White Corbières anyone?

Corbières is known for its rugged, full-throttle reds so it is unusual to come across a producer who has built a reputation on the quality of its white wines. Domaine Roque Sestière is a small, family domaine, owned by Roland and Isabelle Lagarde, who make approximately 60,000 bottles a year, of which 70% is white. It was Isabelle’s father who created the domaine’s reputation for white wine and it has been proudly carried on by his daughter and son-in-law since taking over the domaine in 1994. 

The wine was first made in Ouveillan but the Lagardes have built a small but perfectly formed chai next to their house in the neighbouring village of Luc St Orbieu. The vineyards are still in Ouveillan but Roland has dramatically reduced the hectarage from 30 to 15 which gives him much more control over production and means he only needs to employ one worker.

When I visited in mid December, Roland was very preoccupied getting ready for bottling his 2008 whites. As I tasted the 2008 whites from tank he was anxiously pacing the floor to check that the bottling line would fit his small cellar. Nevertheless, he and Isabelle were very welcoming and one senses that they have a loyal clientele who appreciate, not only the quality and fair prices of their wines, but the passion and care of the people who make them.  

2008 Corbières Blanc, Carte Noire (tank sample)Appealing, fresh, zesty nose. Similarly fresh, peachy fruit with a hint of peach kernel; Good balancing and acidity and medium length. 15/20

2008 their biggest vintage ever and they are very happy with the quality.

 2008 Blanc Vieilles Vignes (tank sample). Similar (to previous wine) peach, nutty fruit on nose and palate but with more breadth and slight leesiness. Good acidity and long finish. Very promising. 16/20

 2007 Corbières Vieilles Vignes

leesy nose, apricot kernel. Attractive nutty, yeasty palate. Medium depth, balanced. Slightly hot finish. 14/20

Corbières Tradition Rouge 2006 €5

Upfront aromas of cherry and tar. Explosively fruity palate – cherry – almost jam – hint of bitter chocolate, firmness to tannins, slightly rustic, but essentially a very fruity, appealing wine which represents excellent value. 14/20

 

 

Apremont - the perfect wine on the piste.

It's fair to say that most wines consumed on ski holidays are best forgotten. So during a ski holiday in the Alps last week, I particularly enjoyed rediscovering a cracking Alpine wine, Apremont.

Apremont  is from the Savoie region, near Chambery and is made from the little-known Jacquère grape. As far as I know, Jacquère is only found in the Savoie and northern Rhone. Apremont is pale coloured and delicately scented with fresh, citrussy fruit flavours and a slightly minerally edge. Basically it is beautifully fresh and uplifting, a bit like the mountain air.  Domaine Les Rocailles make an excellent example, and it is widely distributed.

Garrigue - what is it?

Tasting notes of southern french red wines often include the intriguing descriptor 'garrigue'. So, what is it exactly? Garrigue is the name given to the Mediterranean scrubland which is made up of low growing, bushy plants including holm oak, juniper, broom and wild herbs such as rosemary and thyme. In Provence it also includes lavender although I have never seen this in the wild in the Languedoc. 

Walking amongst the garrigue on a warm day, crushing herbs underfoot, releases a fabulous aroma of warm thyme and rosemary. When used to describe a wine, garrigue refers to these green herby aromas. It can also be used to describe flavours too although I find it more evocative as a descriptor for aroma.

Thanks for the picture Loulou.

Egiodola

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? An unpleasant disease?

No it's a grape variety! And one I have to confess I'd never heard of until I tasted an example from Domaine de Brau at the Millesime-Bio wine fair in Montpellier last week.

Egiodola is a cross between Fer Servadou and Arbouriu. Fer Servadou is a characterful black grape found in south west France, particularly the Aveyron where is the main ingredient in Marcillac. It hitched up with Arbouriou (a variety which hails from the Lot originally) in the 1950s and the resulting Egiodola crops up occasionally in south west France and, curiously, in Brasil.

Egiodola means 'pure blood' in Basque.

The lady at Domaine de Brau explained that the wine combines up-front fruitiness with extreme tannins. Which it did.

So now you know!

Go organic - wine fair in Montpellier

This week over 300 producers of organic wine converged on Montpellier for the annual 'Millésime Bio' wine fair. This event was created in 1993 by a small group of organic wine producers in the Languedoc Roussillon. The original goal was to promote L-R wines to potential purchasers and although it is still geared towards international buyers, the event has expanded each year and now attracts exhibitors from 13 different countries. 

All exhibitors must produce wine from grapes which are certified as being organically grown (or be 'in conversion' ie well on the way to full certification). Confusingly, there are several different organisations which regulate certification of organic wine. To name a few - AIAB, Bio Alsace, Biodyvin, Bio-Inspecta (sounds scary!), Bios, Bureau Veritas, CCIAA (even scarier), OPABA, Nature et Progrès and the two main organic organisations in Europe, Demeter and FNIVAB. Phew!

Organisers are keen to stress the friendly spirit of the exhibition and encourage discovery of different wines by arranging exhibitors' tables randomly, rather than by origin. While this 'friendly spirit' is all well and good, it must make it alot more difficult for serious buyers to find what they are looking for. That said, I've always enjoyed this wine fair and it certainly is very friendly and relaxed. So relaxed in fact that it was almost deserted between 12 and 2 as exhibitors and visitors alike enjoyed a good, long lunch!

So, what of the wines? I was only there for a few hours so barely scratched the surface. From the Languedoc, I particularly enjoyed an elegant Roussanne and fragrant Pinot Noir from Les Chemins des Bassac, a full-throttle Syrah from Chateau Maris in Minervois La Livinière and the excellent range of wines from Alain Chabanon, one of the most talented winemakers in the Languedoc. Also good are the innovative reds from Domaine de Brau in the Cabardes, and the tasty new releases from Englishwoman Catherine Wallace at Chateau de Combebelle in St Chinian.

That fabulous fungi

These little beauties were waved under my nose when I popped round to the neighbours, Didier and Marie Pierre Frances, for supper last weekend. 

The pungent, earthy smell and flavour of truffles is unforgettable and is what makes them so highly desirable. These truffles were found near St Chinian - dug up by a dog that belongs to Marie-Pierre's uncle. M-P washed and dried them and chopped them finely before scrambling them with eggs that had been stored with the truffles for a couple of days so as to absorb some of the truffley character. 

This scented, simple dish was undoubtedly the best scrambled eggs I have ever tasted. And all washed down by a deliciously fresh, fruity rosé from the Frances family property, Domaine Camberaud.

Bottle talk: La Clape v St Chinian and a gorgeous Viognier

One of the joys of having a few good bottles in the cellar is being able to share them with friends. Barrie (quite the perfect guest and a serious wine nut) has been visiting from the UK for a few days, bearing fabulous vinous gifts which include classic Bordeaux in the shape of Cissac 1982, top notch Rhone Beaucastel 1994 and a stonking Barossa Shiraz from master winemaker Dave Powell (ex Torbreck).  These have  been carefully put away for another day but we did open some rather nice bottles of local hooch as Barrie was eager to expand his knowledge of Languedoc wine.

We had great fun comparing two Languedoc heavyweights. Firstly, La Centaurée 2002, the top wine from Pech Redon which is my favourite estate in La Clape and a very special place to visit. 2002 is often written off as a poor year but this wine proved how misleading such generalisations can be.  After a couple of hours in the decanter it smelt of sweet berried fruit, with a heady whiff of the garrigue (wild herbs - rosemary/thyme), tar and a hint of coffee. Excellent concentration of dark blackberry and plum fruit with lots of other flavours in there too: licquorice, smoked meat, hint of rosemary. Very rich mid palate which balances the firm yet round tannins. Good long finish. Decant in advance and drink now to 2018. 

18.5/20. Approx €15

Drunk alongside this was the 2004 Vin Maghani from top St Chinian producer Canet-Valette.  I have enjoyed the 2001 vintage of this wine and the 2004 is very good but still young. It needs time to come together as the acidity and tannins stand apart and are not yet harmonised with the fruit. Nonetheless, there is much to admire in the meaty, smoky nose and spicy black fruit flavours with notes of olive, herbs and game. Lovely long finish. Drink 2011-18.

16/20. €22

A local white wine which blew us all away was a textbook example of the Viognier grape from Domaine Les Murettes in La Livinière. At €7 a bottle this is great value and a real charmer with a 'come hither' nose of ripe peaches and honeysuckle and oodles of exotic fruit on the palate. As it is a mere table wine, the vintage could not printed on the label but presumably it is the 2007. I'm tasting there next Tuesday so will report back.

Picpoul de Pinet and seafood

This sumptuous display is at La Brasserie Barba, a spectacular fish shop and restaurant in a somewhat unprepossessing location oposite Casino supermarket in Beziers. Their best-selling white wine to compliment this yummy seafood is a local speciality, Picpoul de Pinet, the languedoc's equivalent to Muscadet. Like Muscadet, Picpoul de Pinet is made from grapes grown near the sea, just inland from the Bassin de Thau, south of Sete. 

The grape is Picpoul (or Pique poule) which translates as 'lipstinger' in Occitan, referring to the acidity in the grape must before it is fermented. This acidity translates into freshness in the finished wine which, when balanced by pure fruit flavours of lemon, apple or pear, mineral and sometimes even brine, provides a perfect partner to the oysters farmed in the Bassin de Thau. I love the whistle-clean freshness of good Picpoul and plan to visit there in the next couple of months to try the 2008s. Producers of note include the cave co-operative at Pomerols, Domaine Ludovic Gaujal/Domaine Peyreficade, Domaine Gaujal de St Bon, Chateau St Martin de la Garrigue and, last but not least, Domaine Felines Jourdan.

A word about labelling - the full appellation name is AOC Coteaux du Languedoc, Picpoul de Pinet.  Picpoul de Pinet is only for white wine and is a named cru within the sprawling Coteaux du Languedoc appellation. A rather complicated name for a wine whose main attraction is its simplicity.