Roussillon: Domaine du Traginer, Banyuls-sur-Mer

UPDATED Dec 2012

No-nonsense Jean-François Deu is very proud of his organic status (since 1997 officially) and philosophy – some wines have no added sulphites too – combined with certain biodynamic farming methods (he doesn't go along with the full-monty "witchcraft"), which seem to nicely match his laid-back manner, ironic sense of humour yet uncompromising standards. The result is an edgy yet classy range of wines going from his pure and floral site-blend Collioure red, to the peppery more refined Cuvée du Capitas single-siter and delicious late harvest Banyuls ‘mise tardive’ (late bottled). Jean-François spends long hours out in his vineyards (best to ring his mobile number if you want to see him personally, although you can taste the wines in his shop from spring to autumn) working the soil and stimulating the vines' natural defences by applying various biodynamic herbal remedies. He’s also trying to make things less labour intensive by "mechanising" some of the work, which isn’t an easy task in the area’s mostly narrow, terraced and very steep vineyards. Actually, that's a little bit of a joke; he uses a mule and plough, which is a touch easier on the back no doubt!

Jean-François Deu hard at it
from www.traginer.fr

I tasted and reviewed these wines and vintages at Millésime Bio organic wine show in Perpignan and Montpellier in January 2008, 2010 and 2012. Click here for older Traginer vintages (Millésime Bio 2006) and read on for 2010 and 2012 updates. UK specialist merchant Stone, Vine & Sun lists some of his wines.
2004 Cuvée Capitas, Collioure rouge – ripe and raisiny with aromatic dark plum tones, concentrated and chunky showing a touch of oak and alcohol, rounded v grippy finish. 90-92
2006 Cuvée al Ribéral, Collioure rouge – liquorice and spice notes lead on to a concentrated inky palate, closes up on the finish although has lovely underlying black fruits. 89-91
2005 Collioure rouge – coconut spicy oak is quite prominent at the moment, but this has lovely depth of fruit v solid tannins. 90-92
2003 Cuvée d'Octobre, Collioure rouge – more raisiny and smoky, light old wood spice otherwise firm v ripe mouth-feel. 88
2006 Banyuls Rimage – fruity pruney nose with youthful fruit v grip v sweetness on the palate; very nice style. £17.95 90
2003 Banyuls Grand Cru – much more oxidised, Tawny style with complex maturing tones; good but personally prefer the Rimage wine. 89

Update 2010: Jean-François was, as always, present, earthy, philosophical and good-humoured at the increasingly big Millésime Bio tasting held in Montpellier. I seem to have overlooked his star white wines somehow:
2008 Collioure blanc (Grenache blanc, Grenache gris) - hazelnutty and fino-edged nose; dry mineral mouthfeel, very intense with refreshing length and concentrated, lightly exotic vs spicy fruit. 87+
2007 Collioure blanc (Grenache blanc, Grenache gris) - more mature (obviously), attractively appley and fino in style; lovely nutty vs creamy palate with incisive long finish. 88+
2007 Collioure rouge - sweet, perfumed, garrigue aromas (kinda wild herbs etc.); delicious spicy fruit vs underlying grip, elegant vs powerful. 87-89
2006 Cuvée Capitas Collioure rouge – rich and smoky with lush dark fruit and spicy oak in the background; liquorice "sweetness" vs meaty flavours / texture vs proper grip, concentrated and powerful yet fine length. 90+
2004 Cuvée Capitas – turning savoury and meaty, attractive elegant vs rich fruit, ripe and soft vs still firm finish. 87-89

2012 tasting update

2010 white – peachy yet nutty too, intense mineral characters vs rounded texture vs crisp tight finish. Very good.

2007 Cuvée Octobre – ripe sweet fruit with lavender edges, turning savoury too on the palate, intense spicy finish though.

2008 Cuvée Capitas – quite savoury and leather-tinged, structured and punchy mouth-feel, very powerful finish; a tad unbalanced.

2009 Cuvée Al Ribéral (no added SO2) – lively wild fruits and scorched heather/lavender undertones, 'volatile' edges too but it works well here, intense long finish. Very good.

Languedoc: Clos de l'Anhel, Corbières

Château Pech-Latt (see A to Z) estate manager Philippe Mathias and his partner Sophie Guiraudon, who are based at Pech-Latt, have a small domaine of their own called Clos de l’Anhel ('lamb fold' in Occitan: there is a semi-crumbling farmhouse / sheep shelter alongside the track leading up to their vines, which they might eventually do up into a small cellar). So, their address is the same as Pech-Latt below (they do also have a cellar in a nearby village, but it's not marked and difficult to find). Philippe and Sophie have converted six hectares/15 acres (with three more in the pipeline) over to biodynamic grape growing, man, and are already coming up with remarkable results, as demonstrated by the three tasty reds below all built mostly from old Carignan. They've also planted "a bit of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre;" as you do.
They're using very little in the way of oak barrels, and Sophie said "we might stop using wood all together," a refreshing trend I've spotted elsewhere on mini-estates; partly to let the fruit do the talking, and partly, I'd imagine, because new barrels are expensive. You can taste Clos Anhel's wines while visiting Pech-Latt; and Sophie might also take you up to their 250-300 metre-high (900 feet) vineyards if you arrange it in advance (you’d never find this peaceful spot on your own anyway), where you’ll be greeted by three cheeky donkeys. I don't think they work in the vineyard but are probably a good, three HP manure machine. Other growers worth pencilling in in this area include Domaine Baillat, Château Prieuré Borde-Rouge, Château de Roquenégade and Domaine la Rune.

Tasted October 2008 and again in January 2009:
Les Autres vin de table (because it's 80% Carignan + Grenache, 14%) - the name refers to all those who helped with the harvest, listed on the label. Pure ripe liquorice, cassis and juicy raspberries; more savoury on the palate with tobacco and leather edges, and soft v dry mouth-feel; has a bit of a kick too but also juicy fresh fruit. 87
2007 Les Terrassettes Corbières (mostly Carignan + Syrah Grenache Mourvèdre, 14%) - shows similar purity of liquorice fruit with dark cherries and wild herbs; richer colour and body, tasty mouthful of spicy tobacco-tinged fruit; powerful with more grip & structure, lively finish too, needs 6-12 months to come together nicely. 89+
2007 Les Dimanches Corbières (50% 70 year-old Carignan + Syrah Grenache Mourvèdre, 10% of it aged in used casks, 14% alc) - again has that similar hallmark profile but more aromatic and floral with richer black cherry/olive fruit; concentrated and powerful with nice grippy texture v deliciously drinkable fruit quality, quite fine and well-balanced to finish. 90-92
And Clos Anhel 2005 vintages from Vinisud 2006.

Update Jan 2010. Sophie had their lively 2008s ready and waiting to be sampled at Millésime Bio wine fair in Montpellier:
2008 les Autres (mostly Carignan) - very smoky with liquorice and tobacco notes, very Carignan style with lots of dark blueberry too; fairly easy palate with a bit of grip too. 85
2008 le Lolo Corbières - a tad reduced on the nose (these weren't finished bottled samples), turning more intense with perfumed fruit and dark vs crunchy mix; attractive dry grip and bite on the finish. 87+
2008 les Terrassettes - lush, smoky and expressive with blueberry vs meaty notes; chunky yet supple with good depth of cherry/berry fruit, nice length with lingering dried fruits. 89+

2008 les Dimanches - similar profile but richer with lively dark plum, liquorice and tobacco; pretty intense mouthfeel with firm vs rounded tannins, tight long and delicious finish. 91+

Plus 2009 vintage report under Corbieres reds, obviously... 

Lagrasse. Tel: 04 68 43 18 12, anhel@wanadoo.fr, www.anhel.fr.

Roussillon: Domaine Jean-Philippe Padié, Calce

You'll find Jean-Philippe working his twisty old vines "naturally" (with a bit of biodynamics too actually) up in the wilds of Calce, where he has 11 hectares divided up into "about 30 parcels." I bumped into J-P in late October 2009 at a "harvest party" (where they spit-roasted an entire lamb in the yard outside the Tautavel co-op winery), where I tasted his very nice "little bull" below. I'll probably be embarking on a comprehensive Calce revisit at some point... And, if you're ever in the area in early/mid May, there's the village wine fair/"open-day" called "les caves se rebiffent" ("wine cellars strike back"), where Jean-Philippe, well, opens up along with neighbours Gauby, Pithon, Matassa (see links under Roussillon A to Z for "profiles," right-hand column) and other local producers. By the way, there's a map of where to find his wines (in France) on the site link below. Not much luck for you lot in the US or UK though, as his export markets are Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada (Quebec).

2006 Petit Taureau Côtes du Roussillon (50% Carignan 30% Syrah 10% Grenache 10% Mourvèdre, no oak, 13.5%) - ripe black cherry with savoury and tobacco edges; rich and intense with attractive tannins and power/elegance together, "sweet" and savoury finish. 89-91

2010 update: from Millésime Bio organic wine show in Montpellier, where I tried most of Jean-Philippe's range:
2008 Fleur de Cailloux white (Macabeu, Grenache blanc) - appley, quite intense, crisp and refreshing vs rounded and lightly creamy. 85
2008 Milouise white (Grenache gris, Grenache blanc: oldest vines) - lees notes and similarly lively yet richer and rounder; bigger too with greater concentration, then spicy and mineral finish. 87+
2008 Ad Libitum Côtes du Roussillon rosé (Carignan, Mourvèdre) - creamy and nutty vs rose petal and red fruit tones; a bit odd/unexpected but I like it in the end!
2007 Petit Taureau Côtes du Roussillon (Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, Mourvèdre) - ripe and rich vs meaty and a tad of complex volatile tones; intense sweet/sour berry fruit vs dry firm tannins vs lively fruit and weight. 88-90
2008 Calice (Carignan) - a bit reductive on the nose, lively blackcurrant palate finishing a bit appley and tart.
2006 Ciel Liquide Côtes du Roussillon Villages - much lusher with oaky notes, attractive peppery dark cherry/berry fruit; concentrated and powerful vs full rounded mouthfeel, followed by tight long finish. Fairly wow. 90-92

11 Rue Pyrénées, 66600 Calce. Tel: 04 68 64 29 85/06 99 53 07 66  www.domainepadie.com.

Languedoc: La Grange de Quatre Sous, pays d'Oc

La Grange de Quatre Sous

Hildegard Horat and Alioune Diop's 8 ha (20 acre) organic estate lies peacefully off the winding road between Saint-Chinian and St-Jean de Minervois, although they make very un-appellation wines (as you can see below), all vin de pays (if you have to have a moniker). Hildegard and Alioune left their native Switzerland in 1983 to establish a vineyard ending up in the wild back-lands near Assignan, and deliberately choosing to make Vins de Pays d’Oc "so I could plant varieties such as Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Viognier," as Hildegard explains simply on the "Vinifilles" site (link below), an association of Languedoc & Roussillon women winemakers. Add to that some Chardonnay, Marsanne, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault and that makes quite a colourful vine tapestry. Seems like a good idea looking at the three wines I tried at Millésime Bio organic fair 2010:

2008 Jeu du Mail (2/3 Viognier 1/3 Marsanne) - enticing juicy leesy edges with honeyed, oily and peachy notes; lively chalky texture even vs rounded with exotic spicy flavours. Yum. 89

2006 Les Serrottes (50/50 Syrah/Malbec) - aromatic spicy cherry notes layered with ripe red fruits, liquorice and violets too; tangy vs lush mouthfeel, peppery and tight with firm tannins vs fairly concentrated fruit. 90

2005 La Grange de Quatre Sous (Syrah/Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon/CabernetFranc) - smokier profile with cassis undertones, solid chunky structure vs intense concentrated fruit; meaty tobacco notes too on the finish combined with grippy texture. Wow. 90-92

Click here  for a note on their 2005 Serrottes ("wines of the moment" winter 08).

34360 Assignan. Tel: 04 67 380 641, www.vinifilles.fr.

Languedoc: Domaine Grand Guilhem, Fitou

You'll (eventually) find Séverine and Gilles Contrepois in a beautiful spot pretty much smack in the middle of the Corbières hills, not far from Villeneuve or Durban nestling in the rugged inland part of the slightly confusing Fitou appellation (well, all you really need to know is that its geography is purely political...). They have 10 organic ha of vineyards (25 acres) - officially blessed as such since 2004 - around their splendid stone-built home, which also has four guestrooms (they do B&B and wine dinners) and a couple of adjoining holiday cottages (see website below). I tried these wines with Séverine and Gilles at the 2010 edition of Millésime Bio organic wine show:

2007 Fitou - herby vs smoky nose, attractive dried currant and ripe dark plum aromas/flavours; quite powerful and chunky with firm tannins vs lingering maturing "sweet" fruit. 87+
2006 Fitou - more mature (obviously) and savoury with rich yet elegant fruit; lovely peppery concentrated palate with solid structure, big finish and dried fruit vs meaty flavours. 89
2006 Fitou "Coup de Coeur" (more Carignan, different parcels) - more volatile and cough sweet tones; firmer mouthfeel, probably more concentrated but overall less charming perhaps. 
2005 Fitou - developing savoury aromas underpinned by nice "sweet" dried fruits; quite elegant for an 05 (some are pretty rich and big) with again fair grip but not too much. 88


2012 update here (2008 Fitou tasted).


Chemin du Col de la Serre, 11360 Cascastel des Corbières. Tel: 04 68 45 86 67, www.grandguilhem.com.

California: Frey Vineyards - Redwood Valley

Paul Frey at this year's (2010)
Millésime Bio show

Not only was Paul Frey the lone winemaker from California at this year's (2010) Millésime Bio wine fair in Montpellier, but the Freys also claim to be pioneers in several other things: America's first organic winery, "sulphite-free for 28 years," first maker of certified Biodynamic ® Wines in the US... So, quite a lot to live up to when I tried the wines below on their stand and talked to Paul. Did they deliver? Well, yes, although some of them show a wild, natural, old-fashioned even kind of intense style that certain textbook, squeaky-clean winemakers might call faulty: maybe technically correct, but there's something exciting and living about these flavoursome wines, as you'll see from my notes. Overall, the Frey family has around 50 ha or 124 acres of organic and biodynamic vineyards in Mendocino County. According to their website, it's tough titty for readers and organic wine fans in the UK, as they only appear to be distributed in northern Europe in Norway, the Netherlands and Denmark; but they're widely available in the US and Canada of course! So, a good excuse to go to the winery some day yourself...
2009 Sauvignon Blanc - herby vs peachy nose, crisp vs oily palate; elegant and long, different too. 87+
2009 Chardonnay - exotic oily style with lively mineral bite, crisp and intense finish. 87+
2006 "Biodynamic" Zinfandel - savoury/sweet almost Pinot Noir style nose, earthy vs ripe and fruity palate; bit like old Burgundy! 87
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon - smoky leathery aromas, lush vs grippy mouthfeel with dark smoky finish; not sure but interesting anyway. 87?
2007 Syrah (North Coast) - meaty vs spicy dark cherry fruit; lighter style but still attractive with minty, fruity and toasty/smoky finish. 87+
2005 "Biodynamic" Syrah - dark toasty liquorice vs pepper notes; lush vs firm and sweet vs savoury palate, maturing vs still alive on the finish. 90+
2007 Petite Sirah - wild herbs and burnt plums, funky northern Rhone-ish styling; rich "tar" with cloves undertones vs dry yet rounded tannins, wow. 89
www.freywine.com

Languedoc: Domaine de la Triballe, Grès de Montpellier

You'll find La Triballe nestling about 15km (10 miles) northeast of Montpellier sandwiched between the Grès de Montpellier and Pic Saint-Loup appellations (or two pieces of bread perhaps). Owners Sabine and Olivier Durand (pic.), who also make a good variety of vin de pays wines and organic grape juice, took over the reins in 1990 and have been applying full-on organics to their 14 ha (35 acres) of vineyards since 1996. I sampled these wines with Sabine in Montpellier at the 2010 edition of Millésime Bio organic fair:

2009 Aphyllanthe white (Rolle, Roussanne) - honeyed vs gooseberry notes, very lively and floral too; crisp, mineral and oily too with creamier yeast-lees edges and "sweet" rounded fruit too. 87
2009 rosé - nice clean and straight style, zingy and subtle with crisp intensity. 80-83
2008 Coteaux du Languedoc (Carignan, Syrah, Grenache) - slightly 'reductive' / cassis nose; youthful lively and crunchy fruit on the palate, turning lusher on the finish. 83-85
2007 En attendant que Coteaux du Languedoc - spicy Syrah-dominated style, the wood's a tad intrusive although it does add attractive rounder texture...
2007 La Capitelle Grès de Montpellier (Grenache, Syrah,Carignan) - spicy minty aromas with cassis and cherry; firm vs round mouthfeel, tasty chunky vs fruity profile and dry vs "sweet" finish. 89+

34820 Guzargues, www.la-triballe.com.

Languedoc: Château de Brau, Cabardès

Cabardès AOC is found to the north of Carcassonne and is trying to push a 'west meets east' image, with varying degrees of success. The region is planted with a mix of Mediterranean, Rhone, southwest and Bordeaux varieties; and further afield too with Chardy, Sauvignon, Pinot Noir etc. cropping up more and more. As you approach from further east or south in the Languedoc, the weather can quickly change once you're in or beyond Carcassonne (sometimes rainier or colder in the winter yet hotter in the summer too), as if there actually is some kind of Atlantic-cum-continental karma at play; even though you're still much nearer to the Med here. While Cabardès has (had?) its fair share of rather ordinary wines (nothing unusual about that then), there's a burgeoning band of top estates coming to the fore such as Château de Brau and the others featured below this profile. For more info on Cabardès producers and to get hold of a copy of their handy little wine trail in English (includes a few hotels, restaurants etc. as well), check out www.aoc-cabardes.com.

Back to Brau. This charming, unpretentious and quite sizeable (40 ha/100 acre) estate is owned by Gabriel and Wenny Tari and farmed organically: certified back in 1989 in fact with the youngest Syrah and Pinot being converted. It's split roughly into two big chunks - one around the winery and chateau, the other just off in the distance on rolling slopes at slightly higher altitude - with natural borders formed by the river to the south (a tributary of the Aude) and wilder countryside to the north. Unusually, they have 15 different varieties planted, mostly red including oddities such as Fer Servadou (from the southwest) and Egiodola, a crossing of Fer and Abourriou (que?!). Their Cabardès red blends are particularly impressive, although so is the Pinot Noir (rare to find good examples in the south) and other varietal wines like Cabernet Franc. The property is well signposted from the tricky-to-pronounce village of Villemoustaussou, and individuals or small groups are preferred by appointment.

What I also like about Gabriel and Wenny Tari, apart from nice wines, is their openness in poking fun at established so-called wisdom, or rather the usual clichés rolled out by some growers. This snippet from their brochure gives you a taster and also shows we must be kindred spirits, reflecting a line from the intro blurb on my homepage (an attempt at humour, if you bothered to read it and are a Monty Python fan): "We have not been growing wines since Roman times. We are farmers... modern-day peasants and have been for a long time... we don't have an exceptional terroir, just good land for vineyards of which we've ploughed every inch and which we've revived according to organic principles over the last 20 years" (not my translation by the way). Hats off. 

The following wines were tasted at Millésime Bio, Perpignan January 2008, and/or in situ when I visited in April 08.

2006 Pinot Noir Pure, Vin de Pays d'Oc - touch of toasty chocolate oak leads on to attractive 'sweet and savoury' Pinot fruit, juicy mouth-feel v fresh bite and tannins; with a little air the oak drops revealing more silky Pinot character, surprising considering it's made from young vines too. 89-91

2005 Domaine Majelus Merlot - smoky plum and cassis notes, nice ripe edges with 'tar' and liquorice v grip and fresh acidity. 87+

2006 Cuvée Château Cabardès (Merlot Syrah Cabernet Sauvignon) - nice mix of herbal pepper and ripe smoky fruit, again solid tannins v ripeness and power v lightness of touch. 89-91

2006 Cuvée Exquise Cabardès (Syrah Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon and sometimes Grenache too) - different from above, more berry fruit with light mint tones then liquorice on the palate v dry grip from textured tannins; less charming now perhaps but could blossom. 88+

2005 Le Suc de Brau Cabardès (Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon) - more peppery and rustic with light coco oak, black cherry and cassis; powerful chunky and quite concentrated palate v rich smoky liquorice and black fruit layered on its firm solid framework. 90-92

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Pure - attractive juicy cassis enhanced by smoky prune tones, quite elegant finish actually. 87-89

2006 Cabernet Franc - pretty ripe and spicy v red pepper notes but mostly full and rounded in style, very appealing wine. 87-89

2006 Fer Servadou - a little reduced and funky on the nose but this is concentrated, peppery, rustic and rich; nicely handled tannins and finish too.88-90

2006 Egiodola - a bit stalky and closed on the nose, reveals more in the mouth with lively spicy tart aromatic damson v darker fruit and liquorice; quite concentrated with very grippy tannins and fresh acidity, different for sure! 87+2006 Syrah - less exciting to be honest, although made from young vines so we'll see.

2007 Domaine de Brau Chardonnay-Roussanne (12.5%) - nice peachy v yeast leesy style with a bit of depth and crisp finish. 85+ 

Update 2010. Gosh, was that really two years ago... these new vintages tasted with Gabriel and Wenny at Millésime Bio show in Montpellier:

2008 Chardonnay / Roussanne - quite rich and exotic with peachy and yeast-lees tones; juicy with a touch of weight then crisp bite vs "sweet" fruit and lively finish still. 87

2008 Cabernet Franc / Cabernet Sauvignon - attractive "sweet vs savoury" mix with herby red pepper notes vs richer darker berry and cassis fruit; nice styling and depth on the palate. 87+

2007 Fer Servadou - juicier than previous vintage perhaps with meaty/savoury notes and light wood spice; quite lush vs tarter side with dark fruits and leather on the finish, attractive tannins too. 87+

2009 Pinot Noir - a bit closed up but slowly reveals enticing "sweet/savoury" Pinot style, nice fruit vs grip too; promising. 87-89

2007 Cuvée Exquise Cabardès - a touch of oak on the nose vs maturing herbal berry fruit; chunkier and lush on the palate vs tight firm mouthfeel, ripe vs savoury finish. Yum. 90

2006 Le Suc Cabardès (Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon) - spicy wood aromas, moving on to chunky and concentrated mouthfeel; a tad oak-heavy perhaps but has nice oomph, richness and spicy finish. 89

Latest Brau here (report June 2012).

Domaine de Brau, 11620 Villemoustaussou. Tel: 04 68 72 31 92, chateaudebrau@aliceadsl.fr.