Pierre Clavel’s name often crops up among those estates considered as leading lights in the Languedoc; and when you taste his wines, it’s not hard to see why. But they aren’t showy, like the people behind them (a laid-back welcome to this attractive neck-of-the-woods, just north of Montpellier, is part of their style by the way); showing in fact purity, depth and balance as a hallmark across the range. Pierre is Jean Clavel's son: a long-time Languedoc winegrower, activist and historian who has an info-packed blog dedicated to the region's wines and the fate of its growers, past (especially the 1907 Revolt) and future (e.g. news and views on EC wine reforms); and who was a great help for an article I did in Decanter magazine (December 2007 issue) - more on that by clicking here (page down to "CRAV - 100 years of protest").
Back to Domaine Clavel, having worked more or less organically for many years, Pierre will be officially certified (or rather the vines will, not meaning to imply he's certifiable!) from the 2008 vintage; a particularly cracking one too from evidence of the tank and barrel samples I tried, see below. They recently replanted a very stony chalky and sloping vineyard at Mas de Périé with Syrah and Muscat (possibilities of a Languedoc-style Cote Rotie perhaps?), and have also leased some plots in the nearby Pic Saint-Loup appellation, whose official ‘border’ is actually only a few hundred metres away from here. Otherwise the bulk of Pierre's older vineyards are located in ‘Grés de Montpellier’ country on the highly rated terroirs of La Méjanelle and around Saint-Christol.
My favourites include Le Marteau and Copa Santa, both of which need a few years to open up and express themselves fully. Next time you're in Montpellier, why not try them in the comfort of their neat spacious and large-windowed tasting room opposite the cellar? To get there, drive through the village of Assas heading north, following the sign for Sainte-Croix, then take a left down the tree-lined track (second left a few minutes out of the village) that leads up to the winery buildings. They also have a family holiday gite on site or do B&B outside of the summer season - see website for details. Pierre's top reds might be on the pricey side - Copa Santa €14.50 and Des Clous €26 - but his Le Mas red and rosé start at €5.60: "you have to eat and keep things ticking over," as he put it.
These wines tried and tested at Millésime Bio wine show (Montpellier January) and/or at the domaine in February 2009:
2008 Cascaille Coteaux du Languedoc 'La Méjanelle' (Roussanne,Grenache blanc, Vermentino & splash of Viognier) - lean mineral edges v pear and citrus fruit, layered with light yeast-lees notes and finishing with nice elegant bite. 85+
2007 Cascaille (13%) - lightly exotic and aromatic with subtle lees undertones, fresh mineral bite v gently creamy finish. 85+
2008 Les Garrigues (Grenache Mourvèdre) - lovely perfumed herbal nose v rich liquorice too, thick fruit and tannins yet relatively light and juicy; concentrated dark fruits, liquorice and spice lead the charge on the finish. 89(+)
2006 Les Garrigues (Syrah Mourvèdre Grenache) - nice smoky ripe black fruits; fine grained soft-ish tannins, quite elegant and tasty length. 87(+)
2008 Le Marteau (Syrah Grenache Carignan from St-Christol) - delicious spicy wild herbs and black cherry Syrah style; again concentrated yet juicy fruity with solid v fresh finish. 91+
2007 Le Marteau - closed nose at first, moving on to spicy minty black cherry fruit, quite rich and seductive; firm tannins but not very, attractive lively undercurrent as well. 90+2006 Le Marteau - rather cold but showing a slightly richer nose v herbal cassis complexity; firm structured and powerful v spicy dark fruit and bitter chocolate on the finish (no wood though); needs a few months and warmer environment to open up, as it's beginning to taste well. 89+
2008 Copa Santa (Syrah Grenache Mourvèdre from La Méjanelle) - slightly reduced on the nose to start (unfinished sample remember), turning cassis; much firmer and tighter v lush liquorice, big grip and concentration; very promising, please don't swamp it in too much oak! 92-94
2006 Copa Santa - again rather cold with coconut oak quite prominent; thick coating of tannins and fruit, tight and long finish; needs 1-2 years. Next day: the oak has merged in more, revealing denser 'sweeter' fruit v thick layer of dry yet nicely grained tannins; dark cherry, chocolate and spice lurking in the background. 90-92
Copa Santa 2004 here ("Languedoc & Roussillon reds over €10" tasting).
Mas de Périé, Route de Sainte-Croix, 34820 Assas. Tel: 04 99 62 06 13, info@vins-clavel.fr, www.vins-clavel.fr.
01 February 2009
Languedoc: Les Sabots d'Hélène, Corbières
Les Sabots d'Hélène
Amiable Alban Michel established Les Sabots d’Hélène in 2005. Apart from being his girlfriend's name, this refers to a title of a George Brassens' song, I'm reliably informed from a Google search, the cult French 'folk' singer - songwriter (for want of a better word, his lyrics are often more poetic and cutting than what you might usually refer to as 'folk'). So Alban is now the other new winegrower (along with Geoffroy Marchand at L'Etoile de Matin) in the blink-and-miss-it village of Feuilla, bringing their number to a grand total of two (not much more room there for another cellar anyway). Alban is originally from the northeast, French Mosel country, and landed here after working in the southern Rhone and over the hills in the Roussillon. He talked about "the gold mine" this area represents and how the locals had missed the point, with its inexpensive vineyard land, fine old vines and climate so suitable for organic and biodynamic growing (he does). His domaine comes to a slender 4.5 hectares / 12 acres of (mostly Carignan) vines lying at altitude along the vividly wild southern chunk of the craggy Corbières hills. But he isn't very interested in expanding in size as he can do everything himself this way.
Alban's wines are priced between €9 and €14, I tasted these in Jan/Feb 2009:
2006 La LiberTerre Vin de Pays Coteaux du Littoral Audois (100% Carignan 13.5%) - 1. very cold when I tried it in his cellar: a bit dominated by woody notes at first, lush v aromatic cassis fruit underneath then tight firm length. Needs a year or so in bottle I suspect.
2. Less obvious oak when warmer and aerated a little, although still has light coco spice, texture and flavour; similarly dense and powerful with aromatic cassis & blueberry, turning more liquoricey and meaty after left open for a day; nice dry v sweet texture, chunky pure fruit and spice; beginning to turn savoury, well-balanced and tasty finish. 89+?
2007 L'Abus d'ange heureux Vin de Liqueur de Carignan - delicious raspberry, liquorice and treacle flavours / aromas balanced by spicy intensity (17%) and dry tannins; very nice and unusual too. (60 g/l residual sugar)
2006 La Mauvaise Réputation Vin de Pays Coteaux du Littoral Audois (100% Carignan 14% alc. unfiltered) - quite coconut oaky at first, but when it warmed up plus with a bit of air (in fact it was better after being open for 2 days), it had appealing aromatic cassis, black cherry & blueberry fruit; thick-textured dry tannins, concentrated pure fruit with that oak moving into the background; powerful and firm v lush, pure and tasty. 89+?
2006 Pas de Bla Blah Corbières (Syrah Carignan 13.5%) - quite intense and aromatic showing attractive lush fruit with funky edges, black cherry spice and liquorice; ripe v very dry textured, concentrated rich and spicy although a touch grainy / gritty. Full of character but again there's perhaps something slightly intrusive about those barrels, in terms of texture on the finish? 88(-90)
11510 Feuilla Tel : 04 68 64 94 20 / 06 32 88 44 63, www.sabotshelene.com.
Amiable Alban Michel established Les Sabots d’Hélène in 2005. Apart from being his girlfriend's name, this refers to a title of a George Brassens' song, I'm reliably informed from a Google search, the cult French 'folk' singer - songwriter (for want of a better word, his lyrics are often more poetic and cutting than what you might usually refer to as 'folk'). So Alban is now the other new winegrower (along with Geoffroy Marchand at L'Etoile de Matin) in the blink-and-miss-it village of Feuilla, bringing their number to a grand total of two (not much more room there for another cellar anyway). Alban is originally from the northeast, French Mosel country, and landed here after working in the southern Rhone and over the hills in the Roussillon. He talked about "the gold mine" this area represents and how the locals had missed the point, with its inexpensive vineyard land, fine old vines and climate so suitable for organic and biodynamic growing (he does). His domaine comes to a slender 4.5 hectares / 12 acres of (mostly Carignan) vines lying at altitude along the vividly wild southern chunk of the craggy Corbières hills. But he isn't very interested in expanding in size as he can do everything himself this way.
Alban's wines are priced between €9 and €14, I tasted these in Jan/Feb 2009:
2006 La LiberTerre Vin de Pays Coteaux du Littoral Audois (100% Carignan 13.5%) - 1. very cold when I tried it in his cellar: a bit dominated by woody notes at first, lush v aromatic cassis fruit underneath then tight firm length. Needs a year or so in bottle I suspect.
2. Less obvious oak when warmer and aerated a little, although still has light coco spice, texture and flavour; similarly dense and powerful with aromatic cassis & blueberry, turning more liquoricey and meaty after left open for a day; nice dry v sweet texture, chunky pure fruit and spice; beginning to turn savoury, well-balanced and tasty finish. 89+?
2007 L'Abus d'ange heureux Vin de Liqueur de Carignan - delicious raspberry, liquorice and treacle flavours / aromas balanced by spicy intensity (17%) and dry tannins; very nice and unusual too. (60 g/l residual sugar)
2006 La Mauvaise Réputation Vin de Pays Coteaux du Littoral Audois (100% Carignan 14% alc. unfiltered) - quite coconut oaky at first, but when it warmed up plus with a bit of air (in fact it was better after being open for 2 days), it had appealing aromatic cassis, black cherry & blueberry fruit; thick-textured dry tannins, concentrated pure fruit with that oak moving into the background; powerful and firm v lush, pure and tasty. 89+?
2006 Pas de Bla Blah Corbières (Syrah Carignan 13.5%) - quite intense and aromatic showing attractive lush fruit with funky edges, black cherry spice and liquorice; ripe v very dry textured, concentrated rich and spicy although a touch grainy / gritty. Full of character but again there's perhaps something slightly intrusive about those barrels, in terms of texture on the finish? 88(-90)
11510 Feuilla Tel : 04 68 64 94 20 / 06 32 88 44 63, www.sabotshelene.com.
Roussillon: Domaine Vaquer, Tresserre
Domaine Vaquer
Having unearthed a bottle of their sublime 1991 Cuvée Fernand Vaquer ("wines of the moment" April 2006), a red Vin de Pays Catalan, in a posh wine shop in Perpignan; I felt a visit was in order. Frédérique Vaquer now runs this distinctive estate located in Tresserre off the main road to Le Boulou and Spain. Frédérique described their philosophy as "looking for finesse, a lighter elegant style rather than extracted and rich... more like Burgundy that will age." I like their wines, which certainly are different (and quite pricey) and unashamedly labelled Vin de Pays, as they're not very interested in appellation rules or conforming to what's supposed to be typical of the area (actually, things have changed just a little since then - see update below). They also offer several old vintages of reds and whites even: read on for updates...
Having unearthed a bottle of their sublime 1991 Cuvée Fernand Vaquer ("wines of the moment" April 2006), a red Vin de Pays Catalan, in a posh wine shop in Perpignan; I felt a visit was in order. Frédérique Vaquer now runs this distinctive estate located in Tresserre off the main road to Le Boulou and Spain. Frédérique described their philosophy as "looking for finesse, a lighter elegant style rather than extracted and rich... more like Burgundy that will age." I like their wines, which certainly are different (and quite pricey) and unashamedly labelled Vin de Pays, as they're not very interested in appellation rules or conforming to what's supposed to be typical of the area (actually, things have changed just a little since then - see update below). They also offer several old vintages of reds and whites even: read on for updates...
Tasted June 2006:
2002 L'Exception blanc (Macabeu Grenache Blanc, 14%) - toasty but not too much, adding coconut spice to its complex oily texture and richness, fresh acidity and nice length. €14.50 89
1995 Blanc de Blancs Tradition (Macabeu) - mature oily aromas, oxidised fruit with steely backbone; interesting although a bit old. €8 85
2002 L'Exigence rouge (Grenache) - nice plum and liquorice nose, mature 'sweet' fruit v meaty spice, firmer rounded palate, elegant v powerful finish. €9 87+2004 L'Expression rouge (Carignan) - shows good depth of fruit and concentration, quite volatile but complex and unusual (see re-tasting below). €12 87-89
2003 Cuvée Bernard Vaquer (Carignan Grenache Syrah) - developed intricate wild herb, black cherry and liquorice tones; nice soft fruit with leather notes, rounded easy tannins and light dry finish. €7.50 88-90
1985 rouge - a little old and oxidising but its complex meaty characters, soft liquorice fruit and subtle finish give it charm; much better with food too. €18 89
2005 Muscat de Rivesaltes - very zesty floral nose with white peach and citrus notes, nice extract, intense v sweet length with balanced finish. €9 90
1995 Post-Scriptum, Rivesaltes Tuilé (Grenache) - appealing cooked red fruit nose with interesting oxidised pecan nut tones, rich and sweet yet very fruity, finishing with a touch and tannin and alcohol to balance. €13 89
Vieux Rivesaltes ambré (Grenache gris & blanc, Macabeu) - intriguing Madeira like aromas, walnut tang with toffee richness, not too heavy thanks to subtle length. €13 90+
Winter 2009:
1986 rouge - attractive mature Burgundy style with dried "sweet" red fruits turning very savoury, cheesy and intricate; velvety mouthfeel with delicious liquorice vs meaty flavours, gets older in the glass and beginning to fade quite quickly, so enjoy it now as it's not going to keep much longer. Still very nice though. 90
The Winery in London stocks several Vaquer wines: click here to go to their site.
1 Rue des Ecoles, 66300 Tresserre. By appointment only: tel 04 68 38 89 53, fax 04 68 38 84 42; domainevaquer@terre-net.fr.
2002 L'Exception blanc (Macabeu Grenache Blanc, 14%) - toasty but not too much, adding coconut spice to its complex oily texture and richness, fresh acidity and nice length. €14.50 89
1995 Blanc de Blancs Tradition (Macabeu) - mature oily aromas, oxidised fruit with steely backbone; interesting although a bit old. €8 85
2002 L'Exigence rouge (Grenache) - nice plum and liquorice nose, mature 'sweet' fruit v meaty spice, firmer rounded palate, elegant v powerful finish. €9 87+2004 L'Expression rouge (Carignan) - shows good depth of fruit and concentration, quite volatile but complex and unusual (see re-tasting below). €12 87-89
2003 Cuvée Bernard Vaquer (Carignan Grenache Syrah) - developed intricate wild herb, black cherry and liquorice tones; nice soft fruit with leather notes, rounded easy tannins and light dry finish. €7.50 88-90
1985 rouge - a little old and oxidising but its complex meaty characters, soft liquorice fruit and subtle finish give it charm; much better with food too. €18 89
2005 Muscat de Rivesaltes - very zesty floral nose with white peach and citrus notes, nice extract, intense v sweet length with balanced finish. €9 90
1995 Post-Scriptum, Rivesaltes Tuilé (Grenache) - appealing cooked red fruit nose with interesting oxidised pecan nut tones, rich and sweet yet very fruity, finishing with a touch and tannin and alcohol to balance. €13 89
Vieux Rivesaltes ambré (Grenache gris & blanc, Macabeu) - intriguing Madeira like aromas, walnut tang with toffee richness, not too heavy thanks to subtle length. €13 90+
Vaquer update October 2008
A long overdue re-visit to effervescent Frédérique Vaquer's cosy garage (literally) tasting shop, on a lovely sunny mid-October afternoon I may add, yielded the following notes and comments from a somewhat extensive and remarkable tasting. The wines below are 'classified' Vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (out of choice rather than representing any preconceived ideas on quality or whatever) unless otherwise stated. However, Frédérique's L'Exception red is now AOC Côtes du Roussillon Les Aspres, from the 2005 vintage, as she decided to demarcate certain plots accordingly to make a statement blend of varieties.
2007 L'Ephémère rosé (Syrah Carignan 13.5%) – pretty serious style, still vibrant with tangy raspberry and redcurrant fruit v creamy & full mouth-feel; very dry refreshing finish with a lightly bitter twist of tannin, nice food rosé as perhaps a tad 'big' to drink on its own. €5.80 87+
2006 Exigence (Grenache 14%) - delicious smoky black cherry and liquorice, spicy and savoury underpinned by lovely fruit; powerful yet with nice subtle tannins, finishing with elegant fresh length. €9.50 88-902006 L'Expression (Carignan 13%) – smokier and more complex, liquorice v herbal edges; delicious fruit and refreshing style, makes you want more; firmer tannins than above yet lovely depth and finish. €26 magnum. 90-92
2004 L'Expression (Carignan 13%) – a tad oxidised (already opened) but again shows that richness v freshness thing, dry bite v fruity depth; less vibrant than the 06 although turning nicely savoury with leather and dried fruit edges. €12 89-91
2005 L'Exception Les Aspres (Grenache Cinsault Syrah 14%) - very tasty with attractive depth of rich dark spicy fruit v savoury edges; weighty yet elegant, closes up on the finish with subtle dry texture v lush length. Promising. 90-92
2001 L'Exception (mostly Carignan 14%) – smoky savoury meaty aromas with sexy almost salty dark chocolate undertones, bitter liquorice and dried herbs / fruits too; quite big and grippy still, although would drink very nicely now with game or a mature cheese like Gruyere. €14.50 89-91
2007 L'Extrait Rivesaltes Grenat (Grenache mûté sur grain: meaning the fortifying spirit is added while still fermenting with the crushed berries before pressing, and bottled young, similar to the way they make vintage Port) - delicious blackberry/cherry, very fruity and crunchy; lively and powerful palate (17%), luscious and sweet but with nice bite and style. €11 88+
1995 Post-Scriptum Rivesaltes (Grenache) - aged for much longer in cask. Complex mature cheesy notes layered with toffee and pecan; ageing fig and burnt chocolate flavours yet still has some freshness, long and stylish with a bit of bite making it seem less sweet on the finish. €13 90+
Rivesaltes ambré Hors d'Age 'solera' (Grenache gris & blanc, Macabeu 16.5%) - the base is 20+ year-old wines with younger ones added (like old sherry or tawny Port). Intricate Madeira like aromas, rich toffee and resiny fruit on the palate but not cloying, pecan and walnut flavours v refreshing bite and length; stays with you, mature cheesy v pruney v nutty aftertaste. 92-94
2007 Muscat de Rivesaltes (16.5%) - fragrant and quite fine, grapey Muscat aromas; sweet v bitter citrus peel edges, floral and fresh v dried apricot richness; has more depth and unctuousness than most. €9 89
1985 Blanc de Blancs Tradition, Vin de Pays Catalan (Macabeu 13%) - intriguing kind of old Burgundy v mature Riesling v Fino sherry style, oily rounded and toasted nutty; a bit over the hill although nice with fried trout fillet.
1986 Blanc de Blancs Tradition (Macabeu 13%) - strangely, more oxidised than the 85 with a rather bitter finish; past it I'm afraid but worth trying anyway!
A long overdue re-visit to effervescent Frédérique Vaquer's cosy garage (literally) tasting shop, on a lovely sunny mid-October afternoon I may add, yielded the following notes and comments from a somewhat extensive and remarkable tasting. The wines below are 'classified' Vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (out of choice rather than representing any preconceived ideas on quality or whatever) unless otherwise stated. However, Frédérique's L'Exception red is now AOC Côtes du Roussillon Les Aspres, from the 2005 vintage, as she decided to demarcate certain plots accordingly to make a statement blend of varieties.
2007 L'Ephémère rosé (Syrah Carignan 13.5%) – pretty serious style, still vibrant with tangy raspberry and redcurrant fruit v creamy & full mouth-feel; very dry refreshing finish with a lightly bitter twist of tannin, nice food rosé as perhaps a tad 'big' to drink on its own. €5.80 87+
2006 Exigence (Grenache 14%) - delicious smoky black cherry and liquorice, spicy and savoury underpinned by lovely fruit; powerful yet with nice subtle tannins, finishing with elegant fresh length. €9.50 88-902006 L'Expression (Carignan 13%) – smokier and more complex, liquorice v herbal edges; delicious fruit and refreshing style, makes you want more; firmer tannins than above yet lovely depth and finish. €26 magnum. 90-92
2004 L'Expression (Carignan 13%) – a tad oxidised (already opened) but again shows that richness v freshness thing, dry bite v fruity depth; less vibrant than the 06 although turning nicely savoury with leather and dried fruit edges. €12 89-91
2005 L'Exception Les Aspres (Grenache Cinsault Syrah 14%) - very tasty with attractive depth of rich dark spicy fruit v savoury edges; weighty yet elegant, closes up on the finish with subtle dry texture v lush length. Promising. 90-92
2001 L'Exception (mostly Carignan 14%) – smoky savoury meaty aromas with sexy almost salty dark chocolate undertones, bitter liquorice and dried herbs / fruits too; quite big and grippy still, although would drink very nicely now with game or a mature cheese like Gruyere. €14.50 89-91
2007 L'Extrait Rivesaltes Grenat (Grenache mûté sur grain: meaning the fortifying spirit is added while still fermenting with the crushed berries before pressing, and bottled young, similar to the way they make vintage Port) - delicious blackberry/cherry, very fruity and crunchy; lively and powerful palate (17%), luscious and sweet but with nice bite and style. €11 88+
1995 Post-Scriptum Rivesaltes (Grenache) - aged for much longer in cask. Complex mature cheesy notes layered with toffee and pecan; ageing fig and burnt chocolate flavours yet still has some freshness, long and stylish with a bit of bite making it seem less sweet on the finish. €13 90+
Rivesaltes ambré Hors d'Age 'solera' (Grenache gris & blanc, Macabeu 16.5%) - the base is 20+ year-old wines with younger ones added (like old sherry or tawny Port). Intricate Madeira like aromas, rich toffee and resiny fruit on the palate but not cloying, pecan and walnut flavours v refreshing bite and length; stays with you, mature cheesy v pruney v nutty aftertaste. 92-94
2007 Muscat de Rivesaltes (16.5%) - fragrant and quite fine, grapey Muscat aromas; sweet v bitter citrus peel edges, floral and fresh v dried apricot richness; has more depth and unctuousness than most. €9 89
1985 Blanc de Blancs Tradition, Vin de Pays Catalan (Macabeu 13%) - intriguing kind of old Burgundy v mature Riesling v Fino sherry style, oily rounded and toasted nutty; a bit over the hill although nice with fried trout fillet.
1986 Blanc de Blancs Tradition (Macabeu 13%) - strangely, more oxidised than the 85 with a rather bitter finish; past it I'm afraid but worth trying anyway!
Winter 2009:
1986 rouge - attractive mature Burgundy style with dried "sweet" red fruits turning very savoury, cheesy and intricate; velvety mouthfeel with delicious liquorice vs meaty flavours, gets older in the glass and beginning to fade quite quickly, so enjoy it now as it's not going to keep much longer. Still very nice though. 90
The Winery in London stocks several Vaquer wines: click here to go to their site.
1 Rue des Ecoles, 66300 Tresserre. By appointment only: tel 04 68 38 89 53, fax 04 68 38 84 42; domainevaquer@terre-net.fr.
Roussillon: Dom Brial - Château les Pins - Vignerons de Baixas
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| Church in Baixas |
Let me explain: the cooperative cellars in the pretty village of Baixas (west of Perpignan airport, pic.) go under the brand name Dom Brial - some of the wines with bright, sense-of-humour labels (lipstick & fruit) and others more trad - and own Château les Pins, their premium estate a stone's throw away. With this wide grape source "we can adapt to make what sells and what customers want," Claude Sarda told us during an enlightening, late summer visit. He also said there's a surplus of Vins Doux Naturels (sweet fortified whites and reds) but not really dry wines, the production ratio being about one-third to two-thirds. Their preferred solution is to come up with ideas to sell more sweet wines - this used to be a massive market in France - rather than stop making them. Either option is a brave choice...
Grapes from Les Pins are hand-sorted by about half-a-dozen people in the cellar; in general, control and traceability of the grapes' health, quality, sugar levels, provenance etc. are quite strict, as it should be in any big winery. Technical advisers work with the co-op growers (300 of them) in their vineyards, and everything is weighed and analysed on the spot when they deliver the fruit, before they proceed to unload. I'll spare you the chemical analysis but can confirm the little lab has a machine that goes ping. The winery, which takes up half of the village, has been totally refitted over the last ten years; so plenty of stainless steel and other shiny geeky stuff.
2002 Château les Pins Côtes du Roussillon blanc, vinifié en barriques (Grenache Blanc Malvoisie Roussanne) - oily oxidised development, fat-textured quite toasty yet concentrated; not for everyone and definitely needs food. €9 85+
2005 Rozy, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (Muscat Syrah) - quirky blend for this light, cheekily packaged (bikini clad bottle) rosé: fresh and aromatic with tangy finish, perfumed and easy yet has a bit of weight too. €4.50 82-84
2004 Dom Brial les Terres Rouges, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre Carignan, 13.5%) - nice peppery rustic black cherry and cassis notes, aromatic fruit v light grip and bite. €6 87
2002 Côtes du Roussillon Villages Elevé en fût de chêne (13.5%) - smoky mature liquorice nose, rustic black fruit set on a rounded soft palate; nice for 2002 (difficult vintage here). €6 87-89
2002 Château les Pins Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre Carignan) - similar to above but more complex and liquoricey, smoky perfumed fruit with elegant long finish. They also sell quite a few older vintages in their shop. €8.50 90+
2004 Château les Pins Rivesaltes Primage (Grenache, 15.5%) - attractive mix of sweet blackberry and leathery maturity, sugar-coated mouthful cut by drier tannins. €8 87-89
Above tasted on 5/9/06 - go down to 'France' on wines of the moment ('archive' on WineWriting.com) for reviews of other Brial wines, which are mostly sold in France at the moment although they have plans to increase their presence in the UK and US. More links to updates below.
Tasted summer 2007:
2006 Le Pot rosé (Syrah Cabernet 13%) - quite fat and juicy start with strawberry and redcurrant fruit, more elegant dry fresh finish. €3.50 87
"Wine of the moment" Feb 2009:
2008 Dom Brial Côtes du Roussillon rosé (Syrah Grenache 13%) - classic storming Roussillon rosé style, deep coloured with a light touch of tannin adding dry texture; 'winey' aromatic and crunchy red fruits with rose petal edges, juicy and zingy with chunky fruity mouth-feel and full dry finish. Nice foodie (e.g. hake fillet in Provencal sauce). €4.19 87+
More Brial here (2009 Saint-Bacchus awards) and here, my Oct. 2010 "wotm": 2009 Dom Ici Chardonnay/Macabeu.
Plus the latest medal winner is HERE (World Grenache Competition 2013).
Cave des Vignerons, 66390 Baixas. Tel: 04 68 64 22 37, contact@dom-brial.com, www.dom-brial.com.
2002 Château les Pins Côtes du Roussillon blanc, vinifié en barriques (Grenache Blanc Malvoisie Roussanne) - oily oxidised development, fat-textured quite toasty yet concentrated; not for everyone and definitely needs food. €9 85+
2005 Rozy, vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (Muscat Syrah) - quirky blend for this light, cheekily packaged (bikini clad bottle) rosé: fresh and aromatic with tangy finish, perfumed and easy yet has a bit of weight too. €4.50 82-84
2004 Dom Brial les Terres Rouges, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre Carignan, 13.5%) - nice peppery rustic black cherry and cassis notes, aromatic fruit v light grip and bite. €6 87
2002 Côtes du Roussillon Villages Elevé en fût de chêne (13.5%) - smoky mature liquorice nose, rustic black fruit set on a rounded soft palate; nice for 2002 (difficult vintage here). €6 87-89
2002 Château les Pins Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre Carignan) - similar to above but more complex and liquoricey, smoky perfumed fruit with elegant long finish. They also sell quite a few older vintages in their shop. €8.50 90+
2004 Château les Pins Rivesaltes Primage (Grenache, 15.5%) - attractive mix of sweet blackberry and leathery maturity, sugar-coated mouthful cut by drier tannins. €8 87-89
Above tasted on 5/9/06 - go down to 'France' on wines of the moment ('archive' on WineWriting.com) for reviews of other Brial wines, which are mostly sold in France at the moment although they have plans to increase their presence in the UK and US. More links to updates below.
Tasted summer 2007:
2006 Le Pot rosé (Syrah Cabernet 13%) - quite fat and juicy start with strawberry and redcurrant fruit, more elegant dry fresh finish. €3.50 87
"Wine of the moment" Feb 2009:
2008 Dom Brial Côtes du Roussillon rosé (Syrah Grenache 13%) - classic storming Roussillon rosé style, deep coloured with a light touch of tannin adding dry texture; 'winey' aromatic and crunchy red fruits with rose petal edges, juicy and zingy with chunky fruity mouth-feel and full dry finish. Nice foodie (e.g. hake fillet in Provencal sauce). €4.19 87+
More Brial here (2009 Saint-Bacchus awards) and here, my Oct. 2010 "wotm": 2009 Dom Ici Chardonnay/Macabeu.
Plus the latest medal winner is HERE (World Grenache Competition 2013).
Cave des Vignerons, 66390 Baixas. Tel: 04 68 64 22 37, contact@dom-brial.com, www.dom-brial.com.
Roussillon: Clos de Paulilles, Port-Vendres
UPDATE - the Dauré family sold the property to the Maison Cazes / AdVini group in 2013...
Clos de Paulilles is a 90 hectare (220 acre) estate, the biggest in the area with most of the vines spread around the stone cellar; something you don't often see amid the intricate collage of vineyards running along the coast from Collioure to Cerbère. Vines and winery nestle close to the sea on a picturesque bay between Port Vendres and Banyuls-sur-Mer, and the outdoor restaurant is open throughout the summer. The Dauré family also offers al fresco dining at Château de Jau, their property near Cases de Pène tucked away in the northern Roussillon countryside. They own a Chilean winery as well called Viña las Niñas.
Tasted Oct 2006:
2005 Collioure blanc (Grenache blanc & gris part fermented in barriques) - a bit cold for tasting (as opposed to nice temperature for quaffing) but shows floral notes, crisp mineral and aniseed palate with nutty rounded yet fresh finish. 85
2005 Collioure rosé (Grenache Syrah) - lots of vibrant red fruit aromas and flavours, quite chunky mouth-feel, textured and tasty v crisp and long. 87-89
2002 Collioure rouge (70+% Mourvèdre & Syrah) - smoky and ripe, nice grip v mature fruit, still could develop; good for a 2002. 89
2003 Banyuls 'Vintage' (= Rimage, see below. 100% Grenache) - lovely fresh black cherry fruit, solid dry tannins v sweet fruit, attractive style. 90
2002 Banyuls Cap Béar (aged in bonbonnes = glass demijohns. 100% Grenache) - more tawny in style with rich dried fruits, softer tannins and leather & raisin notes, long fine finish. 90-92
By the way, I also tried these Château de Jau wines (a tasting measure of each I hasten to add) with the grilled lunch menu at their idyllic restaurant in September:
2005 Côtes du Roussillon blanc (Vermentino Roussanne Marsanne) - fresh and mineral with crisp citrus fruit v touches of yeast-lees. Served with fougasse aux olives, a Mediterranean flat bread.
2005 Le Jaja de Jau rosé, vin de pays d'Oc (Grenache Syrah) - fun quaffable fruit juice to go with toasted tomato bread & cured ham.
2002 Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah Mourvèdre Carignan Grenache) - mature rustic style, nice dried cherry fruit on an easy palate; drinking now, it won't get any better. Grilled lamb cutlets.
2005 Muscat de Rivesaltes - lovely intense lemon and grape aromas, refreshing bite v rich sweetness; works well with the Roquefort.
Wine of the moment February 2009:
2008 Les Clos de Paulilles rosé Collioure (Grenache Syrah 13%) - chunky, red-fruity style with nice 'vinous' style, texture and weight; dry and zingy v creamy and full. A touch pricey though at €7.50. 87+
Clos de Paulilles, 66660 Port-Vendres (signposted off the main road between Port-Vendres and Banyuls-sur-Mer). Tel: 04 68 98 07 58.
Languedoc: Domaine La Sauvageonne, Terrasses du Larzac
The city of Montpellier, or any city or town even, certainly feels very distant from aptly named La Sauvageonne, with its spectacularly rugged hilly vista perched up on the lower edges of the Massif Central range. This face-lifted 32-ha domaine (80 acres), which was bought by businessman Fred Brown in 2001 (and sold in 2011: see update below), is found about 50km northwest of Montpellier in fact; on the Terrasses du Larzac high ground just beyond the little village of St-Jean-de-Blaquière. A sommelier in a past life, English estate manager and winemaker Gavin Crisfield (no longer: see update below) nurtures premium Syrah, Carignan and Grenache from different vineyard parcels (at 150m - 400m altitude = 500-1300 feet), much of it covered in chunks of brownish red schist and rough stones (see pic) making the terroir here all the more tangible and challenging. Hence the names of each wine on the label, such as Pica Broca and Puech de Glen - the latter, curiously Occitan/Scots sounding cuvée made mostly from their best and highest-lying Syrah.
2007 Sauvignon blanc Vin de Pays du Montbaudille (with a hint of Muscat and, from the 2008 vintage, will have Vermentino and Viognier too) - still quite fresh and zesty actually, nice lively mineral side with light citrus fruit. 80+
2008 rosé (Cinsault, Grenache) - lively and refreshing style, attractive raspberry and cream flavours, very drinkable on its own but would be good with most food too. 85+
2007 Les Ruffes (Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, Cinsault) - smoky v lightly herby with liquorice and leather edges; lovely fruit and 'sweet & savoury' profile with subtle bitter twist and grip in the mouth, nice depth and richness v drinkable refreshing style. €6 87-89
2007 Pica Broca (Syrah, Grenache, Carignan) - more black cherry and chocolate aromas / flavours; firmer structure as well although again has that attractive balance of lush v tight mouth-feel, long finish too; needs 6+ months in bottle but it's still nice now! 88-90
2005 Pica Broca (Syrah, Grenache, Carignan) - delicious smoky maturing nose; has more depth and concentration than the 07, chunky with nice coating of tannins layered with 'sweet & savoury' complexity and lovely length. 90-92
2005 Merlot/Cabernet Vin de pays - cassis and tobacco on the nose; pretty rich v very firm and powerful palate, its 14.5% adds a bit of oomph but it's also very concentrated with dry savoury finish. Wow. 90
2005 Puech de Glen (mostly Syrah) - enticing grilled wild black fruit nose with herbal v meaty edges (echoes of maturing Cote Rotie!); concentration and big tannins on the palate, stylish too with nicely developing fruit yet still plenty of life in it. €16 92-94
Previous vintages here (Vinisud 2006).
Latest news: Gavin left and is now doing his own thing called La Traversée; and the estate was recently sold to the Gérard Bertrand group (late 2011): there's a review of one wine in this report.
30 January 2009
Roussillon: Mas dels Clots, Salses le Château
Michel Piquemal took over this off the beaten track estate in 1982, which is lost in the middle of nowhere almost into the Corbières (you need to take the Opoul road out of Salses under the motorway, keep going and follow the sign to the right until you run out of 'road'). Michel works all his 30 ha/75 acres himself and organically as well, which he says "is good for export but in France most people don't care!" The predominant varieties planted are Grenache and Mourvèdre, and he makes about 60% red wines, 30% VDN and 10 rosé/white.Like many growers in the region, he despairs at the Roussillon's (unjustifiably) wanting image especially outside France, with the Languedoc usually hogging the limelight: "don't talk to me about the Languedoc, we're Catalan here!" There was some underlying irony there, especially as the Mas is a stone's throw from the 'border' with the Aude region and hence Languedoc. However, he thinks the 'South of France' labelling-idea could be good for some producers, whereas "I'm small small small." Meaning it's better for growers like him to focus on terroir and "micro-cuvées" to keep a point of difference and sharper identity, even if it makes this kind of wines more complicated to understand: "it's also their very charm," as Michel put it. On the entertainment front, he occasionally organises tastings with vineyard barbeque in conjunction with other organic growers. The MDC wines are reasonably priced too: from €4.50 to €6.50 for the reds and €8 to €11.30 for VDNs.
I tasted these two vat/barrel samples in March 2007:
2006 blend of mostly Grenache and Syrah - lovely fruit and spice v grip and power, fresh bite too on its long finish. 87-89
2005 Côtes du Roussillon Villages (after 18 months in oak) - nice spicy coconut backdrop to a tight firm palate; good depth of black fruits, length and again freshness. 87-89
2006 blend of mostly Grenache and Syrah - lovely fruit and spice v grip and power, fresh bite too on its long finish. 87-89
2005 Côtes du Roussillon Villages (after 18 months in oak) - nice spicy coconut backdrop to a tight firm palate; good depth of black fruits, length and again freshness. 87-89
2009 Update: the opera-themed wines below were tasted with Michel at this year's Millésime Bio wine show (Montpellier Jan. 2009). By the way, his prices haven't changed much: €5 to €6.50 for white, rosé and reds; and €7.50 to €11.30 for quite a variety of VDN styles, as you'll see:
2007 cuvée Aïda Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah Grenache Carignan) - nice juicy spicy fruit, soft-ish tannins v punchy finish. 83-85
2005 cuvée Casta Diva Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre) - touch of vanilla oak v juicy black cherry and liquorice, firm v rounded finish. 85+
2006 cuvée Tosca Côtes du Roussillon Villages (50/50 Grenache Syrah) - vibrant black cherry and liquorice notes; gripping dry texture v fruity flavours, quite powerful too (14.5%) but not out of kilter. 87+
Rivesaltes ambré Hors d'Age (Grenache Gris & Macabeu: base wine is 2003 + some much older giving an average age of about 10 years) - beginning to turn toffeed and pecan nutty with shades of very sweet raspberries; nutty caramelised flavours v spicy and lively, complex and long. 89+
1995 Rancio (Grenache Gris & Macabeu: aged using a solera system) - wow, more raisiny and oxidised with rich walnut notes; tastes drier but it isn't, very long and intricate v punchy finish. 92+
2003 Muscat de Rivesaltes (barrique-aged style) - cooked orange peel aromas, vanilla and marmalade on the palate, rounded and sweet v refreshing bite; unusual and very nice. 89+
2007 cuvée Aïda Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah Grenache Carignan) - nice juicy spicy fruit, soft-ish tannins v punchy finish. 83-85
2005 cuvée Casta Diva Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre) - touch of vanilla oak v juicy black cherry and liquorice, firm v rounded finish. 85+
2006 cuvée Tosca Côtes du Roussillon Villages (50/50 Grenache Syrah) - vibrant black cherry and liquorice notes; gripping dry texture v fruity flavours, quite powerful too (14.5%) but not out of kilter. 87+
Rivesaltes ambré Hors d'Age (Grenache Gris & Macabeu: base wine is 2003 + some much older giving an average age of about 10 years) - beginning to turn toffeed and pecan nutty with shades of very sweet raspberries; nutty caramelised flavours v spicy and lively, complex and long. 89+
1995 Rancio (Grenache Gris & Macabeu: aged using a solera system) - wow, more raisiny and oxidised with rich walnut notes; tastes drier but it isn't, very long and intricate v punchy finish. 92+
2003 Muscat de Rivesaltes (barrique-aged style) - cooked orange peel aromas, vanilla and marmalade on the palate, rounded and sweet v refreshing bite; unusual and very nice. 89+
Mas dels Clots, 66600 Salses le Château. Tel: 04 68 64 20 13, mobile 06 61 20 99 40; michel.piquemal@masdesclots.com, www.masdesclots.com.
Roussillon: Château Monty
For more info on biodynamics etc., again have a look at his site as he knows more about it than me by a long way; also click here for a report I did on a biodynamic growers' tasting three years ago, with a few words from Nicolas Joly. Monty now lives in Tuscany most of the time, when he's not mixing up his witches' brews in St-Martin de Fenouillet. Anyway, I bumped into him at this year's Millésime Bio wine show (Jan 2009, Montpellier), where he had samples of his 2008 wines hidden underneath Eric's stand. He's made a white and rosé too this vintage, by the way; all three are available in the UK in Adnam's wine shops at £8.99. Here's my verdict for what it's worth:
2008 Monty's white (Macabeu) - aromatic and appley v light exotic fruit and a tad of creaminess; fresh and mineral mouth-feel v touch of weight and nice length. 87+
July 2009: I tried the bottled version of the white, blind in fact, and found it more appley and real cider like with nutty, verging on oxidising actually, peach stone edges; lost a bit of its zesty side although it's definitely quite wild and funky, if that's your thing. 85+
2008 Monty's rosé - steely crisp style with elegant rose petal and red fruit notes; again nice dry zesty finish. 87
2008 Monty's red (Carignan + a tad of Syrah) - delicious aromatic crunchy blueberry and cassis fruit; tasty palate turning more savoury on the finish, good mix of nice quaffer v substance and grip. 87+
2008 Monty's rosé - steely crisp style with elegant rose petal and red fruit notes; again nice dry zesty finish. 87
2008 Monty's red (Carignan + a tad of Syrah) - delicious aromatic crunchy blueberry and cassis fruit; tasty palate turning more savoury on the finish, good mix of nice quaffer v substance and grip. 87+
Update: the 2009 vintage Chateau Monty wines are from and made in Tuscany, as that's where he lives now, so I'll report back if and when I get the chance to try them... And the new edition of Monty's book on biodynamic wines is now available, print-on-demand, from lulu.com. More info @ www.montywaldin.com
27 January 2009
Organic Burgundy: Boyer, Giboulot, Goisot, de Suremain, Tripoz
Domaine Renaud Boyer - Meursault
Renaud Boyer is a relatively recent arrival in the village of Meursault (although his family is no stranger to vines and vino), where you'll find his winery and office; the organically nurtured vineyards are scattered across three other nearby appellations with equally famous names, as you can see below (sampled at Millésime Bio wine fair, Montpellier January 2009). Racy, taut and at first not very revealing wines that appear to need much more time in bottle...
2005 Puligny-Montrachet Les Reuchaux (Chardonnay) - unusual wild herbal nose moving on to the palate too; spicy green notes v weighty and lush, very crisp acidity closing up on its appley finish.
2006 Saint-Romain (Pinot Noir) - delicate pure 'sweet & savoury' aromas / flavours, almost raisined yet meaty too; firm and fresh mouth-feel and tight finish but it should come out in a year or two. 88+
2006 Beaune Les Prévolles (Pinot Noir) - more raisiny and developed v tight juicy structure, refined perfumed 'sweet & savoury' style.
renaud.boyer@infonie.fr
Renaud Boyer is a relatively recent arrival in the village of Meursault (although his family is no stranger to vines and vino), where you'll find his winery and office; the organically nurtured vineyards are scattered across three other nearby appellations with equally famous names, as you can see below (sampled at Millésime Bio wine fair, Montpellier January 2009). Racy, taut and at first not very revealing wines that appear to need much more time in bottle...
2005 Puligny-Montrachet Les Reuchaux (Chardonnay) - unusual wild herbal nose moving on to the palate too; spicy green notes v weighty and lush, very crisp acidity closing up on its appley finish.
2006 Saint-Romain (Pinot Noir) - delicate pure 'sweet & savoury' aromas / flavours, almost raisined yet meaty too; firm and fresh mouth-feel and tight finish but it should come out in a year or two. 88+
2006 Beaune Les Prévolles (Pinot Noir) - more raisiny and developed v tight juicy structure, refined perfumed 'sweet & savoury' style.
renaud.boyer@infonie.fr
Domaine Emmanuel Giboulot - Beaune
Emmanuel Giboulot has 10 ha (25 acres) of red and white varieties (well, Chardy and Pinot as it goes without saying) that charm their way into as many different appellations / labels - that's real Burgundy for you I guess. He's been applying organic and now biodynamic ideas and techniques to his vineyards, environment and wines since 1985; aided and abetted by Pierre Fenals in the field and Cristina Otel in the cellar. Here are four of them tried and tested at Millésime Bio wine show, Montpellier Jan. 2009:
2007 Terres Burgondes Vin de Pays (Chardonnay) - attractive creamy notes with light wood backdrop, nuttier finish with oily v zippy texture. 85+
2007 Côte de Beaune La Grande Chatelaine (Chardonnay) - closed on the nose, moves on to full creamy mouth-feel with subtle toast, exotic fruit v mineral freshness; closes up again, quite fine and promising. 89+
2006 Côte de Beaune La Combe d'Eve (Chardonnay) - much nuttier and more oxidised/oxidative in style; rounded hazelnut palate with fresh dry bite. 89
2007 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Sous le Mont (Pinot Noir) - evasive on the aroma front at the moment; subtle spicy 'sweet & savoury' flavours, perfumed too v quite lean and structured. Give it a year. 85+
Previous Giboulot vintages here (Millésime Bio 2005).
emmanuel.giboulot@wanadoo.fr
Domaine Goisot - Saint-Bris-le-Vineux
This family estate, steered by Ghislaine and Jean-Hugues Goisot, is really old apparently: 14th-Century roots according to their website. There's quite a bit of illuminating info on that site (link below), although it does include the odd irksome cliché: e.g. "wine is made in the vineyard blah blah." True to an extent for sure but, hey, those machines and barrels don't just sit there unused. Apologies for the rant, as Ghislaine & Jean-Hugues's wines are rather good - I tried the ones below at Millésime Bio wine show in Montpellier in January 2009, meaning it's another organically farmed operation to join these increasingly organic pages. St-Bris and Irancy, lying just south of the town of Auxerre, are north north in Burgundian terms: some might quip it isn't really Burgundy-proper but it is quite close to (and southwest of) Chablis, even if the very southern part of the Champagne region is also surprisingly near(ish). Enough of the geography lesson:
2007 Bourgogne Côtes d'Auxerre (Chardonnay) - delicious elegant buttery v mineral aromas and flavours, poise and finesse to finish. 88-90
2007 Saint-Bris Moury (Sauvignon "or Sauvignon jaune or Sauvignon fumé"?!) - steely citrus and green fruit nose and initial mouth-feel; also has yeast-lees richness and oilier texture giving it roundness v that crisp finish. 87
2006 Côtes d'Auxerre Corps de Garde (Pinot Noir) - enticing pure perfumed Pinot aromas, 'sweet & savoury' style; fine and fresh palate with leathery and velvety touches. 88-90
2006 Irancy Les Mazelots (Pinot Noir) - similar but richer v firmer, tight acid structure and closes up on the finish with underlying 'sweet & savoury' profile; needs longer I think. 89+
www.goisot.com
Domaine Eric de Suremain - Monthélie
Farmed and star-charted according to the biodynamic cosmos since 1996, which must make them right old hippies in the scheme of things since most people (including me) hadn't even heard of BD then. Jesting aside (as anyone who's read anything on this site will know, I might like to tease a little on the subject of biodynamic goings-on; but am a follower at the end of the day). Anyway, having met them at Millésime Bio wine show in Montpellier in Jan. 2009; they aren't old, just wise I'd say looking at the five wines I tasted, below. They don't have a website (?) so I can't copy a picture for you; no doubt a good thing though, as they probably spend lots of time in the vineyard - near their home, the charming-looking Château de Monthélie sandwiched between Volnay, Meursault and Auxey-Duresses; and also in the Rully appellation about 10km to the south - rather than messing around updating a website. Eric de Suremain's ("steady hand" literally) wines appear to be well-distributed from what turned up in a Google search: Justerini's in the UK, for example.
2006 Rully Premier Cru (Chardonnay) - quite steely and mineral in style with crisp intense mouth-feel, although there's very light creamy oily touches to finish with; still young it seems. 87+?
2004 Rully Premier Cru (Chardonnay) - coming across as much richer and more mature, nice mix of butter v celery notes; lovely balance and length, concentration too as the palate unfurls. 89-91
2006 Rully 1er Cru Préaux (Pinot Noir) - attractive combination of 'sweet' raisiny cherry fruit and savoury edges; firm and fresh mouth-feel v lush yet lively, again appears youthful and powerful (the 06s do I guess). 88-90
2006 Château de Monthélie (Pinot Noir) - much more open than the other 06s, showing lovely perfumed Pinot style; turning savoury and tasty on the palate with firm tannins and acidity, subtle long finish. 90-92
2004 Château de Monthélie, Monthélie 1er Cru Sur la Velle (Pinot Noir) - a bit extracted and dry although it does have some nice floral 'sweet & savoury' character on the finish. I guess the 04 reds are less charming than the 06s. 89?
desuremain@wanadoo.fr
Domaine Tripoz - Loché
Céline and Laurent Tripoz have 11 hectares (27 acres) spread around the village of Loché (quite literally: there's a nice aerial shot pinpointing the different plots on their website) in the region known as the Mâconnais, at the southern end of Burgundy (actually not far from some of the northern Beaujolais Villages appellations such as Juliénas or Saint-Amour). They've converted over to organics within the last few years and have been certified biodynamic (by Demeter) since the 2006 vintage. I particularly liked their Crémant, which is a 'Nature' style i.e. no added sugar so completely dry; although I wasn't fond of their Bourgogne rouge. These whites and the fizz were tried at Millésime Bio wine show held in Montpellier in Jan. 2009:
Crémant de Bourgogne Nature - appley v toasty and biscuity; elegant mouth-watering palate, on the one hand very dry yet has nice honeyed biscuit flavours too. Yum. 90
2007 Mâcon-Loché (Chardonnay) - ripe and creamy v fresh and mineral, attractively buttery cut by fresh acidity. 87-89
2007 Mâcon-Vinzelles Les Morandes (Chardonnay) - Chablis-like steely green edges moving on to more buttery and rounded mouth-feel, again mineral freshness and length. 88-90
2007 Pouilly-Loché Réserve (Chardonnay) - lightly toasty nose getting oakier on the palate; big and rounded, again with refreshing acidity but it's a tad too woody in the end. 85
www.tripoz.fr
Céline and Laurent Tripoz have 11 hectares (27 acres) spread around the village of Loché (quite literally: there's a nice aerial shot pinpointing the different plots on their website) in the region known as the Mâconnais, at the southern end of Burgundy (actually not far from some of the northern Beaujolais Villages appellations such as Juliénas or Saint-Amour). They've converted over to organics within the last few years and have been certified biodynamic (by Demeter) since the 2006 vintage. I particularly liked their Crémant, which is a 'Nature' style i.e. no added sugar so completely dry; although I wasn't fond of their Bourgogne rouge. These whites and the fizz were tried at Millésime Bio wine show held in Montpellier in Jan. 2009:
Crémant de Bourgogne Nature - appley v toasty and biscuity; elegant mouth-watering palate, on the one hand very dry yet has nice honeyed biscuit flavours too. Yum. 90
2007 Mâcon-Loché (Chardonnay) - ripe and creamy v fresh and mineral, attractively buttery cut by fresh acidity. 87-89
2007 Mâcon-Vinzelles Les Morandes (Chardonnay) - Chablis-like steely green edges moving on to more buttery and rounded mouth-feel, again mineral freshness and length. 88-90
2007 Pouilly-Loché Réserve (Chardonnay) - lightly toasty nose getting oakier on the palate; big and rounded, again with refreshing acidity but it's a tad too woody in the end. 85
www.tripoz.fr
24 January 2009
Languedoc: Borie La Vitarèle, Saint-Chinian
UPDATED JAN 2014 (goes there) - and see links at bottom too.
Certified organic and farmed along biodynamic lines by Cathy Planès and Jean François Izarn, this charming 16 ha/40 acre property is lost in the countryside beyond the village co-op (it's nicely signposted though). Their Saint-Chinian appellation wines are labelled by vineyard site, such as Les Schistes (more than one type of schist, obviously: plural schists sounds odd in English) or Terres Blanches (chalk & clay), reflecting the varieties planted and nurtured across different plots and soils. They also appear to have been quite successful with Cabernet and, more surprisingly, Merlot (see notes below) in this area since setting up the domaine in 1990. Cathy and Jean François can also provide full-blown meals in their cosy ferme-auberge (farmhouse-inn literally) for a minimum of ten people,if booked in advance (including a good dose of organic food, I assume, matched with the estate's wines), which must be a great way to integrate the actual flavours of their labours, andphilosophy, with good hearty local produce.
I tasted these in situ in November 2007:
2006 La Cuvée des Cigales, Vin de Pays des Coteaux de Murviel (Grenache Merlot) – nice fruity spicy style showing a bit of grip and depth too, easy drinking and ready to do so. 83-852006 Terres Blanches, St-Chinian (80% Grenache 20% Syrah) – attractive rich black cherry fruit with liquorice tones, quite chunky tannins v fruit concentration, power and length; needs a few months at least to open up, lovely length and style. 89-91
2001 La Combe, Vin de Pays des Coteaux de Murviel (60% Cabernet Sauvignon plus Syrah Merlot) – appealing 'volatile' complexity and developing fruit, meaty with perfumed cassis edges; maturing palate v rather stonky tannins, powerful yet lush finish. 88-90
And these at Millésime Bio wine show Jan 2009, Montpellier:
2008 Terres Blanches (vat sample) - lovely intensity of peppery black cherry and cassis fruit; firm and 'chalky' texture v fruity and silkily structured. 89+
2007 Les Schistes (Grenache Syrah Carignan) - firmer and more structured v richer mouth-feel, very spicy dark fruit with power and promise. 90-92
2007 La Combe (Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah) - smokier and more rustic, very chunky and solidly textured v ripe cassis and prune, again powerful finish. 90
2006 Les Crès (Syrah Mourvèdre) - still a bit closed on the nose, concentrated and very firm with a tad of coco/chocolate oak; pretty huge and quite extracted but also has nice developing tobacco edges and plenty of lush fruit. Needs 6-12 months to come together properly. 92+?
View my notes on more BLV wines by clicking here (Millésime Bio 2006) and here (Montpellier 2005).
UPDATES: latest La Vitarèle HERE (special St-Chinian supplement Jan 2014), here (St-Chinian report April 2011 inc. their Terres Blanches 2009 & 2010 vintages) and here (2009 vintage report, June 2010).
La Combe, 34490 Causses-et-Veyran. Tel: 04 67 89 50 43, fax: 04 67 89 70 79; jf.izarn@libertysurf.fr, www.borielavitarele.fr.
23 January 2009
Languedoc: Château La Baronne, Corbières
I'm a bit lacking in the information department here, although pretty sure the property is located in the Fontcouverte area, just south of Lézignan and the lovely A61 motorway (although you don't notice it most of the time). Their sales guy showed me (at Millésime Bio wine show, Jan. 2009 Montpellier) some geological maps of the various plots and what's planted where (more interesting than it sounds, "can I show you my geological maps, ooh err..."). Anyway, let the wines do the talking shall we as they're pretty good... Update: have since found a website (added below), La Baronne is owned by the Ligneres family (pic.).2005 Las Vals white (Grenache gris, Roussanne & Vermentino) - oily nutty developing style, quite fat and rounded with yeast-lees creaminess and toast v still fresh on the finish actually. 87+
2005 Pièce de Roche (very old Carignan: "the 1892, unmistakeable...") - perfumed floral Carignan nose with a tad of coconut oak underneath; rich, powerful and concentrated v minty and lively, firm tannins yet lush texture and dark fruit too. 90+
2005 Alaric (Syrah Carignan Mourvèdre) - quite rich and dark with black pepper and chocolate oak tones; nicely textured and concentrated with big lush mouth-feel v solid and dry, lovely underlying fruit. 90+
2005 Las Vals red (Mourvèdre) - smoky and ripe with a black olive twist; sumptuous depth and concentration, powerful firm finish. 90+
21 January 2009
Languedoc: Domaine La Borie-Fouisseau, Faugères
Domaine La Borie-Fouisseau
Véronique Vaquer-Bergan's perhaps promising, small estate amounts to seven ha (17 acres) lying on dry stoney slopes, with some vines planted at up at 500 metres altitude, around the dead little village of Laurens in deepest Faugères country. Although Béziers is only half-an-hour or so south of here, you don't have to go too far north before you hit the edges of fairly serious mountain ranges. Véronique is Ecocert organic-certified and at the moment makes just three AOC red wines, which I sampled at Millésime Bio wine show in January 2009 in Montpellier.
2006 La Salamandre (Grenache Cinsault Syrah Carignan) - a bit closed up and firm to start, some dark fruit lurking underneath; I wasn't sure about it, at that moment at least.
2004 Garance (mostly Mourvèdre) - warm spicy garrigue tones with black olive and dried fruits, very aromatic; solid powerful mouth-feel v fragrant fruit and wild herb edges; lively and different. 89
2005 Clara (mostly Grenache) - 'vinous' nose with lots of liquorice, very firm tannins on a punchy palate; a touch over-extracted but it's intriguing and promising.
01 January 2009
Languedoc: Château Grand Moulin, Corbières
Château Grand Moulin
Jean-Noel Bousquet relocated his winery to the Lézignan ring road, after his cellar collapsed before his eyes during the incredible floods the area was subjected to in winter 1999. However, he took it as a good opportunity to rebuild and remodel things to suit a shift in growing and winemaking philosophy, plus incorporate a smart new tasting reception area and shop. The estate has now expanded beyond 100 ha (250 acres) in size, some of which is classified as Corbières-Boutenac AOC (a fairly recent sub-appellation centred on the village of Boutenac, about half-an-hour southwest of Narbonne, and also home to the Corbières police force... I mean, appellation authorities) starting with the 2005 vintage.
These wines were sampled February-March 06:
2001 Corbières Terres Rouges (Syrah, Grenache & Carignan, 13.5%) - a little closed and awkward on the nose, yet shows spicy lightly earthy black cherry/currant fruit with perfumed oak overtones; powerful, tight mouthful of smoky black fruits and chocolate vanilla then firm/tart, dry and long finish. Needs time as the oak and acidity/tannins are a bit out of kilter at the moment, but it should blossom in 2-5 years. 89-91
1999 Terres Rouges (12.5%) - lovely developed smoky nose, liquorice and spice, ripe raisiny black cherry fruit with tobacco notes; soft elegant palate set against remaining dry grip and attractive long finish. 91-93
1998 Corbières Vieilles Vignes (12.5%) - mature intricate aromas, savoury raisins and prunes with leather undertones; supple refined palate, nice depth of 'sweet' fruit v light dry tannin backdrop. Drinking now yet should reward from a couple more years ageing.90-922001 Vieilles Vignes (Syrah, Grenache, Carignan & Mourvèdre) - complex smoky nose, appealing liquorice and prune fruit; soft tannins layered with well handled oak, elegant dry finish with ripe fruits lingering too. 88-90
2005 La Tour rosé (Cinsault, Syrah, Grenache & Mourvèdre, 13%) - fresh and crisp style: very lively tangy red fruits showing good extract v elegance and juiciness, zesty and long. 87
2002 Corbières blanc, fermenté et élevé en futs (Grenache Blanc, Vermentino & Macabeu) - toasty, oily and oxidising nose leads to milky yeasty weight and tanginess, rich palate finishing quite fat although there's still some fresh acidity underneath; quite good if you like this oaky style. 84
Grand Moulin update November 2008-January 2009
2007 La Tour Corbières rosé (13%) - nice dry and full style with creamy red fruit palate, quite elegant yet big enough to go with many different dishes. €4.60 85+
2007 La Tour Corbières white - citrus and honey aromas, floral notes on a rounded v crisp palate, appealing style. €5.20 85+
2006 La Tour Corbières red - fragrant black cherry and cassis with light vanilla and liquorice edges; attractive fruity mouth-feel and style with dry bite to finish. €5.20 85-87
2005 Vieilles Vignes Corbières red - richer with a tad of chocolate oak showing, quite concentrated dark fruit cocktail with chocolate texture, firm and powerful yet well-balanced. Good value too at €6.90. 88-90
2006 Terres Rouges Corbières red - smokier with wild herbs, liquorice and plum notes; solid mouth-feel with fair muscle, concentration and length; again well-balanced with nice, understated coco oak texture and subtle grip. €9.80 89-91
2006 Corbières-Boutenac red (14.5%) - more coconutty new oak on the nose but it has lush smoky dark fruits too, firm solid texture and punch; tasty and promising, closes up on the finish. Dear though at €14.50. 90+
6 Boulevard Maréchal Galliéni (RN113), 11200 Lézignan-Corbières. Tel: 04 68 27 40 80, contact@chateau-grand-moulin.com / chateaugrandmoulin@wanadoo.fr, www.chateau-grand-moulin.com.
Jean-Noel Bousquet relocated his winery to the Lézignan ring road, after his cellar collapsed before his eyes during the incredible floods the area was subjected to in winter 1999. However, he took it as a good opportunity to rebuild and remodel things to suit a shift in growing and winemaking philosophy, plus incorporate a smart new tasting reception area and shop. The estate has now expanded beyond 100 ha (250 acres) in size, some of which is classified as Corbières-Boutenac AOC (a fairly recent sub-appellation centred on the village of Boutenac, about half-an-hour southwest of Narbonne, and also home to the Corbières police force... I mean, appellation authorities) starting with the 2005 vintage.
These wines were sampled February-March 06:
2001 Corbières Terres Rouges (Syrah, Grenache & Carignan, 13.5%) - a little closed and awkward on the nose, yet shows spicy lightly earthy black cherry/currant fruit with perfumed oak overtones; powerful, tight mouthful of smoky black fruits and chocolate vanilla then firm/tart, dry and long finish. Needs time as the oak and acidity/tannins are a bit out of kilter at the moment, but it should blossom in 2-5 years. 89-91
1999 Terres Rouges (12.5%) - lovely developed smoky nose, liquorice and spice, ripe raisiny black cherry fruit with tobacco notes; soft elegant palate set against remaining dry grip and attractive long finish. 91-93
1998 Corbières Vieilles Vignes (12.5%) - mature intricate aromas, savoury raisins and prunes with leather undertones; supple refined palate, nice depth of 'sweet' fruit v light dry tannin backdrop. Drinking now yet should reward from a couple more years ageing.90-922001 Vieilles Vignes (Syrah, Grenache, Carignan & Mourvèdre) - complex smoky nose, appealing liquorice and prune fruit; soft tannins layered with well handled oak, elegant dry finish with ripe fruits lingering too. 88-90
2005 La Tour rosé (Cinsault, Syrah, Grenache & Mourvèdre, 13%) - fresh and crisp style: very lively tangy red fruits showing good extract v elegance and juiciness, zesty and long. 87
2002 Corbières blanc, fermenté et élevé en futs (Grenache Blanc, Vermentino & Macabeu) - toasty, oily and oxidising nose leads to milky yeasty weight and tanginess, rich palate finishing quite fat although there's still some fresh acidity underneath; quite good if you like this oaky style. 84
Grand Moulin update November 2008-January 2009
2007 La Tour Corbières rosé (13%) - nice dry and full style with creamy red fruit palate, quite elegant yet big enough to go with many different dishes. €4.60 85+
2007 La Tour Corbières white - citrus and honey aromas, floral notes on a rounded v crisp palate, appealing style. €5.20 85+
2006 La Tour Corbières red - fragrant black cherry and cassis with light vanilla and liquorice edges; attractive fruity mouth-feel and style with dry bite to finish. €5.20 85-87
2005 Vieilles Vignes Corbières red - richer with a tad of chocolate oak showing, quite concentrated dark fruit cocktail with chocolate texture, firm and powerful yet well-balanced. Good value too at €6.90. 88-90
2006 Terres Rouges Corbières red - smokier with wild herbs, liquorice and plum notes; solid mouth-feel with fair muscle, concentration and length; again well-balanced with nice, understated coco oak texture and subtle grip. €9.80 89-91
2006 Corbières-Boutenac red (14.5%) - more coconutty new oak on the nose but it has lush smoky dark fruits too, firm solid texture and punch; tasty and promising, closes up on the finish. Dear though at €14.50. 90+
6 Boulevard Maréchal Galliéni (RN113), 11200 Lézignan-Corbières. Tel: 04 68 27 40 80, contact@chateau-grand-moulin.com / chateaugrandmoulin@wanadoo.fr, www.chateau-grand-moulin.com.
Roussillon: Domaine des Balmettes, Cases-de-Pène
2013 UPDATE - see below.
Lucien Salani is, like his friend Geoffroy Marchand at Etoile du Matin, one of an increasing band of young risk-taking growers with vineyards either side of the Corbières, who is making handmade, natural and whimsical wines; sometimes breathtaking, sometimes just a little too off-the-wall for some. All of Lucien's wines are simply labelled 'Côtes Catalanes' and most of them are varietal too, although it doesn't say so on the label. Each one is named after the plot(s) where a particular variety is planted - and more specifically the type of trees alongside - reflecting the different soils and, perhaps more importantly, varied lie of the land and micro-climate that characterise his vineyards as a whole. So, paraphrasing, each wine strives to say more about terroir, or rather the different terroirs you find here, than so-called appellation, Lucien believes.
For instance, out of eight hectares (expanded from the original four when he 'launched' back in 2003) he has spreading out from the back of Cases-de-Pène towards the hills above Espira; there's "Grenache facing all ways, Syrah facing south" and a few white vines here and there too. Despite the fact that his Syrah turns out a cracking wine, Lucien thinks: "Grenache and Carignan are the best adapted varieties here... Syrah also doesn't live as long (max 60-70 years)... And why have Mourvèdre if you have to treat it because it ripens late. The ideal is to get good ripe grapes without intervening with chemicals... and (for example) using traditional field selection to choose the most resistant plants" (as opposed to clonal selection or GM). On the winemaking front, he no longer de-stems the grapes (whole bunch fermentation) and is trying to move towards using zero sulphur dioxide (already quite low).
These wines were tasted, and some of them re-tasted, between October 2008 and January 2009:
2007 Les Agaves (Macabeu) - tasty, nutty and tangy; mineral freshness v honeyed floral fullness, dry and quite fine finish.
2007 Les Amandiers (Grenache on mostly marl, 14%) - ripe, smoky, tobacco-tinged black fruit and liquorice cocktail; turning meaty on the palate with lively gripping mouth-feel, tasty and long. 90
2007 Les Oliviers (Grenache on mostly schist, south and north facing parcels picked 2 weeks later, 14%) - less developed and smoky, much tighter and firm-textured mouth-feel with a tad of chocolate; nice depth of fruit underneath those currently big tannins, needs 6-12 months to open up. 90-92
2007 Les Figuiers (Syrah 14%) - slightly reductive yet smoky nose with wild cherry and herbs; again very ripe v savoury, very firm and powerful, dark fruit v dry texture. Needs 1-2 years to open up. Yum. 92+
2008s tasted from vat:
Macabeu - lovely, nutty and savoury, rounded v fresh.
Grenache Blanc - more exotic and fatter, powerful v crisp finish.
Grenache Gris - pinky/copper colour, deliciously spicy and full v lively and with a touch of grip even.
Agaves (red) - gorgeous fruit v meat v grip.
Oliviers - big structure and concentration but nice tannins.
Les Balmettes ('Grenache Ouest' = west: new cuvée about to go into barrel) - more austere with coating of extract/tannins v lovely dark cherry and choco twist.
Syrah - rich and dark, big concentration and tannins layered with deep fruit.
2007 Muscat de Rivesaltes (15.5%, 100 grams/litre residual sugar) - rich and honeyed with attractive freshness so doesn't taste so sweet; oily textured peachy fruit v refreshing pear flavours, much crisper finish than most. 87+
2005 Les Oliviers (14%) - maturing smoky rustic nose with fig and cooked black cherries, cheesy / savoury with volatile complexity; meaty palate with leather notes and liquorice, grippy textured tannins v concentrated wild fruit v maturing 'real cider' flavours. Something in the background like it's a tad corked? Coming back to it: ageing quite quickly yet still has a kind-of wild intensity, richer mouth-feel with more liquorice and peppery now, turning more savoury and softer v firm and powerful. Still has ever so slightly 'musty' finish but it doesn't smell corked though? 90
2006 Les Oliviers (14%) - funky/reductive(?), slightly volatile 'real cider' aromas layered with 'sweet' dried black fruit, fig and wild herbs; very concentrated & ripe with tobacco and leather edges, very solid dry coating with big spicy finish, although it's comfortable with itself. At least, it will be as it closes up a little with lots of grip v lightly savoury fruit. Not sure. Next day: less funky, more complex with dried herbs/fruit, lush liquorice and smoky too; dry coating v ripe maturing fruit with leather, fig and baked apple; tasty and savoury v structured finish. 89+
2007 Les Oliviers (14%) - complex volatile wood-smoke notes v very ripe dried fruit, liquorice v peppery herbs, toffee apple and very light leather too; very concentrated, lush & rounded v solid dry tannins, 'sweet' liquorice and fig then tight closing up finish; needs a year to come out fully. Next: intense ripe fruit with wild/volatile edges v big structure and bite; a one-off. 92+
Click here for more Balmettes ('Top Languedoc & Roussillon over €10 tasting').
2013 update
Lucien has launched a couple of 'blended' wines featuring a mix of varieties, despite what I/he said above! Meant as easy-going 'range openers' though. The red is: 2012 L'Herbe rouge (Carignan, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre) - crunchy berry vs liquorice profile, fair depth actually with earthy edges and nice fruit.
2011 Les Figuiers (Syrah) - 'inky' and intense, concentrated with almost odd mix of fresh vs very ripe mouth-feel, lively and peppery with tight firm finish, nice tannins though. Should be good when it opens out a little.
2012 Les Agaves blanc (Macabeu) - wild cider vs apricot aromas, lively and fresh palate with intense crisp bite, hints of orange peel yet exotic and quite rich too. Wow!
2 Rue des Jaoumets, 66600 Cases-de-Pène. Tel: 04 68 38 16 03 / 06 09 58 17 35, lesbalmettes.com.
Lucien Salani is, like his friend Geoffroy Marchand at Etoile du Matin, one of an increasing band of young risk-taking growers with vineyards either side of the Corbières, who is making handmade, natural and whimsical wines; sometimes breathtaking, sometimes just a little too off-the-wall for some. All of Lucien's wines are simply labelled 'Côtes Catalanes' and most of them are varietal too, although it doesn't say so on the label. Each one is named after the plot(s) where a particular variety is planted - and more specifically the type of trees alongside - reflecting the different soils and, perhaps more importantly, varied lie of the land and micro-climate that characterise his vineyards as a whole. So, paraphrasing, each wine strives to say more about terroir, or rather the different terroirs you find here, than so-called appellation, Lucien believes.
For instance, out of eight hectares (expanded from the original four when he 'launched' back in 2003) he has spreading out from the back of Cases-de-Pène towards the hills above Espira; there's "Grenache facing all ways, Syrah facing south" and a few white vines here and there too. Despite the fact that his Syrah turns out a cracking wine, Lucien thinks: "Grenache and Carignan are the best adapted varieties here... Syrah also doesn't live as long (max 60-70 years)... And why have Mourvèdre if you have to treat it because it ripens late. The ideal is to get good ripe grapes without intervening with chemicals... and (for example) using traditional field selection to choose the most resistant plants" (as opposed to clonal selection or GM). On the winemaking front, he no longer de-stems the grapes (whole bunch fermentation) and is trying to move towards using zero sulphur dioxide (already quite low).
These wines were tasted, and some of them re-tasted, between October 2008 and January 2009:
2007 Les Agaves (Macabeu) - tasty, nutty and tangy; mineral freshness v honeyed floral fullness, dry and quite fine finish.
2007 Les Amandiers (Grenache on mostly marl, 14%) - ripe, smoky, tobacco-tinged black fruit and liquorice cocktail; turning meaty on the palate with lively gripping mouth-feel, tasty and long. 90
2007 Les Oliviers (Grenache on mostly schist, south and north facing parcels picked 2 weeks later, 14%) - less developed and smoky, much tighter and firm-textured mouth-feel with a tad of chocolate; nice depth of fruit underneath those currently big tannins, needs 6-12 months to open up. 90-92
2007 Les Figuiers (Syrah 14%) - slightly reductive yet smoky nose with wild cherry and herbs; again very ripe v savoury, very firm and powerful, dark fruit v dry texture. Needs 1-2 years to open up. Yum. 92+
2008s tasted from vat:
Macabeu - lovely, nutty and savoury, rounded v fresh.
Grenache Blanc - more exotic and fatter, powerful v crisp finish.
Grenache Gris - pinky/copper colour, deliciously spicy and full v lively and with a touch of grip even.
Agaves (red) - gorgeous fruit v meat v grip.
Oliviers - big structure and concentration but nice tannins.
Les Balmettes ('Grenache Ouest' = west: new cuvée about to go into barrel) - more austere with coating of extract/tannins v lovely dark cherry and choco twist.
Syrah - rich and dark, big concentration and tannins layered with deep fruit.
2007 Muscat de Rivesaltes (15.5%, 100 grams/litre residual sugar) - rich and honeyed with attractive freshness so doesn't taste so sweet; oily textured peachy fruit v refreshing pear flavours, much crisper finish than most. 87+
2005 Les Oliviers (14%) - maturing smoky rustic nose with fig and cooked black cherries, cheesy / savoury with volatile complexity; meaty palate with leather notes and liquorice, grippy textured tannins v concentrated wild fruit v maturing 'real cider' flavours. Something in the background like it's a tad corked? Coming back to it: ageing quite quickly yet still has a kind-of wild intensity, richer mouth-feel with more liquorice and peppery now, turning more savoury and softer v firm and powerful. Still has ever so slightly 'musty' finish but it doesn't smell corked though? 90
2006 Les Oliviers (14%) - funky/reductive(?), slightly volatile 'real cider' aromas layered with 'sweet' dried black fruit, fig and wild herbs; very concentrated & ripe with tobacco and leather edges, very solid dry coating with big spicy finish, although it's comfortable with itself. At least, it will be as it closes up a little with lots of grip v lightly savoury fruit. Not sure. Next day: less funky, more complex with dried herbs/fruit, lush liquorice and smoky too; dry coating v ripe maturing fruit with leather, fig and baked apple; tasty and savoury v structured finish. 89+
2007 Les Oliviers (14%) - complex volatile wood-smoke notes v very ripe dried fruit, liquorice v peppery herbs, toffee apple and very light leather too; very concentrated, lush & rounded v solid dry tannins, 'sweet' liquorice and fig then tight closing up finish; needs a year to come out fully. Next: intense ripe fruit with wild/volatile edges v big structure and bite; a one-off. 92+
Click here for more Balmettes ('Top Languedoc & Roussillon over €10 tasting').
2013 update
Lucien has launched a couple of 'blended' wines featuring a mix of varieties, despite what I/he said above! Meant as easy-going 'range openers' though. The red is: 2012 L'Herbe rouge (Carignan, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre) - crunchy berry vs liquorice profile, fair depth actually with earthy edges and nice fruit.
2011 Les Figuiers (Syrah) - 'inky' and intense, concentrated with almost odd mix of fresh vs very ripe mouth-feel, lively and peppery with tight firm finish, nice tannins though. Should be good when it opens out a little.
2012 Les Agaves blanc (Macabeu) - wild cider vs apricot aromas, lively and fresh palate with intense crisp bite, hints of orange peel yet exotic and quite rich too. Wow!
2 Rue des Jaoumets, 66600 Cases-de-Pène. Tel: 04 68 38 16 03 / 06 09 58 17 35, lesbalmettes.com.
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