"Primeur" and "nouveau"... wine or chemistry experiment?

With Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 lurking ominously around the corner, and after recently reading some blatantly one-sided pro-wine business propaganda telling everyone to go out and buy a new "primeur wine" (French websites / magazines Terre des Vins and Vitisphere, just to get myself threatened with legal action...); I thought it might be worth asking if anyone else has found some of these wines virtually undrinkable? Admittedly, some are nice enough, such as the 2010 Colombelle white I tried recently by Producteurs Plaimont in Gascony: in a mega aromatic boiled-sweet bubble-gummy estery zingy zesty crisp fruity kind of way (although, at €4 to €4.50 in France, not exactly a bargain). But most of these autumn "new wines" I've tasted over the years just taste like a winemaking / chemistry experiment and don't come together at all like, well, wine. Unless you left them for six months, so what's the point?! Well, great cash flow for the producer for a start... sold and banked before Christmas of the same year. OK, so maybe I'll buy one red and one rosé primeur/nouveau 2010 vintage to substantiate my rantings. Watch this space, if I can be bothered...

Roussillon: Château Lauriga, Thuir

Jacqueline Clar's locally well-established Lauriga comes to 60 hectares (150 acres) of vines spread all around the cute old-Catalan 'Mas' style wine cellar buildings, office and house (part of which is being done up into a tasting / function room), which is pretty sizeable round these parts and where there aren't that many wine estates, except for e.g. their neighbour Domaine Nivet-Galinier. Syrah occupies the lion's share of plantings and hence the make-up of their quite large range, supplemented by the other usual red and white Med / Catalan varieties; plus a good dollop of Merlot too (which actually produces a very attractive easy-drinking wine here - see below). And, as they're lacking a bit of Grenache to make a red Vin Doux Naturel, Jacqueline's recently gone into partnership with a grower in Maury to produce their own young fruity "muté sur grain" style VDN (click here for more info in a feature on Maury & Banyuls). Lauriga currently exports to a few mainland European countries (e.g. Germany, Belgium, Netherlands), but they have plans, with a little help perhaps from new sales manager Maxime Séjourné, to try and crack English speaking wine-quaffing markets! Anyway, if you're in the area, it's well signposted off the Perpignan - Thuir road, heading towards Ponteilla.

I tried these wines in situ in November 2010:
2008 Soleil Blanc de Lauriga vin de pays d'Oc (Grenache blanc & gris 14%) - lightly nutty "oxidative" notes layered with some coconut oak; nice rounded and oily texture vs quite toasty oak, although it's fairly concentrated, juicy and powerful too. A foodie white for sure, a touch too much oak for my taste but it does have attractive texture with it. €10 85+?
2009 Domaine Lauriga Grenache gris rosé vin de pays d'Oc (12.5%) - aromatic and juicy, light crisp profile and finish; attractive "pale" rosé style. €5.90 80+
2009 Château Lauriga Côtes du Roussillon rosé (Syrah, Grenache 13.5%) - very different style with full-on cherry colour, richer red fruit side and "winey" full-bodied mouth-feel; oily vs fruity texture then crisp vs weighty finish. Versatile dinner rosé: e.g. salmon, cured ham, tortilla, vegetable dishes. €5.90 87
2009 Domaine Lauriga Merlot vin de pays (13.5%) - lovely black cherry and ripe plum nose with lightly herby edges; juicy and quite concentrated actually with subtle tannins and chocolate flavours even (there's no oak though), fruity vs more serious finish. 85+ €6
2007 Cadet de Lauriga Côtes du Roussillon (Syrah, Carignan, Grenache 13%) - also no oak: enticing smoky notes with rich cherry fruit; attractive ripe mouth-feel vs light bitter twist of tannins, spicy and fruity vs a bit of weight and grip. €6 85+
2005 Château Lauriga Côtes du Roussillon (Grenache Syrah 13.5%) - very different nose with richer and more Grenache liquorice and spice character, also showing a touch of coconut oak and savoury maturing edges; nice balance and style, turning meaty with subtle oak texture and solid fruit backdrop. 87-89 €12
2008 Cuvée Prestige René Clar Côtes du Roussillon (mostly their oldest Syrah 14%) - 14 months in barriques (2/3 new oak) and it does show at the moment: pretty cedar-y on the nose; nice concentrated "sweet" dark cherry fruit though vs rounded tannins, good bite and freshness almost too; coconut texture and finish, needs a few years to let that oak blend in better, could turn into something quite fine. €22 90?
2008 Muscat de Rivesaltes (Muscat petits grains) - quite subtle orangey Muscat nose vs oily developing side; tasty and aromatic, not too sweet, towards crisp even, vs luscious finish. Bit dear at €12 85
2009 Maury (Grenache) - attractive fruity "new wave" style, plummy nose with leather edges; very fruity and lush palate with liquorice and choco vs nice kick and bit of grip. Attractive style. €14 85+
Château Lauriga Rivesaltes Ambré Hors d'Age (Grenache blanc, Macabeu and a splash of Muscat petits grains; blend of 12 to 14 year-old wines) - hints of coconut and rich oxidised hazelnut, caramel and spicy citrus marmalade too; complex "Madeira" vs Tawny characters, tangier finish cuts through the palate nicely. €18 89-91

Traverse de Ponteilla, 66350 Thuir. Tel: 04 68 53 26 73, www.lauriga.com.

Rioja duet

Lagunilla is a well-known and widely distributed Rioja brand, but I recently retried their Crianza 2007 and Reserva 2005 reds and found them both attractive, warming (in that good with hearty food in early winter way) and good value. Based on blends of the Tempranillo (mostly) and Garnacha (=Grenache) varieties, the Crianza (red and black label) is medium-bodied and smooth-textured with that distinctive traditional Rioja character of sweet vs crunchy berry fruit, a hint of vanilla oak and a bit of that nice "cheesy" savoury maturing side. The Reserva (blue and black label) is a shade richer and smokier, and more "volatile" too (acetic acid notes, which can make a wine more complex or ruin it if not properly handled). Both are about 13% alcohol, and were €4 and €5.50 respectively bought on promotion in Spain - and in one of those discount border-town type supermarkets, so usually more expensive than that no doubt.

Organic half-truths

You might've noticed a slight organic slant on these pages and on WineWriting.com. But I'm getting a bit fed up with reading organic winery websites and brochures, or people writing about organic winegrowing even, claiming they "don't use any chemicals." Let's just stop misleading wine enthusiasts about what organic winegrowing is and isn't (admittedly I did recently read one site using the more accurate terms "no pesticides or herbicides," which implies artificial and nasty). Copper and sulphur based "products" might be considered "natural chemicals" - they are elements found in nature and the human organism in tiny amounts - but let's not forget they are also rather toxic if you use too much, for people and the earth. Potions such as copper sulphate solution are sanctioned under organic farming regulations (read on for more on that), so please start communicating the message better to those interested and explain what you use and why. Even so-called "natural" winemakers do use these, although certain people experiment with e.g. SO2 (sulphur dioxide)-free winemaking, some more successfully than others. Ever had one of those wines where the overriding smell / flavour is like real cider, even a red? Or that initially enticing rustic character is perhaps just a little too developed (invaded by brettanomyces, a wild "spoilage" yeast)?

Anyway, it's perhaps worth rehashing, to add a little detail, something I wrote after Millésime Bio organic wine show in 2006 (and I've been going every year since: see this blurb with links to profiles on two dozen hot organic producers), which still holds true enough:

"Organic: what and why? A few facts and thoughts... Organic doesn't necessarily mean guaranteed or better quality, but overall wine quality is now much higher than say ten years ago. Organic growers rightly claim it's more about a whole way of life, and there's little doubt that this philosophy, coupled with fussy attention in the vineyard, can produce superb grapes. Here are a few facts about certified organic status (said to be more strictly controlled than for "conventional" appellation regs) to highlight the main points: The conversion period is three years so commitment and dedication are required, especially as the vines are probably more vulnerable during this transition stage. No synthetic or systemic (which penetrate into the plant's organism and deep into the soil) chemicals or fertilisers are used in the vineyard, but "natural chemical" substances such as copper sulphate solution (against mildew) and sulphur dioxide (a preservative among other uses) are permitted. However, max levels of SO2 in winemaking are sometimes half that for non-organic (although not always). The idea is to foster living soil, biodiversity in the vineyard and hence naturally healthy vines. It goes without saying that genetically engineered vines and winemaking products, such as GM yeast, are not tolerated. Some organic winemakers might use standard commercial yeasts if necessary; but e.g. full-Monty biodynamic growers wouldn't normally add them, as indigenous yeasts on the grapes are considered part of the terroir. The whole philosophy should carry through down the line, in terms of managing winery waste, water supply, carbon emissions, packaging etc. At the end of the day, it doesn't make a lot of sense to go on about the importance of your terroir, yet systematically destroy it with potent chemicals!" There, I got that off my chest...

Organic half-truths

You might have noticed a slight organic slant on these pages and on WineWriting.com. But I'm getting a bit fed up with reading organic winery websites and brochures, or people writing about organic winegrowing even, claiming they "don't use any chemicals." Let's just stop misleading wine enthusiasts about what organic winegrowing is and isn't (admittedly I did recently read one site using the more accurate terms "no pesticides or herbicides," which implies artificial and nasty). Copper and sulphur based "products" might be considered "natural chemicals" - they are elements found in nature and the human organism in tiny amounts - but let's not forget they are also rather toxic if you use too much, for people and the earth. Potions such as copper sulphate solution are sanctioned under organic farming regulations (read on for more on that), so please start communicating the message better to those interested and explain what you use and why. Even so-called "natural" winemakers do use these, although certain people experiment with e.g. SO2 (sulphur dioxide)-free winemaking, some more successfully than others. Ever had one of those wines where the overriding smell / flavour is like real cider, even a red? Or that initially enticing rustic character is perhaps just a little too developed (invaded by brettanomyces, a wild "spoilage" yeast)?

Anyway, it's perhaps worth rehashing, to add a little detail, something I wrote after Millésime Bio organic wine show in 2006 (and I've been going every year since: see this blurb on my other site with links to profiles on two dozen hot organic producers), which still holds true enough:

"Organic: what and why? A few facts and thoughts... Organic doesn't necessarily mean guaranteed or better quality, but overall wine quality is now much higher than say ten years ago. Organic growers rightly claim it's more about a whole way of life, and there's little doubt that this philosophy, coupled with fussy attention in the vineyard, can produce superb grapes. Here are a few facts about certified organic status (said to be more strictly controlled than for "conventional" appellation regs) to highlight the main points: The conversion period is three years so commitment and dedication are required, especially as the vines are probably more vulnerable during this transition stage. No synthetic or systemic (which penetrate into the plant's organism and deep into the soil) chemicals or fertilisers are used in the vineyard, but "natural chemical" substances such as copper sulphate solution (against mildew) and sulphur dioxide (a preservative among other uses) are permitted. However, max levels of SO2 in winemaking are sometimes half that for non-organic (although not always). The idea is to foster living soil, biodiversity in the vineyard and hence naturally healthy vines. It goes without saying that genetically engineered vines and winemaking products, such as GM yeast, are not tolerated. Some organic winemakers might use standard commercial yeasts if necessary; but e.g. full-Monty biodynamic growers wouldn't normally add them, as indigenous yeasts on the grapes are considered part of the terroir. The whole philosophy should carry through down the line, in terms of managing winery waste, water supply, carbon emissions, packaging etc. At the end of the day, it doesn't make a lot of sense to go on about the importance of your terroir, yet systematically destroy it with potent chemicals!" There, I got that off my chest...

2009 Château Cazeaux, "red of the moment"

This not exactly "classic" Bordeaux red, although probably a typical 2009 and certainly none the worse for it, is surprisingly lush and full-bodied (14%) with enticing black cherry, damson and cassis - and liquorice notes even - yet still underpinned by lightly cedar-y and "inky" edges. Nice fruity and rounded mouth-feel vs quite thick and firm tannins, which are also ripe and attractively textured; it's drinking OK now although best left for a year or two to let it open up. From this property in the Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux appellation, and a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. About €6 from memory in Carrefour's recent "wine fair" promotion. Photo = Château Cazeaux from chateau-cazeaux.com.

2009 Château Cazeaux, "red of the moment"

Has moved HERE (click please)...

Banyuls & Maury: sweet seductive red Roussillon

New wine tasting & touring feature published on FrenchMediterraneanWine: "My pick of some (25) of these red (and a few white) Vins Doux Naturels or vins mutés, as they're called in French: literally "natural sweet wines" or fortified wines, tasted in early October on a whirlwind tour of leading estates in north and south Roussillon. Plus words on how these delicious Grenache based wines are made and their different styles." Featured wineries: Amiel, Coume Mas, La Rectorie, Serrelongue, Soulanes, Tour Vieille, Vinci, Coume Majou, Mudigliza; and a new-release Maury from Mont Tauch...