Roussillon: Domaine Singla, Rivesaltes / Opoul / Saint-Laurent

Young Laurent de Besombes' stimulating range of Catalan-titled wines was originally born out of two very different vineyard sites. He used to have 70 ha/175 acres in total: 45 in the Opoul/Salses-le-Château area snuggling up to the Corbières hills (called Mas Passe Temps among other sites), and 25 near Camélas in Les Aspres zone (called Mas d'en Alby) between Thuir and Ille-sur-Têt. He relinquished the latter relatively recently for a variety of reasons: read on and see my March 2010 update below for more on that. However, for the moment only about 11 ha of selected varieties are the source of the Singla label, launched in 2001. Laurent has 24 ha of Muscat and other whites used to make Rivesaltes VDN styles, and he sells off the rest in bulk to the local co-op. His Singla reds are priced between €8 and €10 a bottle, because "I want to stay reasonably priced despite all the work involved (he farms organically too). It's difficult to try and make a name for yourself straight away with very expensive wines. In this region, you can find neighbours where one sells for €50 and the other's losing money. It's more about getting the most out of, and highlighting the different terroirs." (He's since launched a wine at this price, by the way - first tasted in 2008).
Hence Laurent claims to be "super selective about what fruit goes in," and "there's no press wine in the blends either. I use whole berries, foot treading and usually no temperature control, apart from doing 'rack and return' on the big cuve to cool it down." (Literally emptying one vat into another then back again, which helps aerate the must, lose some heat and extract colour/tannin.) The range is a mix of Côtes du Roussillon and Vin de Pays, as "if the taste matches AOC regulations, then fine; if not, I don't care." Good for you, I say...

We tasted the following wines in April 2007 in Laurent's old Rivesaltes cellar, and I tackled the leftovers over the next few days; would've been rude not to.
2004 Castell Vell (mostly 7 year-old Syrah, 14.5%) - nice juicy fruit with light coconut tones v meatier savoury edges; fairly full with attractively chunky tannins and finish, dense grippy and savoury. 87-89
2005 La Pinède, Côtes du Roussillon (old vine Grenache Carignan Syrah, 14%) - attractive pure blackcurrant/cherry/berry fruit with very light spicy oak, turning more black olive and liquorice after one day; quite tight and firm with fine length and freshness, chunkier than above with dry textured tannins needing 6 months or more to open up. 89-91
2004 La Pinède, Côtes du Roussillon (Grenache Carignan, 14%) - more forward and juicy-fruity with black cherry and wild herbs, nice solid yet elegant fruit and fresh length v tight firm and powerful; well-balanced and quite fine, the oak melted into the wine after one day open. 89
2004 Passe Temps, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (mostly Grenache, 14.5%) - succulent rich black fruits and liquorice, turning savoury/rustic on the palate with a touch of bitter chocolate oak; quite lush and weighty (14.5%) v firm and fresh bite and length with lingering wild fruits and leather. 88-90
2004 El Molí, Côtes du Roussillon (Syrah Grenache Carignan 14%) – delicious black cherry fruit with coco/cedar oak notes, soft yet dense fruit v dry textured grainy tannins; once again nice bite and lively finish v lush liquorice and (alc) weight. 89-91
2004 La Crinyane Côtes du Roussillon (mostly old vine Carignan plus Grenache, 14%) - a little closed to start off, light oak v fine liquorice and dark plum fruit on the palate with soy sauce edges, quite dense lush and concentrated yet elegant with attractive coating of rounded tannins; not very expressive needing a bit of time, as the fruit does come out slowly with aeration. 89-91

Update October 2008
A second visit to Laurent's cellar 18 months down the line (where do all those months slip away to?) and an opportunity to try his rather good 2006s. Not that much has changed on the growing and winemaking front, apart from the fact that all the grapes are now spring-cleaned on a sorting table (rather than just in the vineyard) before being included or rejected. Laurent told me: "I dumped quite a lot (of fruit) this year (08 vintage)," and that he's not doing any green-harvesting anymore (removing bunches just before colour-set, which certain growers don't think has much effect - or sometimes the opposite as the vine can then over-compensate - especially as some probably do it too late anyway, just to reduce so-called yields on paper).
Nonetheless, I detected something different about the wines, apart from the obvious fact that it's a different vintage, the pretty classic 06. Better balance perhaps and certainly showing more subtle oak influence, even though "all the wines now go into barriques!" So what do I know, huh.
2006 La Pinède Côtes du Roussillon (Grenache Syrah Carignan 14.5%) - nice ripe liquorice, cherry and menthol notes on the nose; firm and powerful v spicy and fruity, savoury undertones too; closes up a bit, but 6 months more in bottle will let it come out a bit (so to speak). €9 88-90
2006 Passetemps Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (Grenache) - more open and lusher with resiny yet spicy liquorice notes; lively, quite soft and tasty with dry although rounded tannins and elegant finish. €9 89
2006 Castell Vell (Syrah) - oakier and more chocolatey on the nose but shows classic Syrah, black cherry / pepper hallmarks underneath; attractive dry v chocolate texture with plenty of pure ripe fruit carrying the palate. €17 90-92?
2006 Arrels ('roots' in Catalan: majority Grenache plus Syrah) - lovely concentration with tasty juicy dark fruits v very grippy and textured v lush mouth-feel v bite and great length. Aged entirely in new barriques but it's well-integrated; this one's worth laying down. €50 (!) 92-94?


Update March 2010
The latest news is that Laurent has downsized vineyards-wise and tweaked his range accordingly. He's no longer sourcing fruit from the Aspres, where he was actually leasing a vineyard off a cousin, to focus on his own vineyards near Opoul. So, a couple of names have disappeared while a couple of new ones have been introduced (as well as a Mourvèdre: read on), although in terms of varieties and blends overall, it's apparently not going to make a lot of difference. While I was in the cellar tasting, a couple of TV journos turned up from the local France3 station, as one of Laurent's wines - the 2006 Passetemps - was selected for the Presidential palace cellar in Paris! He's also planning to refit and extend his cellar with a tasting room in St-Laurent (where he lives) and move out of the Rivesaltes premises, perhaps this year or next.
2008 La Matine vin de pays Côtes Catalanes (majority Syrah + Grenache 14%) – gently spicy coconut notes with layers of black cherry; attractive soft juicy palate vs lightly chalky tannins and smoky savoury touches, subtle refreshing bite to finish. 87
2008 Mataro Côtes du Roussillon Villages (mostly Mourvèdre 13.5%) - a bit closed up with dark berry and olive tones, a touch peppery too; ripe with light oak texture and quite broad mouthfeel vs firm tannins, crunchy fruit and tight quite fine finish. 87-89
2008 La Crinyane Côtes du Roussillon Villages (mostly old Carignan 15%) - more perfumed and floral with blueberry notes; tight firm and fresh palate, again quite fine vs oomph and attractive dry yet subtle tannins. 89+
2008 Bressol CdRV (mostly Grenache 15%) - spicier and oakier, ripe and fat with grainy texture; closes up with fine tight and rather unrevealing finish. Need to try it again further down the line.
2008 Castell Vell CdRV (mostly Syrah 15%) - again the oak is quite strong vs juicy dark cherry fruit, dry yet elegant bite and length; not expressing much at the moment, in a way it's lighter yet more powerful too... 89+?
2006 Passetemps (Grenache) - smoky/meaty and chunky vs herby edges, nice balance of still firm framework, concentrated fruit and power with peppery finish. 87-89

There's now a rosé, white and even more reds too ranging from €7 to €17 a bottle, except for the Arrels 'super-cuvée' still at, erm, €50...

7 Rue Pasteur, 66600 Rivesaltes (cellar); mobile 06 11 77 07 11. Home: Saint-Laurent-de-Salanque, tel: 04 68 28 30 68; laurent.debesombes@free.fr, www.domainesingla.com.

A dose of La Clape

Childish humour aside, there are two new Languedoc "winery snapshots" featuring Château Camplazens and Château Pech Redon; both found on "the curious hunk of untamed hilly rock that is La Clape" between Narbonne and the sea. Talking of which, I just spent a couple of days at some mammoth 2009 vintage "en primeur" tastings of lots of Languedoc wines, including several rather good white wines actually (it's perhaps best known for its reds) from this compact and distinctive sub-appellation. Round of applause then (get it, ho ho?). Full report on those Languedoc 09s here, and more info on Camplazens and Pech Redon by clicking on those links...

A dose of La Clape

Childish humour aside, there are two new Languedoc "winery snapshots" on WineWriting, the site, featuring Château Camplazens and Château Pech Redon; both found on "the curious hunk of untamed hilly rock that is La Clape" between Narbonne and the sea. Talking of which, I just spent a couple of days at some mammoth 2009 vintage "en primeur" tastings of lots of Languedoc wines, including several rather good white wines actually (it's perhaps best known for its reds) from this compact and distinctive sub-appellation. Round of applause then (get it, ho ho?).
Full report on those Languedoc 09s is on my other blog HERE. And follow these links for more info on Camplazens and Pech Redon...

Dances with vines

Dancing in the vineyard might sound like something the more eccentric among our biodynamic winegrowing friends occasionally indulge in, but slighty avant-garde Languedoc winery Le Chemin des Rêves is organising dancing lessons "en pleine nature" (in the middle of nowhere rather than taking your clothes off, I'd imagine) among their vines in Combaillaux not far from Montpellier. This will be run by Sylvie Klinger on Sunday 21 March from dance group "Noun." So pull on your Syrah-coloured dancing shoes and "do it large" (as they used to say in Manchester, England) to the Grenache/Mourvèdre remix... More info @ www.myspace.com/association_noun or www.chemin-des-reves.com, who've just opened an on-site groovy-looking log-cabin tasting room/shop, by the way.

Dances with vines

Dancing in the vineyard might sound like something the more eccentric among our biodynamic winegrowing friends occasionally indulge in, but slighty avant-garde Languedoc winery Le Chemin des Rêves is organising dancing lessons "en pleine nature" (in the middle of nowhere rather than taking your clothes off, I'd imagine) among their vines in Combaillaux not far from Montpellier. This will be run by Sylvie Klinger on Sunday 21 March from dance group "Noun." So pull on your Syrah-coloured dancing shoes and "do it large" (as they used to say in Manchester, England) to the Grenache/Mourvèdre remix... More info @ www.myspace.com/association_noun or www.chemin-des-reves.com, who've just opened an on-site groovy-looking log-cabin tasting room/shop, by the way.

Languedoc: Domaine Magellan, IGP / Pézenas

Why vin de pays? The village of Magalas is indeed very Languedoc found just south of the Faugères appellation yet was never "classified" within the so-called "Coteaux du Languedoc," for no doubt a variety of odd, political and/or ultimately probably not very interesting reasons. Until 2008 that is, the first vintage to be "delimited" as such and hence Bruno Lafon and Sylvie Legros' quite sumptuous Grenache Syrah wine below, sourced from a hilltop plot lying on the Pézenas-zone side of their vineyards. Another reason, and their original guiding philosophy actually, was that Bruno (from the Lafon Burgundy family) and Sylvie could experiment with the whole gamut of varieties (a dozen) planted across their undulating terrain, which includes e.g. Merlot and Tempranillo among the usual Med and Rhone grapes, based on "one terroir, one wine". Over 10 years later, their thinking is now more "Chateauneuf" than Burgundy; and it's the subtle blending of complementary varieties, all sourced from essentially two very different, although neighbouring "terroirs" (Pech Redon: sandstone and pebbles, Caves de Paris: clay and cobblestones) that create the most complete wines in the south. Having done a quick tour through their vines with Sylvie back in March 2010, it is remarkable how the soil, slopes etc. change from one spot to another, as is often the case in larger Languedoc vineyards. By the way, Le Fruit Défendu is an easy-drinking range based on some old Cinsault, for the red and rosé, that was selected from Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the 60s and they were advised to rip up but decided not to (technical consultants, huh)!

2008 Magellan white (Grenache blanc, Roussanne 14%) vin de pays de l'Hérault - attractive honeyed oily notes vs spicy and a touch toasty vs quite rich and buttery; nutty and crisp vs powerful, nice balance in the end despite that initial punch! 87
2009 Fruit Défendu rosé (Cinsault, Syrah) vin de pays Côtes de Thongue - mouth-watering and crisp with rose petal tones and light red fruits; clean, gummy and easy finish. 80-83
2009 Fruit Défendu white (Grenache blanc, Muscat) - aromatic nose vs rounder and juicy palate; crisp and mineral with honey and melon flavours. 83-85
2009 Fruit Défendu red (Cinsault, Syrah) - appealing juicy cherry and liquorice fruit; peppery palate with light grip and nice blackcurrant finish. 80-83
2008 Magellan Coteaux du Languedoc (Grenache, Syrah) - lovely vibrant minty nose with spicy black cherry and liquorice; attractive fresh bite and "chalky" tannins, tight long and balanced finish. 87+
2007 Magellan red (Grenache, Syrah, Carignan) vin de pays de l'Hérault - smokier and richer yet still minty with wild herb and berry notes, "sweet" liquorice and savoury edges too; grippy with lingering maturing fruit, big but very tasty. 89+
2005 Alios (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre + Tempranillo etc.) vin de pays de l'Hérault - enticing savoury maturing nose with dried black fruit edges; good mix of ripe and raisin-y vs solid and meaty, quite complex and interesting flavours with herby vs savoury profile, big finish and fairly firm tannins still. 90+?

Latest vintage tasted here (2009 Coteaux du Languedoc Pézenas, May 2011).

467 Avenue de la Gare, 34480 Magalas. Tel: 04 67 36 20 83 / www.domainemagellan.com.

Languedoc: Château Meunier St-Louis, Corbières-Boutenac

Château Meunier St-Louis

Martine and Philippe Pasquier-Meunier have over 20 years experience behind them to bring out the best of their sizeable 120 ha estate (300 acres). The white varieties are also all 20+ years old, which is probably one factor behind the latent quality of their attractive "Prestige" white wine, grown on "pebbly quartz sandstone terraces," as you do! The reds are at slight altitude as well but on stoney clay-limestone sites, so there. Their top cuvée "Exégèse" is sourced from "the prettiest hills" (someone once said if a vineyard is beautiful, it must be good!) lying in the northernmost tip of the Boutenac appellation zone and selected grapes including their oldest Carignan. I tried these wines over dinner (10th March 2010) with Martine (among other Boutenac and Minervois owner/winemakers) at Le Marie-Jean restaurant in Sète (that link goes to a post on my other blog), and at the Languedoc "en primeur" tastings that week (see link below):

2009 Prestige rosé Corbières (Syrah, Grenache, Carignan) - elegant and very crisp, attractive and versatile style. 83-85

2009 Prestige white (Grenache blanc, Bourboulenc, Marsanne, Rolle = Vermentino) - aromatic banana/pineapple notes with gummy lees-tinged intensity; nice rounded mouth-feel vs light bitter twist, "sweet" fruit vs mineral bite. 87

2005 Exégèse Corbières-Boutenac (Syrah, Grenache, Carignan) - quite oaky, sturdy and extracted with lush spicy fruit vs grainy wood; not sure at first, in the end the fruit comes through more although it's still pretty chunky, firm and tight for an 05. One to try again sometime...

2009 Exégèse (Syrah/Carignan/Grenache) - smoky bacon oak with ripe fruit and wild herb undertones; dry vs rounded tannins with minty finish. Good but far too expensive at €32! 87+  (unfinished sample from my 2009 Languedoc report).

UPDATE: more here (May 2011, Corbières report).

Saint-Louis, 11200 Boutenac. Tel: 04 68 27 09 69, www.pasquier-meunier.com.

Languedoc: Château Hauterive le Haut, Corbières-Boutenac

Château Hauterive le Haut

Fabienne and Jean-Marc Reulet's expansive 90 ha (225 acres) of vines spread across four different zones: on the clay-sand soils around Boutenac, clay-limestone Caumont Cayenne hillsides, clay and sandstone around the Boutenac pine-forest and the Hauterive vineyard itself in Gasparets. I tried these wines over dinner (10th March 2010) with the owner/winemaker at Le Marie-Jean restaurant in Sète (that link goes to a post on my blog), and at the Languedoc "en primeur" tastings that week (see below):

2009 Corbières rosé (Cinsault/Syrah/Grenache)- raspberry fruity and quite chunky style with juicy and crisp finish. 85

2007 Corbières-Boutenac (old Carignan/Grenache) - very nice smoky savoury touches vs vibrant cherry and berry fruit, a tad of oak adding rounded texture vs quite concentrated palate. 89+

2009 Averal (50-50 Carignan/Grenache) - perfumed herby aromas, leading on to tobacco tones and blue/black fruits; crunchy vs ripe palate with lively length. €13.50 88+ (unfinished sample included in my 2009 Languedoc report ).

11200 Boutenac. Tel: 04 68 27 62 00, reulet.6mablog.com.