Languedoc: Château Capitoul, La Clape

2007 Les Rocailles, La Clape (60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Carignan) - fairly punchy to start, but this has a lovely big Grenache heart with light chocolate oak texture then taut solid finish. Good stuff. £12.70 (Enotria, London).

Owner / winemaker Charles Mock has been at the helm of this sensationally set property since 1983. His substantial 63 ha (150+ acres) of vineyards are found off the meandering Route de Gruissan on the wildly scented La Clape semi-island landmass, just a few kms southeast of Narbonne. Charles has slowly built up a top-notch reputation for Capitoul, as you’ll see from my notes on previous vintages/wines here (including his lovely white 'Rocailles') and probably elsewhere on this blog too (try the search box if you can be bothered). By the way, the cute pointy-towered chateau, built in the late 19th Century, is actually available as a holiday rental (the whole place if you like): more @ chateau-capitoul.com

Languedoc: La Bergerie du Capucin, Pic Saint Loup

La Bergerie du Capucin 2009 Dame Jeanne, Pic Saint Loup (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) - lush blackberry aromas/flavours with a touch of chocolate, firm vs fruity vs punchy profile, attractive tannins on the finish. Tasty. £12.25 (Christopher Piper Wines, UK) or about €11 cellar door.

La Bergerie comes to 12 ha (30 acres) of vines lying around the villages of Valflaunès and Lauret thick in the beating heart of Pic Saint Loup country, found to the north of Montpellier. It's been looked after by 40 year-old winegrower/maker Guilhem Viau for many years now, who decided to actually focus and control the making of their own wines at the estate relatively recently. Guilhem says he's committed to sustainable, towards organic wine production including a number of measures put into place to conserve energy and water. This particular GSM blend is named after legendary family figure Jeanne, who took over the property more than 60 years ago, which is fitting for a winery / label that's become ever so slightly cult. They also grow a bit of Chardonnay and Viognier for their white wines (obviously, doh!).
More BdC wines here and info on the region (PSL tasting report and wild wine walking, April 2011). Photo taken from bergerieducapucin.fr.

Chile: De Martino Carmenere vertical tasting and more...

Welcome to "the dark side of my winemaking," as De Martino's winemaker Marcelo Retamal put it, tongue in cheek, as we tasted the 2007 vintage of their single-vineyard Carmenere. Fortunately for us, he didn't don the full-monty black cape and dodgy breathing apparatus and convert to the Dark Side permanently. In fact, he saw the light again and came back down the righteous sky-walk of sensible winemaking and vineyard practices.