Spain: Llopart, al Límit, Ijalba, Parra-Jimenez, Parxet/Alella/Tionio, Bonastre, Ètim, Palacio Vega, Raimat

Llopart Cava - Upper Penedès

Or "Alt" in Catalan: the Can Llopart wine estate is indeed lost up in the Penedes hills a few kilometres south of Sant Sadurni (and about 45 minutes west of Barcelona, or two hours if you time it wrong traffic wise like I did) with vineyards planted from 370 to 420 metres altitude (1300 ft above sea level). The elegantly landscaped winery and old family villa lying a little higher up, surrounded by 85 ha (210 acres) of handsome terraced vineyards (planted with Catalan and French varieties), do make a pretty picture as you'll see from the sumptuous photos on their website (link at bottom. This peaceful spot has lovely views all around, and you quickly forget you're not that far from the not-so-pretty western side of Barcelona with its big airport, heavy industry, towering new development etc.
Llopart is still very much a family affair - they all appear to have a role whether office, cellar or vineyard - as I discovered in late June 2010 when tasting with Jesi Llopart i Llopart (the full family name) and soon met her brother and dad. There's a 14th Century Latin document displayed on the wall mentioning an ancestor (Leopardi, whose name's used for one of their Cava cuvées: see notes below) who was allocated some vineyards here; and they first made bottle-fermented wines in the late 19th Century. Fascinating stuff, I hear you say, but what are the wines like now? I first tried their Cava range back in 2008 and was very impressed, so it was good to have the opportunity to call in and taste them again in situ; confirming they really do give you quality and style (and hence the prices starting at €10 a bottle in Spain).
"We're now almost entirely certified organic," Jesi added, "but we've always only ever used sulphur and copper sulphate treatments (sanctioned by organic viticulture regs) in the vineyard." She continued: "We usually start picking in mid August, which is later than elsewhere in the region... the Cavas are aged from 18 months to five years on the lees, with an average of about three years (i.e. longer than most), and we shake up the lees half way through (adds extra flavour complexity)." Their Brut Nature styles (= "zero dosage"), which I'm particularly fond of if done well, are very dry and even the Brut Cavas have half as much residual sugar (RS) as many producers' (and Champagnes too, by the way). US importer Fine Estates from Spain in Massachusetts lists the Leopardi and rosé; and some of their wines are available in Belgium, Germany and Japan (but not the UK at the moment unfortunately).
2009 Vitis (Xarel.lo, Subirat Parent, Muscat 12% alc.) - juicy lees-tinged and aromatic with banana and grape notes; turning to greener fruit edges with crisp juicy and gummy mouth-feel, quite zingy finish although not so dry. 80+
2009 Clos dels Fossils (mostly Chardonnay + Xarel.lo 12.5% alc.) - very light creamy oak vs peachy and slightly exotic fruit; zesty and crisp with subtle lees notes, refreshing and quite elegant finish. 85+
2007 Cava Reserva Brut Nature (Macabeu Xarel.lo Parellada Chardonnay, 11.5% alc., 2 g/l RS, 2+ years lees-ageing) - subtle toasted oat cake vs aniseed notes; clean crisp and intense palate with attractive subtle acidity, turns a touch toastier and richer to finish vs crisp and very refreshing. 89+
2004 Leopardi Gran Reserva Brut Nature (Macabeu Xarel.lo Parellada Chardonnay, 12% alc., 4+ years, 2 g/l RS) - enticingly toasty oily nose, richer and "sweeter" profile than above (although not sweet) vs still very crisp vs oily finish; has more flavour perhaps but somehow a bit flatter too in the end, lacks the poise of some of the others. 89+?
2005 Imperial Gran Reserva Brut (Macabeu Xarel.lo Parellada, 3.5+ years, 5 g/l RS) - pretty toasty with fruit cake and chocolate aromas/flavours vs fine and intense with refreshing acidity; quite mouth-coating and textured yet still surprisingly nimble with only 11.5% alc. Nice balance and class. 90+
2004 Ex-Vite Gran Reserva Brut (old vine Xarel.lo & Macabeu, 12% alc., 5+ years incl. some barrel ageing and reserve wines, 6 g/l RS) - rich and creamy nose and palate, oily and rounded with yeasty bite and again fresh acid underneath; delicious oat cake and chocolate finish vs elegant cut, wow. A foodie Cava: dessert or main course even I'd say! 94
2006 Microcosmos Reserva Rosé Brut Nature (85% Pinot Noir 15% Monastrell, 12% alc., 2+ years, 2 g/l RS) - attractive mix of yeasty intensity, ripe red fruit cocktail and cherry cake; tight crisp mouth-feel with light red fruit bitter twist, long and lively finish. Delicious. 92+
2007 Rosé Brut (Monastrell Garnacha Pinot Noir, 11.5% alc., 18+ months, 7 g/l RS) - lovely fruity style, a tad sweeter than above although still lively and quite crisp; nice strawberry and oat biscuit to finish vs intense and refreshing. 89+
2006 Castell de Subirats Tinto Selección (Merlot, Ull de Llebre = Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon 13.5% alc.) - touches of coconut and vanilla oak on the nose vs maturing savoury notes, smoky vs cassis and soy sauce too on the palate; fairly concentrated and soft textured vs a bit of grip with nice balance; attractive style with "sweet/savoury" finish and underlying oomph too. 88+
Previous vintages of Llopart here (Cava guide). www.llopart.es

Terroir al Límit - Priorat

This 15-ha (37-acre) estate is in its final year of converting over to organics and is comprised of spectacularly located parcels of old Grenache and Carignan, which clamber up the slopes around the village of Torroja up to 800 metres altitude (2600 feet). It's owned by Dominik A. Huber and leading South African winemaker Eben Sadie. Tasted at Millésime Bio organic wine show 2010:
2007 Torroja (Garnacha, Carineña 14%) - a touch of wood on the nose but quite elegantly done actually, showing attractive "sweet" vs floral fruit and spice; fairly full and long finish. 87
2007 Arbossar (Carineña 14%) - again has background oak notes, leaner and firmer palate although feels bigger too; still enough of that enticing ripe blue/black fruit lingering vs tight length. 88
2007 Dits del Terra (Carineña 14%) - a tad more oak still, although this one's more concentrated and lush vs solid tannins and refreshing bite too; also has that characteristic tense long finish. 89
2007 Les Manyes (Garnacha at 800m, 14%) - more liquorice and spice notes layered with more wood, nice concentration vs tight mouthfeel; less charming now perhaps and a bit punchy on the finish, but once again I like that freshness and taut edge. 89+
2007 Les Tosses (Carineña at 650m, 14%) - wow, tight and crunchy vs punchy mouthfeel; a tad more oak too vs lovely thick fruit coating and very intense, taut, youthful finish. 90+
www.terroir-al-limit.com

Viña Ijalba - Rioja

Founded by Dionisio Ruiz Ijalba in 1975 on the site of an abandoned mine, I'm told, the estate now comes to a sizeable 80 ha (200 acres) of organically farmed vineyards lying around Logrono, San Vicente and Valle del Oja. Peculiarities include plantings of, and varietal wines made from, the indigenous and virtually vanished varieties Maturana Blanca and Tinta, which apparently are referred to in written records dating from 1622... so, you can put that one in your wine-geek fact-finding notepad. The modern wood and brick winery (pic.) is also certified as "environmentally friendly," man. Discovered at the 2010 Millésime Bio show in Montpellier, these wines are distributed in the UK by veteran organic house Vintage Roots and via these importers in the US: Small Vineyards (WA), Baron Francois (NY) and Wine Wise (CA).
2009 Genolí white (Viura) - nice intense juicy green vs exotic fruity with yeast-lees edges, "sweet" vs crisp finish. 85+
2009 Maturana Blanca - more intense still with crisp and juicy vs fatter mouthfeel; unusual. 87+
2009 Aloque rosado (Tempranillo, Garnacha) - fruity and crisp with creamier gluggable finish. 85+
2008 Livor (Tempranillo) - a touch 'reduced' on the nose but has lively crunchy berry fruit vs sweeter liquorice notes; attractive bit of grip and more savoury / peppery on the finish. 87
2005 Dionisio Ruiz Ijalba (Maturana Tinta) - more savoury nose with a dusting of coconut oak; rich ripe liquorice flavours with spicy smoky tones, dark fruit vs dry texture and solid firm finish. 90+
2007 Graciano - funky peppery nose, quite concentrated palate with smoky dark fruit adding nice lush mouthfeel, light oak tones and fair power too. 89+
2005 Crianza (Tempranillo, Graciano) - more "modern" with obvious coconut and vanilla vs lively berry and smoky / savoury flavours too. 87
www.ijalba.com

Bodegas Parra Jimenez - La Mancha

Aka "vinos ecológicos de autor," as it says on their website, or "signature organic wines" guessing from my very mediocre Spanish. Brothers Francisco, Javier and Luis Parra-Jimenez (pictured) started the ball rolling by converting their vineyards over to organic farming in 1993, which was virtually unheard of in the Castilla-La Mancha region at the time. So, 1996 marked the first "officially organic" vintage from their substantial holdings in Las Mesas area, which lies roughly between Madrid and Albacete and directly west of (although a long way from) Valencia. Finca Cuesta Colorá is comprised of 46 hectares (114 acres) of 30 year-old Tempranillo; Finca Arriburra has 5.5 (14) of former Airén vineyards replanted with Sauvignon Blanc (strange choice perhaps given the climate here?); and Finca Entresendas, at 900m altitude (nearly 3000 feet above sea level), is planted with old-vine (60 y-o) Tempranillo and Graciano, plus a trio of more or less predictable French varieties (see below), with a further 50 ha devoted to growing organic garlic and truffle trees! The brothers originally made their wines in the old family cellar but then built a new pink-terracotta winery called Cuesta Colorá, with a few neoclassical swirly bits in case it wasn't loud enough, full of shiny stainless steel and oak barrels... I tried these promising wines at Millésime Bio wine show in Montpellier, January 2010:
2009 Sauvignon Blanc/Moscatel - refreshing clean and aromatic green vs grapey flavours, simple dryish and crisp. 80+
2009 Camino rosado (Tempranillo) - lively and crunchy fruity, nice juicy red fruits vs zingy dry bite. 85
2004 Reserva (mostly Tempranillo) - attractive maturing leather and meaty notes vs ripe dark plum and coffee; turning sweet/savoury on the finish with firm vs rounded tannins, drinking quite well now although should last a bit longer yet. 87+
2001 Gran Reserva (Tempranillo, Graciano, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot) - "sweet" maturing nose with light tobacco and spice; still solid mouthfeel vs plenty of dried fruits, enticing "traditional vs modern" style (to use that cliché). 88+
2004 "OM" Crianza, Manuel de la Osa (Tempranillo, Graciano, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot)  - toasty vs dark ripe fruit, liquorice vs leather tones; pretty concentrated/extracted with toasty chocolate flavour/texture, but also has appealing lush sweet fruit layered on top and a bit of controlled oomph too (14.5%but carries it well). About €30 in restaurants. 90
www.bodegasparrajimenez.com

Parxet / Marqués de Alella / Bodegas Tionio - Catalunya & Ribera del Duero

The Parxet group's head office and Cava cellars are found (although not that easily, it's better to approach from the motorway than the coast road from the south, otherwise you can miss the only sign and get lost in the town's old backstreets. I'm told clearer signposting is on the cards along with the future new shop and tasting room) in Tiana, which is just northeast of Barcelona above, although merges into, the town of Mongat. The latter also virtually merges into the Barcelona suburbs and, going up the coast, into El Masnou, which in turn merges into Alella itself behind it. So you get a rapid condensed layering of beach, train, road, town, hills and vineyards that remarkably characterises this coastal stretch and the compact Alella wine region within it. Thanks to gradual urban expansion, its vineyards only amount to about 300 hectares (750 acres) nowadays; although, once you start exploring away from the sea, the landscape quickly turns less populated with very steep roads (sometimes just earthy tracks so watch out when there are storms, these quickly turn into downhill streams!) winding through woodland and elevated vineyards, even if dissected by motorway.
Parxet has 200 ha of vineyards, all in DO Alella so basically two-thirds of the planted area, in a few different sites from nearer the sea up to Santa Maria de Martorelles at a few hundred metres altitude, where their Marqués de Alella winery is located producing three distinctive white wines. By the way, a little red and rosé Alella are made by others but the area's justifiably better known for its whites. Otherwise their grapes are transformed into pretty classy Cava sold under the Parxet label, named after this charming 18th-Century Mas. The story goes that the Suñol family has been making wine there since then, although Cava production is relatively youthful having started in 1920; today Ramon Raventós runs the show. They also own 22 hectares near Peñafiel in the heart of Ribera del Duero country, with a cellar in nearby Pesquera de Duero; and more recently have gone into partnership in Rioja to make a red called Basagoiti (I've not tried this yet).
Click here for tasting notes on Parxet Cavas or here for more info on all their wineries: www.parxet.es. These wines were tasted in situ in June 2008:
2007 Marqués de Alella (Pansa Blanca = Xarel.lo 12%) - aromatic, gummy and zesty with hints of yeast-lees and grapefruit; crisp v rounded mouth-feel leading to off-dry, attractive finish. About €5. 85-87
2007 Pansa Blanca/Xarel.lo Marqués de Alella (13%) - leesier and riper, concentrated and peachy too with complex yeasty undertones and incisive bite; nice balance and style, richness v crisp length. 88-90
2004 Tionio Crianza, Ribera del Duero (Tinta Fina = Tempranillo, 14 months in French oak) - attractive maturing rustic and savoury tones v vibrant blackcurrant/berry; more obvious spicy coconut oak on the palate, but it's lush and concentrated enough with firm fine tannins; good depth v grip, maturing fruit and length. 90+

Can Bonastre winery & resort - Catalunya

I don't know who owns Finca Can Bonastre de Santa Magdalena, to give it its full title, but they've certainly spent a fortune on this superb looking winery and hotel complex. I've not been there but the glossy brochure says it all: I thought I'd try their red wines, when I came across the flash stand at Alimentaria in Barcelona (March 2008), to see if there was any substance behind the money. As you can see from my notes below, the answer is yes; I'll have to follow up with a visit. This 50 hectare (120 acre) vineyard - plus the same again of woodland - nestles up in the hills, at 300 metres (950 feet) altitude on average, near a place called Masquefa quite a few km northwest of Barcelona, off the long road to Lleida, Montserrat and the Pyrenees. The 5-star hotel has twelve rooms, a restaurant, spa and heliport too, in case you were thinking of taking your chopper for a spin. More info at www.canbonastre.com.
2005 Nara Crianza (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah 13.5%) - rich colour with dark fruit and smoky/cedar oak on the nose (but not much); quite extracted although it has plenty of fruit to counter those pretty firm tannins, tight and powerful length. Needs two to three years to blossom. 90
2006 Can Bonastre Pinot Noir (13.5%) - perfumed and smoky/savoury notes mingle with very ripe lush fruit v fresh bite of acidity; quite solid and powerful v perfumed cherry and violet flavours, nice wine and a bit different. 90
2005 Can Bonastre Crianza (Merlot, Cabernets Sauvignon & Franc, Syrah 13.5%) - a touch more cedary but has lots of ripe plum and cassis fruit with smoky edges; firmer palate showing trademark power v 'sweet' fruit and background oak, more concentrated perhaps although has nice balance and style. 88+
2004 Erumir Crianza (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo 13.5%) - lightly smoky with herbal cassis notes and a touch of oak; quite firm and powerful, has an off-putting slightly reductive character or something similar? 85

Ètim - Catalunya

Otherwise known as Agrícola Falset-Marçà, two small town co-operatives that merged nearly ten years ago to form this go-getting winery in the very up-and-coming Montsant D.O or appellation, found a bit to the west of and inland from Tarragona. The Montsant region seems to be positioning itself as the new Priorat, without the elevated prices hopefully, which it borders and has a few things in common with its better-known neighbour: namely plenty of old-vine red Garnacha, or Garnatxa in Catalan (Grenache obviously) and Carineña (or Samsó, Mazuelo or Carignan) and suitably wild hilly terrain.
Ètim's range, including delicious olive oil as well, is pretty impressive overall, which I sampled at Alimentaria in Barcelona, March 2008, although they need to be careful with the new oak on some of their reds IMHO. The wines are gathering rave reviews across the Atlantic (shipped by Olé Imports, NY) - funnily enough my ratings are similar to those on Robert Parker's website, by pure coincidence - and are available in the UK via their agent/importer Bibendum, based in London. More info at www.etim.es.
2006 Ètim Blanco (white Grenache 14%) - lightly yeasty toasty notes with rich spicy exotic fruit on top, rounded and full-on finishing with a touch of fresh 'chalkiness' v fat texture. 87+
2007 Ètim Rosat (mostly Garnacha plus a splash of Syrah 14%) - very deep colour and light yeast lees on the nose, mega fruity with lush raspberry and cherry, serious weight and a touch of dry tannin too. Wow: food is required! 90
2004 Old Vines Garnacha (+ 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% alc.) - aromatic oak underpinned by lovely Grenache fruit, showing liquorice and tobacco on a firm powerful palate, but it has nice ripeness and depth and subtle cedar tones too. 89+
2004 Castell de Falset (Garnacha Carignan Cabernet Sauvignon) - again shows that cedary oak supplemented by rich smoky fruit, concentrated mouth-feel with lush dark fruits and pruney edges, very grippy yet rounded and long. 90-92
2004 L'Esparver (90% single vineyard with mixed plantings of 90+ year-old Garnacha Carignan plus Merlot and Cab Sauv) - rather oaky but it's very concentrated and lush with tobacco, ripe cassis, plenty of oomph but overly cedary finish. Another wow wine, although pity about that wood. 90+
Oli d'Oliva Extra Virgin - gorgeous rich golden colour and fresh ripe olive flavours, perfumed and tangy on its pure tasty finish.

Palacio de la Vega - Navarra

One of the leading Bodegas in northeast Spain, Palacio de la Vega has been a personal favourite for many years; although I was surprised to find out from their annoying 'Flash' website that it's only been going since 1991. The winery's now owned by mega giant Pernod Ricard, which isn't necessarily a bad thing when you look at some of their other wine brands (Champagne Mumm, Etchart in Argentina, Australia's Wyndham Estate as well as the slightly better-known Jacobs Creek). Anyway, I haven't yet visited PDLV's vineyards and cellars - must pop down to Navarra one of these days - but thought the wines below, bought in various Spanish supermarkets, were worth sharing (if you can still get the 99 Reserva in the UK or US?). They also show that a mix of Spanish and so-called international varieties can work well together when grown in a suitable environment, which seems to be the case in Navarra. Tasted Sept-Dec 2006:
2002 Crianza (Tempranillo Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.5%) - slight sulphide (?) aromas when first opened but it develops nice smoky cassis notes underpinned with cedar oak; full, quite rich & rustic mouth-feel v tangy tight length, quite powerful yet balanced, firm tannins v maturing fruit. 87-89
2005 Rosado (Garnacha Cabernet Sauvignon, 13%) - full-on chunky raspberry and strawberry fruit, ripe and rounded v subtle acidity and tight length. 87+
1999 Reserva Tempranillo (13%) - enticing developed earthy peppery notes v light vanilla and black cherry; concentrated blueberry fruit with background layer of oak, nice texture and maturity v still firm-ish tannins and fresh bite. A complete wine showing balance and style, drinking now yet I think will improve for another couple of years; try with pasta in a cépes & aioli sauce. €6-7 90-92

Raimat - Catalonia

Raimat, owned by the Cava group Codorníu, practically invented the Costers del Segre DO zone in Catalonia. The adventure began back in 1914, when the Raventós family bought 3200 hectares of barren land in Lleida...
Tasted between Oct 2005 and Jan 2006:
2001 Clamor red (Cabernet Sauvignon & Tempranillo, 13%) - smooth maturing style that nicely mixes traditional Rioja and Bordeaux, smoky silky Pinot Noir-like fruit with firmer, leather-tinged yet vanilla-rounded finish. €5-6 89
2004 Rosado (Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon & Pinot Noir, 12.5%) - unusual and superb rosé, with full bodied quite fat strawberry palate leading to balanced classy finish. 89
Brut Nature Mètode Tradicional (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay & Xarello, 12%) - this really quite fine and flavoursome sparkling wine, shaped by similar production methods to Champagne, comes from outside the Cava area. Fairly rich, buttery and tropical fruit gives way to developing yeasty complexity with fresh, dry and elegant length. Brut Nature means no added dosage, i.e. not sweetened with less than 5 grams natural residual sugar; so pretty dry to you and me. 90+Tasted June 2006:
2005 rosado/rosat Casal Raimat (Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot, 13%) - not sure if this is just the new vintage with change of name and packaging, or a different wine. Anyway, it's good stuff as usual, quite rich and full yet aromatic and fresh. 87+
2005 Casal Raimat blanco - distinctive white, nice mix of juicy fat fruit with yeast-lees intensity and crisp length. 87+
Tasted July 2006:
2003 Clamor crianza (Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Tempranillo 13.5%) - again shows that subtle mix of smoky rustic tones and complex berry fruit, silky mouthfeel, although firmer and bigger than the 2001; all layered with not too much vanilla oak flavour. €5+ 89+ Tasted October 2007:
2006 Casal Raimat rosado (Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot, 13%) - vibrant raspberry and blueberry fruit, weighty with light grip even v fresh and zesty. 87+

Latest Raimat Cava vintages tasted here.

Roussillon: Domaine Treloar, Trouillas

LATEST UPDATE ON TRELOAR HERE (May 2013).

Yorkshireman Jonathan Hesford and his New Zealander wife Rachel (Treloar is her maiden name) set up this promising estate in 2006. Having narrowly escaped NYC's tragic 9/11 disaster, the family left for New Zealand seeking pastures new. Jonathan studied viticulture and winemaking then worked for leading Kiwi winery Neudorf; a few years later they ended up in the Roussillon, lured by its inexpensive vine-land and warm climate, to fulfil their dream as the story goes.
Jonathan's approach is refreshingly honest, technical yet down-to-earth: "I just like to show people what I do in the vineyard, instead of banging on about special terroir." And, in response to the rather laboured topic of the region's generally meagre yields (and the slightly mysterious way this is officially measured, administered and communicated, from a consumer rather than rigid production point of view): "There's too much emphasis on yield, low yield = quality is rubbish." As well as entirely rational views on the Roussillon's AOC structure, similar to those echoed elsewhere in this guide, especially relating to the Aspres zone (they have one parcel of Syrah classified within this): "...valid concept but too broad, I want to make the best wine I can and tailor it to suit customers... too much variation in quality... OK for co-ops and merchants, not much good for people like me..."
Treloar consists of 10 ha (25 acres) split between two main chunks located on the gentle slopes surrounding the village of Trouillas, where the couple have renovated a huge old stone cellar and converted part of it into their house fitted with a tasting/function room. They also do lunches booked in advance, vineyard tours and a variety of tasting events: see website below for details. The first batch of wines below was 'sampled' over a summer 2007 BBQ and again over lunch during the vintage (I helped pick a few bunches of Mourvèdre by the way).
And read on for several updates since then: latest notes were posted summer 2010.

2006 One Block Muscat Vin de Pays d'Oc (Muscat à petits grains, 12.5%) - enticing nose with floral grapey grapefruit and orange peel tones, fuller creamier mouth-feel v aromatic and crisp. Nice with ewe's milk cheese. 87

2006 Muscat of Alexandria Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (12.5%) - less aromatic and more mineral in style with light yeast lees and citrus notes, again quite rounded and oily v fresh acidity. 80-85
2006 One Block Grenache Vin de Pays d'Oc (14%) - attractive ripe fruit aromas with spicy edges; solid palate showing very light coco oak in the background adding a touch of texture, quite rich juicy fruit, rounded tannins and a tad of alcohol weight. Needs a little aeration to soften it up: a few more months in bottle should bring all the elements together better. Good with grilled Catalan sausages or chorizo type cold meats. 87+

Updates 2008: the most recent tasting at a successful charity art exhibition/sale held at the winery in late March (will become an annual event I'm told), along with finished and currently available bottlings of their red blends.
2006 One Block Muscat - nice floral orange peel and grapey aromas, still quite lively v soft elegant finish; very drinkable. 87
2006 One Block Grenache - soft and aromatic with spicy liquorice and cherry tones, a touch of dry grip from otherwise supple tannins and quite powerful finish. 87
2006 Three Peaks Côtes du Roussillon (Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre) - named after the view from the vineyard, so to speak. Attractive lively black cherry/currant fruit v chunky tannins, hints of chocolate oak with dry v rounded texture, nice balance and style. 89
2006 Le Secret (mostly Syrah 13.5%) - a bit more oak than above layered with black cherry and spice, showing a little maturing savoury edge too; dry grip v 'sweet' texture, less chunky than the 3 Peaks but again has nice style and length. 87-89
2006 Tahi Côtes du Roussillon (Syrah Mourvèdre Grenache) - quite oaky at the moment yet has pretty rich fruit, solid framework v 'sweet' textured tannins; powerful but balanced, chocolate and spice v dark fruit on its tight finish. Needs 1 to 2 years to come out a bit. 90+
2006 Muscat de Rivesaltes - fresh and clean Muscat style, quite a kick on the palate but this helps cut through the sweetness; drier than most MdR. 85

Tasted July 2008:
2006 Motus (mostly Mourvèdre still in barrel but will be bottled soon) - this slightly experimental 'secret' batch (there's not much of it) shows dark brooding colour, lovely smoky tobacco and liquorice aromas with savoury and a touch animal undertones; chunky and concentrated with 'sweet' v savoury fruit, fairly gripping tannins and powerful framework; something different for red wine enthusiasts, it has a long intriguing finish. 90+
I also tasted various 2007 whites and reds from tank and barrel, which all show promise and confirm that 2007 is a very good vintage in the Roussillon (and the Languedoc and Provence too from the ones I've tried), unlike much of the rest of France.

Mid October 2008:
2007 One Block Muscat - light, fragrant and refreshing with 'mineral' style and bite; less 'grapey' or 'Muscaty' than the 06, but this is a nice easy-drinking dry white. 85
2007 Grenache Gris / Carignan Blanc / Macabeu (from the barrel it was fermenting in) - creamy yeast-lees fatness with lively white peach and pear flavours, fresh and quite fine with good weight too. Will report back on the finished wine.
2007 One Block Grenache? (from vat, could be called something else with a bit of Syrah blended in) - delicious lively dark cherry and liquorice notes, fruity v grip and weight; perhaps less chunky/powerful than the 06 but has very nice pure fruit. 87
2007 Côtes du Roussillon? ('base' wine from Syrah plus unoaked Mourvèdre and Grenache) - aromatic ripe blackberry/cherry/cassis, savoury edges on the palate v liquorice 'sweetness'; firm tannins and full-bodied offset again by that lovely fruit. 88-90?

And the finished articles February 2009:
2007 One Block white Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (Muscat 12%) - the name's changed but the wine hasn't much: nice and aromatic, fresh and dry with a touch of roundness/oiliness too; actually smells & tastes more Muscat-y than before. €6.50 85+
2007 La Terre Promise Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (mostly Macabeu 12%) - fairly accomplished style, this dry foodie white (nice with hake and roast potatoes) combines bruised apple and pear fruit with lightly oaky yet nutty and oily aromas/flavours/textures; attractive weight considering the alcohol isn't high, with fresh v toasty & rounded finish. €9 87

Summer 2009: the 2007 One Block red ended up as a mostly Grenache, Côtes du Roussillon blend and is a nice chunky spicy fruity number drinking well now: 87+ I'd say. And that one-off 2006 Motus majority Mourvèdre red has delivered its promise as noted earlier: concentrated, firm and dry yet rounded with developing meaty/savoury fruit finish. Same "score" as previously (above)...
For euro prices and UK, Irish, Canadian and US stockists, check out their website.

2010 updates
January - new red vintages:
2008 One Block red Côtes du Roussillon (mostly Grenache, Syrah 13.5%) - nice upfront chunky, spicy and lightly smoky style; showing lush dark cherry and liquorice vs tad of spicy wood texture and dry grip, then lively peppery dried black fruit finish. €7.85 France, €9.50 Germany, £10 UK. 87+
2007 Motus Côtes du Roussillon (80% Mourvèdre) - fair bit of spicy vanilla oak at the moment but plenty of blackberry/olive fruit underneath plus enticing meaty tones; lush and concentrated with "sweet vs savoury" profile, gripping tannins but more rounded than the 2006; nice oomph and depth, more successful than the 06 actually (which I did also like a lot, see above) showing promise and the kind of finish that makes you want to drink more... 90-92

Latest: "retrospective" tasting
A great opportunity this summer to (re)taste all of Jon and Rachel's vintages since the beginning, 2006 to 2008, at the winery with quite a crowd of keen customers and locals (their following appears to be growing and growing). They now have holiday accommodation available too, having done up the two-bedroom "Cellarmaster's House" alongside: see website for details. Wines noted below: refer to prices, grape varieties etc. above if not stated.
2008 One Block red - light spicy oak notes with smoky "volatile" edges, spicy vs ripe black fruits and liquorice too; quite soft now yet still has a bit of nice grip and oomph vs subtle bitter twist / refreshing bite. 87
2007 One Block red - richer and darker cherry fruit, punchier too with bigger tannins vs peppery liquorice profile; nice chunky mouthful to finish. 87-89
2006 One Block red - smokier and more savoury nose; juicy palate yet quite mature vs a touch of bite and freshness still, less intense than the 07 but finishes with attractive meaty edges. 85-87
2006 Three Peaks red - similarly maturing "sweet/savoury" style, although a richer denser wine; still quite firm, structured and concentrated actually with spicy punchy finish vs developed ripe fruit. 88+
2007 Three Peaks red - showing a bit more oak vs vibrant ripe cherry and liquorice fruit with smoky touches; nice rich "sweet/savoury" palate with dry yet rounded tannins, again has smoky edges and power on its attractive finish. €8.50 89-91
2008 Le Ciel Vide (majority Carignan) - a new wine this vintage with quite rustic nose to start, moving on to enticing perfumed blue fruit cocktail; nice bite and drinkability. €6.49 85+
2007 Le Secret (majority Syrah) - quite closed up still hinting at currants, black cherries and mint; tight firm mouth-feel with good concentration, power and depth of fruit; finishes with dry coated texture, needs more time to open up. €12 90+
2006 Le Secret - much more forward and mature with savoury aromas/flavours vs still solid palate; a tad extracted perhaps although still has nice fruit and style. 87
2007 Motus (majority Mourvèdre) - touches of oak vs meaty black olive notes; ripe and resin-y in the mouth vs spicy grainy texture, subtle concentration with punchy and slightly closed/awkward finish at the moment. Promising though. €12 90+
2006 Motus - grainy edges vs maturing fruit, resin-y dark and smoky too; more seductive now with its "sweet/savoury" profile. 89+
2007 Tahi - dark lush and ripe nose/palate, a tad toastier too; concentrated vs extracted but not overdone, pretty powerful and at sorts at the mo, although definitely shows good depth of "sweet" fruit vs chunky tight finish. €17 92+
2006 Tahi - complex maturing "sweet/savoury" character, nice dry tannins vs rounded weighty and concentrated; tasty meaty vs liquorice finish. 89-91
2008 La Terre Promise white - oily hazelnut notes, nice "Burgundy" style actually with rounded and creamy palate vs lightly toasty vs fresh bite vs some weight underneath; obviously 08 was a good white wine vintage too! €10 89+
2007 La Terre Promise white - Riesling like oily nose, moving on to buttery hazelnuts vs slightly dusty wood tones; mature finish although there's still a hint of fresh acidity. 85-87
2006 One Block Muscat - still surprisingly nice actually, aromatic and herby vs rounded mouth-feel, drink up now though.
2008 One Block Muscat - attractive grapey aromas/flavours vs greener fruit, creamy lees edges and crisp bite still. €7.25 85

LATEST ON TRELOAR HERE (May 2013).

6 Traverse de Thuir, 66300 Trouillas. Tel: 04 68 95 02 29 / mobile: 06 50 88 21 70; info@domainetreloar.com, www.domainetreloar.com.

chez Paul[e] - Montpellier

I meant to post something about this cosy wine bar and brasserie a while ago (I went there four months ago actually), which is found a few minutes walk to the south of Montpellier train station. They have a relatively short yet sweet wine list including a handful of high-profile Languedoc and Roussillon winegrowers; and serve up generous portions with good-value menus (€16-€18 evenings and less at lunchtime) featuring: e.g. homemade brandade de morue (a kind of salt cod and garlic mash), chunky Toulouse sausages, simple steaks done right and succulent duck in mushroom sauce. Oh, love that Monty Python-esque, pointy hand logo too. Quite a few wines are sold by the glass; we had these two tasty bottles (between four of us, I hasten to add), both recommended and both under €20:

2005 Domaine JM Boillot "les Roques" (Roussanne, Viognier 13%) - unusual white vin de pays from the Pic St-Loup area (north of Montpellier), fairly toasty yet with nice oxidising hazelnut notes and a touch of buttery roundness; fairly mature and soft now, quite Burgundy in style in fact with attractive mature toasty nutty profile.

2008 Domaine Rimbert "les Travers de Marceau (Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault, Mourvèdre 12.5%) - from this well-known estate in the Saint-Chinian appellation: lovely floral spicy aromas with earthy edges; juicy ripe black cherries, quite soft and tasty vs a touch of grip then attractive fairly easy finish.

12 Rue du Pont de Lattes, 34000 Montpellier. Tel: 04 67 68 31 72 / chezpaule.fr

N.B. Chez Paul(e) is operating from different premises during the summer: see Louise's comment below.

chez Paul[e] - Montpellier

I meant to post something about this cosy wine bar and brasserie a while ago (I went there four months ago actually), which is found a few minutes walk to the south of Montpellier train station. They have a relatively short yet sweet wine list including a handful of high-profile Languedoc and Roussillon winegrowers; and serve up generous portions  with good-value menus (€16-€18 evenings and less at lunchtime) featuring: e.g. homemade brandade de morue (a kind of salt cod and garlic mash), chunky Toulouse sausages, simple steaks done right and succulent duck in mushroom sauce. Oh, love that Monty Python-esque, pointy hand logo too. Quite a few wines are sold by the glass; we had these two tasty bottles (between four of us, I hasten to add), both recommended and both under €20:

2005 Domaine JM Boillot "les Roques" (Roussanne, Viognier 13%) - unusual white vin de pays from the Pic St-Loup area (north of Montpellier), fairly toasty  yet with nice oxidising hazelnut notes and a touch of buttery roundness; fairly mature and soft now, quite Burgundy in style in fact with attractive mature toasty nutty profile.

2008 Domaine Rimbert "les Travers de Marceau (Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault, Mourvèdre 12.5%) - from this well-known estate in the Saint-Chinian appellation: lovely floral spicy aromas with earthy edges; juicy ripe black cherries, quite soft and tasty vs a touch of grip then attractive fairly easy finish.

12 Rue du Pont de Lattes, 34000 Montpellier. Tel: 04 67 68 31 72 / chezpaule.fr
N.B. Chez Paul(e) is operating from different premises during the summer: see Louise's comment below.

BYO wine club

A recent story on Decanter.com by Brian St Pierre caught my attention: "BYO Wine Club debuts in UK restaurants." I know I'm not alone (among those with limited resources, I mean) in being fed up with the sometimes silly prices restaurants charge for wine - I understand about overheads and all that; but a reasonably priced, sold bottle must be better than a overpriced one gathering dust. And not just in the UK: in France it can seem worse as the difference between retail and resto price is even greater, since taxes on wine are lower in the first place. Anyway, someone's had the bright idea of launching a kind of club, whose members can take their own wine to certain partner eateries in London and pay no or reduced corkage charges. More info here: byowineclub.com

Latest "wines of the moment"

Castillo Perelada Cava Brut Rosado (Monastrell/Garnacha 11.5%) - perfect red fruit summer fizz really. Deep cherry pink colour with tasty raspberry, toasted nut and chocolate biscuit fruit; fine frothy mouthfeel and refreshing off-dry finish. €4.85 on offer.

2009 Château La Grave Minervois (Syrah, Grenache, Carignan) - vibrant spicy black cherry, cassis and liquorice; juicy, fairly easy with soft-ish palate and nice fruity finish. €5.90 cellar door.

More "wotm" here.

Languedoc 2009 vintage report

Languedoc 2009 vintage tasting report

"Following hot in the footsteps of their inaugural 2008 vintage showcase last year (see report on the 2008s following this one), the Languedoc wine people held a marathon week of "en primeur" tastings of the 2009 vintage in March 2010. With all the frenzied talk in Bordeaux of yet another vintage of the century (I didn't / don't go to these tastings there, by the way, however much I do like the fair city of Bordeaux and some of the region's wines), it was enlightening to try a solid cross-section of samples from pretty much all areas of the Languedoc in all three colours. Even if they were very much work-in-progress examples taken from vat or barrel in the case of most of the reds, for example... And talking of prices, is the Languedoc getting just too trendy given how expensive some of these wines are?"

Read on for my full-monty commentary... You'll also find notes and reviews below of my 100 favourite 2009 Languedoc rosés, whites and reds from these wine areas: La Clape, Picpoul de Pinet, Limoux, Malepère, Minervois La Livinière, Corbières & Boutenac, Faugères, Saint-Chinian & Berlou, Terrasses du Larzac, Montpeyroux, St-Georges d'Orques, Saint-Drézéry (who what where?)... And here's the "top-30" producers at a glance: Hospitalet, Mire Etang, Félines Jourdan, Lauriers, Rives Blanques, Antugnac, Astruc, Belvèze, Sainte Eulalie, Laville-Bertrou, Aussières, Lastours, Trillol, Sainte Croix, Saint-Esteve, Fontsainte, Liquière, Estanilles, Grange Ain, Bagatelle, Pin Marguerites, Borie Vitarèle, Grange Leon, Cazal Viel, Jullien Olivier, Brousses, Thérons, Villa Dondona, Puech-Haut, Guizard...

A similar historical theme was adopted for the setting for the tastings this year: Fontfroide and Valmagne abbeys, although this time with a radically different backdrop: tons of snow! Monday 8 March saw a freak snowstorm in the south (the weather was warm and spring-like the week before and afterwards), which weirdly made Fontfroide in the Corbières almost inaccessible (pic. above) whereas not one snowflake fell at Valmagne, near Pézenas in the Hérault to the east (although it did snow in Montpellier)!

To kick off gently, I ploughed my way through a handful of attractive rosés although, like anywhere else, a few dreary ones too. Moving on to that rugged peninsular mini-appellation La Clape: probably better known for its red wines yet there were several delicious whites on show actually, which are definitely worth seeking out. And, as ever, a few high-standard and very attractive dry whites from this writer's favourite Picpoul de Pinet. Elsewhere on the white front, expect plenty of quite fine wines from Limoux, more full-bodied than 08 although less tautly structured perhaps. As for reds from the latter, some nice ones although nothing too exciting - at the moment, AOC rules are based on Merlot, Cabs etc. but not Pinot Noir, which is surely the most promising red variety? Same could be said about that "neither-one-thing-nor-the-other" appellation next door, Malepère: disappointing (apologies to that small handful of actually quite good estates here, but little evidence of it from the samples I tasted!)

How do you be tactful, and not misunderstood at the same time, about Minervois La Livinière: that darling of the so-called "cru" appellations with fancy prices to match? Somewhat predictably consistent quality across the board with high scores - hardly a criticism as such - and difficult not to be seduced by most of these wines. Although I just can't help thinking that making good Syrah here, which dominates the area's plantings and their AOC agenda, is just too easy (you can't blame them!) and arguably results in a certain style uniformity ("discuss with examples in under 100 words...")

Whereas, I was struggling to limit the number of Corbières reds I've included, as there were plenty of enticing wines; hence there are more featured below than the others (though I did taste more of them as well, to be honest) at more reasonable prices. Although likewise, some of the Corbières-Boutenac producers (a relatively new sub-zone) are in cloud-cuckoo land on the pricing front (see below too)! And looking superficially at "scores", while there are a few charming wines, they aren't noticeably "superior" to my top wines from elsewhere in the Corbières. By the way, one evening we ate at Le Marie-Jean restaurant in Sète (that link goes to another post/review on this blog), where we took part in a for-fun Boutenac vs La Livinière taste-off: we didn't all try all of the wines and were in groups of three working by quick process of elimination. And the "winner" (drum roll)... Boutenac. See "other wines tasted" below for my favourite, a 2007 Boutenac...

My hopes were high for Faugères, and there were several reds that came up to expectations - I'm increasingly tempted to say it's one of the most exciting Languedoc appellations from what I've tasted and where I've visited. But there were quite a few charmless samples at the tasting as well: early days, I know, and they might well yet metamorphose into handsome swans... As for neighbouring, and much bigger Saint-Chinian, I also stuck to reds (although you certainly shouldn't overlook some of the exciting whites emerging from both AOCs), including a couple from another new subzone called Berlou (centred on that village), and finishing with a handful of refreshing rosés. St-Chinian is perhaps more of a minefield in terms of number of producers (mind you, you could say that about Minervois or Corbieres...), but undeniably worth persevering with and getting to know the best ones; especially this vintage.

This time, I decided to ignore certain zones on all sides of Montpellier that I tasted last year, e.g. Sommières, Pic-St-Loup, Grès de Montpellier and Pézénas (links go to winery profiles in those areas), in favour of unearthing a few gems from the Terrasses du Larzac, Montpeyroux, St-Georges d'Orques and Saint-Drézéry (who what where, you might well ask...)

The 2009 T du L reds confirm this arguably better thought-out "terroir" - although probably still too sweeping with swathes of vineyards not exactly on those famous terraces - has serious potential with some serious wines (several harder to taste than those Faugères even at this stage) and correspondingly serious prices! e.g. "natural wine" idol Jullien Olivier. The unassuming village of Montpeyroux is obviously keeping a bit hush-hush about its handful of quite exciting wineries (as you'll see from my notes below) where, along with Larzac and St-Chinian, Mourvèdre is performing a celebratory role in many of their red blends. Saint-Drézéry was a complete mystery to me: yet another fledgling "cru" lying roughly between Pic-St-Loup and Sommières heading east, which seems to be an exclusive sub-appellation for chi-chi estate Château Puech-Haut, given the four wines on tasting were theirs (impressive but pricey). And St-Georges, on the west side of Montpellier close to the city limits, appears to have a couple of stars in the making...

To cut a long story short, I've featured my selection of 100 favourite 2009 Languedoc rosés, whites and reds below: maximum 10 wines per appellation or style to keep it focused (except Corbières & St-Chinian for reasons stated above). They were tasted "blind," although with reference to tech sheets as some kind of useful quick guide (so not very blind in fact), as there were just too many bottles lined up to get through the whole lot. Thus, many wines were simply overlooked as I opted to taste somewhat at random (even numbers one side, odd the other; this appellation rather than that one, etc...). Or, with inevitably lots of unfinished samples on the table, some weren't showing at their best so swiftly moved on.

By the way, an "O" (following grape varieties in brackets) = organic/biodynamic producer, and the €€€ quoted are cellar door prices. Talking of which, is the Languedoc getting just too trendy given how expensive some of these wines are? Especially certain producers in certain areas - the nearer Montpellier (where most of the region's money is), the dearer perhaps! I'm certainly not someone to knock success, but there was a time when we used to talk about great value in the Languedoc...

Languedoc rosé

Château de Valflaunès "par Hasard" (Syrah/Grenache) - juicy tight style, lively palate with elegant fruit then crisp steely finish. €6 85+

Domaine de Daurion "Poète" (Syrah/Grenache) - attractive crunchy vs creamy red fruits, juicy and crisp mouthfeel; quite structured actually for a rosé. €4.65 85+

Château Mire L'Etang "cuvée Corail" La Clape (Syrah/Grenache/Cinsault) - perfumed red fruity nose and palate; juicy and crisp with "estery" aromatics, lightly creamy finish. €6.40 85

Domaine de Villeneuve "Les Verriers" Pic St-Loup (Syrah/Grenache) - nice juicy vs oily style, subtle red fruits plus a bit of weight vs crisp finish. €6 85

Languedoc white

Château l'Hospitalet La Clape (Bourboulenc, Vermentino, Grenache blanc) - sherbet and coconut notes, oily and honeyed vs green fruit edges; nice weight vs juicy leesy bite, good balance and intense finish. €10 88+

Château Mire L'Etang "Aimée de Coigny" La Clape (Roussanne, Bourboulenc, Grenache blanc) - lively aromatic and crisp vs leesy and gummy mouthfeel; again shows attractive rounder palate with floral tones and very crisp finish. 87+

Domaine Ferri-Arnaud "Fleurs Blanches" La Clape (Bourboulenc, Grenache blanc) - lovely floral citrus aromas/flavours; zesty and mineral mouthfeel vs fatter "sweeter" finish. Good value @ €5.80 87

Château Capitoul "Rocaille" La Clape (Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier) - aromatic and zesty vs oily hazelnut notes; has fair oomph lending rounder framework vs fresh bite. €8.60 85+

Allegria "Tribu d'A" Pézenas (Roussanne, Marsanne O) - quite rich and honeyed with coconut and cream edges, subtle oak spices; zesty citrus and crisp bite vs power and more exotic honeysuckle flavours. €10 87+

Picpoul de Pinet (all 100% Picpoul or Piquepoul)

Mas Saint Laurent - gummy and oily with juicy "sweet" melon fruit; quite fresh acidity with mineral vs rounded finish. €6 85+

Cave Costières de Pomerols "Beauvignac" - tight and zingy style; gummy mineral palate vs citrus and melon fruit, intense crisp finish. €4.10 87

Domaine Félines Jourdan - wow: more concentrated vs zippy chalky mineral texture; crisp bite with juicy lees and delicate fruit. €5.50 89

Cave L'Ormarine "Duc de Morny" - attractive style with oily vs crisp palate, intense citrus fruit and lively chalky finish. €4.70 87+

Vinipolis (Cave de Florensac) "Bessac" - steely vs leesy style, lively tight and long finish. €4 87

Vignobles Montagnac "les Terres Rouges" - softer juicy mouthfeel with chalky edges; gets more interesting with lees notes and steely finish. €4.45 85+

Domaine des Lauriers - plumper ripe melon vs citrus fruit, zesty mineral chalky palate vs a touch of richness then crisp bite; classy. 89+

Limoux white (all Chardonnay unless stated)

Domaine Astruc JC Mas - aromatic pear fruit with toasty spicy edges; quite lush mouthfeel vs a touch of crisp acidity. 87

Domaine Jean Louis Denois "Ste Marie" - nice juicy pear and lees notes vs crisp bite and lively length. 87+

2008 Domaine de Mayrac "Millésime" (no 2009) - hazelnut aromas/flavours, attractive depth and oily vs steely texture. 90+

Gérard Bertrand "Aigle Royal" - pears and yeast lees on the nose, good intensity finishing with creamy vs quite crisp and salty profile. 87+

"Domaine de l'Aigle" - similar to above with better balance of juicy leesy and steely vs power and a touch more oak, although nicely done. 89+

More GB here and here.

Aimery Sieur d'Arques "Terroir Haute Vallée" - richer and finer than their "Med" cuvée with pear fruit and leesy vs mineral edges. 87

Château de Gaure "Oppidum" - oily and nutty, towards lush mouthfeel with lees and mineral tones; quite developed actually (another 2008 perhaps?). 90+

Château Antugnac "Gravas" - showing fair depth with juicy finish vs very crisp and long, quite classy. 89+

Château Rives Blanques "Dédicace" (Chenin Blanc) - quite tight and unrevealing, steely mineral and promising though. 87+

Château Rives Blanques "Odyssée" - richer and a tad toastier, nice buttery vs crisp palate, a bit of oomph too vs fine intense mineral finish. 89+

More Rives Blanques here. Much more Limoux here.

Limoux red

Domaine Astruc - quite chocolate oaky with underlying lively blackberry fruit, attractive tannins too; could be good. 87+

Domaine Jean Louis Denois "Grande Cuvée Merlot" - fairly meaty and grippy vs reasonable depth of lush damson fruit; the tannins are a bit heavily done, otherwise it's good. 87

Château Antugnac "aux bons hommes" - aromatic soy sauce and plum notes; chunky palate with quite rounded tannins vs "sweet/savoury" profile. 85+

Malepère red

Château Belvèze "élevé en fut" (Merlot/Cabernet Franc) - more depth/extracted than their regular wine, with touches of chocolate oak vs richer rounder palate. €6.80 85+

Château Guilhem "Tradition" (Merlot/Cabernet Franc) - pity it was undergoing its malo-lactic fermentation (a bit smelly), as it shows good depth of fruit vs firm yet layered tannins. Will have to try the finished wine.

2008 Domaine Girard "cuvée Neri" (Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Malbec) - as I found their 09 a bit lean. Bright red peppery style with plummy undertones vs lively grip and fresher side. €10 85+

Domaine de la Sapiniere - leafy red pepper notes vs lusher plum fruit; fair grip although quite well balanced with "sweeter" finish. 85

Minervois La Livinière

Clos Centeilles (1/3 each Syrah/Grenache/Mourvèdre) - dark fruity aromas/flavours with meaty and peppery edges; tight palate and subtle length. €15 87+

Ostal Cazes "Grand Vin" (mostly Syrah + Grenache/Carignan) - better than previous vintages (I've never been very impressed by their over-hyped wine) showing spicy black cherry fruit, nice tannins and good balance. Far too expensive though at €20. 87

Château Laville Bertrou (2/3 Syrah + Grenache/Carignan) - attractive and lively, juicy Syrah style; dark and meaty with "chalky" tannins adding nice grip vs good depth of violet and cherry flavours to finish. €9.40 89

Laville Bertrou "Le Viala" (60% Syrah + Grenache/Carignan) - a single-site cuvée from the above: tighter and firmer wine vs lusher and more concentrated, solid yet rounded mouthfeel with dark cherry and mint notes; yum. €35! 92+

Clos des Roques (Syrah/Grenache/Mourvèdre/Carignan) - tight, firm and extracted although concentrated for sure; lively black cherry and liquorice underneath, those tannins get finer on its tasty finish. €9 90?

More seductive now than their completely different, and a bit awkward to taste, "Mal Pas" cuvée (80% Carignan), which is definitely worth mentioning.

Domaine Combe Blanche "La Chandelière" (3/4 Syrah/Grenache) - also more seductive (that's Syrah for you, too easy!) and spicy on the nose; chunky palate with dark fruit and violet tones, powerful spicy and firm vs lush and rounded finish. Ambitious pricing again @ €19.50. 90

Château Sainte Eulalie "La Cantilene" (1/2 Syrah + Grenache/Carignan) - very attractive, rich vs chunky style with spicy minty undertones; solid structured mouthfeel but well balanced with liquorice and mint on the finish. €11.35 90+

Domaine des Aires Hautes "Clos de l'Escandil (Syrah/Mourvèdre/Grenache) - lush black cherry and chocolate aromas/flavours; firm yet smooth tannins, nice chunky spicy style with restrained power. €16.80 89

Domaine Coudoulet (mostly Syrah + Grenache/Mourvèdre/Carignan) - plump juicy Syrah style with minty overtones; quite grippy and intense with fair depth of fruit. 88

Domaine Aucley "Les Vignes Oubliées" (Syrah) - floral peppery cherry fruit vs commanding grip and fairly elegant finish. €14 88

Scroll through the Languedoc winery A to Z for more Minervois La Livinière producer profiles.

Corbières red

Clos de l’Anhel "les Terrassettes" (2/3 Carignan + Syrah/Grenache/Mourvèdre O) - intense fruit with a touch of sweet "vanilla" too (not oak though as this wine doesn't see any!); nice thick ripe texture vs oomph and bite, a bit awkward at the moment although concentrated with underlining blueberry/blackcurrant and liquorice. €8.90 89+

Château Prieuré Borde-Rouge "Ange" (60% Syrah + Grenache/Carignan) - delicious lush vs spicy and juicy black cherry and liquorice with smoky edges; firm and powerful with good depth and purity, long and intense. Yum. €15 90

Their "Carminal" cuvée is also recommended (€7.80).

Domaine Ledogar "la Compagnon" (Carignan/Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre O) - lively Carignan-led style, grippy vs "sweet/savoury" palate with spicy blueberry fruit and tight long finish. €9 89+

Château Pech-Latt "Vieilles Vignes" (Syrah/Mourvèdre/Grenache/Carignan O) - lovely depth of black cherry and cassis with tobacco tones; firm and intense with fair oomph, quite a mouthful. Promising. €9 90

Château de Lastours "Réserve" (Carignan/Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre) - quite tight and firm with brooding dark fruit backdrop; good concentration vs balance, should be excellent (I'd hope so too at €18) 90+

Château de Lastours "Simone Descamps" (Carignan/Grenache/Syrah) - similarly taut and quite fine too showing nice tobacco edges vs blue/black fruits; solid and powerful vs lively and long. €9.40 90

Domaine Sainte Croix "Magnéric" (Grenache/Syrah/Carignan O) - spicy minty and intense showing lovely concentration; dry firm texture vs underlying lush dark fruit, should be good. €12 90

Domaine du Trillol "Château Trillol" (50-50 Grenache/Syrah) - a bit closed at first, slowly revealing perfumed violet and cherry vs richer liquorice and tobacco tones; attractive depth of fruit vs grip, well handled. €7 90

Château Beauregard Mirouze "Lauzina" (70 Syrah/30 Grenache) - very Syrah in style with spicy, floral, dark cherry notes; fair concentration with firm tannins vs enticing perfumed minty fruit. €10 89

Domaine du Grand Arc "Quarante" (Carignan/Grenache/Syrah) - spicy and "sweet/savoury" fruit vs tight and solid palate; closes up, promising. €7.60 89

Also worthwhile: Grand Arc's "en sol majeur" (€10.80). Tasting notes on their whole range here (visit July 2010).

Aussières "Château d'Aussières" (Syrah/Mourvèdre/Grenache/Carignan) - similar profile to their lively "Blason" cuvée (€10 89), although the extra Syrah here comes through nicely adding peppery floral notes; lovely depth with fine balance between grip and power. €18 92+

Others worth mentioning (quality or value or both): Château Auris, Domaine Bouysse "Roc Long", Domaine Longue Roche "Aurelieu", Domaine 2 Anes, Rouire-Ségur "Air du Temps", Grain de Fanny "Rouge Palabrer", Prieuré Sainte Marie Albas "Roches Grises", Château Sérame "Réserve", Vignoble Vialade "Régalade", Domaine Py "Antoine", Domaines Auriol "Château Cicéron", Abbaye Fontfroide "oculus", Château Vieux Moulin "vox dei".

Corbières-Boutenac

Domaine de Villemajou (Carignan/Grenache/Syrah) - gorgeous nose and flavours, wild and minty with "sweet/sour" fruit; intense rich and smoky vs tight and long finish. €10.50 88-90 White Villemajou tasted below.

Château Hauterive le Haut "Averal" (50-50 Carignan/Grenache) - perfumed herby aromas, leading on to tobacco tones and blue/black fruits; crunchy vs ripe palate with lively length. €13.50 88+ More Hauterive wines below.

Château Saint-Esteve "Ganymede" (Carignan/Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre) - vibrant floral and spicy with liquorice and tobacco edges; quite fine and long, very firm and fresh with lush vs crunchy mouthfeel. €13 90

Pasquier-Meunier "Exégèse" (Syrah/Carignan/Grenache) - smoky bacon oak with ripe fruit and wild herb undertones; dry vs rounded tannins with minty finish. Good but far too expensive at €32! 87+ More Meunier wines below.

Château Aigues Vives (Syrah/Carignan/Mourvèdre) - more elegant, subtle and closed up although has enticing "sweet/savoury" panache. €7 87

Château Aiguilloux "Anne-Georges" (Carignan/Grenache/Syrah) - peppery and intense, crunchy vs ripe blueberry fruit with "chalky" tannins; firm and refreshing finish. €15 89

Domaine Fontsainte "Clos Centurion" (Carignan/Syrah/Mourvèdre) - dark berry notes, fresh and floral too; concentrated and quite fine, tense tannin/acid combo with attractive fruit lurking underneath. €12.50 88-90

Château Ollieux Romanis "Atal Sia" (Carignan/Grenache/Mourvèdre/Syrah) - lively grippy and quite concentrated, very intense tight fine finish; promising although leaner than say the 07? €17 89+ More Ollieux Romanis below.

Also promising but the sample wasn't showing well: Clos Pacalis "Agape".

Faugères red

Domaine de Cébène "les Bancèls" (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre O) - lively fruit on the nose; more austere palate with power and bite, although again attractive tannins. €13 87

La Grange d'Ain "le Penchant du Cérisier" (mostly Carignan/Grenache O) - perfumed and spicy, blue/black fruits; "sweet" liquorice flavours vs "chalky" tannins and spicy minty finish; good balance of grip, weight and fruit. €14 89+Equally good from Grange d'Ain: "Le Cèdre" (€12 88+).

Domaine St-Martin d'Agel (Syrah/Grenache/Mourvèdre) - subtle perhaps as it's quite austere, although has aromatic spicy fruit underneath and not overly dry tannins (like some). We'll see. €6.50 87

Château des Estanilles "Clos du Fou" (Syrah) - similar to their seductive vibrant "grande cuvée" (€16.50 87+) but riper and richer; violet notes too vs tight and firm palate, well-balanced finish. €24 90

L'Ancienne Mercerie "Couture" (Carignan/Grenache/Syrah O) - tight and crunchy mouthfeel vs floral liquorice flavours; again not very revealing but could be good. €14.50 87

Domaine Bénézech-Boudal "Marie-Laurence" (Syrah/Grenache/Mourvèdre) - pretty austere, firm and chunky vs nice "sweet" fruit; refreshing bite and good weight, closes up on the finish. €12.50 87-89?

Château de la Liquière "Cistus" (70 Syrah/Grenache/Mourvèdre) - lovely pure peppery minty nose with black cherry and liquorice; big grip and power on the palate vs ripe fruit, nice lingering menthol notes. €14 90+

Also recommended by La Liquière: "Vieilles Vignes" (and better value too at €8.50 88+).

Domaine du Météore "les Leonides" (Syrah/Mourvèdre/Grenache/Carignan) - quite attractive for the price: spicy with ripe cherry touches then firm/dry tannins although not too. €5.70 85+

Les Amants de la Vigneronne "de chair et de sang" = "from flesh and blood"! (60 Mourvèdre + Syrah) - difficult to say as it wasn't tasting brilliantly but potential is there I think: the vanilla choc oak was rather swamping it, although showed nice balance of concentration vs power. One to come back too. €12.50 ?

Saint-Chinian red

Domaine Pin des Marguerites "Pétale Pourpre" Saint-Chinian-Berlou (Carignan, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah) - peppery 'garrigue' tones with "sweet" blackberry and olive; minty floral blueberry mouthful with "chalky" tannins, fresh bite and quite elegant finish. €11 90

Borie La Vitarèle "Les Cres" (Syrah/Mourvèdre O) - closed up and a bit awkward, although meaty with chunky tannins vs ripe dark fruit and black olive; austere finish but promising. €17.40 87-90. Similarly reserved yet promising: Les Terres Blanches (€8.30).

Clos Bagatelle "Terre de mon Père" (Syrah/Mourvèdre/Grenache) - similar profile to their floral, sweet cherry and cassis laden "Mathieu et Marie" (better value too at €6.20 and 88+) but chunkier and grippier; still has that delicious intense minty thing vs rich and long dry finish. €20 90+

Domaine Bastide Rousse "Tradition" (50-50 Grenache, Syrah) - minty with lively black cherry vs liquorice (classic Syrah vs Grenache blend I'd say); pretty solid mouthfeel and big structure with oomph vs attractive spicy menthol finish. Finally good value @ €6! 89

Château Bousquette "Pruneyrac" (70 Mourvèdre/Grenache O) - nice dark vs lightly savoury fruit with peppery undertones; firm yet quite rounded palate and touch of elegance too. €7.80 88+

Domaine de Pech Ménel "Château Vallouvières" (80 Mourvèdre, Grenache, Carignan) - similar in spicy savoury style to their "Pech Ménel" wine (89) with black cherry/olive; gripping structure vs lively "sweet/savoury" fruit and long mineral finish. 88-90

Château Milhau-Lacugue "les Curées" (Grenache) - lush jammy liquorice style, very ripe and spicy; firm framework vs lingering "sweet" fruit and punch. €23 89

Domaine La Grange Leon "Audacieux" Berlou (Syrah, Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre) - "Black Forest gateau" nose with violet and liquorice notes; concentrated lively mouthfeel with appealing bite, tannins and lingering menthol flavours. €8 90+

Château Coujan "Gabrielle de Spinola" (70 Syrah/Mourvèdre) - spicy floral ripe cherry tones; quite concentrated and solid vs good length with "sweet" vs spicy vs savoury flavours. €6.70 88+. Also worthwhile: "Picoque" (€5.30).

Mas Champart "Clos Simonette" (70 Mourvèdre/Grenache) - closed on the nose with very tight, firm palate; however, this was powerful and very intense with aromatic liquorice fruit on the finish. One to come back to. €18 88+

Others worth mentioning (quality or value or both): Château La Dournie, Château Jougrand, Domaine La Madura "Grand Vin", Domaine Les Eminades "Pieue Plantée", Domaine de Montplo "Louise", Domaine Sacré Coeur.

Saint-Chinian rosé

Château St-Martin des Champs "Caucitte" (50-50 Grenache, Syrah) - nice juicy mouthful, oily texture vs elegant and crisp. Expensive at €7.50. 85+

Domaine Maurine Rouge "Rachel" (Mourvèdre) - leesy and juicy with red fruit cocktail, quite chunky vs oily vs crisp. €5.30 85+

Domaine Pla "Petit Bonheur" (Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah) - a touch yeasty on the nose still, but has attractive crisp zesty style and gummy mouth-watering finish. €5 85+

Cazal Viel "vieilles vignes rosé" (Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah) - fair substance to it vs gummy and zesty mouthfeel; creamier red fruit finish vs crisp and fresh. €7.60 87

Terrasses du Larzac

Plan de l'Homme "Habilis" (Grenache/Syrah/Carignan) - attractive juicy fruit with rich liquorice; dry texture vs dark chocolate and cherry, powerful then closes up; could be good. €14 87+

Château de Jonquières "La Baronnie" (Syrah/Mourvèdre/Grenache) - more seductive now than their "Domaine" cuvée (worth watching too: €10), because of the oak perhaps although it's subtle; enticing vibrant cherry and liquorice fruit with solid vs rounded finish. €15 87+

Domaine du Causse d'Arboras "les Cazes" (Grenache/Syrah/Cinsault/Mourvèdre) - alluring ripe vs herby fruit, moving on to a savoury vs liquorice palate with well-handled tannins. €9 87+

Mas des Brousses (60 Syrah/Mourvèdre) - pure Syrah aromas with violets and black cherries; meatier dark olive side on the palate with attractive tannins and lovely length. €12.80 90+

Mas Jullien (1/3 each Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre) - meaty, extracted and firm although lots going on here; chunky fruit with "sweet/savoury" finish, powerful and tight. €25 87-90

Domaine la Croix Chaptal "Charles" (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan) - "sweet" vs smoky nose; "chalky" vs liquorice and crunchy vs ripe profile, power and bite; a bit odd but kinda like it. €12 87+

Also promising although difficult to assess: Mas Chimères "Sans", Mas Pountil "le Mas", Vignoble 2 Terres "Jacques Arnal", Clos du Serres "maros", Bastide aux Oliviers/Familongue "Esprit", Mas Haut Buis.

Montpeyroux

Domaine d'Aupilhac "la Boda" (50-50 Syrah/Mourvèdre O) - powerful chocolate vanilla oak at this stage; good depth and concentration though, more complex than their "Localieres" with nice oomph vs dark fruit. €25 87+

Domaine Alain Chabanon "Esprit de Font Caude" (50-50 Syrah/Mourvèdre O) - concentrated and spicy with nice "sweet/savoury" profile, solid mouthfeel although quite subtle too vs tighter commanding finish. €25 87+

Cave de Montpeyroux "Or Prestige" (mostly Carignan + Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah) - attractive juicy easy style with firmer and more powerful finish. Value @ €5.50 85

Domaine Les Thérons "grande réserve" (Syrah/Grenache/Mourvèdre) - juicy ripe cherry fruit vs "chalky" tannins and "sweet" perfumed finish; taut and punchy yet again well balanced. €9.50 88-90

Villa Dondona (60 Mourvèdre/Syrah) - herby spicy notes vs dark chocolate and black olive; attractive dry vs "sweet" and meaty texture, nice weight and interesting lingering flavours. 90

St-Georges d'Orques

Consorts Guizard "Prestige" (60 Syrah/Mourvèdre) - dark cherry, mint and pepper with meaty edges; fair oomph with big but nicely textured tannins, lovely "sweet/savoury" finish. €12 90-92

Château de l'Engarran "Quetton" (mostly Syrah + Grenache/Mourvèdre) - inky spicy violet notes layered with black cherry; Syrah-shaped style although has attractive rich dark fruit vs meaty undertones, firm vs lush and powerful. €20 88-90. Plus the chewier, blue-fruited and "cheaper" (€11.50) regular cuvée (87).

Saint-Drézéry

Château Puech-Haut "Prestige" (60 Syrah + Grenache, Carignan) - pure spicy floral Syrah nose; chunkier and "sweeter" vs solid tannins, well balanced though with peppery vs grainy vs ripe finish. €15.50 89+

Château Puech-Haut "Clos du Pic" (Syrah/Mourvèdre/Grenache) - intense and meaty start; very firm mouthfeel vs a tad of sweet choco oak, pretty solid to finish too but there's delicious depth of fruit underneath, big vs intense. €34 90+

Other wines tasted

Here's a selection of favourites worth seeking out, tried over dinner (9+10th March 2010) with their winemakers (mostly Corbières and Minervois):

This one was my "winner" of the Boutenac vs La Liviniere taste-off: 2007 Sainte-Lucie d'Aussou "Ladybird" Corbières-Boutenac, Jean-Paul Serres - seductive yet delicate nose with berry fruit and smoky savoury edges; silky ripe mouth-feel with subtle tannins, quite concentrated and freshly structured with elegant maturing "sweet/savoury" finish.

2009 Château Hauterive le Haut Corbières rosé (Cinsault/Syrah/Grenache) - raspberry fruity and quite chunky style with juicy and crisp finish.

2007 Hauterive le Haut Corbières-Boutenac (old Carignan/Grenache) - very nice smoky savoury touches vs vibrant cherry and berry fruit, a tad of oak adding rounded texture vs quite concentrated palate.

2008 Ollieux Romanis "cuvée prestige" white Corbières (Grenache blanc Marsanne Roussanne) - quite toasty and grainy, perhaps too much although it did open up with food getting fatter and tastier vs still quite tight and mineral.

2007 Ollieux Romanis "Atal Sia" Corbières-Boutenac (mostly Carignan + Grenache Mourvèdre Syrah) - delicious nose showing perfumed blue/black fruits; nice "chalky" tannins with rich yet crunchy mouth-feel, herby minty vs savoury flavours on the finish. Ollieux profile with older vintages here.

2009 Château Meunier St-Louis "Prestige" Corbières rosé (Syrah, Grenache, Carignan) - elegant and very crisp, attractive and versatile style.

2009 Meunier St-Louis "Prestige" Corbières white (Grenache blanc, Bourboulenc, Marsanne, Rolle = Vermentino) - aromatic banana/pineapple notes with gummy lees-tinged intensity; nice rounded mouth-feel vs light bitter twist, "sweet" fruit vs mineral bite.

2005 Meunier St-Louis "Exégèse" Corbières-Boutenac (Syrah, Grenache, Carignan) - quite oaky, sturdy and extracted with lush spicy fruit vs grainy wood; not sure at first, in the end the fruit comes out more although it's still pretty chunky, firm and tight for an 05. Profile on Pasquier-Meunier here.

2009 Domaine Coudoulet Viognier - very citrus in style with enticingly crisp palate, not very Viognier (as in not very "exotic" fruit) but a good dry white.

2008 Blanc de Villemajou - very tight and steely actually with light toasted butter undertones, dry and crisp finish needing 6-12 months to develop. Lots more GB wines and info here.

2006 Château Faiteau Minervois La Livinière - quite coconut spicy at the moment but has nice dark fruit and liquorice flavours; punchy palate with pretty grippy tannins although attractive grainy/rounded texture, tight spicy finish. Needs 6 months to open up a bit, promising. Profile & older vintages of Faiteau.

2007 Château Cesseras Minervois La Livinière - attractive rich & smoky cherry fruit with minty edges; pretty firm tannins still vs lush chocolate textured palate, good balance of grip and fruit in the end.

2008 Domaine Barroubio Muscat de St-Jean-de-Minervois - textbook style with lively aromatic Muscat fruit; not so sweet in the mouth thanks to its refreshing bite, nice with a light dessert such as raspberry mousse.

2001 Château Bonhomme "Les Alaterres" red Minervois - lovely smoky meaty and "cheesy" notes with red pepper edges; rich powerful and firmly structured still vs classy savoury maturing fruit.

2007 Château Tourril cuvée Philippe red Minervois - smoky and ripe with dark spicy fruit and herby peppery undertones; rounded and fruity with attractive tannins.

2007 Cuvée Tourril red Minervois - a touch of chocolate oak vs appealing depth of ripe cherry and liquorice fruit; smoky and chunky mouth-feel with solid closed up finish; could be good, needs a year or so.

The four wines above were enjoyed at La Distillerie restaurant in the Aude region, appropriately found on the edge of Minervois country (link goes to another post on my blog with details).

Text all rights Richard Mark James, published June 2010. Photos by Clair de Lune.