Languedoc: Mas Belles Eaux

Revamped by the might, money and know-how of the AXA Millésimes group (assurance / insurance / property investment: owner of Château Pichon-Longueville in Pauillac, Disznókő in Tokaj and Quinta do Noval Port among others), who combined two vineyards - Château Ste. Hélène and Château Belles Eaux - to form a 90 hectare (220 acre) estate. Here you'll find Syrah (some grafted onto underperforming Carignan), Grenache, Mourvèdre (4 ha replanted) and parcels of old vine Carignan on the gravel/clay slopes of Caux in the central Languedoc, lost (and I mean lost, without the mysterious imaginary monsters though: they're improving the signposting) between Pézenas and Montpellier. The stately 16th to 19th Century buildings (from the original barrel cellar to handsome chateau added later) are being renovated, part of which houses the remodelled and re-equipped winery.
Stockists in the UK include independent wine merchants such as the splendid PW Amps in Peterborough, Ipswich Fine Wines, JH Logan of Edinburgh, Topsham Wines near Exeter, crammed-with-lovely-bottles Wimbledon Wine Cellars and direct e-tailer fromvineyardsdirect.com. For more info on their UK and US distribution, contact Marie Louise Schÿler: mlschyler@chateauxassocies.com. They also launched a bag-in-box red a couple of years ago in France, which doesn't, in retrospect, really seem to fit in with their 'premium-positioning' plans (to use the marketing babble), but I haven't heard anything about that since then.

Tasted August 2006:
2003 Fûts de Chêne (Syrah Grenache Carignan 14.5%, 12 months in French 20% new oak) - rich purple turning red/brown at the edges, ripe plum and black cherry notes, smoky and rustic with very light cedar and spice undertones; quite concentrated, nice soft rounded palate v grip and power, drinking fairly well now. Better balance than the Ste-Hel in terms of alcohol, extraction etc. £7.99 88-90
2003 Sainte-Hélène (same varieties plus Mourvèdre, from selected plots) - delicious earthy plum and black cherry/olive, very ripe and aromatic with subtle background oak; lush and forward, rich and soft with textured tannins and light oak; pity about that 14.5% alcohol (at least I'd say), which throws a very nice wine out of kilter. A victim of heatwave 2003? Look forward to the 2004. £15 87 (because of its overly hot finish).

Update: I visited the winery in October 2006 and re/tasted the following:
2004 Chardonnay fûts de chêne (no new oak) - creamier and fatter than the basic Chardy with nice oat character v light peachy fruit; more power and texture, rounded with well judged oak. 85-87
Muscat vendanges d'automne (13.5% 80 grams/litre residual sugar) - made "for fun" from sun-shrivelled berries: gorgeously exotic, slightly botrytis aromas lead to lovely citrus and peach fruit; quite fresh acidity actually v lush sweetness. 89
2003 Fûts de Chêne - nice ripe spicy black cherry with light liquorice, beginning to develop; fairly soft texture v quite powerful alcohol v dry rounded tannins, attractive fruity length with well integrated wood. 89
2003 Sainte-Hélène - a little woodier but not much (from the 05 vintage they're only using 1 year old barrels, by the way), richer more intense dark fruit aromas and palate; firmer and tighter yet still rounded tannins, pretty concentrated v slightly hot alcohol. 89
2004 Fûts de Chêne (10% more Syrah than the 03, 13.5%) - a touch more vanilla, the fruit's a little subdued on the nose; however the palate launches into attractive black cherry intensity, firm tight and fresher than the 03, shows greater elegance and promise. 89-91
2004 Sainte-Hélène (20% more Syrah, more Mourvèdre, Carignan, less Grenache; 14.5%) - light coconut notes v rich liquorice and cherry fruit, firm grip with good texture and weight; fine length with alcohol much better integrated, needs 6-12 months to open out and the oak to merge into the fruit. 90-92

Update 2007/08: for a start, they've relaunched the estate and its top reds as Mas Belles Eaux with the promising 2005 and 06 vintages. Cédric Loiseau, the winery & vineyard manager placed in situ by AXA, has overseen replanting of over 20 ha and upgrading parcels of Syrah with "top-grafting and retraining," as their blurb says (meaning young Syrah was grafted directly onto old Syrah or a different variety more likely, then the trellising was redone accordingly). In addition, the "two-level winery" is nearly finished and fitted out with small temperature-controlled concrete vats (very de rigueur). Big boss Christian Seely commented: "This was a departure from our normal policy of restoring great vineyards to their former glory. This time we are creating one instead. I truly believe that Mas Belles Eaux is capable of producing some of the great red wines of the Languedoc." Mind you, they'll have to be given the high prices they're aiming for - see below.
Tasted December 2007:
2006 MBE Vieux Carignan, Vin de Pays de Caux (100% 60 year-old Carignan, 13.5%) - light coconut oak lifts off to reveal fragrant cassis, damson and liquorice fruit; intense and tangy v ripe and full palate, attractively tight grip with concentration and chocolate cherry length. 89-91
2005 MBE Les Coteaux, AOC Languedoc (70% Syrah 20% Grenache 10% Mourvèdre 14.5%) - similar to the Sainte-Hélène, below, but a touch quirkier (maybe it's the Mourvèdre?) and less overtly oaky-smooth, showing vibrant black cherry and chocolate with earthy undertones; fresh tannins v rounded ripe mouth-feel, in the end the alcohol is pretty well integrated too. 90 £12.99
2005 MBE Sainte-Hélène, AOC Languedoc (80% Syrah 10% Grenache 10% Carignan 14.5%) - impressive and lush with ripe concentrated black cherry v coconut oak texture, underlying spicy smoky liquorice notes too, rounded and structured with tighter bite to finish. It's almost a bit too Bordeaux, oak-textured and seamless; yet those rich vibrant Mediterranean edges, which might develop over time, carry it. 90+? £21.99

Mas Belles Eaux, 34720 Caux. Tel: 04 67 09 30 96 / 95 (the latter Cédric Loiseau's direct line), contact@mas-belleseaux.com,  www.mas-belleseaux.com

Languedoc: Domaine Siméoni, Saint-Chinian

Domaine Siméoni

Cordial couple Sylvie and Franck Siméoni plunged themselves into running their domaine organically right from the start: they set up shop in the region in 2001, after leaving jobs in the north to try and make a living in Saint-Chinian wine country. Out of the several cuvées they make, their La Toure (mostly 100+ year-old Carignan from this namesake vineyard) and L'Ame des Schistes (usually Syrah and Mourvèdre) stand out in particular for this scribbler's palate. They also do some tasty and fun Vin de Pays varietals, quirkily labelled with a sense of humour: a stripy Mourvèdre red and rosé, a Syrah called La Tête à l'Envers ('head inside out' or 'wrong way round') and a Carignan Vin de Crise ('crisis wine')! Click here for notes on some of these, tasted at Millésime Bio in 2006.
Commendably and bravely (purely because it might be perceived as un-trendy or down-market by toasted plank fans), they stopped using any wood for ageing their wines in 2002. Other 'house secrets' include "preferring to pick everything very ripe then do less extraction during vinification," as Franck explained his non-rocket-science approach. This year (2008) sees the launch of a new chunky Syrah rosé (see below); and the Siméonis have purchased a further 5 ha of vineyard, which is gradually being converted to organics. If you're in the area, it's best to make an appointment as their time is divided between Prades-sur-Vernazobre (home/office), the cellar in Cazouls-lès-Béziers and vineyard plots found here and there between the two.

I tasted these 2007 samples from the vats in Cazouls on a sunny but chilly (especially in that cellar, not surprisingly) late November day, 2007:
2007 Rosé de Syrah, St-Chinian (14%) - delicious fruit on a crisp and zingy yet weighty palate, very drinkable and stylish foodie rosé. 87
2007 Aramon - attractive juicy boiled sweet aromas lead on to tangy redcurrant and strawberry flavours, fresh and gluggable.
2007 Cinsault - delicious black cherry, rounded tasty and fresh.
2007 Grenache – gorgeous fruit and ripe rounded mouth-feel, fair grip too with the 15%+ alcohol not so obvious (this will be blended anyway). Very promising.
2007 Syrah + 10% Carignan – spicy and vibrant showing very ripe dark cherry fruit. Good stuff.
2007 La Toure (1 ha/2.5 acres of 1898 Carignan) – incredible colour with superb spicy blackberry and perfumed violets, concentrated and powerful with fresh elegant length. Wow, should be stunning after it settles down a little.
2007 the remaining Carignan – crisper and more closed up but again shows nice fruit and style.
2007 Mourvèdre – black olive with lively almost citrus tones, austere tannins yet it's very fruity with chunky concentrated finish. Another future star probably.
2001 Domaine Siméoni rouge (their first vintage blend aged in American oak) – maturing savoury edges with leather and dried cherry fruit, quite sumptuous and savoury on the finish. 89

Route de Berlou, 34360 Prades-sur-Vernazobre. Tel/fax: 04 67 93 78 92, mobile: 06 99 40 66 62, simeoni5@aol.com, www.domainesimeoni.com

Languedoc: Mas Champart, Saint-Chinian

LATEST HERE (St Chinian special Jan. 2014)

Isabelle and Matthieu Champart, who bought their first vineyard here over 30 years ago, craft an unimpeachable range of mostly reds (although I'm not that keen on their white - see below - but it's early days for this kind of style, given that white wines have only really been coming on-stream for a few years) at this secluded 16 ha (planted out of 25), or 40 acre, Saint-Chinian estate. It's located on the rapid climb, at 200m to 300m altitude (650-950 feet), to the south of the town just before the hamlet of Cazo; and is essentially a patchwork of about twenty distinct plots. Their star reds are 'Clos de la Simonette' (mostly south-facing vineyard on steep terraces, although one parcel has a more northerly exposure: the fruit from here is used for rosé, Matthieu told me in 2005) with at least 70% Mourvèdre and Grenache; and Causse du Bousquet, a more classic Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache and Carignan blend. By the way, their Mourvèdre was originally selected from Domaine Tempier in Bandol and Château de Beaucastel, that slightly well-known CNDP property. They have plans to build a better visitor reception area at some point (the cellar is appealingly small), so you can taste and chat in comfort. For US distribution, try Kermit Lynch in California.

I visited Mas Champart in late Nov. 2007 and opened these two bottles shortly afterwards:
2005 Causse du Bousquet, St-Chinian (50-60% Syrah plus Grenache Mourvèdre Carignan 14%) - quite fine mix of ripe v earthy black cherry with very light cinnamon oak spice; lush concentrated and full v tight firm framework, restrained finish showing weight and elegance too. £12.50 terroirlanguedoc.co.uk. 89-91
2006 Saint-Chinian blanc (Marsanne Roussanne Bourboulenc Grenache blanc) – toasty coconut nose with some creamy yeasty notes, full and rounded with submerged aromatic fruit but overall the oak's a bit heavy-handed, finishing too overtly woody. 80+

Plus a few notes on more Champart wines sampled at Vinisud trade fair in 2006:

"Isabelle and Matthieu Champart's lovely reds have long been among my favourite St-Chinian wines, especially their Mourvèdre rich Clos Simonette..."
2004 St-Chinian blanc (Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache blanc & Bourboulenc) - fresh and exotic fruit then turns zesty and mineral, nice clean elegant finish. 85
2003 Côte d'Arbo St-Chinian (Syrah, Grenache & Carignan) - wild and spicy with attractive pure fruit, quite elegant with ripe soft-ish finish. 87-89
2003 Causse du Bousquet (Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache & Carignan) - more liquorice and black cherry, again shows softness v concentration, grip v elegance. 90
2003 Clos de la Simonette (70% Mourvèdre & Syrah) - firmer structure and style, again displays lovely fruit and rounded tannins. 90-92

And previously these reds at a wine fair in Montpellier in 2005:

2002 Clos de la Simonette (70% Mourvèdre + Grenache) - Displays pretty good balance of firmness and forward fruit, tight elegant finish too. 87-89
2003 Clos de la Simonette (vat sample, 70% Mourvèdre + Grenache) - Shows promising classic mix of firm yet rounded tannins and lovely ripe sweet fruit within a chunky framework. 89-91
2002 Causse de Bousquet (Syrah Grenache Mourvèdre Carignan) - Also shows some of the nice concentrated black fruits of the C d'A but this has firmer leaner structure. 85-87
2003 Côte d'Arbo (vat sample Syrah Grenache Carignan) - Offers youthful chunky black cherry fruit, not finished or together but shows promise.

Bramefan, Route de Villespassans, 34360 Saint-Chinian. Tel: 04 67 38 20 09 (cellar), 04 67 38 05 59 (office), mas-champart@wanadoo.fr.

1907 Revolt 2007 Roussillon

From Jean Clavel's

1907larevoltevigneronne.midiblogs.com

1907 Winegrowers' Revolt
The Roussillon 100 years on!

"An evening event orchestrated by Roussillon Wines and the Mayor of Saint-Estève November 2007... informative and commemorative, as we shouldn't forget that people died in that tragic historic year..." Plus: my pick of a tasting of award-winning wines selected for the annual Saint-Bacchus competition 1997-2007...

Eyebrow-raising title perhaps: this evening event was orchestrated by Roussillon Wines and the Mayor of Saint-Estève, the host, in November 2007. It was both informative and commemorative, as we shouldn't forget that people died in that tragic historic year. To find out more, read the feature I wrote for Decanter magazine (page down to "100 Years of Protest"), which summarises what happened and discusses its lingering relevance today. They screened a fascinating film about the 1907 crisis called 'Vendanges Amères' (bitter harvest) followed by commentary from a panel of specialists on the subject: Jean-Louis Roure, Jean Sagnes, Pierre Dauga, Thérèse Tarrieux and Jean Clavel (actually he couldn't make it but was a great source for my article). Afterwards we were treated to a tasting of award-winning wines selected for the annual Saint-Bacchus competition from 1997-2007; enhanced by delicious tit-bits created by leading caterer Christian Segui and other locally starred chefs (called Les Toques Blanches du Roussillon). Here are my notes and comments on a few of these wines, some of them now quite rare I'd imagine. I focused on reds and sweet Vins Doux Naturels (listed separately, youngest to oldest); not sure why they decided to put ten year-old rosés out for tasting...

2005 Domaine Fontanel 'Prieuré', Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel – quite oaky and wood spicy yet it shows intense fruit too, closes up a bit with a structured finish v supple tannins. A little youthful and unrevealing at the moment. 87-89

2002 Cave Abbé Rous? 'Cyrcée', Collioure – sweet herbs tinged with liquorice and leather, very ripe and floral even with a rich coating, maturing yet still chunky. 90-92

2001 Coume del Mas 'Schistes', Collioure – oily tarry maturing fruit; I think it's a bit corked as it's rather stripped and bitter on the finish? Having tried recent vintages of this great wine, difficult to believe it's knackered especially 2001, a superb year in general in the region.

2000 Domaine Piquemal 'cuvée Justin Piquemal', Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes – smoky and spicy with rich tar and meaty edges, concentrated v maturing finish. 90-92

1999 Domaine Gardiès, Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel – quite dense and structured v maturing savoury fruit, fresh tannins still keeping it very alive. Yum. 92-94

1999 Château Aymerich 'Général Joseph Aymerich', Côtes du Roussillon Villages – perfumed red pepper with spicy cherry and pepper tones, elegant and long again showing some freshness. 92-94

1998 Domaine Mounié, Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel – liquorice leather and garrigue notes, resiny fruit v still firm tannins although not hard. 88

1996 Terrassous (Cave de Terrats) 'Les Pierres Plates', Côtes du Roussillon – interesting mature 'sweet & savoury' fruit with a vanilla oak coating, attractive and elegant. 87

1996 Domaine Cazes 'Credo', Vin de Pays d'Oc (Cabernet sauvignon Merlot) - herbal v meaty tones, complex 'sweet & savoury' characters on the palate, mature and intriguing. 89

Vins Doux Naturels

1999 Domaine Rossignol, Rivesaltes ambré – walnut and orange aromas, lively palate although the alcohol's still a bit strong and obvious, quite complex nevertheless. 87+

1996 Domaine Pouderoux, Maury – lovely liquorice and tar with leather tones, lush v lively palate showing intricate 'sweet & savoury' fruit; fantastic with strawberries dipped in melted chocolate sauce! 93-95

1994 Cave Abbé Rous? 'Christian Reynal', Banyuls Grand Cru – stimulating although a bit too old style for me, nevertheless it's quite complex with nutty length; Tawny-like in fact. 87-89

1990 Mas Amiel, Maury – toffee plum and coffee notes proceed cooked cherries, mature v solid palate with complex fruit development; nice with foie gras de canard! 92-94

1982 Arnaud de Villeneuve (Caves de Rivesaltes/Salses) 'Hors d'Age', Rivesaltes ambré – perfumed v lush offering plenty of dried apricot, intense fruit v mature and mellow, delicious finish. 94

1976 Domaine Cazes 'cuvée Aimé Cazes', Rivesaltes ambré – extraordinary length and complex rich fruit, can't believe it's over 30 years old; lingering tangy roasted pecan nut finish. Difficult to give it a silly score – 95 I guess.

Find profiles and more wines reviewed from many of these wineries by following the red links in the Roussillon A to Z, on the right (down a bit).

Languedoc: Château La Roque, Pic-Saint-Loup

Updated Dec 2012 - see below.

The elegantly imposing country château is the first thing that hits you coming up the dusty gravelly drive: it is indeed made from rock, although the estate's actually named after an eponymous 13th Century noble family. Old rock too: the tasting cellar vault is part of a restored, former Medieval post-house, I'm told. La Roque is a long-standing ambassador for the Pic-Saint-Loup appellation, which is found not far north of Montpellier scattered around its namesake peak (650 metres/2000 feet high), although the Languedoc capital feels a long way off given how quickly the terrain transforms into untamed scrub-land and pointy cliff-faces.

La Roque's specialities include their often superb Cuvée Mourvèdre, a challenging variety in this area but rewarding in certain sites in the right hands*; Syrah-based Cupa Numismae and Clos des Bénédictins, an unusual barrel fermented white. The property was taken over by Jacques and Marion Figuette in late 2006 (I didn't have the cheek to ask them how much €...), who sensibly appear happy not to make any major changes and have kept prices fairly reasonable, for such a sought-after name: €7 to €13 a bottle across the range.

*Previous owner Jack Boutin planted 9 ha/22 acres (out of 42) of Mourvèdre, which faces due south on steep pebbly terraces at approx. 200 m/650 ft altitude. Another local Mourvèdre fan is Jean Orliac at Domaine de l’Hortus (Valflaunès), who has 11 ha ("and increasing" as he told me back in 2005) in one similarly elevated vineyard sitting smack-bang between Pic St-Loup and Mont de l’Hortus.*

I tasted these Ch. La Roque wines with Marion Figuette in October 2007:

2005 Tradition blanc (Rolle Roussanne Marsanne) – oily honeysuckle tones, nice texture and maturing fruit v lightly crisp elegant finish. 85-87

2006 Clos des Bénédictins blanc (Rolle Roussanne Marsanne) – toastier and creamier yet very floral with exotic white peach tones; zingy v fat with attractive balance and style. 87-89

2004 Tradition rouge (Syrah Mourvèdre Grenache) – tangy cassis and cherry fruit, lightly creamy palate with firm fresh bite, drinking well now in fact. 85-87

2005 – a touch richer and more concentrated than above with attractive cherry and liquorice fruit, followed by dry grip and good length. 87-89

2003 Cupa Numismae (60% Syrah 40% Mourvèdre) – smoky and slightly animal showing lush dark cherry and blackberry/olive notes, a bit of spicy oak adds texture to a solid firm palate; good balance of ripe v structured and maturing v a few years ahead of it. 89-91

2004 – more fragrant floral and spicy (the Syrah comes out more), more delicate mouth-feel yet still juicy lush and firm with elegant length. 89-91

2005 – closed and chunky, attractive concentration and rounded fruit, powerful tannins at the moment which should unfurl nicely.89-91

2003 Cuvée Mourvèdre (90% plus 10% Grenache) – 'sweet' herbs liquorice and black olive, ripe with resiny development, quite delicate actually (considering the hot vintage) v dry tannins and lovely length. 90-92

2005 – smokier and a tad toastier yet still 'sweet' herbal and liquoricey, delicious fruit concentration and fine tannins on a commanding, mouth-coating finish; yum, give it a couple of years to really shine. 92-94

UPDATE: latest La Roque wines here (PSL report April 2011). 

UPDATE 2012

34 ha (85 acres) of vineyards are now certified organic since vintage 2011, hence these wines below are their first 'official' samples aired and tasted earlier this year at Millésime Bio wine show in Montpellier.

Languedoc Pic Saint Loup

2011 white - nice creamy yeasty edges with exotic fruit notes, aromatic and floral too then crisp fresh finish. Good.

2011 rosé - rose petal aromas with creamy red fruits, quite full and rounded with oily notes and nice fruity vs crisp finish.

2011 red (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) - enticing aromatic spicy minty fruit, fairly rich and fruity with a meatier side too, concentrated vs softer mouth-feel. Should be good.

Older vintages in this post including 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003 Cuvée Mourvèdre; from a visit in 2005.

Château La Roque, 34270 Fontanès. Tel: 04 67 55 34 47, contact@chateau-laroque.eu, www.chateau-laroque.fr

Languedoc: Château l'Euzière, Pic-Saint-Loup

Château L'Euzière

Brother and sister Michel and Marcelle Causse run this charming, old family property found on the main road through Fontanès. Or rather their mini-manor house and winery at least: the 23 ha/55 acres of vineyard spread out around the village, a mixture of older vines and more recent plantings as they continue to improve quality in the field. The top red cuvée, les Escarboucles, is based mostly on Syrah; L'Almandin is an earlier-drinking, 'SGM' blend but still quite serious with aromatic pure fruit; and they also make a very nice white called Grains de Lune. One to watch and relatively reasonably priced (Pic-Saint-Loup commands higher prices than other parts of the Languedoc) at €6 to €12.50 across their range. These wines sampled in their cellar and handsome vaulted stone tasting room in October 2007:

2006 Almandin (tank sample, Syrah Grenache Mourvèdre) – lovely perfumed black cherry with gamey edges developing into liquorice and violets, firm and fresh showing nice elegance with a touch of weight and length too. 89
2006 Escarboucles (barrel sample, more Syrah + Grenache Mourvèdre) – quite a bit of spicy coconut at the moment (12 to 14 months in one year-old casks) but again has that delicious black cherry fruit, more structured with firmer tannins; closed finish with dry texture v underlying 'sweetness'. 89-91
2005 – quite smoky with blackberry and cassis, a little closed up offering light spice and liquorice tones with gamey edges, rounded v soild mouth-feel although again it's quite elegant. 90+
More of their wines here (Vinisud 2006).

Ancien Chemin d’Anduze, 34270 Fontanès. Tel: 04 67 55 21 41, leuziere@chateauleuziere.fr, www.chateauleuziere.fr

2007 vintage looking good in south of France

2007 vintage looking good in south of France

I knocked this techie/weathery report together at the end of August, with updated paragraphs slotted in on 21st September, for a couple of publications. More to follow once I've been out and about further across the region...
In contrast to the doom and gloom and ‘earliest on record’ hyperbole elsewhere in France, it’s business as usual or a reserved rather good even in the south. A mix of cool and hot weather from early to mid August followed by rain then several very hot days towards the end of the month, have turned a slightly late start to picking into normal conditions then could all be over quickly.
In Bandol on the Provence coast, Eric de Saint Victor at Château de Pibarnon described vintage dates as “about the same as last year, ahead of those in the 90s but usual nowadays.” Grenache is “already well in advance showing nice phenolic ripeness” with one batch picked on 28th August. As for Mourvèdre, they were looking to wait “at least another 10 days.” Generally, there was less of a drought problem this year with late spring rain interspersed with hot periods, a regular cooler June and “normal July and August: hot, dry and windy.”
Following a 10mm splash of rain at the end of August, fine weather continued into September prompting a rapid change of tune. The last Mourvèdre came in on 18-19 Sept. at Pibarnon signalling “the earliest finish since we’ve been here, i.e. 30 years,” according to Saint Victor. “Ten to fifteen years ago we’d hardly started picking the Mourvèdre.” He estimated yields will be down 25% due to small berry size with elegant balanced wines: “black-coloured, fine tannins, nice acidity and typical alcohol levels towards 14% for reds and 13.5 for rosé and white.”
This pattern was echoed in the Languedoc and Roussillon. Marc Barriot of Clos de l’Origine in Maury (Roussillon) also didn’t observe any vine stress describing conditions as “normal then looking a little late then speeded up by the heat.” Potential alcohol levels suddenly rose 1 to 1.5° in one day. All his white varieties (Muscat, Grenache Gris and Macabeu) were picked between the middle and end of August, and the reds appear to be “ahead but it depends on the weather.” Like Barriot, Jonathan Hesford of Domaine Treloar in Trouillas remarked on “higher acidity this year,” meaning “picking started a bit later” with Muscat à petits grains on 28th August. He predicted Syrah for the first week of September, Grenache a week later and Mourvèdre “maybe the end of September or early October.” Philippe Gard at Coume del Mas in Banyuls commented: “we started 10 days later but ripening is more even so will finish earlier. Grenache and Syrah are looking very good, but it depends on the grower,” referring to isolated mildew problems.
Favourable conditions continued into September in the Roussillon with some light rain on Friday 14th then a dramatic, half-an-hour hailstorm on the evening of Monday 17th. However, Gard described it as “nothing serious even if spectacular.” He added: “I finished picking for Banyuls on Monday morning, and we’ve managed to make a nice batch of Mourvèdre; just the Carignan and more Mourvèdre to follow, as the skins weren’t ripe. Very low yields exacerbated by the wind.” Barriot also reported everything wrapped up with the last parcel of Syrah and Carignan going into vat on Wednesday 19th. “Plenty of substance, nice acidity and lots of fruit,” he concluded. Hesford confirmed he lost a few bunches from the storm but finished picking most of his Mourvèdre on 21st Sept. (with a little help from yours truly, well a few boxes anyway!): “very healthy grapes and that initial high acidity has almost disappeared.”
In the Languedoc, Richard Lavanoux, production manager at Michel Laroche’s winery near Béziers, agreed about the quality: “I wouldn’t be surprised to see a great vintage, especially for Syrah,” following a ripening period of “rare quality” thanks to more even summer temperatures. Marion Figuette at Château La Roque in Pic St-Loup, eastern Languedoc, reported picking started early: whites were all in last week and reds the first week of September. Over in Corbières, “2007 is slightly ahead of 2006 with Syrah starting this Friday (31 Aug) and the first Grenache and Carignan in the earlier ripening coastal zones on 6 or 7 September,” according to Jean Pierre Thene, head of the AOC Corbières Syndicat. The picture is different inland in the western Aude, where grapes should come in much later than usual thanks to cooler conditions. Thene stressed that the Languedoc-Roussillon “should not be seen as part of this very average vintage elsewhere.”
The Monday night storm also hit the Languedoc, although Figuette at La Roque described the downpour as “perfect for our Mourvèdre! Otherwise everything is over and it’s looking like a very promising vintage.” Lavanoux agreed the storm did more good than harm. In contrast - "unfortunately" according to Jean-Pierre Thene - the Corbières were spared the downpour: "we've seen very little rain since April, which combined with strong northerly winds will mean low yields from berry concentration." However, acidity and high sugar levels are nicely balanced, with Carignan, Grenache and Cinsaut being the best performers; and Syrah and Mourvèdre less adapted to the hot dry summer. Thene believes they may have to rethink the latter varieties in Corbières AOC zones thanks to climate change.
RJ posted 2/9/07 and 21/9/07.

Roussillon: Mas Alart

Frédéric Belmas and his winemaker produce attractive, rather than sensational, red Côtes du Roussillon that can be drunk young while benefiting from a little bottle-age; barrel-matured Rivesaltes Hors d'Age (literally 'beyond age': made from white grapes but slowly turns golden brown, as the Stranglers once sang, over the years) and a lively Muscat de Rivesaltes. The Mas also makes a kind of balsamic vinegar - the smell in the on-site plant (for want of a better word: French has the handy vinaigrerie) is wonderfully overpowering - and a variety of things from organically grown almonds. It's not too difficult to find, off the main road heading out of the village of Saleilles towards Perpignan; easy does it down the potholed rustic track that leads to it.


Tasted mid October 2006:

2005 Muscat sec, la Vigne de Madame - crisp and fresh with lightly perfumed, grapey citrus peel notes; clean mineral finish. 83-85
2005 Carignan vieilles vignes - attractive liquorice fruit, juicy black cherry v dry tannins, quite fine and long. 87
2005 Côtes du Roussillon (Syrah Grenache Carignan) - young spicy fruit, quite concentrated yet elegant, ripe v dry textured finish. 87-89
2005 Muscat de Rivesaltes - fresh and lively honeyed orange peel flavours, nice bite and length v sugar. 87-89
1994 Rivesaltes Hors d'Age - complex rich, oxidised toffee notes on a dried fruit backdrop; good length, 'cut' and maturity v sweet finish. 89-91

Tasted summer 06:
2001 Côtes du Roussillon rouge (13%) - complex maturing meaty tones layered on liquorice and red pepper fruit, soft and ready to drink with a little dry tannin left to finish. Approx €4.50 89

Tasted Sept. 2007:
2005 Merlot, vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (13%) - enticing plum and cassis aromas with gamey earthy edges, slightly baked/oxidised although this bottle was found on a high supermarket shelf under a light and it had a plastic cork; quite lush and powerful v a touch of extracted dry tannins, not exactly elegant but good with sausages. €3.95 85

Off the D22, 66280 Saleilles. Tel: 04 68 50 51 89, http://www.mas-alart.fr/, frederic.belmas@wanadoo.fr.

Roussillon Dessert Trophy 2007

This year's sweet-toothed event starts in August, run by the Wines of Roussillon generic body (CIVR) in association with the Academy of Food & Wine. It's a restaurant competition looking for "the most talented pastry chef/sommelier team in Britain," by inviting them to submit a winning combination of a Roussillon Vin Doux Naturel (VDN) sweet wine (white, 'amber' or red) with their dessert fantasy. Eric Aracil, CIVR Export Manager, commented: “The CIVR is proud to support an initiative which recognises excellence in the UK on-trade. The 2007 Roussillon Dessert Trophy puts the limelight on pastry chefs and sommeliers and encourages them to go further in developing their knowledge and expressing their creativity."

Those entering are asked to choose dessert wines off their list from these VDN appellations: Banyuls, Banyuls Grand Cru, Maury, Muscat de Rivesaltes and Rivesaltes. The Roussillon region, or French Catalonia, produces most of France’s VDN wines (see "more wine words" for several articles).

How to enter the Roussillon Dessert Trophy 2007: forms are available from Sophie Brown at the Academy of Food & Wine on 0208 661 4646 or info@acfws.org. Deadline Friday 31st August. If you don't already list Roussillon dessert wines, samples are available from Georgie Hope or Natalie Jeune at Focus PR on 020 7432 9432 or civr-focuspr@focuspr.co.uk.
The final: the trophy will be presented at the Arts Club, Dover Street, London on 1st October 2007. The prizes: the winning chef gets a 4-day course with world champion pastry chef, Olivier Bajard, at the École Internationale de Patîsserie in Perpignan; the winning sommelier spends four days on a guided tour of top Roussillon wine producers. Jury members include Nigel Sutcliffe, restaurant consultant and former director of the Fat Duck, Sarah Jane Evans MW, writer and broadcaster, and Sara Jayne Stanes, chief executive of Academy of Culinary Arts.
Last year’s winning team was sommelier Anke Carmen Hartmann and chef Rebecca Kinsella from Chewton Glen, who paired poached black plums and anise chiboust (what?) mille-feuille with Domaine du Mas Blanc's Banyuls Rimage 2003. Carmen Hartmann enthused: “We enjoyed the challenge of combining flavours with textures and found that, for outstanding results, the dessert needed to be created after the wine was chosen rather than the other way round.”

Update 20/09/07: Dessert Trophy finalists announced

And they are (drum roll...):
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road, London
Chocolate Gianduja parfait with roasted pear and pecan, Banyuls syrup with pear and cardamom foam.
Wine: 1996 Banyuls Grand Cru, Cuvée André Magnères, Domaine Vial Magnères.
Chef: Hideko Kawa, sommelier: Naoko Tomita.
Hotel du Vin, Winchester
Dark chocolate mille-feuille, poached cherries, coffee tuiles.
Wine: 2005 Banyuls Quintessence, La Coume del Mas.
Sous chef: Adam Fargin, chef sommelier: Yohann Jousselin.
Roussillon Restaurant, London (I should hope so too!)
Honey mousse with glazed dates, pear rösti and Chinese lemon sorbet.
Wine: 1988 Rivesaltes ambré, Domaine Piquemal.
Pastry chef: Heinrich Greve, chef sommelier: Roberto Della Pietra.
Galvin at Windows, Hilton Park Lane, London
Palet d’or of chocolate with spiced ice cream, spiced crunch tuile, roast fig in Mas Amiel 15 YO and fig purée.
Wine: Maury Prestige 15 Year Old, Mas Amiel.
Pastry chef: Peter Bras, sommelier: Charles Segond.

Call back in October to find out which of these yum-inducing creations is the winner... 

Update 7/10/07: Dramatic drum roll... it's the first one i.e. chocolate Gianduja (what?) parfait with Domaine Vial Magnères' 96 Banyuls Grand Cru, by Hideko Kawa and Naoko Tomita chez Gordon Ramsay.

Wine and tourism course Perpignan 15-27 July 2007

Perpignan University (in the Roussillon, about 200 km north of Barcelona) is laying on an intensive 60-hour wine and tourism diploma course, as well as a more laid-back cultural stay program. The former includes lectures, tasting tuition and winery visits; the latter a bit of wine combined with historical stuff etc. The diploma costs €800 and the culture trip €360, both excluding accommodation which can be booked at the same time for a reasonable price. More info and booking on-line on the University of Perpignan website. Oh, make sure you bring "some sort of hat" as it can be rather hot in July.

Roussillon: Vignobles Bernard Magrez, Montner

Winery & vineyard mogul (cum-brand-collector) Magrez owns or is a partner (with larger than life actor Gérard Dépardieu in the Languedoc) in 35 vineyards around the world, including this relatively recent foothold in the Roussillon (I visited in May 2007). He bought and tastefully refurbished (despite his gigantic signature across the front) the old co-op cellar in the sleepy village of Montner, located between Estagel and Millas, across the road from the worth-checking-out Auberge du Cellier restaurant/chambres d'hôte. Their first vintage was 2002, when they only had eight ha / 20 acres to play with; they now have 43 ha planted with mostly red varieties (as you might expect in ascending order: Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre) and five ha of white grapes (Muscat à petits grains, Macabeu and Grenache Blanc). “We acquired producing vineyards and grafted most of the white varieties over to Syrah,” Jean-Marc Raynal (Magrez's production director in southern France and Spain) explained. Making VDN sweet wines doesn't appeal, as it's “not group policy,” and reds are clearly their focus, although Jean-Marc believes in the potential for interesting dry white blends, like many other leading estate owners.
“Bernard Magrez is very attached to the Languedoc and Roussillon,” he added, “the wines fit in with his global range... And Roussillon perhaps has a better quality image than the Languedoc (which is an unusual point of view, often the other way round except for those in the know!), it has very different terroirs and varieties.” Nevertheless, they decided to take a clearer simpler approach by dropping the 'Villages AOC' and opting to label merely as Côtes du Roussillon, plus the 'Sud de France/South of France' generic term (which you'll be seeing more of) that features on their whole Languedoc and Roussillon range. I guess it also helps to have the governor's name on the label, as well as the backing of his distribution network. The BM Group is dabbling in various wine tourism ventures in Bordeaux but not in the Roussillon for the moment (shame), although they won't turn you away if you make an appointment!

2006 white (fermented in 'demi-muids', 400-600 litre capacity barrels) – lightly toasty v exotic apricot and honey notes, creamy yeasty mouth-feel showing weight and crisp length. Nice wine. 87-89
2004 'Si mon père savait', Côtes du Roussillon red (14.5%) - 'If my father knew': lovely pure fragrant black cherry and liquorice fruit, peppery and rustic undertones with vibrant blackcurrant edges; juicy fruit layered with background coco and choc oak, well balanced with tight fresh grip. Again nice style. 87-89
2004 'La Passion d'une vie' (15%) - richer colour and aromas with white pepper tones, similar fruit profile to above but more intense liquorice and berry notes; delicious palate of fruit, spice and a finer silky texture; power v elegance (despite high alcohol), juicy fruit v finesse, good length. 90-92

Grande Rue, 66720 Montner. Tel: 04 68 80 24 81, www.bernard-magrez.com

Roussillon: Camp del Roc, Montalba-le-Château

I can't find any info on Philippe Botet's winery (you should see my desk: I have a tech sheet hidden somewhere... I also can't find a website either), so here are a few comments on his eclectic wines at least, tasted at the Fenouillèdes wine show held in April 2007 in Tautavel.

Update to follow: looks like someone else has been running/owning the show since 2008 - Julien and Emmanuelle Montagnon - and there is a new site: campdelroc.com

2004 Singularis blanc (Carignan Blanc) - unusual spicy celery notes v light cream, still has some freshness v fat fruit. 85-87
2006 Rosé de Presse - a bit strange, goes into barriques: surprisingly has lots of lively strawberry and raspberry fruit v rounded coconut palate; kinda works. 87
2006 Roc Petit (Carignan Lledoner Pelut Syrah) - nice crunchy fruit with light vanilla undertones, grippier finish than you think it's going to be. By the way, Lledoner Pelut is a natural mutation of black Grenache: there's a bit here and there in the Roussillon. 87
2005 Vinum Patris, Côtes du Roussillon (Carignan Lledoner Pelut Cinsault) - quite a bit of oak but nice fruit too and freshness underneath, textured dry tannins v ripeness; not sure about that oak though. 87
2005 Erant Olim (100 year old Tempranillo) - a bit baked on the nose, leads on to quite rich fruit with an oaky backdrop; has a 'modern' Catalunya/Navarra edge, nice texture but too much oak.
2005 La Frontera (Syrah) - lots of spicy oak, nice ripe fruit and texture, firm but fine grained. We'll see.
66130 Montalba-le-Château. Tel: 04.68.35.22.54.

Languedoc & Roussillon: top reds over €10

Languedoc & Roussillon: top reds over €10

In brief: "Difficult to turn down author Michel Smith's invitation to taste "over 50 of the region's best red wines..." But were all the wines worth the money and deserve their reputation? Michel had already done an "under €10" tasting, where he found plenty of winners... What's particularly noticeable is the amount of favourites falling between €10-€15. Beyond that, we found some great wines but also more vacuous, frankly less enjoyable ones overloaded with flash new oak or heavy winemaking..." My top 15 red winemakers: Rouaud, Ollieux Romanis, Mazelet, Rimbert, Borie Blanche, Amiel, Liquière, Etoile Matin, Balmettes, St-Antonin, Alezon, Grandes Costes, Augustins, Bagatelle, Bizeul.

Difficult to turn down author and journalist Michel Smith's invitation to taste "over 50 of the region's best red wines." Michel writes for numerous wine and food publications and his latest book "Les Grands Crus du Languedoc et du Roussillon" (go to vins-languedoc-roussillon.fr for more info and buy a copy: commission free, honest!) is the culmination of 20 years' travelling around southern France's vineyards.

But were all the wines in the tasting worth the money and deserve their reputation? Michel had already done an 'under €10' tasting, where he found plenty of winners. "Producers here have the right to charge high prices, but there's no point in having ideas above your station," he commented. "Languedoc and Roussillon offer very rewarding and drinkable wines. That's the problem with some of the Bordeaux-owned estates: too much, too Pauillac! They haven't yet understood the region's unique characters...it's one of the most complicated."

What is particularly noticeable from my comments and scores, is the amount of favourites falling between €10-€15. Beyond that, we found some great wines but also more vacuous, frankly less enjoyable ones overloaded with flash new oak or heavy winemaking. So my 'top reds' were, in no particular order: Clavel, Singla, Bizeul, Rouaud, Ollieux Romanis, Mazelet, Rimbert, Borie Blanche, Tour Boisée, Lignon, Amiel, Liquière, Silène, Henry, Etoile Matin, Balmettes, Prés-Lasses, Sylva Plana, St Antonin, Alezon, Grandes Costes, Aussières, Lacroix-Vanel, Augustins and Bagatelle. By the way, a few of these cost less than €10, just to throw the cat among the pigeons. NB: most of the bottles were opened one day or more beforehand.

2005 Domaine Singla Alby, vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (Grenache Syrah 13.5% organic) - a bit closed on the nose, moves on to nice light tobacco and rich black cherry, attractive pure fruit showing depth, freshness and bite of tannins; good now yet should round out nicely after 6-12 months. €7 88-90
2003 Château de Pennautier, Cabernet Collection Privée - been open a little too long but still has attractive mix of smoky and rich fruit v tarter cassis and firm texture. 87-89
2005 Domaine Rouaud Têt Pourpre, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (organic) - youthful spicy and rich with tobacco, blackberry and black cherry; deliciously drinkable and refreshing v tight firm finish. €10 92-94
2004 Château des Estanilles Tradition, Faugères (14%) - nice maturing fruit offering spicy liquorice and dark chocolate v ripe and rustic tones; quite soft with light grip, drinking well now. €6 87-89
2005 Marie & Frédéric Chauffray La Réserve d'O, Coteaux du Languedoc Terrasses de Larzac (14%) - aromatic peppery and rustic black cherry fruit, quite rich yet floral palate; a tad extracted on the finish but has nice fruit and length. €10 88
2004 Château Ollieux Romanis cuvée Prestige, Corbières (Carignan Grenache Mourvèdre Syrah 14%) - quite wild 'garrigue' notes, earthy and aromatic; attractive concentrated yet soft fruit and tannins, quite elegant and well balanced with lovely textured leather tannins. €10 91-93
2005 Marie & Guy Taboulay Mas du Mazelet, vin de pays d'Oc (Syrah Cabernet Sauvignon Grenache Mourvèdre 13.5% organic) - perfumed earthy Syrah fruit with tarter cassis notes, savoury palate showing ripeness v firmness, light leather and spice; quite big and structured yet has nice rounded fruit. €10 90-92
2004 Château Belles Eaux Ste-Hélène, Coteaux du Languedoc (14.5%) - toasted coco oak with spicy ripe black cherries, nice fruit and elegance, pity about the Bordeaux styled oak. I've previously rated it better. 87-89
2004 Domaine Rimbert Mas au Schiste, Saint-Chinian (Carignan Syrah Grenache 13%) - delicious complex nose, perfumed Syrah fruit v savoury side; elegant spicy ripe fruit v lovely freshness, maturing finish with subtle length. Drinking well now onwards. €10 92-94
2004 Domaine Rimbert, Saint-Chinian Berlou (Carignan Grenache Syrah) - lovely floral spice, elegant ripe v minty fruit; firm and leathery needing to open up a bit, classy structured wine with pure fruit finish, very nice indeed. Worth €5 more than the above (which therefore looks good value). €15 92-94
2003 Domaines Lorgeril Les Hauts de la Borie Blanche, Minervois la Livinière (13.5%) - savoury leather tones with scented wild herbs, quite rich and firm with nice substance and tight length. 89-91
2004 Domaine Borie de Maurel La Féline, Minervois la Livinière (Syrah Grenache 14%) - attractive perfumed Syrah nose with spicy cherry; fairly elegant and maturing fruit with dry bite, a bit short after that promising start and lacks charm in the end. €10 87
2003 Domaine Borie de Maurel Cuvée Maxime, Minervois (100% Mourvèdre 14%) - fairly animal with wild black olive notes, quite rich and powerful; sexy start turning a bit heavy-handed, firm v ripe finish though. €13 87-89

2004 Jean-Louis Poudou Château Tour Boisée, Minervois (14%) - light herbal complexity v richer meatier side, tasty palate v firm tight structure; promising. €11 88-90
2005 Clos des Fées les Sorcières, Côtes du Roussillon (Grenache Carignan Syrah 14%) - touch of sulphide on the nose? Much nicer palate with juicy black cherry and firm fresh bite, lively v restrained fruit. €11 87-89
2004 Clos des Fées vieilles vignes, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Carignan) - a bit closed on the nose, moving on to a leathery palate with rich blackberry fruit, concentrated and firm, tobacco v lush fruit. €25 90+
2004 Clos des Fées de Hervé Bizeul, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre  Carignan 15%) - this bottle had been open for a week: showing lovely rich liquorice spice and leather Grenache fruit, ripe and extracted with quite a lot of new oak; nevertheless, it has delicious depth of complex fruit underneath, firm fresh and long; balanced despite high alcohol, stylish despite the power and extraction. Difficult to score this in context of its cult price! €50 92-94
2002 Domaine Lignon Les Vignes d'Antan, Minervois (13.5%) - rustic old style but attractively rich and ripe, weighty and quite firm; nice drinkable finish, really quite good for the difficult 02 vintage (wet). 88-90
2005 Mas Amiel Notre Terre, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Carignan Mourvèdre Syrah 14.5%) - odd nose (wood?) moves on to a very nice palate, rich ripe tar and chocolate tones v very firm and fresh; powerful length yet balanced, spicy with layered tannins. €11.20 92-94
2005 Château La Liquière Nos Racines, Faugères (Carignan Grenache 14%) - black cherry and wild herbs, a tad animal too; smoky and rich with sexy drinkable quality, power and grip v seductive rounded fruit. €11.40 89-91
2004 Château La Liquière Cistus, Faugères (70% Syrah + Grenache Mourvèdre Carignan 14%) - spicy and floral v meatier depth, quite big Syrah styled fruit with rather firm grip v lingering ripeness too. €14.30 88
2003 Robert Skalli Domaine du Silène des Peyrals, Coteaux du Languedoc (Syrah Grenache 13.5%) - oaky very ripe nose, better palate with quite rich 'tar' fruit v choco oak bite, quite tight and fresh actually (for a 2003); touch of oak on the finish but nice balance and style, modern v traditional. €12 90
2004 Domaine Henry St-Georges d'Orques, Coteaux du Languedoc (Grenache Mourvèdre Syrah Carignan 14%) - light red pepper, spicy liquorice and farmyard undertones, complex pungency; quite rich and funky v freshness and grip, needs time to open up; interesting, technically faulty perhaps but attractive. €12 90
2003 Domaine de Haut Gléon, vin de pays de la Vallée du Paradis (13%) - mature smoky rustic leather characters, rather dry finish lacking depth; nice enough but overpriced. €12 85
2004 L'Ostal Cazes Estibals, Minervois (Syrah Grenache Carignan 14.5%) - touch of wood with simple juicy fruit, dry and straightforward finish. €12! 80
2004 L'Ostal Cazes, Minervois la Livinière - rather Bordeaux in style, attractive elegant wild fruits v new wood, well balanced and quite concentrated; lacks real depth and class at €20, although much better than the above. 88
2005 Clos des Nines L'Orée, Coteaux du Languedoc (Grenache Syrah Cinsault 13.5%) - a bit reduced/sulphide? Aromatic black fruits and liquorice in the mouth, appealing spice and elegant depth, well balanced. Perhaps lacks complexity at this level, fine at half the price. €12 87
2004 L'Etoile du Matin, Corbières (Syrah Grenache Carignan 13.5% organic) - aromatic spicy and meaty, quite concentrated and firm v attractive liquorice and pepper fruit; tightly structured and long with freshness and lovely 'garrigue' notes. We'll be hearing more about Geoffroy Marchand I think. €12 92-94
2004 Domaine de la Prose Embruns, St-Georges d'Orques (13%) - quite simple and rustic start rolls on to lively pure fruit, nice coating of tannins and length; needs a bit of time to open up. €12 89

2004 Domaine des Balmettes Les Figuiers, vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (100% Syrah 14%) - touch of sulphide but it goes leaving nice meaty nose with sexy dark fruit, lively fresh fruit and tannins, tasty and lush v firm and extracted; powerful long delicious finish, not so Syrah in character. €12 94-96
2005 Domaine des Balmettes Les Amandiers, vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (100% Grenache 14%) - very ripe with lots of liquorice and leather, rather volatile towards almost acetic; strange 'natural' style nevertheless, rich and powerful, bit of a one-off. 89+?
2005 Domaine des Balmettes Les Oliviers, vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes (100% old vine Grenache 14%) - lovely ripe liquorice and leather, dense and smoky on a very firm structure; less volatile than above, very long and complex, those tannins bring freshness and balance; delicious although it needs a few years to calm down! €16 94 2003 Domaine des Prés-Lasses Les Tabernolles, Coteaux du Languedoc (Grenache Syrah Cinsault 13.5%) - ripe and smoky, nice juicy v meaty mouth-feel, rich and very firm yet balanced, powerful cooked fruit finish. €12 88-90
2003 Domaine des Prés-Lasses Le Castel Viel, Faugères (Carignan Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre 13.5%) - pure peppery v rustic aromas, lush and extracted with a touch of wood; nice bite v richness although very dry tannins. €16 88
2005 Sylva Plana Le Longe de l'Abbé, Faugères (Syrah Carignan Grenache Mourvèdre 13.5%) - violet and cassis aromas in a northern Rhone way, vibrant perfumed fruit v firm structure, quite elegant with chocolate undertones. €12.50 90
2003 Château Moulin de Ciffre Eole, Faugères (14%) - hints of oak on the nose, extracted cherry and tobacco palate, chunky and spicy; that wood does melt in on the finish, a bit overdone but still good. €13 87-89
2004 Domaine St-Antonin Magnoux, Faugères (50% Syrah 14%) - funny nose, burnt chocolate and matches with floral perfumed cherry notes; however, the palate offers nice raspberry fruit, soft and fresh with light grip; long and stylish finish with freshness and floral fruit. €13 89-91
2005 Mas d'Alezon Montfalette, Faugères (Syrah Grenache Mourvèdre 12.5%) - ripe floral berry and cassis fruit with subtle chocolate texture, nice light touch v depth and purity of fruit; juicy yet firm with elegant length. Grown at altitude. €13 92-94
2004 L'Ancienne Mercerie Cuvée Couture, Faugères (14.5%) - a little burnt and rustic, powerful and rich mouth-feel, quite firm v smoky; impressive start but lacks a bit of class in the end. €13.50 89
2004 Domaine les Grandes Costes Les Grandes Costes, Coteaux du Languedoc (13.5%) - complex floral red pepper notes, pure fruit palate with lovely drinkability, elegant and soft v rich and impressive; nice length with wild floral fruit, chocolate oak and freshness. €13.50 92-94
2004 Château d'Aussières (Rothschild), Corbières (Syrah Grenache Mourvèdre Carignan 13%) - seductive 'sweet' floral Syrah fruit enriched with meaty complexity, ripe yet firm mouth-feel, quite elegant with lightly rustic tones; very nice style although a bit dear at €14 (that's bankers/top Bordeaux chateaux owners for you). 88-90
2004 Domaine Clavel Copa Santa, Coteaux du Languedoc 'Terroir de la Méjanelle' (14%) - a touch of disjointed wood leads on to attractive liquorice and black olive fruit, very firm v black cherry richness; slightly oak dominated at the moment? Not very revealing, although does show potential class. €14.50 89-91
2001 Enclos de la Croix, vin de pays d'Oc - rustic v herbaceous nose moves on to nice maturing lush fruit, the tannins are a bit hard though. 87-89

2004 Domaine Lacroix-Vanel Mélanie, Coteaux du Languedoc (70% Syrah + Grenache Mourvèdre 14%) - quite Syrah dominated in style, floral v odd rustic edges; better palate, rich and solid, a bit soupy but it closes up on its firm finish. €15 89+?
2004 Domaine Lacroix-Vanel Ma Mon troppó, Coteaux du Languedoc (90% Mourvèdre + Grenache Syrah 14%) - the nose is a bit closed and reduced; black olive fruit with liquorice and leather overtones, lush then firm and tight yet has vibrant wild herbal fruit; needs time, could be very good. €16 90+?
2004 Clos des Augustins Sourire d'Odile, Coteaux du Languedoc (Syrah Grenache 13%) - violets chocolate and black cherry, nice fruit purity and firm coat of tannins, balanced and fresh too; good but €15... 89+
2003 Clos des Augustins L'Ainé, Coteaux du Languedoc Pic St-Loup (mostly Syrah 12.5%) - more choc and spice with attractive meaty character, rich fruit and underlying purity; nice depth and character despite the oak. €25 90-92
2004 Clos Bagatelle La Gloire de Mon Père, Saint-Chinian (13%) - very rich tar v floral Syrah? notes, chunky and lush v firm tannins; coffee and liquorice flavours linger on an earthy v 'sweet' finish, long and full. €20 92-94
2004 La Boda d'Aupilhac, Coteaux du Languedoc Montpeyroux (Mourvèdre Syrah Grenache Cinsault 13.5%) - smoky and spicy, nice nose and start to the palate with lush and peppery fruit, but finishes rather extracted and dry. €22 87-89
2004 Château St-Roch Kerbuccio, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre 14.5%) - closed nose leads to liquorice and black olive fruit in the mouth, extracted and firm; rather oaky at the moment, not sure. €23 88-90.

Updates, profiles and latest vintages from many of these wineries can be found via the links in the Winery A to Z on the right.

Apparently 'top' cuvées (from €15 to €40) from these estates were disappointingly over-oaked and/or heavily handled/extracted: St-Jean Noviciat, Auzières, Lastours, Estanilles, Nines, Vernède, Caladroy and Massamier Mignarde.

RMJames April 2007

Roussillon: Domaine de la Serre, Maury

Domaine de la Serre
Jean Louis Vera's promising estate is comprised of several plots spread around the Maury area and is run by his winemaking son Arnaud. I sampled the wines below at the Fenouillèdes wine show in April 2007; and I did visit their winery once a couple of years before that, although then it was a building site with new vats and barrels positioned here and there wherever there was space. Meaning the domaine name and cellar have only been around in recent times, but the family were co-op growers for many years before going down their own vinous path (that's enough of the literary drivel, ed.).
2004 Cailloux blanc (Grenache blanc Macabeu Muscat) – still quite fresh and mineral with a weighty mouth-feel (14.5% certainly helps), but it's surprisingly drinkable actually. 87
2005 Cailloux rouge (Grenache) – lively juicy cherry style, easy and tasty. 83-85
2003 Serre Longue Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Grenache Carignan Syrah) – fair splash of oak but it's rich and lively, grippy dry texture v sweet fruit and oak; quite well balanced despite its punch (14.5%). 88-90
2002 Hypogée Côtes du Roussillon Villages (Syrah Grenache Carignan) – again toasty vanilla is up-front (50% new barrels used) but it has lovely savoury v liquorice flavours, structured chunky tannins and power (15%) v 'sweet' roundness. 89-91
2002 Serre Longue – attractive savoury leather edges, a touch oxidised although still quite lush v firm backdrop, potent and long. 89
2003 Pierres Levées – rather coconutty with dense black fruits underneath, dry yet rounded tannins; that oak lingers somewhat, will the fruit outlive it? 89

10 Rue du Docteur Pougault, 66460 Maury. Tel: 04 68 59 18 36.