Languedoc: Saint-Chinian 2010 vintage

This is another in a series of reports and winery profiles from five intensive days spent at the “Languedoc Millésimes” tastings in the region (21-25 March 2011), where I had the chance to taste mostly 2010, 2009 and 2008 vintages. As well as, more importantly and more fun, meet and talk to a couple of St-Chinian winemakers and try (drink/enjoy even; woops, not v. pc) some of their older wines too. I’ve used my ‘new’ scoring system of one, two or three ‘ticks’ (good, very good, fabulous); or just plain 1 to 3 here, if you get my drift. Euro prices are cellar door per bottle inc. taxes, added later so didn’t influence my notes.

Based on a hardly comprehensive/definitive sampling below, 2010 appears to have produced some good but not great white wines and lacklustre to good rosés. Quite a few of the red samples were looking a bit fragile or dumb or ugly-duckling, which is always a risk when raw and unfinished wines are left open to the air. However, certain bottles were already showing very well with similar hallmarks to other Languedoc regions: rich and concentrated with solid fruit and structure yet appealing-textured tannins. Mind you, I said stuff like that last year and the year before about the two previous vintages; and now 2008 is generally looking a bit of a mixed bag (for reds anyway, actually pretty sound for white and rosé) and 2009 can either really impress or rather disappoint.

2010 was a rollercoaster year of weather with a long cold winter, snow in early March in certain places (and not necessarily just on the hills), an awkward hesitant spring with warm weather then rainy and colder again, followed by a very hot and very dry summer, isolated storms in August/September although, generally, very warm right through till early October. Net result: vibrant high-quality reds, as described above, but low on the quantity front thanks to that challenging growing season. Further comments on these three vintages to follow, as I post more blurbs like this on other areas of the Languedoc.

Rugged St-Chinian wine-lands, from www.borielavitarele.fr

Saint-Chinian 2010 vintage

WHITE

Domaine des Soulié - estery fresh pear and grapey vs intricate aniseed/fennel tones, crisp and mineral bite. 1

Domaine La Croix Sainte Eulalie "tradition" (1/3 Roussanne, Grenache blanc, Vermentino) - similar although more perfumed and exotic/flowery, zesty/chalky mouth-feel, nice and zingy with that underlying flowery peach/apricot fruit. Acid/alcohol a bit hard at the moment although shows attractive oily vs crisp profile. 1+ €5.60

Domaine Rimbert (Clairette, Roussanne, Grenache blanc, Vermentino) - flowery and peachy, more intricate and interesting though on the nose; ends up a tad flat/dilute compared with above, although there's fresh acidity and nice bitter twist vs banana fruit. 1 €6.50

Cave de Roquebrun "Col de la Serre" (Grenache blanc, Roussanne) - milky/lightly toasty with quite rich exotic honey and apricot; subtle oak grain, fatter pineapple fruit vs mineral undertones. Touch clunky perhaps but attractive style overall and good value. 1 €4.50

Domaine du Sacré Coeur (Grenache blanc, Roussanne) - juicy fruity pineapple vs grapey floral tones, crisper palate and zesty finish. 1 €5.20

Cave des Vignerons St-Chinian "Secret des Capitelles" (Grenache blanc, Roussanne) - yeast-leesy buttery and full-on vs cut of acidity, fair mouthful although a bit flabby and simple. 0.5 €6.60

Domaine La Linquière "Fleur de Lin" (Grenache blanc, Vermentino) - ripe and honeyed with milky edges, rounded vs zingy with quite intense mineral side vs that quite exotic fruit. 1.5-2 €9

Clos Bagatelle (Roussanne, Grenache blanc, Carignan blanc, Vermentino, Chenin) - milky leesy edges with light toast vs juicy and quite rich mouth-feel, attractive mineral/celery/aniseed tones vs weight on the finish. 2

ROSÉ

Château Cazal Viel "Vieilles Vignes" (Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah) - elegant pink colour, rose petal and light red fruit notes, zingy crisp palate with subtle biter twist; fair class. 1-2 €7.60

Château Creissan "Cort d'Amor" (Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre) - pale pink, similar style to above although much less intense. OK at €4.

Domaine Moulinier (Syrah, Grenache) - quite delicate and tight, subtle creamy red fruits, lacks bit of zest perhaps but it’s OK. 0.5 €5.80

Domaine des Mathurins "Petite Fantaisie" (Syrah, Cinsault) - fuller orangey colour, oily/fruity style, more "vinous" and chunky, quite nice although lacks bit of class. 0.5 €4.50

Clos Bagatelle Donnadieu "Camille et Juliette" (Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvedre 13%) - again a pale "rosé de presse" style (they’ve stopped doing saignée rosé), subtle and crisp with red vs creamy fruit, tight and quite steely finish. 1+ €6.50

Château La Dournie (1/3 Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah) - quite elegant and zesty, nice crunchy redcurrant/cranberry then "sweeter" finish. 1 €5.70

Domaine La Linquière (Grenache, Syrah) - juicy fruity boiled sweetie, has a bit of leesy bite and creamier finish. €5

Domaine Rimbert "Le Rosé réussi" (Cinsault, Syrah) - oilier style with rounder strawberry fruit, bit of zing although ends tad bland maybe. 0.5 €5.80

RED - unfinished vat/cask samples

Château La Dournie "Elise" (Syrah, Grenache) - lovely minty wild spicy black cherry, peppery and punchy vs rich and fruity, quite a kick and nice firm/round tannins. 2 €13.50

Mas Champart "Causse du Bousquet" (Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache) - somewhat closed and awkward, a tad malo-lactic on the nose; nice fruit though and again soft-ish tannins. 1+? €11.60

Borie La Vitarele "Terres Blanches" (biodynamic) - again shows lovely fruit, pure vibrant dark cherry and liquorice with peppery edges; juicy vs concentrated, attractive coated tannins vs ripe black fruits vs wild herby touches. 2

Château La Madura "Grand Vin" (Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache, Carignan) - bit awkward and firm, not showing well. €17

Domaine de Pech Ménel (Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre) - malo notes but rich and chunky underneath, again fine tannins and concentrated mouthful. 2 €6-€7

La Croix Sainte Eulalie "Armandelis" (Syrah, Mourvèdre) - minty and wild flowers/herbs, nice fresh cherry fruit then spicier liquorice side, firmer palate vs solid depth. 2.5 €7.70

Domaine du Sacré Coeur - not showing much, taste it again in a few months.

Château Belot "Les Mouleyres" (Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache) - oak dominated, obviously, and structured vs rounded, could be promising if they don't keep it much longer in that new? oak. 1
Not sure who made these two, they had just one mysterious word stuck onto the bottle. Will find out and add producer's name:

Chant - lovely lavender and black cherry, nice tannins, darker vs more savoury finish with grip and tight elegant flourish. 2.5

Esprit - lots of new oak, fair substance underneath and very firm, difficult to taste but would like to come back to it.

Saint-Chinian red, other vintages

Le Prieuré des Mourgues Grande Réserve 2007 (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, 14%) - well balanced with solid tannins vs sweet fruit and developing savoury/animal notes, quite rich and spicy (paprika) vs attractive black cherry and length; maturing vs structured finish with firm vs rounded texture and lively flourish too. 2+ €12

Borie La Vitarèle Les Terres Blanches 2009 - lush black cherry with earthy peppery edges, solid vs appealing rounded palate finishing with sweet fruit and power. 2 €8.50

Mas de Cynanque L’Acutum 2008 (Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Carignan; estate converting over to organic) - powerful with grainy texture vs rich cherry fruit, has a touch of freshness about it although it’s a bit “hot” too, attractive depth of fruit though. 1 €12 

Profile on Clos Bagatelle. Scan down the Languedoc winery A to Z for more, right hand column or do a search using "Saint Chinian."

Rosé: Languedoc vs Roussillon.

Is there a big difference in rosé from the Languedoc and Roussillon? Winemakers in both regions tend to have the same red grape varieties - mainly Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault (less so in the Roussillon) and Mourvèdre - and production techniques don't vary much from one place to another. Except for the particular style of rosé intended in terms of colour (deeper redder or paler pink), flavour and 'seriousness' (richer fruitier fuller or more aromatic zestier lighter).

Languedoc: Saint Chinian

Vieussan from saint-chinian.com.

The Saint-Chinian region lies between Béziers and Minervois and northwards to the jagged hills at the bottom of the Massif Central. It stretches from the villages of Quarante to Vieussan south to north, and from Murviel-lès-Béziers to Ferrières-Poussarou east to west; a vast area of about 40 by 30 kilometres. So, the idea that all wines produced in this appellation represent and express one distinct namesake terroir or 'taste of place' is a stretch.

Roussillon: a dozen Vins Doux Naturels.

The fourth and final part of my summer Roussillon review features a (baker's) dozen Vins Doux Naturels (plural, VDN(s) for short), probably more naturally translated as (sweet) fortified wines, some of which are anchored in regional tradition while others are relatively 'modern'. Including whites - although their colour is often far from it for reasons explained below, a style called Ambré - and reds from Rivesaltes, as well as Maury and Banyuls, also white and red, of various types and ages.

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.

International Grenache Day

It's this Friday apparently, September 24th. I wouldn't want to start counting how many Grenache-based wines are talked about and reviewed on this blog or sister site Frenchmediterraneanwine.com. From full-on lush reds to lavish Port-like "vins doux naturels" both from "black" Grenache (noir) or Garnacha / Garnatxa, to exotic whites crafted from white Grenache (blanc) / Garnacha blanca and/or Grenache gris, a pinkish skinned relative that can also work for "grey" style rosés; to fruity rounded rosé / rosado / rosat itself made from the "black" version (and sparkling too...)

Still with me? Here are just a few, off the top of my head, that I've particularly enjoyed (sensibly of course) over the last couple of months (mostly from southern France and Spain although Grenache certainly can excel in Australia, California...):

2008 Mas Mudigliza Maury (see post below this one)

2007 Domaine La Fourmente Les Vieux Grenache des Garrigues, Visan (southern Rhone)

2005 Domaine du Chapitre (Ardèche)

2007 Llopart Rosé Cava

2005 Château des Estanilles Faugères Prestige

2007 Domaine Bertrand-Bergé Rivesaltes Tuilé Ma-ga

2009 La Chevalière Grenache

2008 Domaine de Fenouillet Faugères

2006 Mitchelton Crescent, Victoria

2009 Domaine Jones Grenache

2008 Domaine Treloar One Block red

2007 Les Manyes Terroir al Límit, Priorat

2006 Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape "cuvée Cadette"

2007 Inferno Domaine Vinci, Roussillon

1980 Millésime Maury Mas Amiel, Roussillon...

Do a search for lots of links to features / guides / profiles including these and many more Grenache wines:
winewriting.com/search?q=Grenache
frenchmediterraneanwine.com/search?q=Grenache

Or click on any Grenache 'label' at the bottom of a post.
Photo = Grenache from vins-rhone.com

Roussillon: 6th Fenouillèdes wine fair

"Winegrowers in the Fenouillèdes region, draped across a dramatic, elevated valley landscape bridging Corbières and French Catalonia, are talking enthusiastically about their wines and the unforgiving terrain that cradles their vineyards." This wine fair revealed a number of up-and-coming quality estates keen to spread the word. Richard Case of Domaine Pertuisane describes the old vine Grenache here as "unparalleled anywhere in France..." Read on for other names to look out for with my comments and tasting notes.

Click here for further reflection and prosaic scribbling: Finding Fenouillèdes country. Loads more from the area under Roussillon-French Catalonia winery A to Z (right hand column), where you'll find links through to updates and profiles on most of these producers:

Domaine des Soulanes
2004 Bastoul Laffite, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (Grenache) - lifted spicy nose with very light oak, power v elegant fruit, nice dry structure and length. 88-90
2004 Sarrat del Mas Côtes du Roussillon Villages (CdRV)  (Grenache Carignan Syrah) - smokier and richer, again shows that black fruit and pepper combo, weight v finesse and dry v 'sweet' texture; more power and oak than above but it's impressively balanced. 92-94

Château Saint Roch

2004 La Bastide blanc - toasty and creamy with aniseed undertones, fat yet mineral and crisp; good foodie white, may be too toasty for some. 85-87
2003 Kerbuccio CdRV (Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre) - smoky tar and black olive, luscious maturing fruit set against firm powerful backdrop, good stylish length. 90-92

Domaine de l'Edre
2005 CdR blanc - yeasty and fat start leads to fresh mineral poise, crisp and dry v rich mouth-feel. 87-89
2004 Dom de l'Edre CdRV (Syrah Grenache Carignan) - rich vibrant blackberry fruit with chocolate oak texture, firm closed up finish but it reveals more with a little aeration, dense and powerful (14.5%) yet has mineral bite too. Needs time. 87-89

Domaine Barriot - Clos de l'Origine

2004 Vin de Pays rouge (40% Mourvèdre, no sulphur dioxide) - aromatic black olive and cherry notes lead to quite rich concentrated fruit, firm fresh and a little closed up on the finish but that black fruit/olive comes back impressively. 89-91
2004 CdR (Carignan Grenache Syrah) - quite fleshy with a touch of spicy oak, soft and elegant though with fresh length, light tannins and attractive fruit. 89

Domaine Serrelongue
2003 Extrait de Passion (Mourvèdre Grenache) - maturing raisin fruit and wild herbs, the oak's now melted into it better; oily textured tannins, perhaps won't last much longer. 87
2004 Saveur de Vigne CdRV - nice ripe peppery fruit with choco oak backdrop, firm rounded tannins, good weight and style despite slightly too much wood; promising nevertheless. 89
2005 Syrah cask sample - appealing fresh spicy black cherry aromas with cinnamon oak edges, nice pure Syrah peppery 'medicinal' style with firm fresh finish. 90+

Domaine Rivaton
2004 Gribouille Latour de France CdRV - (2nd bottle; the one in the blind tasting was bottled too soon and suffered from reductive taint) nice smoky tar and leather tones, rich and ripe v firm and tight, attractive style. 90
2005 Latour de France CdRV ("probably": cask sample) - smoky leather tinged with black cherries, rustic and lush with solid yet elegant finish. 90

Domaine les Tourdelles
2004 Granit Vin de Pays (Carignan) - lovely ripe liquorice fruit, soft and elegant finishing with a little dry & fresh tannin/acidity. 87
2004 Cuvée Pierre Damien CdRV (Syrah Grenache Carignan) - light cedar background notes, firm mouth-feel yet shows subtle fruit too, closes up a bit but should be good. 87-89

Domaine des Schistes
2003 Les Terrasses CdRV (Carignan Grenache Syrah) - herbal aromas lead to a luscious peppery black fruit palate, solid and powerful with oak undertones; but it's the dark fruit and structured tannins that stay with you. 90
2003 La Coumeille CdRV - tobacco leaf, spice and scented oak underlined with maturing complex notes; firm and commanding, again showing concentrated blackberry, tobacco and olive flavours. Wow. 92-94

Domaine Duran
2004 Dom du Vieux Cépage CdRV (Grenache Carignan Syrah) - appealing cherry fruit intensity v coating of tannins and a touch of wood, bite and grip v power of fruit and alcohol (a bit much at 15%). 87-88
2005 barrel samples - Syrah Grenache: rich fruit v high alcohol and firm tannins, very spicy with fresh bite and more elegance than the 2004. Carignan Grenache: more liquorice and black cherry/olive than the first one, firm and dry with similar freshness and power. Should blend up to a 90+ wine.

Domaine Terre Rousse
2004 CdRV (Grenache Carignan Syrah Mourvèdre) - smoky and intense, a little oxidised but not too much, spicy tobacco and liquorice fruit set against firm fresh finish. 87
2005 CdRV (before going into barrique) - delicious wild herbal black cherry fruit, firm dry structure and power v sexy fruit and length. Does it need oak? 89-91

Domaine de la Balmière
2005 Muscat sec - very lively mineral style with crisp citrus fruit v lightly rounded finish. 87
2005 Côtes du Roussillon (CdR) rosé - floral white peach and redcurrant fruit, attractive dry finish and length. 87
2005 Latour de France CdRV (1/4 each of Grenache Carignan Syrah Mourvèdre) - lovely peppery ripe black fruits and olive, firm dry mouth-feel with generous rounded texture. Promising. 88-90

Domaine de la Pertuisane
2004 Le Nain Violet (Grenache Carignan Syrah) - closed up and difficult to taste as it had just been bottled: firm yet elegant and long with attractive underlying fruit and well handled wood texture. 88-90
2004 La Pertuisane (90% Grenache, Carignan) - similar story to above: pretty oaky at the moment with fleshy underlying fruit, very concentrated and powerful with firm grip and oak coating. However, it is balanced despite all this and 15% alc, thanks to its subtle mineral freshness and that lovely dark fruit. Needs time. 90-92These wines are available in London from Planet of the Grapes on New Oxford Street, priced from £15 to £40.

Mas Karolina
2004 CdRV (Grenache Syrah Carignan)  - smoky and sweet-scented, nice ripe black fruit, concentrated and powerful enough to soak up the oak, dry grip v sweet coating; brawny (15%) but brainy too. 89-90
Maury Vin Doux Naturel (VDN) - luscious black cherry and liquorice, opulent and sweet balanced by lively bite of alcohol and tannins; try with a mature hard cheese such as Gruyere. 90-92

Vignerons de Caramany
2004 CdRV - a bit cardboardy on the nose but this was a vat sample, elegant layered fruit with subtle tannins and fresh bite. 85-87

Domaine Jouret et Fils
2004 Cuvée les 3 Soeurs CdRV - red pepper and spicy black live aromas, 'sweet' v floral; stiff and fresh mouth-feel with interesting wild ripe side. 87

Mas de Lavail
2004 la Désirade CdRV - ripe 'tar' notes lead to an oaky palate, rounded and full; closes up firmly with slight bitterness, again too young to tell. 89+
2004 Tradition CdRV - subtle perfumed fruit showing damsons with light oak, perhaps a little 'burnt' in style yet has good power and black fruit centre. 87-89

Clos de l'Oum

2004 Numéro Uno CdRV - the nose is a bit 'reductive', moving on to a concentrated firm palate set against blackberry/olive fruit; rather closed up and awkward but could develop nicely. 87-89+

Domaine de la Fou
2004 Ricochet CdRV - alluring cassis and black cherry fruit, fine and soft v fresh and firm, stylish length. 87-89
2004 la Clue (Cinsault Grenache) - closed nose to start, cinnamon spice and raisin fruit on the palate, quite big and firm yet nice ripe depth of fruit too. 87

Les Clos Perdus
L'Extreme Vin de table - wild rustic notes surrounded by rich black cherry, attractive mouth-feel with earthy black olive undertones, grippy and powerful with lively core. 87-89

Mas des Frèdes
2004 Grenache Noir, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes - attractive floral cherry and liquorice, elegant fruit v a tad of dry tannin, nice easy drinking style. 85-87

Roussillon - the north: 27 reds to knock your socks off (part 1).

This spicy variety of reds features some of my top picks from a Wines of Roussillon tasting in London (in June), and other recommendations from recent wine shopping. These include reds from the 2019, 2020 and 2021 vintages, as well as a few older, more mature and sometimes special bottlings. They were made by different-sized wine producers across the northern Roussillon - Les Pyrénées Orientales is the département name - or 'French Catalonia' as I coined in the subtitle of my book on the region.

Australia: Grenache and 'Med reds'

Turkey Flat Grenache
from  turkeyflat.com.au

Friday 21 September is International Grenache Day, so here's my special topical report!
Besides straight Shiraz (click there to browse recent post immediately below this one), or sometimes blended with a small dollop of Viognier, there's also an exciting, and logical, trend in Australia towards making 'Rhone' or 'Mediterranean' style red varietals and cocktails, with increasing interest in planting more e.g. Spanish, Italian and Portuguese varieties in certain hot regions. This isn't totally new of course, given that there are a few plots of 100+ year-old Shiraz and Grenache still standing and producing in the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale (see wines below e.g. d'Arenberg and click here to read about that in my Aus Grenache report last year). What I call Mediterranean varietals and blends, for the sake of argument and in addition to Grenache and Shiraz/Syrah, includes Mourvèdre aka Mataro or Monastrell, which some winemakers are really getting to grips with, on its own or in a mix with S and G. While other wineries are experimenting further with Spanish grapes such as Tempranillo, or Italian imports like Sangiovese. I've also thrown in a delicious Port style fortified wine from Grant Burge, which does fit neatly into my hot Med/Rhone red category being unashamedly GMS, even if it's nothing like the others... Retail prices are for Ireland in euros; many of them will be available in the UK, North America etc.

Barossa Valley

Yalumba 2009 Bush Vine Grenache - enticing ripe liquorice tinged nose with peppery edges, quite soft mouth-feel with savoury vs 'sweet' fruit, dry tannins and a bit of kick on the finish but it doesn't really show up. €18-€20
Two Hands Wines 2010 Yesterday's Hero Grenache - herby berry vs spicy/sweet liquorice aromas, tasty juicy fruity palate with power and grip; delicious stuff. €30
Turkey Flat 2009 Grenache - savoury and leather tones vs 'sweet' liquorice and spice, concentrated and weighty with nice grip, meaty vs ripe flavours, rich vs dry finish. +€20

Two Hands Wines 2010 Brave Faces Grenache Shiraz Mataro - attractive 'sweet' berry fruit, spicy and soft with punchy length, dry vs ripe lingering flavours. €27
Turkey Flat 2010 Butcher's Block Red (Shiraz Grenache Mourvèdre, 14.5% alc) - subtle oak layered with lovely ripe blackberry/cherry fruit and savoury black olive notes too, soft and juicy mouth-feel then finishing firmer and punchy, bitter twist vs 'sweet'/savoury flavours; different. €15-€18

Turkey Flat 2007 Mourvèdre - browning colour with meaty wild black olive hints, powerful and chunky mouth-feel vs concentrated and lush, attractive herby bitter twist too; old-fashioned 'Bandol' style! +€20
Grant Burge 10 Year Old Tawny (Grenache Mourvèdre Shiraz, 19% alc) - complex Port (or 'red Madeira' even!) style with dried berry and caramel aromas, oily maturing nutty flavours vs sweet dried fruits vs punchy finish. Lovely fortified wine. €20+ 
John Duval 2006 'Plexus' Shiraz Grenache Mourvèdre - minty vs savoury nose, mature vs solid palate, still quite tight vs smoky flavoured on the finish; fairly understated actually. €20+

McLaren Vale

d'Arenberg 2009 Stump Jump GSM - smoky savoury nose, chunky yet mature palate, oxidising a bit vs some oomph left on the finish. €10-€12
d'Arenberg 2007 d'Arry's Original GSM - mature nose with 'tar' and leather tones, savoury vs lush dark berry and spice flavours, concentrated chunky grippy finish; lovely wilder style with power vs enticing maturing savoury side. €18-€20
Willunga 100 2010 Grenache - a bit 'reductive' on the nose, moves on to juicy 'sweet' liquorice fruit vs dry grip, dark peppery and lush with bitter chocolate twist, taut and firm finish; needs time to open up. €12-€15

Victoria

Brown Brothers 2010 Dolcetto & Syrah (10% alc) - perfumed 'Nouveau' nose with cherry and cassis fruit, lightly frothy 'frizzante' style with a bit of sugar and lively cherry finish; refreshingly different! €10-€12

Brown Brothers 2010 Tempranillo (14.5%) - slightly earthy nose, perfumed and creamy red and black fruit palate, turning more 'sweet/savoury' with firm and dry vs drinking well finish. Nice 'Med' style. €10-€12

Western Australia - Margaret River

McHenry Hohnen 2007 Three Amigos red (SGM) - smoky meaty developed nose vs ripe berry and cinnamon, has a bit of oomph and subtle concentration vs soft tannins and enticing maturing 'sweet/savoury' fruit finish. Good stuff. €20+

Côtes du Rhône mini-focus

Here's a Grenache and Syrah infused selection of various and varied southern Rhône Valley producers with some of their worth-mentioning winter-warming reds, which I've stumbled across over the last few months...

 From rasteau.com

Les Vignerons d'Estézargues
A mini-co-op winery formed by 10 growers in and around the village of Estézargues, where their cellar is located, which lies roughly between Avignon and the famous Pont du Gard viaduct (without mentioning the Romans). They favour a 'natural' winemaking approach apparently (who doesn't nowadays). These two cost about £10.95-£13.95 at Roberson's in London (so posh prices then); and the US importer is Jenny & François selections.

Les Galets 2012 Côtes du Rhône (Grenache, Carignan; organic, 13.5% abv) - perfumed nose, quite light texture (although not in alcohol) with tasty berry fruit finish.

Grés Saint-Vincent 2011 Côtes du Rhône Villages (Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault; organic, 14% abv) - similar profile perhaps although more concentrated, powerful and elegant too, paradoxically, with a light bitter twist of tannin.

Domaine Saint Etienne

Michel Coullomb's vineyards lie on rolling pebbley terrain around a little place called Montfrin, sitting pretty much smack in the middle of a crow-flies line between Nimes and Avignon (just in the Languedoc technically). Available from Leon Stolarski Fine Wines in the UK (£ price quoted) and Mitchell & Son in Dublin (€).

Perserose 2012 IGP Pays du Gard (Grenache, Syrah, Carignan; 14% abv) - easy-going red, nice sweet liquorice fruit plus a bit of oomph to finish. £7.75

Les Galets 2010 Côtes du Rhône Villages (2/3 Grenache, 1/3 Syrah; 13.5% abv) - attractive Grenache-dominant style showing white pepper and liquorice flavours, fairly concentrated too with balanced soft vs grippy mouth-feel. €17.99 Ireland

Cocagne 2011 Côtes du Rhône (Syrah, Grenache) - hints of toasted choco oak, lots of minty dark cherry fruit though, rich vs firm palate with concentrated finish; nice style. €18.50 cellar door.

Domaine de Mourchon

There's a short-and-sweet profile (scribbled a couple of years ago) of this quite exciting off-the-beaten track estate winery in wild Séguret country, owned by the McKinlay family, and some of their previously tasted vintages HERE. A trio of more recent releases are reviewed for your pleasure below. UK: the Wine Company (Colchester), Big Red Wine Co. (£ prices quoted). Good distribution in the US it seems: the two 'Villages' reds here are about $20+ and $25-$30.

La Source 2012 Côtes du Rhône white (Grenache blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, Clairette, Bourboulenc) - charming honeysuckle notes, yeast-lees and peachy fruit; quite rich and tasty with nice crisp touch too. £9.59

Tradition 2011 Séguret Côtes du Rhône Villages (Grenache, Syrah, Carignan) - enticing sweet liquorice and dark berry fruit, hints of spice and dry grip vs fairly soft and tasty finish. £10 (case price) to £13.99 a bottle.

Grande Reserve 2011 Séguret Côtes du Rhône Villages (Grenache, Syrah; older vines) - earthier and chunkier, punchy 15.5% alcohol layered with lots of lush dark fruit vs good bite too. Wow. £18.99

Cave de Rasteau

You'll find previous words on this fairly go-getting co-op HERE (about their sumptuous fortified red Vin Doux Naturel) that basically forms the backbone of the Rasteau village appellation, supplemented by a handful of very good independent estates (some of them are linked below); and HERE as well (note on the 2011 'Tradition'). Here's what I thought of two of their latest vintage releases.

Ortas 'Tradition' 2012 Rasteau (Grenache 70%, Syrah 20%, Mourvèdre 10%, 14.5% abv) - Deceptively fruity and soft at first, turning warmer and more powerful, plenty of tasty blackberry/cherry, damson and liquorice with earthy touches; a hint of dry grip vs sweet ripe fruit, spice and oomph to finish. Drinking nicely now. €7.90 cellar door, £9.95 Hercules Wine Warehouse (Kent, UK), €14.49 O'Brien's (Ireland).

'Prestige' 2010 Rasteau (Grenache 50%, Syrah 35%, Mourvèdre 15% from very stony hillside terraces, small proportion aged in oak; 14.5% abv) - rich ripe and earthy with liquorice and kirsch notes, peppery and minty too; concentrated, powerful, solid and grippy vs lush dark berry fruit with spicy edges; tightens up on the finish, still a bit young although drinking well with the right kind of food, e.g. Chinese roast duck actually. €18.49 O'Brien's, €10 cellar door.

Other Côtes du Rhône stuff elsewhere on this site you might like to glance at:

Domaine Brusset, Cairanne

Rhône: "reds of the moment"

Southern Rhône: Grenache half-dozen

World Grenache Competition: Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Domaine Jean David, Séguret

Domaine Coteaux des Travers, Rasteau

And there's a bit of 'blurb and bottles' from the northern Rhône as well lying craftily below this post (or click here:) Domaine Belle, Crozes-Hermitage.

Millésime Bio organic wine fair

"My pick of Millésime Bio organic wine fair 2006: twenty estates sampled and reviewed from the Languedoc, Roussillon, Provence and southern Rhone; plus 'a few facts and thoughts' on organics..."

This organic wine fair - strictly speaking wines made from organically grown grapes in Brussels speak - took place in Narbonne (Languedoc) on 16th-18th January 2006. Here's my pick of south-of-France, "new age" growers: star discoveries include Coston, Etoile du Matin, Siméoni, Traginer, Pech-Latt and Borie la Vitarele. You can also read this news item about the show. Organic: what and why? A few facts and thoughts...

"Organic doesn't necessarily mean guaranteed or better quality, but overall wine quality is now much higher than say ten years ago. Organic growers rightly claim it's more about a whole way of life, and there's no doubt that this philosophy coupled with fussy attention in the vineyard can produce superb grapes. Here are a few facts about certified organic status (said to be more strictly controlled than for regular AOC) to highlight the main points."

"The conversion period is three years so commitment and dedication are required, especially as the vines are probably more vulnerable during this transition stage. No synthetic chemicals or fertilisers are used in the vineyard, but "natural chemical" substances such as copper sulphate solution (against mildew) and sulphur dioxide (a preservative amongst other uses) are permitted. However, max levels of SO2 in winemaking are sometimes half that for non-organic (although not always). The idea is to foster living soil, biodiversity in the vineyard and hence naturally healthy vines. It goes without saying that genetically engineered vines and winemaking products, such as GM yeast, are not tolerated. Some organic winemakers might use standard commercial yeasts if necessary; but e.g. full-Monty biodynamic growers wouldn't normally add them, as indigenous yeasts on the grapes are considered part of the terroir. The whole philosophy often carries through down the line, in terms of managing winery waste, water supplies, carbon emissions, packaging etc. At the end of the day, it doesn't make a lot of sense to go on about the importance of terroir, yet systematically destroy it with potent chemicals!"

Domaine Coston
2003 Coteaux du Languedoc (Syrah, Grenache & Carignan) - lovely herbal spicy blackberry fruit, turning earthy with liquorice notes; quite tight fresh palate, showing grip and elegance with mint and black cherry on the length. 89+
2003 Coteaux du Languedoc, Les Garigoles (Syrah & Grenache) - more complex and spicier than above, rich liquorice and hints of leather then tight firm mouth-feel, very light oak on top of ripe perfumed fruit, powerful framework yet balanced. 90-92
2005 Coteaux du Languedoc blanc (Grenache Blanc & Roussanne) - quite rich mealy and aromatic, citrus peel notes set against very light toast, apricot and cream; good mineral bite and length. 87-89

Château de L'Ou
2002 L'Harmonie (Syrah, Grenache & Carignan) - soft and forward, mature fruit set against more structured finish; good for 2002. 85+
2005 Côtes du Roussillon (from barrique) (Syrah & Grenache) - shows lovely depth of black fruits and spices, long elegant finish; promising. 87-90

Domaine des Auzines
2005 Corbières blanc - (Grenache Gris & Grenache Blanc) - displays good balance of lightly toasty oak, creaminess and citrus fruit; should be interesting after a few months in bottle. 85-87
2004 Cuvée des Roches - somewhat oak dominated at the moment, but this is rich and structured with attractive grip and length; shows promise. 88-90

Domaine Cazes
2003 Credo, Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot - a touch of oak but not too much, firm yet ripe palate, tight elegant finish; needs a couple of years to shine. 87
2003 Rivesaltes Grenat, Vin Doux Naturel - lively liquorice Grenache flavours, sweet berry fruit with notes of leather, good bite and grip maintain the balance. 87-89

Domaine Malavieille
2003 La Boutine, Vin de Pays (Chenin Blanc) - Savennières style (fine dry oak aged white from the Loire): rich and mealy, rounded oily melon fruit followed by  a touch of fresh acidity on the finish. 87-89
2003 Alliance, Coteaux du Languedoc (Syrah, Mourvèdre & Grenache) - quite rich and peppery, still young and tight on the palate; should develop and round out in 1-2 years. 87-89

Domaine l'Etoile du Matin
2004 Corbières (Syrah & Grenache) - attractive ripe v savoury fruit, black cherry v leather; quite concentrated and powerful with lingering black olive character. 87-89
2004 Etoile du Matin (Grenache) - they only made 300 bottles of this peppery rustic pure Grenache, lots of rich dark fruits with firm tannins yet ripe rounded finish; wow! 90-92

Domaine Borie la Vitarele
2004 Saint-Chinian Terres Blanches (Syrah & Grenache) - attractive smoky peppery nose paves the way to a firm concentrated palate, closes up a little on the finish but it's still young. 87-89
2003 Saint-Chinian Les Schistes - grippier and weightier than above, lovely pure fruit underneath, firm long finish. 89-91

Château de Caraguilhes
2005 Corbières rosé - very appealing strawberry fruit and weight, then fresh crisp and long. 87+
2004 Corbières rouge - nice depth of youthful cherry fruit with tobacco edges, well handled tannins on the finish. 88-90

Château Pech-Latt
2003 Corbières vieilles vignes (Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre & Syrah) - concentrated with firm tannins set against attractive tobacco and plum fruit; needs a few months to open up. 87-89
2004 Corbières Alix - ripe and silky liquorice and herb flavours build to dry grip and elegant length. 89-91

Domaine du Traginer
2003 Collioure (Syrah, Grenache & Mourvèdre) - lovely pure floral Syrah style backed up by richer liquorice fruit, effortlessly moving on to grip, power and elegance on the finish. 90+
2003 Cuvée du Capitas - rich black fruits and olive with nice peppery undertones, leading to a firmer tighter palate with more finesse. 90-92
2003 Banyuls mise tardive - turning brown with maturing raisin fruit, very rich mouthful balanced by lovely bite and length. 90

Domaine Siméoni
2005 Mourvèdre rosé (vat sample) - tight zingy and elegant v weighty, lots of underlying fruit waiting to leap out. 87
2004 Mourvèdre - youthful black cherry fruit with earthy peppery notes, nice olive fruit and grip on the finish. 87
2004 Saint-Chinian la Toure - quite rich and chunky, pretty firm at the moment yet concentrated with long spicy floral black cherry finish. 89-91
2004 Saint-Chinian l'Ame des Schistes (Syrah & Mourvèdre) - very firm and concentrated, again offers lovely spicy floral fruit. 90-92
La Tete a l'Envers (100% Syrah) - peppery violet fruit, lovely 'modern' style with elegance and length. 88-90

Château Sainte Anne
2003 Bandol Collection - plenty of rustic black cherry/olive fruit, concentrated and grippy; very young at the moment, has a bright future. 90-92
1993 Bandol Collection - mature rustic nose with dried fruits and liquorice, complex and minty, still has some dry grip yet soft and round on the finish. 92-94
More Sainte Anne wines on the Bandol/Mourvedre page in the archive, right.

Domaine de la Courtade
2003 Courtade blanc, Côtes de Provence (Rolle) - very creamy with yeast lees edges, rich and complex. 87-90
2003 Courtade rouge, Côtes de Provence (mostly Mourvèdre) - subtle, tight and peppery fruit with leather notes, attractive grip and finish. 87

Domaine de Mayrac
2003 Vin de Pays tradition (Cabernet Franc & Syrah) - soft ripe mouthful leads to a touch of grip and tangy berry fruit. 87
Blanquette de Limoux - quite fine and elegant sparkler, lightly yeasty with crisp finish. 85-87

Domaine Raymond Roque
2004 Faugères - soft and ripe with raspberry and liquorice, good fruit and tannin extract yet elegant and light. 87
2003 Faugères Nature - fuller than above with spicy ripe cassis and tobacco notes; firmer finish, more powerful too yet still elegant. 89

Domaine Delmas
Crémant de Limoux - quite intense appley fruit with fresh bite and stylish finish. 87
2002 Limoux Haute-Vallée (Chardonnay) - fairly toasty fruit balanced by yeast lees richness and complexity, fresh acidity and length. 87-89

Domaine Rouaud
2005 Muscat sec Frivole - lively pure fruit flavours, tight zesty palate yet fuller bodied than usual for this style (50% of the wine sees barrique). 89
2004 Grenache - shows attractive ripe fruit and liquorice Grenache style, soft yet powerful too. 87+

Domaine Traslepuy
2004 Côtes du Rhône - appealing chunky spicy fruit, good balance of tannin, ripeness and elegance. 87
2004 Lirac - greater depth and firmer mouthfeel, attractive 'sweet' Grenache fruit and power; nice classic style. 90

Domaine Jorel
2004 Grenache Pétaillat - rich and structured with sumptuous dark prune fruit; needs 6-12 months to unfold. 90
Maury Vin Doux Naturel - bitter chocolate v blackberry/cherry sweetness, tempered by youthful dry tannins. 89

Domaines de Petit Roubié
2005 Marsanne - characterful waxy honeysuckle fruit, nice fresh bite v yeast lees intensity. 87
2004 Picpoul de Pinet - lovely concentrated zesty gummy fruit balanced by crisp acidity and fine length. 90

Latest on most of the above estates can be found by searching through the winery A to Z on the right.