-Roch, Maury

This stunning estate and château were owned by Emma Florensa and Marc Bournazeau, who made a generally spotless range of vin de pays, Côtes du Roussillon and Maury wines. I say 'were' as the expansionist Domaine Lafage bought the property in late summer 2007, although things were still a bit up in the air while they finalise all the fine detail, I'm told. Nevertheless, Saint-Roch has to be on your Maury-area visiting list, found down a track off to the right before the village, where the road bends around and crosses the river. The domaine has now reduced to around 30 ha/75 acres and produces quite a broad gambit of styles including more commercial offerings, such as 'Pink' rosé, Sauvignon Blanc etc. in addition to the local 'classics', which I tasted in situ in April 2007.
2003 La Bastide blanc (mostly Grenache gris plus Macabeu) – quite subtle toasty notes with aniseed, spice and creamy overtones; honeyed v mineral flavours with soft rounded finish, good but drink now as it's freshness is disappearing. 85-87
2003 Chimères Côtes du Roussillon Villages (60% Grenache plus Carignan Syrah) – ripe and resiny with wild herbs, liquorice and black fruits; 'sweet' v maturing savoury palate with firm dry bite keeping it nicely alive. 88-90
2004 Kerbuccio Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre) – fragrant coconut oak aromas bolstered by nice berry and black olive notes, developing savoury edges v light chocolate texture; firm tight long finish needing time to fuse properly, although the oak is much better balanced than previously. €23 90-92
2004 Maury – attractive youthful spicy blackberry and dark chocolate flavours, quite firm at the moment with underlying sweetness and alcohol present. 89

Tasted February 2008:
2002 Chimères Côtes du Roussillon Villages (60% old-vine Grenache 10% old-vine Carignan 30% Syrah 13% abv) – mature prune fig and gravy notes underpinned by coco oak, attractive savoury leather v dried fruits on the palate, the tannins are rather dry and extracted but it has quite good length and style; coming back to it the next day, it's rather grippy and hard v remaining fruit. Good with Catalan sausage and mushroom risotto! On offer at Champion supermarket for €5.20 (stock clearance perhaps? Worth a go though at the price). 87-89

More St-Roch wines here, from the sixth Fenouillèdes Wine Fair, and here (2009 St-Bacchus awards) including 2007 Kerbuccio. Plus the latest medal winning vintage of that wine (2011) is HERE (World Grenache Competition 2013).

Château Saint-Roch, 66460 Maury. Tel: 04 68 29 07 20, www.chateau-saint-roch.fr, chateausaintroch@aol.com.

Roussillon: Domaine de Majas, Caudiès-de-Fenouillèdes

Agnès and Alain Carrère's 20 ha (50 acre) property nestles in the rugged countryside around the blink-and-miss-it village of Caudiès; the most far-flung north-western corner of Roussillon vineland, before crossing into green hills and sliced gorges of neighbouring Aude country. With certain vineyard parcels at 350 metres altitude (1000+ feet) the microclimate is cooler here, hence why they have to wait until the end of September to pick the best Syrah plots and haven't so far risked temperamental Mourvèdre. It also means drought (the soil's deep too) and vine heat-stress are less common, increasingly problematic for growers in the south of France. By the way, they have a few Alicante and Morrastel (=Graciano) vines in addition to the usual suspects.
The Carrère's make half appellation wines and half vin de pays from Cabernet, Chardy and Merlot (stifle that yawn please, the wines are pretty decent: see below), good cash-cows especially in big bag-in-box. They bought and refitted their old cellar in 1992, the year the domaine was established. "It's a lot of work for two people," Alain said philosophically, "in the long term we hope we'll earn a good living." UK stockists are Terroir Languedoc and Easy Wine / Wine of Course (north London).

Tasted 4th Sept 2006:
2005 Chardonnay cuvée Alexandra - nice gentle peachy fruit with fresh aromas, light acidity v elegant juicy mouth-feel. €5 80+
2005 Côtes du Roussillon rosé (Syrah Grenache) - appealing subdued aromatic red fruits, lighter and more refreshing than some. €4 83-85
2005 Merlot cuvée Lucie - attractive fragrant plum and light red pepper notes, meaty v 'sweet' v tangy finish. €3.90 85
2004 Cabernet - Merlot Clos la Grave - nice cassis and liquorice flavours, quite full in the mouth turning tighter and fresher on the finish, firm v fruity. €5 85-87
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon cuvée Gaëtan - upfront black cherry fruit, fairly tight and tangy on the palate though showing some richness v firm tannins; should round out a little in bottle. €5 87
2003 les Hauts de Majas Côtes du Roussillon (13%) - scented vanilla and coconut, quite full mouth-feel with riper black fruit profile, again tight and fresh finish (especially for 2003) with attractive texture; personally, just a bit too much oak to hit 90 points. €8 87-89

Tasted July 2007
2006 Côtes du Roussillon rosé (Syrah Grenache 12.5%) - attractive enough aromatic redcurrant and strawberry fruit, quite light and refreshing; keep it cold as it gets a bit boring when it warms up. Usually €3.50, Auchan did a bargain buy 6 for the price of 4 promo (= €2.50). 83

Tasted July 2009
2006 Côtes du Roussillon red - attractive uncomplicated style, quite soft and fruity with dark berry fruits, a bit of spice and minty touches; turning more savoury on its dry vs rounded finish. About €3 on promotion. 83-85

21 Rue de la Bartasse, 66220 Caudiès-de-Fenouillèdes. Tel: 04 68 59 94 41, mobile 06 21 61 38 74. domainedemajas.wixsite.com/domaine-de-majas

Languedoc: Vignerons du Mont Tauch, Fitou

The Mont Tauch

A serene daytrip back in late September 2006 (read on for 2009 and 2011 updates), taking in the wine villages of western Fitou country, set the scene ruggedly for discovering three wineries, one big (below) and two small (Dom. Bertrand-Bergé here & Domaine Lerys here)...
Just a few years off its 100th birthday, Vignerons du Mont Tauch is one of the most progressive co-operative cellars in southern France. It's grown bigger over the years combining 4 cellars & 250 growers in and around Tuchan, Paziols, Villeneuve and Durban, giving them 2000 hectares (nearly 5000 acres) to play with. And this year they formed a partnership with the united co-ops in Fitou itself and La Palme, near the coast. The massive stainless steel winery would look a little ugly set anywhere else but, jutting out underneath mighty Mount Tauch itself (picture above), it creates a pretty dramatic contrast.
The co-op has implemented a comprehensive vineyard management system that tracks each parcel, and the growers are helped at every stage to improve the quality of their grapes and environment. They're paid on a graded scale - and can be 'demoted' if necessary - that takes into account vine age, pruning, yields, disease, picking, ultimate wine type etc. So, for Les Douze (see below) I'm told you can actually trace the grapes to those 12 growers, who might not be the same ones every year. Les Quatre is sourced from four growers' (Robert, Christophe, Juliette and Jean-Régis) best plots in a high altitude vineyard near Paziols. 120 core growers (over ¾ of the vineyard area) have now taken the plunge into sustainable viticulture aiming to reduce chemical treatments "significantly": hopefully the others will too.


MT wines are widely available in the UK, Sweden, Belgium and Canada. Le Village du Sud (scroll down to 'OLN' article July 2006) fun range of vin de pays d'Oc varietals - click to see the cartoon pic of the label. The Merlot, Chardonnay and Rosé are available in the UK at Co-op stores for £3.99:
2005 Chardonnay - (a bit cold to taste) simple clean style, dry and crisp with light peach and citrus fruit; lacks a bit of character but it's OK.
2005 Rosé (Grenache) - zingy and dry with light red fruits, a bit stripped perhaps.
2005 Merlot - plum and currant notes showing a touch of Merlot character, fruity with dry tannins; a bit lean but OK.
2005 Syrah - nice peppery black cherry style, has more substance and grip. 82-84
2005 Mont Tauch Corbières (50-50 Carignan Grenache) - appealing berry and liquorice style, light fruit v a bit of grip. 82-84
2005 Mont Tauch Fitou (Carignan Grenache Syrah) - a bit richer and spicier with light tobacco tones, attractive firmness v fruit.83-85
2004 Les Douze Fitou (Carignan Grenache Syrah, 14%) - nice smoky ripe fruit, good weight v light tannins; subtle background oak and earthiness v 'sweetness'. 85-87
2004 Les Quatre Fitou (Carignan Grenache Syrah, 14.5%) - perfumed coconut oak but not overdone, good depth of fruit v power and grip, quite long. 87-89
2004 L'Exception Fitou (Syrah Grenache Carignan selected from Tuchan and Paziols) - aromatic liquorice and black fruits with light layer of chocolate oak, concentrated powerful and structured finish; better than when first launched (previously too oaky). 89-91

The 3V range - Vins Vents Vignerons (wine wind grape-growers: blustery climate rather than local eating habits) - consists of small batch high quality cuvées, so far only available in France in restaurants and wine shops; but I'd be surprised if they don't crop up in Britain or elsewhere sooner rather than later. Tasted Oct-Nov 06:

2004 Montmal Fitou (Syrah Carignan Grenache, 14%) - closed up and unrevealing at first, better with a bit of air: touch of oak turning black cherry then more savoury, quite elegant tight mouth-feel; underwhelming in a positive way, quite like it in the end. 87+
2001 Château de Montmal Fitou (Syrah Carignan Grenache, 14.5%) - 12 ha (30 acre) vineyard in Villeneuve: rich and smoky with savoury leather notes, powerful and structured v maturing fruit, complex and well-integrated on the finish. Yum. 90-93
See link at the bottom to latest vintage, 2009.
2004 L'Esprit de Montmal Fitou (Syrah Carignan Grenache, 13.5%) - lightly volatile complex aromas, ripe and smoky v herbal and white pepper, moving to blackcurrant black cherry and fig on the palate; elegant concentration and weight with firm long finish, fresh acidity even v power and alcohol. Gets better with aeration. 88-90
2005 Merlot-Carignan vin de pays de la Vallée du Paradis (13%) - nice aromatic inky yet juicy red and black berry fruit with smoky liquorice backdrop; lush v tarter side, fruity and soft v dry bite and length. 87-89
2005 La Coucante Corbières white (Grenache blanc Muscat, 13%) - subtle oats and coconut on the nose lead to enough floral fresh fruit with aniseed bite, crisp and dry v a bit of weight. Try with salmon in a dill sauce. 85-87
2005 Domaine de Coucante Corbières red (Carignan GrenacheSyrah, 13.5%) - attractive more modern style with juicy black fruit and light oak, turns more rustic and chunky yet with relatively soft tannins. 87

Tasted July 2007:

MT Muscat de Rivesaltes - classic Vin Doux Naturel style with aromatic grape, citrus peel and pear-drop notes; quite full and sweet v fresher punchier finish. £5 in the UK. 87


Mont Tauch update summer 2009
The village's annual Fête du Vin bash on 17th-19th July provided a lively platform (I think the entire village was out on Saturday night for the big dinner and watching the live band afterwards) to check out the co-op's swanky new visitor centre and wine shop, as well as catch on new wines and vintages...
2008 Les Garrigues Grenache blanc vin de pays (13%) - honeyed & oily vs floral, mineral and "stony" aromas/flavours; juicy and refreshing with aniseed notes, turns fatter with very light wood (?) spice and yeast-lees edges. €5.50 £6.99 (same price for all four of these varietals I think). 85
2008 Grenache noir (13.5%) - nice creamy vs spicy black cherry and liquorice with cassis and blueberry undertones; crunchy vs richer mouthfeel, fruity finish with lightly bitter twist. 85+
2008 Carignan - attractive fruity wild berry nose with spicy notes and a touch more vanilla; a tad tart on the palate although has appealing freshness too, then creamier on the finish. Quite good, perhaps less charming than above (maybe why there's more oak?) although has fair length and it was over-chilled anyway, as they all were at first. 85
2008 Marselan (13.5%) - riper jammier fruit with spicy dark backdrop and light vanilla wood; enticingly full-bodied, rounded and "sweet" vs dry bite and lively finish. 87+
2006 Fitou "Les Trois" (14%) - maturing savoury aromas with peppery vs dried fruits; nice bit of grip and integrated blob of oak vs rounded maturing resiny fruit flavours/textures. 87+
2007 Fitou "Les 12" (Carignan, Grenache, Syrah 14%) - big fruit and pepper on the nose, juicy attractive palate although ends up a little disappointing despite its nice dry vs "sweet" finish. Tried again the next day: perhaps richer and gutsier with appealing pure "sweet" liquorice & black cherry fruit; a touch of background oak, grip and power to finish. Majestic £6.99. 85-87
Muscat de Rivesaltes (15.5%) - classic piercing grapey honeysuckle Muscat and orange peel notes; sweet and tasty vs quite well-balanced and refreshing. £6.29 half-bottle Morrison's.85
2004 Fitou "Tuchan" (Carignan, Grenache, Syrah 14%) - developing smoky tobacco notes with dried red & black fruits and a touch of spice; mature savoury palate with very light dusting of oak and dry texture, nice subtle warm finish. Drink now. 87(+)
2006 Fitou "Villeneuve" (Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, LladonerPelut 14%) - nice fresh berry and cherry fruit; attractive mouthful with fruity minty finish, although lacks a bit of depth and real character. 85+
2006 Corbières "Durban" (Carignan, Grenache, Syrah,Mourvèdre 13.5%) - a bit too vanilla coconut oaky although it does have quite appealing & vibrant fruit and "sweet" vs dry texture. 85
2008 Corbières white - fresh and clean showing a bit of character and floral honeyed juicy fruit. 83+
2008 Corbières rosé - lightly creamy red fruity style with crisp vs oily finish. 83+
2008 Chardonnay Le Dog de Charlotte vin de pays d'Oc (13%) - aromatic and a touch peachy and exotic with gummy citrus palate and clean attractive finish. 80+
2008 Le Village du Sud Chardonnay (12.5%) - a touch more yeast-lees notes and butter, moving on to fresh crisp bite vs a touch of weight. The Co-Op £4.49. 80-83
2008 Le Village du Sud rosé (Grenache) - juicy boiled sweet nose with crunchy red fruits underneath; attractive enough fruity vs crisp style. The Co-Op £4.49. 80+
2008 Merlot Le Dog de Jean Marc (13%) - herbal plummy and spicy, turning firmer in the mouth with fresh bite; not bad style.80+
2008 Le Village du Sud Merlot (13%) - plummier still with a hint of soy sauce, turning to cassis with a tad of liquorice; juicier and lusher than above. The Co-Op £4.49 83-85
2007 Growers' Reserve Fitou - gets better with aeration showing creamy cassis and liquorice with wild herb undertones; a bit confected, jammy and simple although has quite nice dry texture vs crunchy fruit on the finish. Tesco £5.99. 83
2007 MT Corbières (Carignan, Grenache 13.5%) - similar style but a bit richer and more concentrated, dark fruity vs herby underneath; quite nice style and texture. 83-85
2007 MT Fitou (Carignan, Grenache, Syrah 13.5%) - more peppery on the nose plus nice liquorice, more interesting and gutsier than it used to be. Asda/Booths £5.99. 85
2006 Fitou "Les 4" (Carignan, Grenache, Syrah 14%) - up-front vanilla and coconut oak but also has nice ripe & resiny wild fruits vs herbs; attractive grip, coating and weight with concentrated spicy punchy finish, well-handled oak in the end. Waitrose £8.99. 89(+)
2006 Fitou "L'Exception" (Syrah Grenache Carignan 14%) - that dusty spicy oak is quite strong on the nose at first; however, this has lovely depth of dark fruit vs a touch of cedar on the finish, but it's concentrated enough to soak up that wood combined with maturing tobacco notes, nice grip and bite. Needs 1 or 2 years to mellow. Majestic £10.99. 88-90?


2011 update: click here for a tasty note on MT's latest single-vineyard Fitou available at M&S (on-line): 2009 Château de Montmal...
Or HERE for my Fitou report 2012 featuring their latest vintages...


2 Rue de la Coopérative, 11350 Tuchan. Tel: 04 68 45 44 73, caveau@mont-tauch.com, www.mont-tauch.com.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Ogier & Clos de l'Oratoire

Ogier has been part of the quietly mammoth Languedoc-based JeanJean Group since 1994 and bought the famous Clos de l'Oratoire estate in 2000. However, the family behind Ogier, currently headed up by Jean-Pierre  Durand, has deep roots in Châteauneuf (founded in 1859) and further afield in the Rhône valley: their Caves des Papes, Oratorio and Notre Dame de Cousignac (goes to feature on the southern Ardeche: scroll down to Côtes du Vivarais) ranges also include wines from the northern Rhône (e.g. Crozes-Hermitage) as well as other vineyards in the south (e.g. Gigondas). The company exports about two-thirds of their wines with both the UK (Mistral Wines is their main distributor with a good presence in restaurants too) and USA (Canon Wines, San Francisco) being important markets for them, so it should be easy enough to track down a bottle or two.

Ogier is also a major sponsor of Les Chorégies, the annual series of serious opera held during the Avignon festival at the spectacular Roman amphitheatre in Orange; hence the special cuvée they make for it from Clos de l'Oratoire (see below). They've also given their premises and cellars in Châteauneuf itself a major overhaul incorporating an impressive wine tourism complex, which is even open until 6.30pm on Saturdays, pretty radical in France! There's a cute little garden where you'll find four of the main vine varieties planted in four different plots/types of soil. The omnipresent, Hollywood-studio-style castle turrets look ever-so-slightly tacky but distinctive for sure, reminding you where you are after all! Inside the chapel-like tasting room & shop, there are samples of different soils/stones on display alongside a wine from each of these sites, which you can taste informally or during one of the tutored tastings they organise.
Their new barrel cellar (stifle that yawn) adjoining the shop and old cellar is now split into cask-size capacity. Hence the 300 litre barrels you run into first (mix of French, American and Russian oak, by the way, for those interested in techno-geeky facts) used for "our new 'international' Côtes du Rhône wines," as head winemaker Didier Couturie explained, then the 600 litre casks next door for "top of the range wines," which have a longer life span here. And yet another doorway takes you through to the huge old tuns "used constantly for storing and blending." There's actually a well embedded innocently in the winery floor filled from a natural spring that runs underground here, which is handy as "there's not a lot of water in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and it also helps increase humidity levels in the cellar," I was informed, which improves the storage and ageing environment (i.e. not too dry).
Finally, a couple of restaurants worth mentioning gleaned from this trip in July 2009: firstly, Le Verger des Papes perched up the hill from the village next to the remains of the "Château des Pape" (obviously not looking so "new" nowadays, ho ho), where we had a very pleasant lunch out on the patio under the shade of olive trees (reasonable menus for €19 and €29: www.vergerdespapes.com, 04 90 83 50 40). And the swanky famous (and very expensive: about €100 for dinner) hotel & restaurant La Mirande in central Avignon (www.la-mirande.fr, 04 90 14 20 20), which also has a cookery school called Le Marmiton held in a spacious, pots-and-pans-filled, slightly underground kitchen. In both senses of the word: we had a nose around and came across a lively crowd, who'd cooked their own dinner including Jean-Paul Gaultier merrily noshing away and Paul Belmondo (son of...).

Anyway, over to those wines:
2008 Clos de l'Oratoire white Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Grenache blanc, Clairette, Roussanne & Bourboulenc 13.5%) - oily "mineral" tones with floral, spicy and honeyed fruit; nice weight with juicy texture and a touch of yeast-lees bite, surprisingly fresh and gummy with juicy pear notes too then full and rounded finish. Gets more interesting after being open for a bit with distinctive aniseed flavours as well, well-handled blend and stylish. Winemaking: all varieties fermented in stainless steel and left for three months on the lees except the Roussanne, which was barrel-fermented (300 litre size) and stirred for three months too. 87-89
2006 Clos de l'Oratoire red Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre & Counoise 14.5%) - delicious Grenache nose with liquorice, very ripe dark cherries and cinnamon spices; quite firm at first but not too, pretty powerful underpinned by attractive concentrated "sweet" fruit, rich aromatic finish vs a bitter twist adding a little bite. Gets softer and quite approachable now with a little air vs underlying structure and elegance too. 89+
2007 Clos Oratoire red - much more closed up and less fruity to start with (although it was over-chilled), spicy with more obvious alcohol and tight framework; opened up (and warmed up) over lunch revealing lovely dark cherry and liquorice fruit and lush lively mouthfeel, nice concentrated chunky style showing solid dry texture, closes up on the big finish. Promising although again actually quite attractive now after some aeration. 90+
2005 Clos Oratoire red - smokier with more tobacco, leather and savoury notes vs rich dried cherry and liquorice; lush vs spicy with nice balanced grip, again powerful but it holds it well thanks to its underlying concentrated "sweet & savoury" fruit. Very enjoyable now but it has a longer life ahead of it (5+ years). 92+
2007 Les Chorégies CNdP (2/3 Grenache + Syrah) - a tad closed up and 'reductive' at first, turning creamier with liquorice vs cassis notes; vibrant and punchy with quite tight tannins adding firm texture vs "sweet" peppery and meaty undertones. A touch awkward at the moment but should be good in 2 to 3 years time. 88+
2005 Les Chorégies CNdP (mostly Grenache + Syrah & Mourvèdre) - "sweeter" with more tobacco and savoury notes and spicy earthy edges; lush and concentrated vs firm palate, good balance though with fairly thick tannins and big mouthfeel supported by lovely fruit. 90+
More info @ www.ogier.fr.

Roussillon: Vins Pujol - Domaine La Rourède, Fourques

Vins Pujol - Domaine La Rourède
Certified for organic viticulture in 2000 to "protect the countryside and honour the true character of our terroir," Josiane and Jean Luc Pujol practise their way of life on 65 ha (160 acres) around the village of Fourques, south of Thuir and west of Argeles. They're planting more Syrah and Mourvèdre while maintaining the old vine Grenache and Carignan, and also plan to produce organic vinegar and grape juice. Wines tasted in Jan 2006.
2003 Côtes du Roussillon tradition (Grenache, Carignan, Syrah & Carignan) - attractive ripe smoky leather and spice nose, quite rich and concentrated, displaying maturing fruit with earthy blackcurrant and mint notes on a soft long finish. €4 87
2003 Cuvée La Montadella (Carignan & Mourvèdre) - leaner style needing time to open up and express itself, this has a touch of background oak on a quite austere palate with firm grip and powerful finish. €9.20 89+
2005 Muscat de Noel - lovely pure grape and citrus fruit, long and fresh in the mouth balancing out the sweetness. €8 87
2002 Rivesaltes Ambré - complex amontillado-like nose of coffee and pecan nuts, soft and sweet palate showing good balance and bite. €7 89
2002 Rivesaltes Grenat - more toffee and date than above with plenty of ripe blackberry and spice, dry grip of tannins v sweetness on the finish. €8 88

Bought this bottle in a supermarket in July 2009:
2006 Côtes du Roussillon (13%) - nice in an old-fashioned, rustic, leathery and slightly volatile way; nevertheless, it's quite lush with rounded tannins and peppery vs savoury finish. About €4. 85

3 rue de la Rourède, 66300 Fourques. Tel: 04 68 38 84 44, fax 04 68 38 88 86; vins.pujol@wanadoo.fr.

Collioure: 2008 whites & rosés

From collioure.com

As well as being a famous (for instance, brightly coloured masterpieces and extinct anchovies), twee and touristy seaside town on the south-east Roussillon coast, not far from the barely visible line marking Catalunya Sud; the evocative name of Collioure is also an appellation for red, white and rosé wines. It covers the same terrain as vineyards used to source grapes for those perhaps better-known Vins Doux Naturels, sweet fortified aged reds (mostly) labelled as Banyuls, stretching dramatically behind and between Collioure, Port-Vendres, Banyuls-sur-mer and Cerbère.

Collioure has arguably gained a pretty good reputation now for its Med red wines (based on Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre), at least for those lucky enough to have discovered any of the very good ones; but also deserves to find a wider wine-enthusiast audience (especially as they can be just as dear as the reds) for its sometimes very characterful whites and rosés. Here are half-a-dozen 2008 vintage wines I discovered at Les Musaïques des Collioure wine and food festival in mid-June 2009, which make enticing autumn drinking.

White

2008 Domaine Manya-Puig (Grenache blanc Marsanne Roussanne) - aromatic, floral and lightly exotic fruit vs zingy, elegant and tight mouth-feel; zesty orange peel notes vs a touch of appealing weight and roundness. €8.50 87

2008 Domaine La Tour Vieille Les Canadells (mostly Grenache blanc, Grenache gris and Vermentino plus Macabeu, Marsanne 14%) - floral nutty nose with a touch of background oak and lightly exotic fruit; juicy apricot-tinged palate with quite weighty and rounded mouthfeel, powerful nutty finish and well-handled oak texture. €13 87-89

Click here for a full profile & tasting notes on La Tour Vieille including a delicious rosé plus all their reds and VDNs.

2008 Domaine Piétri-Géraud (Grenache blanc Grenache gris Vermentino) - shows a touch of vanilla on the nose but this is zesty and fresh too, rounded and toasty but not too much with good balance in the end. Approx £/$/12 85-87

Click here for full profile & tasting notes on Piétri-Géraud.

Other white Collioure tips: Mas Blanc, Coume del Mas, La Rectorie. More on these estates here.

Rosé

2008 Domaine St. Sébastien - nice creamy vs lively red fruit style, oily textured and weighty vs zesty and crisp with light bitter twist. €8 87

2008 La Rectorie - big juicy vs tight and zingy mouthful, perfumed rose petal and red fruits on its quite serious finish. €15! 87-89

See Winery A-Z for full profile on La Rectorie.

2008 Domaine Casa Blanca - attractive oily and red fruity textured style, ripe sweet fruit vs crisp and lively on the finish. 87-89

Other tasty Collioure rosés: Clos Paulilles, Domaine Berta-Maillol. See Winery A-Z for more info.

Domaine Mas Mouriès, Languedoc/Sommières

First, a touch of geography to set the scene for this, at the time, newly explored ground in my swelling Languedoc winery series. The pleasant village of Sommières forms the heart of one of those recently created sub-zones in the far (north)eastern corner of the "old" Coteaux du Languedoc appellation (the "Coteaux" bit is supposedly going to be dropped although still widely used...), lying roughly inbetween Montpellier and Alès and to the west of Nîmes. You're probably more familiar with the latter city, being a popular tourist destination standing at the crossroads between Languedoc and Provence. The Costières de Nîmes wine appellation spreads out across a quite broad area south of Nîmes and, although technically in the Languedoc region, growers here have always aligned themselves wine-wise more closely to producers in the Rhone Valley (that famous river does indeed flow past not too far from here on its way into the Med). "Confused? You will be..." Anyway, all that really matters is that there are several very good producers in this elongated area, who appear to have enough in common for me to shove them together under "Languedoc 6: just when you thought it was over..."

Domaine Mas Mouriès
Solange and Eric Bouet are the affable couple behind off-the-beaten-track Mas Mouriès (see picture above), made up of a few pretty old farmhouse buildings surrounded by about 30 hectares (75 acres) of vineyards lying on gentle hills just outside the miniature village of Vic le Fesq. As well as making arguably one of the Languedoc's best red wines fit for ageing (Les Myrthes, see my notes below), they're also trying to preserve the estate's diverse natural environment of green trees and wild flowers, herbs and brambles by farming organically. I called in on Eric in June 2009, had a pleasant stroll around the vineyard and tasted the following wines (and re-tasted some of them in July 09):2008 Coteaux du Languedoc rosé (Cinsault Grenache Syrah 13%) - aromatic floral red cherry notes, fresh and crisp vs lightly creamy mouthfeel with simple tasty redcurrant finish. €5 80-85
2007 Vin de Pays white (Grenache blanc Ugni blanc Sauvignon blanc) - gummy and mineral vs quite rich and oily, attractive texture and weight balancing its underlying freshness vs exotic "fat" characters. Very nice white and great value at €6. 87-89
2003 Vin de Pays white (13.5%) - developed, rounded, nutty and oily vs dried apricot notes; quite a kick to it and full-bodied mouthful, interesting old white style although beginning to fade a bit.2007 "M" Coteaux du Languedoc (Syrah Grenache Cinsault) - lovely perfumed dark cherries and ripe blueberries / cassis, turning more liquorice with light smoky wild herb tones; lively and tasty with a tad of fresh bite, supple vs dry tannins and a bit of weight; aromatic crunchy juicy vs "sweet" fruit, turning more savoury and spicy on the finish. €7 87-89
2004 Les Myrthes Coteaux du Languedoc (two-thirds Syrah plus Grenache) - smoky forest floor and leather maturing notes, complex turning more "tar" like vs wild herbs vs subtle sweet oak; fine dry tannins, a bit of power but very well balanced with cassis vs liquorice vs savoury fruit and lovely coating and texture, elegant stylish finish. Drinking now although will keep for another 5 years easily with its impeccable balance of fruit, oak, tannins and alcohol. €15 92-94
2003 Les Myrthes - actually a bit closed up to start with light cedar vs ripe cassis on the nose; much chunkier with bigger tannins and maturing leather notes, surprisingly tight and closed on the finish with grip and concentration. In the end, it's a tad unbalanced towards alcohol and tannins but still has very seductive savoury fruit finish. €15 89-91
2001 Les Myrthes - maturing leather, liquorice and dried fruits/herbs with rich cassis vs savoury undertones, delicious and complex; sumptuous dark tasty and lush vs elegant and quite mature, attractive texture still with a hint of fine dry tannins; there's still life in it yet. €20 92-94
2000 Amarante (precursor to above) - tobacco/leather and mature unpasteurised cheese (!), dried cassis and wild herbs vs liquorice and "tar"; sweet & savoury style with fine balance, again well developed with less structured, more melted-in tannins but still delicious maturing minty vs liquorice fruit and lovely length. 92-94
Aster (2007 sweet white "vin de table", 14.5% and 104 gr/litre residual sugar) - intriguing floral wild honey nose plus super ripe apricots and marmalade, rich oily and spicy fruit with "mushroom" botrytis notes; good balance with refreshing acidity, rhubarb jam vs waxy and spicy texture, quite subtle despite its sweetness; attractive odd-ball kind-of Sauternes/Montbazillac style with a bit less acidity.

Mas Mouriès, 30260 Vic Le Fesq. Tel/fax: 04 66 77 87 13, bouet.eric@wanadoo.fr, www.mas-mouries.com.

Languedoc: Domaine Pastouret, Costières de Nîmes

Domaine Pastouret

Jeanne and Michel Pastouret have been working to organic standards since 1980, so you certainly can't say they've jumped on the "bio" (as the French call it) bandwagon! After taking that initial step, they became fully certified organic in 1993 following a period of "remodelling the estate," as Michel explained to me, with the "first new wines" released in 2000. Their 30 hectares (75 acres) of vineyard lie on gently south-facing slopes along the Nîmes "Costières" itself. I first came across one their reds as a tasting judge at the 2006 Signature Bio organic wine competition and finally had the chance to visit them in June 2009 while in the area. 


These are the latest vintages available, all reasonably priced between €5 and €6.50:
2008 Costières de Nîmes rosé (50/50 Syrah/Grenache) - nice elegant Provence vs Languedoc style with attractive light fruit vs crisp, lively and mouth-watering finish. 85-87
2008 Costières de Nîmes white (Clairette "de Bellegarde"/Grenache blanc) - aromatic and mineral to start, turning more exotic and gummy; attractive gentle fruit and crisp dry bite showing good length and mouth-watering finish again. 87
2008 Costières de Nîmes red (Syrah/Grenache) - lovely spicy black cherry fruit, perfumed and upfront; juicy mouthfeel and more concentrated than expected vs dry yet rounded tannins, nice and ripe vs a bit of bite with good balance of juicy spicy flavours and firmer texture. 87
2007 Cuvée Spéciale Costières de Nîmes (Syrah/Grenache remaining after the rosé is "bled" off with malolactic fermentation in barriques) - again shows enticing fruit although more powerful and full-bodied with bigger structure and grip; quite concentrated and chunky vs background fruit and very light cedar / chocolate notes. Needs a year to open up fully. 89+


Route de Jonquières, 30127 Bellegarde. Tel: 04 66 01 62 29, contact@domaine-pastouret.com, www.domaine-pastouret.com.