Tasting Session with Bertrand Demontoux portfolio

This an old post that I totally forgot to publish, so here it is. Bertrand, I hope you are well and New York is treating you good.

Tasting Session with Bertrand Demontoux portfolio  

I have known Bertrand since I've worked in PJWine.com, let's say at least for 5 or 6 years, may be more. During that time, I saw him evolved from fresh French salesman and brand manager representing Jaillance to constituting his own portfolio and now having his own distribution company.

He is not even 30 and has already embraced the New York city mantra: "If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere."

For the past two years, he put most of his efforts, time and more especially savings into that project. Traveling various regions of France during his spare time to find the right producers, and the most expressive, balanced, Terroir oriented wines with excellent quality / price ratio.

Tall, always put together and formally dress, Bertrand has a taste for quality, refinement and elegance, which is reflected in all of his wines and their labels that he even took pride to redesign himself, for better consistency, image and presentation. And it works pretty well, I must say. Even customer's comments and fee back regarding his wines and labels are full of praise.

Bertrand is now part of these small importers / distributors who have flourished over the last 4-5 years and enabled New York to become one of the greatest wine cities, or should I say "Vinocity, of the world, by offering more eclectic and esoteric wines from smaller, more artisanal, often Organic, Biodynamic, Lutte Raisonnee and / or sustainable producers and wineries, located in previously little known, poorly regarded or rarely mentioned as well as up-and-coming viticultural areas of both world.

He passed by the other day with 6 wines and I need to admit that I liked all of them. His portfolio is rather small for now, but the producers and their wines have been chosen very carefully for their balance, elegance, focus, complexity and Terroir characteristics. Moreover, they are all Natural wines (Bio or Organic or Lutte Raisonnée or Sustainable).

Here are a few of the wines that we tasted that day:

2010 Clos des Augustins Pic Saint-Loup Rosé Languedoc France 

Suggested retail price $14-$16

Imported / distributed by Bertrand De Montoux

60% Cinsault and 40% Grenache. Biodynamic and vinification in cement tank. Clean, soft, unctuous, creamy, mouth coating yet bright and crisp due to refreshing acidity; excellent balance, long, mineral, a touch spicy on the finish. Beautiful texture and acidity and focus. Great quality / ratio wine from an appellation lesser known to the US market. Very nice. (more info at www.closdesaugustins.com)

2010 Château d'Anglès La Clape Rosé Classique Languedoc France

Suggested retail price $14-$16

Imported / distributed by Bertrand De Montoux

80% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah & 10% Grenache. Lutte raisonnée, cuve beton (cement tank), from  La Clape, which one of the best appellation of Languedoc, located east of Narbonne, regrouping about 20 wineries sharing the "Montagne de La Clape" directly facing the Mediterranean sea. The wine is produced by Eric Fabre, ex-Technical Director of Château Lafite Rothschild, which says it all. Light melon color, fragrant nose, the palate is textured, oily, mineral, long, lot of depth and complexity. Lovely well crafted wine. (more info at www.chateaudangles.com)

2009 Domaine des Pierrettes "Element Terre" Sauvignon Blanc Rilly-sur-Loire France by Geffard et Guilbaud

Suggested retail price $12-$15

Imported / distributed by Bertrand De Montoux

100% Sauvignon Blanc. Lutte raisonnée, produced by Vicent Guilbaud et Cyril Geffard, who learn some of their skills at Domaine Pierre Luneau-Papin. 18 hectares of vines. Very crisp, soft, light, good acidity, mouth coating, ample, excellent balance with a lot of character. limey, crispy finish.  Lovely. (more info at www.domainedespierrettes.fr).

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

2006 Mas Cal Demoura « L’Infidèle » Terrasses du Larzac Côteaux du Languedoc France

Although Summer is knocking on the door with temperatures indicating that light, crispy whites and rosés will soon, if not already, flourish your tables and complement your outdoor meals and recreations in the garden, on the patio or even on your roof terrace, I bought what I could portrait as my last fuller red wine of the cold season, before populating the shelves with lighter, more refreshing reds.

Also in my eternal quest of finding great wines under $20, (and usually more especially under $15 because I’m the king of under $15), I wanted to share with you this Languedoc wine produced in a fairly young appellation named: Terrasses du Larzac, which represents the central northern part of the Languedoc region between Beziers and Montpellier, recognized in 2004 and officially on the map since 2005.     

Mas Cal Demoura  

HISTORY OF DOMAINE: In 1970, when there was a great exodus from the Languedoc due to a loss of faith in its vineyards to provide a sufficient living, Jean-Pierre Jullien named his domaine "Cal Demoura", which, in Occitan, means: “one must remain”. He came from a long line of vignerons and, at that time, he followed most of his colleagues as they closed their caves and attempted to survive by participating in the local cooperative. Jean-Pierre's son, Olivier, refused to follow the path of the cooperative and established his own domaine, the "Mas Jullien", in 1985. Jean-Pierre, in a reversal of the usual process, took the example of his son, resigned from the cooperative and recreated his own estate in 1993. He sold off a portion of his vineyards and retained only the best 5 hectares. With these, he began making a wine of regal dimensions that helped to lead the qualitative revolution in the Languedoc. In 2004, Jean-Pierre retired, selling the estate to its current owners, Isabelle and Vincent Goumard. Seduced by the estate’s winemaking philosophy, as well as by the potential of its terroir, the couple spent a year working side by side with Jean-Pierre in the vineyard and in the cellar, before taking full control of the estate.

COMPOSITION OF DOMAINE: The five hectares are located in the village of Jonquières and in the neighboring community of Saint Felix, approximately 45 minutes northwest of Montpellier, just south of Clermont l'Hérault. They are situated in the heart of the Terrasses du Larzac, an independent subdivision within the Côteaux du Languedoc AOC that was recognized in 2004. The vineyards feature five grape varieties in approximately equal parts: Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault. The average age of the vines is 25 years with significant parcels of Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan being considerably older. The soil is very dry and stony with deep but porous topsoil. The various parcels of the domaine are distributed over a terroir that is both geographically and climatically diverse. These variations, combined with an assortment of different cépages, result in wines of complexity and finesse.

METHOD OF VINIFICATION: Isabelle and Vincent are committed to producing wines that respect the environment from which they come, and express both their terroir, and the personality of the winemaker. In the vineyard, the Goumards treat organically and harvest manually. Harvest levels are approximately 30 hectoliters per hectare. In the cellar, they practice classic vinification.

Côteaux du Languedoc Rouge "L'Infidèle": The historic cuvée of Jean-Pierre Jullien, L'Infidèle is a blend of all the regional grapes – Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Carignan. The Goumards make choices in the vineyard and in the cellar that will emphasize finesse and freshness in this bottling, allowing for full expression of the fruit. The grapes are partially destemmed. Temperature is rigorously controlled. The cuvaison can extend for as long as 3 weeks with frequent remontage. The Carignan and Mourvèdre are frequently aged in older barrels for 12 months, while the Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault usually remain in cuve for the duration of the élevage. The five varieties are assembled in cuve and aged for 8 months more prior to bottling. The wine is bottled without filtration. Overall this wine was aged for about 18 months, in 500 liter barrels for 60 to 80% of the final blend.

2006 Mas Cal Demoura « L’Infidèle » Terrasses du Larzac Côteaux du Languedoc France  

Suggested retail price $15-$18 
Imported / distributed by Rosenthal Wine Merchant / Madrose (in NYC)

The 2006 Mas Cal Demoura "L'Infidèle" presents a dark ruby color. A very fragrant, enticing nose boasting distinct aromas of dark and ripe red berries with earthy, spicy notes and hints of garrigues and soil. The palate is beautiful and complex, full, rich and ripe yet juicy and well put together, with flavors of dark fruit and berries intermingled with earthy, terroir oriented, spicy, peppery, liquorice notes especially in the finish. This wine is big, no doubt, but lovely and really integrated with focused acidity to balance the ripeness of the ripe fruit and present yet fairly gentle tannins that frame and structure the overall palate from beginning to end.

Dark, slightly rustic and robust yet pleasantly surprising and really juicy despite its fullness, this wine is surely more wintery than summery, but I do think that it will pair well with BBQ and flavorful game dishes and stews and cheeses. Amateur of lightly spicy, peppery wine with great character and body should appreciate it greatly. As I like to say sometimes, it is one of this Dark Vader of wine, dark, powerful, earthy and intriguing…

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin 

Info about the Domaine taken from the importer website at www.madrose.com, for more info also consult the winery website at www.caldemoura.com 


Step into the Green! Drink more Biodynamic, Biologique and Organic wines and spirits and food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment! Support the right causes for the Planet and all the people suffering all around the globe! Also follow projects and products from the Fair Trade, an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability. Also support 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses that donate at least 1% of their annual revenues to environmental organizations worldwide. "Commerce Equitable" or "Fair Trade" is evidently and more than ever a needed movement connecting producers and customers, to be aware of others and their cultural and traditional products based on high quality, natural components and craftsmanship. 

NV Sieur D’Arques Toques et Clochers Crémant de Limoux Languedoc France

It is the end of the year, and very soon, you will have to think about celebrating with friends and/or family, and if not done already, start to plan the food and beverages for your parties whether at home or invited elsewhere.

Generally, in these festive times, what comes to mind is very often the noise of a cork popping up from a bottle of bubbly jealously chosen or kept for these special occasions.

However, due to the recession and lack of motivation to spend a lot of money, unable to foresee the immediate future of the next 3-6 months to come, people in general will surely be more cautious this year than any previous year. They will surely spend less, but they will spend a little bit still. It is in our nature.

Humans tend to celebrate whenever they can, which lately doesn’t happen so often, or let say, less often compared to a few years ago. Yet, we need these moments of joy around family and friends. It important. It is tradition. It is a good excuse. Therefore, people in general will search for very good values, as the last 6-9 months have demonstrated huge increases in sales for still wines under $15 and sparkling wines under $25-$30.

They are plenty of good Champagne around $25-$35, here are just a few of my favorite from the store selection (www.heightschateau.com):

• Caravelle NV Brut Cuvèe Nina,
  
• Chapuy NV Brut Rose Tradition,
  
• Chapuy NV Brut Tradition,
  
• Chapuy NV Reserve Blanc De Blancs,
  
• De Montoux NV Brut Champagne,
  
• Demilly De Baere NV Brut Carte D' Or,
  
• Demoiselle Brut NV Tête de Cuvée,
  
• Duval Leroy Brut,
  
• Ellner Reserve Brut,
  
• Gardet Brut NV Cuvée Saint Flavy,
  
• Gardet NV Pol Gardere Brut,
  
• Gonet & Fils NV Reserve Brut Blanc,
  
• Gonet & Fils NV Rose Premier Cru Bru,
  
• Gosset Brut NV Excellence,
  
• Marc Hebrart Brut,
• Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Blue Label, and more...

Yet, it seems that Prosecco, Cava, Crémant and other sparkling wines under $20, are now more subject to particular attention from the customers.

Therefore, always in my quest to introduce you to lesser known regions, producers and wines at excellent value, I would like to introduce you to a delightful sparkling wine from the Languedoc: Crémant de Limoux from Toques et Clochers (Sieur D’Arques). Sieur d’Arques is a winery recognized and often prized for its excellent Blanquette de Limoux wines.

But what is Blanquette de Limoux?

Blanquette de Limoux is a fairly crisp, friendly and delightful sparkling white wine produced around the city of Limoux, about 26 kilometers southwest of the magnificent medieval town of Carcassonne, in the southwest of France, near the “Pyrénées Orientales”. Neighbor to Corbières and located in the northwestern part of Roussillon and western part of the Languedoc, this appellation is often considered part of the Languedoc area.

The name Blanquette de Limoux has been used for a long time for the sparkling wines from Limoux. "Blanquette" actually just means "white" in the local Occitan language. Blanquette de Limoux can contain three grape varieties: Mauzac, which must constitute a minimum of 90% of the wine, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. Prior to the 1990 introduction of the Crémant de Limoux AOC, the use of Mauzac was optional. The change to the mandatory minimum of 90% Mauzac in the AOC regulations of Blanquette de Limoux was seen as a safeguard in maintaining the traditional style of Blanquette de Limoux and preserving the use of the local Mauzac grape which is declining in worldwide plantings. The taste of this Mauzac based wine is unique, with apple flavors and distinctive aromas of fresh cut grass that can be identified in blind tastings.

Vinification

The grape varieties are vinified separately before being assembled and bottled. Just before bottling, a liqueur de tirage is added to the blend so that a second fermentation will take place in the bottle. The carbon dioxide produced during this second fermentation is trapped in the bottle and gives the wine its effervescence. After nine months, the bottles are opened and disgorged before a final corking.

And what is Crémant de Limoux?

When the term Crémant was introduced for non-Champagne sparkling wines in France, an AOC for more "modern" (or internationally styled) sparkling wines, was created in 1990. The origin of that decision occurred a year earlier, in 1989, when the producers of Limoux had to decided on whether or not they wanted to maintain the traditional makings of Blanquette de Limoux based on Mauzac or relax the AOC regulations to allow the introduction of more Chenin blanc and Chardonnay to create internationally recognized flavors. Limoux producers were split on what direction they wanted to go, so the provisional appellation of Crémant de Limoux was introduced to allow the producers to make whichever style of sparkling wine that they preferred and still sell it under an AOC designation. A deadline was set in 1994 for the least used AOC designation to be phased out but the deadline passed without Crémant de Limoux or Blanquette de Limoux making significant progress and both AOC continue to co-exist today.

These Crémant de Limoux wines differ primarily from Blanquette de Limoux in their grape composition with Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc as the main varieties. Together they are not to exceed 90% of the wines. For Chenin blanc, a minimum of 20% and a maximum of 40% must be used. Mauzac and Pinot Noir are accessory grape varieties and may not exceed 20% together with Pinot Noir itself not exceeding 10%. Thus, Crémant de Limoux contains 40-70% Chardonnay, 20-40% Chenin Blanc, 10-20% Mauzac and 0-10% Pinot Noir. AOC regulations dictate that the wine must be aged for a least a year on the lees prior to disgorgement. Over 40 villages around the city of Limoux are permitted to make Crémant de Limoux.

NV Sieur D’Arques Toques et Clochers Crémant de Limoux Languedoc France

Sieur d’Arques is a winery located in the western part of the village of Limoux, on the avenue du Mauzac (which is the name of the main grape variety used for the production of Blanquette de Limoux).

The History of the Languedoc vineyard dates back to the 5 th century BC when the Greeks first introduced grape vines and their cultural practices. It was in 1531, one century before Dom Pérignon, that wines from Limoux stepped onto the world stage thanks to Benedictine nuns from the St Hilaire Abbey, a neighboring village, who created the first sparkling wine in the world: La Blanquette de Limoux.

The earliest written references to Blanquette de Limoux can be traced back to the lord of the region, “le Sieur d’Arques” who swigged down “flasks of Blanquette” to celebrate his victories. Four centuries later, in 1946, the founding winemakers of this winery christened their wine, Sieur d’Arques. Situated at the crossroads between two climatic influences, the Limoux terroir is rich in diversity.

The enologists and winemakers of Sieur d’Arques, pioneers in parcel-based terroir selection, have taken the full measure of this invaluable diversity. For over twenty years, they have been committed to an innovative, quality-focused approach highlighting four major Terroirs and selecting only those plots for which the micro-climates, soils, topographies and elevations are suited to the production of healthy, ripe grapes.

Hence, to the east, the Mediterranean influence produces a dry, hot climate. To the west, the temperate climate is due to the influence of the Atlantic, which guarantees both optimal sun and enough rain all year. In the center of the appellation, the two influences merge, while a cooler climate dominates in the south closer to the Pyrénées. To this must be added the mainly limestone clay soil and vineyards spread out from 200 to 500 meters elevation. These are the essential characteristics of a land full of promise ideal for crafting innovative wines.

Les Vignerons du Sieur d’Arques have optimized the exceptional diversity of their 2800 hectares of vineyard to produce supremely delicate, elegant sparkling wines, great white Chardonnays and racy reds highly characteristic of this singular Terroir.

Since 1990, this identity, unique in France, has distinguished the excellence of wines and winemakers of Sieur d’Arques in Limoux. With its four Terroirs and forty two Church bell towers, Limoux benefits from an exceptional situation in Languedoc symbolized by the Toques & Clochers auction, held every year, that continues to inspire the winemakers to give the best of themselves to produce exceptional wines.




NV Sieur D’Arques Toques et Clochers Crémant de Limoux Languedoc France
Suggested retail price $17-$20
Imported/Distributed by …

Made from a blend of Chardonnay, Chenin and Mauzac, this crémant (or sparkling wine) is the product of grapes carefully selected at each step of production.

It shows a pale yellow color with green reflects and delicate, refined bubbles. The nose is quite expressive, clean and fresh, dry, with aromas of white flowers and white core fruit intermingled with white blossom notes and slightly toasted, brioche hints. Nice, delicate and focus, the palate is bright and lively offering the same white flowers and core fruit flavors. The finish is inviting and warm with yeasty, toasted notes along with brioche and spicy hints. A delicious, versatile sparkling to enjoy for any occasion. It is a sure value under $20. The delicacy of Chardonnay greatly contributes to its elegance and harmony. Recognized by top Sommeliers and wine boutiques, this sparkling wine will marry most refine dishes.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info about Blanquette et Crémant de Limoux partly taken and edited from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limoux_wine) and all info about the winery mostly taken and barely edited from the winery website at www.sieurd’arques.com

Step into the Green! Drink more Biodynamic, Biologique and Organic wines and spirits and food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment! Support the right causes for the Planet and all the people suffering all around the globe! Also follow projects and products from the Fair Trade, an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability. Also support 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses that donate at least 1% of their annual revenues to environmental organizations worldwide. "Commerce Equitable" or "Fair Trade" is evidently and more than ever a needed movement connecting producers and customers, to be aware of others and their cultural and traditional products based on high quality, natural components and craftsmanship.

Domaine du Poujol Coteaux du Languedoc France

Domaine du Poujol

Yesterday, I had the pleasure to receive Robert Cripps, owner of Domaine du Poujol, an English man living with his American wife, Kim, in the Languedoc for the past 18 years, which, as he likes to joke about it, makes them one of the first expatriate small owners of a Languedoc winery.

Robert is a self-taught winemaker, who trained and learned how to make wine in the cellar of a winery in California, where he met his wife Kim. Curious and creative with an artist attitude and adroit with his hands, he rapidly discovered his love for winemaking and the need for crafting wine. He also created his own wine labels. They both very handy and like to be in control of their Domaine.

It all began after a year of rain and part-time work in Burgundy, when Robert and Kim started looking for a place under the sun and found “Domaine du Poujol” in the Languedoc region, about 20 km/12 miles northwest of Montpellier, and situated between Pic St Loup, Montpeyroux and St Georges d'Orques.

Family owned, Domaine du Poujol is producing Appellation Contrôlée Coteaux du Languedoc and Vin de Pays wines from grapes grown, bottled and vinified at the domaine. The wines are well structured, elegant, and ideal for immediate drinking yet with good ageing potential.

The Domaine possesses 18 hectares of vines planted with various mostly indigenous and a few international grape varieties: Syrah, Grenache, Carignan Noir, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon for the red and rosé wines, Vermentino (Rolle), Roussanne and Carignan Blanc for the white wines.

Robert and Kim do pretty much everything themselves from the vineyards to the cellar. Helped by Kim, Robert has multiple hats: owner, oenologist and winemaker. Their philosophy is to produce elegant, well-balanced wines that express the uniqueness and the character of the terroir: a unique combination of soils, topography, microclimate, exposure and environment.

They are not organic or biodynamic, but apply the technique of “Lutte Raisonnée” (comparable to Sustainable culture), which is somehow a compromise between the two previous methods with more flexibility and the possibility to moderately use some chemicals and pesticides but less often and less aggressively than conventional producers and only if really needed. Conscientiously practiced, this method resembles quite a lot to organic culture in many ways, except for the use, even if minimal, of chemicals. And compared to Organic culture or Biodynamic culture, the producers using the Lutte Raisonnée method (or concept) are not subject to any system of checks from certified organizations or any previously agreed limits to what is permissible to do in his vineyards.

Robert is quite old school and traditional, instead of trusting multiple analyses and other statistic numbers, he prefers to walk in his vineyards, listen his guts feeling and be guided by his taste buds especially during harvest time. As he told me today:” I pick randomly some grapes in different parcels to taste them and assess the level of ripeness of the fruit and tannins: if the tannins are too ripe, it is already too late because the grape should have been harvested a few days earlier; if the tannins remain a bit crisp and the fruit is ripe with good acidity, then it is time to harvest.”

Yet, harvest are also operated differently, he never harvests an entire parcel at the same time, he picks and chooses rows or portions of rows here and there to only pick gradually the grapes with the most ideal ripeness. He makes his vines selection depending on the soil, the exposure and the microclimate.

After being hand-harvested, the grapes are usually fermented in concrete vat lined with epoxy (much less expensive than the stainless steel tanks, less variation of temperature and more air interaction) or in 10 years old “demi-muid”, a large oak barrel of 600 liters. Some of its demi-Muid comes from Francois Chidaine, a great producer of Montlouis in the Loire Valley. The wines are naturally crafted with minimal intervention, minimal use of sulfur and bottled with no fining or filtering.

Usually labeled under “Appellation Contrôlée Côteaux du Languedoc” and “Vin de Pays” wines from grapes grown, bottled and vinified at the domaine; the Cripps produce excellent, earthy, terroir driven wines that are fresh, textured and structured, a touch rustic yet somewhat quite elegant, with good acidity, crispy tannins and integrated alcohol, which is rather unusual for Languedoc wines. They are usually ideal for immediate drinking about 6-8 months after bottling yet possess very good ageing potential.


We tasted:



2008 Domaine du Poujol "Pico" white Vin de Pays de l'Hérault Languedoc France
Suggested retail price $14-$17
Imported by Kermit Lynch

A blend of predominantly Vermentino, also known as Rolle (45-50%) and Carignan Blanc (35%) with a twist of Roussane (5-10%) crafted in concrete vats, this pale straw color wine offers aromas of white fruit, fresh nuts, earth and minerals. The medium bodied palate is fairly well rounded, clean, rich yet crisp, balanced and food friendly, with a long mineral finish where linger white fruit and nutty notes. Quite lovely overall!




2007 Domaine du Poujol “Proteus” red Vin de Pays de l'Hérault Languedoc France
Suggested retail price $14-$17
Imported by Kermit Lynch

“Proteus” is predominately a blend of Merlot (50%) and Cinsault (30%) completed with a blend of all the other grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, etc..) that they do not use for their other wines (that doesn’t mean that the grapes are bad or that the quality of this wine is low, it just mean that after careful harvest and sorting for the other wines, the remaining grapes go into this wine).

Here again, produced in concrete vats, the resulting wine is quite well crafted with dark ruby color and good intensity. The nose is fresh, earthy and mineral with ripe red wild berry fruit, earth, hints of garrigues and rustic leather, spicy notes. The palate is also crisp with vivid acidity, bright red fruit, earth, mineral and a lingering finish with slight tannic touches. A food friendly wine for everyday drinking, touch rustic but balanced and pleasing!





2005 Domaine du Poujol “Podio Alto” red Côteaux du Languedoc France
Suggested retail price $23-$26
Imported by Kermit Lynch

Grapes for the “Podio Alto” are grown in six, predominantly south facing, rocky limestone based hillside vineyards, situated at 100-200m above sea level. The Grenache vines are 25 years old, the Mourvèdre was planted in 2001 and the Syrah in 1985 and 1997.

The flagship of this winery, “Podio Alto” is a blend of 35-40% Syrah, 25% Mourvèdre, 20-25% Grenache and 10-15% Cinsault that was aged in old demi-Muid oak barrel of 600 liters for 12 months and was bottled, like all their wines, with no fining and no filtering.

Behind its deep garnet color, the expressive 2005 Podio Alto shows intense aromas of dark red fruit, plums, leather, garrigues, earth and liquorice. The palate has had time to settle down and open up. It offers a soft, integrated, rich and generous profile with great structure and enhancing acidity despite the ripeness of the fruit. Supple tannins support the ripe dark fruit character that lingers through to the finish. The touch of oak, which is barely noticeable, adds complexity to this wine. Here again, the rustic touch is enjoyable, makes this wine even more food friendly and represents the undeniable proof of the nature oriented way of producing wine from the Cripps. Enjoy over grilled meat like Beef and Lamb, but also country dishes like rabbit, venison or wild boar.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info mainly taken from my discussion with Robert Cripps while tasting his wines at the store

Step into the Green! Drink more Biodynamic, Biologique and Organic wines (and food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment! Support the right causes for the Planet and all the people suffering all around the globe!

2009 Marc Roman Terret Vin de Pays d’Oc Languedoc France

2009 Marc Roman Terret Vin de Pays d’Oc Languedoc France

“Marc Roman wines are grown in the sun-drenched vineyards of the South of France and carefully selected and blended to our specifications by our own winemaker. Both wines, each delicious, a rich, smooth “Malbec” (red) and a refreshing, fruity dry “Terret” (white), will make any meal more enjoyable. We hope you will try and love both!” Frederick Wildman & son

This is pretty much the only quote I found about this wine on the Internet (and on the back label). Even on the importer website, I couldn’t find a thing about this little wine. It must be one this made-up brand, also called private label, from a small producer who devoted his entire production to these wines, or more logically from a “cave cooperative”, which produces it especially for the importer.

After all, it wouldn’t be surprising: colorful label, easy to remember big letters name, and very attractive price. The perfect combination for an uncomplicated, approachable and easy to drink white, but somewhat commercial yet interesting enough to buy more than one bottle.

What really intrigued me in these wines, it is not where they were from or even their price (which is the same for both), it was more the grapes varieties that they have been produced with: Terret (for the white) and Malbec (for the Red).

It is a little strange to find Malbec in the Languedoc, when traditionally talking, the grape has always thrived in regions like Cahors and Bordeaux and a few other parts of the Southwest of France (and Argentina of course, where it is king). But, why not? The resulting wine is quite nice and rounded, fruit forward and easy going.

The bottle specifies “mis en bouteille par CJA a F 11160”, which literally means “bottled by CJA in France 11160”. It tells you that the wine was made in the Languedoc, indicated by the number being the zip code, and more precisely in the Minervois area. In fact it is only when I looked on the box containing the wine that I realized that “CJA” stands for “Cellier Jean d’Alibert”, a cooperative with state-of the-art technology, located in Rieux-Minervois, which is associated with “Chantovent S.A.” (a cooperative regrouping various estates in Minervois).

Now that we know roughly where they were made, what about the white wine made with "Terret"? Terret? Did you ever try a wine made with 100% Terret? Did you even heard the name before? Me neither, I don’t think, until a few weeks ago when this wine found a spot on our shelves.

Terret is not a very common grape variety, which is usually blended. It exists in 3 colors:

• Terret Noir is a dark-skinned grape grown primarily in the Rhône valley region of France. It is a permitted blending grape for Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Related to “Terret Gris” and “Terret Blanc”, the Terret Noir is a late budding grape that grows vigorously. In general, it produces light color wine that is perfumed and tart.

• Terret Gris is a white grape planted primarily in the Languedoc, where AOC regulations allow the grape to be used in white wines from the Corbières AOC, Coteaux du Languedoc AOC and Minervois AOCs. The vine has a very long history in the region and is capable of producing medium to full-bodied wines with crisp acidity.
  

• Terret Blanc is a white mutation, which derivates from the Terret Noir grape and is less commonly found. The clusters are medium to large and oblong berries are medium size. The cluster is truncated, compact and winged. The vine is moderately vigorous but productive. He gives according to soil type and wines 50 hl / ha in the hills close to 100 to 150 hl / ha in the best land usually in plains. Terret is generally conducted in “gobelet”, mnncncchnush of short size. It is insensitive to “excoriose” and “botrytis”, powdery mildew, but he fears mildew and to the cluster. It produces interesting light wine with a certain fruit weight, good acidity and versatile profile.

The weirdest part of this wine is that it is a 100% Terret white bottled on its own. Fairly rare in my opinion. The wine was vinified and rested before bottling in 100% stainless steel tanks, no oak whatsoever, just the clean, natural taste of the grape.




2009 Marc Roman Terret Vin de Pays d’Oc Languedoc France
Suggested retail price $7-$10
Imported by Frederick Wildman & Sons in NYC

Nice and simple, this wine is fresh and juicy, fairly dry with smooth and rounded fruit flavors and attractive floral aromas. It is pretty well balance between fruit and acidity. Very approachable and inoffensive, it is the perfect wine to pick for a party with friends and family. Serve as an aperitif with appetizers to open your taste buds and set the mood for a enjoyable moment.

Enjoy,

LeDom du vin

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Carignan & Les Chemins de Carabote Vin de Pays du Mont Baudile Languedoc France

Carignan

Carignan, also known as “Carignano” in Italian and “Cariñena” in Spanish, is a red grape variety that originated from Cariñena, the namesake village located in the province of Aragon, Spain.

Anciently thought to be part of the blend in Rioja’s wine yet more widely used in Aragon, the grape gradually expanded first southward towards Algeria, then eastward toward Catalonia, Roussillon, Languedoc, Rhone, Sardinia and elsewhere in Italy, always grown mostly to be part of a blend.

More recently, probably over the last 100-150 years, the grape was exported and experimented in some part of the New World; which explains the presence of Carignan grown in California and part of Australia, amongst other regions, where it has often been blended with other grapes and there as well rarely bottled on its own.

Carignan, which strive and excel in harsh, dry and arid climate, produces very earthy, medium-deep to intense in color, rich red wines with excellent tannic structure, ripeness and high alcohol content.

Talking about high alcohol, I remember once, a few years back, while visiting the tree storey house cellars of Vall Llach, (a winery nestled in the heart of Porrera, Priorat, Tarragona), and tasting the new vintage at the barrels, the winemaker showed us a barrel of old vines Carignan that didn’t finish its alcoholic fermentation… yet we were in April, nearly seven month after harvest. It was amazing and I really never saw that before (or even after) in my entire career.

The barrel of Carignan was still bubbling and fermenting with still nearly 18 degrees of alcohol (in April!!!). Unbelievable, the yeasts were still eating the residual sugar… and because of the rarity of the event (only one barrel amongst all the other), the winemaker wanted to see when the fermentation would stop by itself rather than interfere. I think that it was a barrel of 2004 or 2005 (2005 I believe but I couldn’t find my notes anywhere..), a vintage which had been apparently so hot with barely no rain that it highly ripened the grapes, concentrating the sugar and lowering the amount of juice.

From the winemaker point of view, this kind of rare exception is mainly bound to happen to wine made from Carignan grapes, which can reach high alcohol content in ultra ripe vintage. During this trip, I also tried some of the most interesting Carignan samples at Mas Martinet and Cims de Porrera with Josep Lluis Pérez and his son Adría Pérez and daughter Sarah Pérez, both now renowned oenologists and consulting winemakers in Priorat (and other places).

However, largely planted for its high yield productivity, up to 200hl/ha, Carignan still requires a lot of attention due to its high sensitivity to rot, powdery mildew, downy mildew and grape worms. Also being a late budding and ripening grape, it requires a warm climate and a long sunny ripening season in order to achieve full ripeness. The grape is a difficult one for winemakers to work with being naturally high in acidity, tannins and astringency, which require a lot of skill and experience to produce a fine, harmonious and elegant wine.

All the above factors contribute to explain why Carignan has always carried a bad reputation and has mostly been used and blended to bring color, strength, depth, tannic structure and spiciness to the final blend, rather than being bottled on its own. However, well tended and carefully harvested, Carignan demonstrates great depth and warm, earthy, spicy character with enough acidity to keep its juiciness and enhance the overall wine’s profile, and more importantly balance and integrate the high alcohol.

When I used to work in the restaurant business and even now working in boutique retail store, I realized that most people are not necessarily acquainted with this grape.

They may have heard of it or know that it is usually part of the blend of established earthy red Rhône and Roussillon in France, and Aragon and Catalonia in Spain, more especially in Priorat, Monsant and Tarragona; but rare and few seem to be the person who tried Carignan bottled on its own.

That is why, I decided, as always in my quest to introduce you to lesser-known and hard to find and small producers’ wines, to write about two great wines, both made with 100% Carignan yet completely different because of their place of origin but somewhat original and inspiring, and apart from the now more common and easier to find Spanish Carignan (that I also like very much, by the way). The first one is French from the Languedoc, and the second one is Sardinian, but I will describe it in another post following this one.

Les Chemins de Carabote Vin de Pays du Mont Baudile

“Les Chemins de Carabote” is a small Languedoc winery, owned by Jean-Yves Chaperon & Nicole Michel, which is located about 35 kms west of Montpellier between the village of Saint-André de Sangonis and the hamlet of Cambous, in the foothills of the “Mont St. Baudile” (a little mountain culminating at 884 meters above sea level, located north of Arboras and Montpeyroux, overlooking the Séranne massif, which separates the winery from the Larzac plateau).

It is a fairly new project that came to life with the first vintage in 2005, from the desire of Jean-Yves (a journalist at RTL radio) and his partner Nicole (a civil servant), to have their own vineyards and craft their own wines. Both are still working full time in Paris, keeping an eye and somewhat “running” the project from afar, and mostly come during weekends and vacations via the “TGV” (meaning “Train à Grande Vitesse” or literally “High Speed Train” in English).

Philippe Ellner from the “Domaine des Conquêtes” took them under his wing at his cellar in Aniane, where oenologists Stéphanie Prabonnaud and Jean Natoli orchestrate most work in the vineyards and more especially the cellar.

From the famous windmill of the Middle Ages, which stood on the bank of the Hérault River, only remains a sinuous path running alongside a parcel of vines bearing its name: “Les Chemins de Carabote”.

Planted on gentle terraced slopes facing south, the vines grow in this harsh, arid and austere rocky soil covered with larges pebbles (locally called "Terrasses de grès"- Gallets roulés -), which capture the heat of the day of this warm climate area during the day, to restitute it at night when it is cooler. Fall and winter can be rainy and cold but summer and harvest season are usually extremely hot with crushing heat and shortage of water, which represent ideal growing and ripening conditions for Carignan.

They produce 2 red wines under the label “Les Chemins de Carabote”: an AOC Côteaux du Languedoc made with Syrah-Grenache-Carignan and our wine of the day, Vin de Pays du Mont Baudille from Carignan only. They also craft a “Terrasses du Larzac” rouge.




2006 Les Chemins de Carabote Vin de Pays du Mont Baudile Languedoc France
Suggested retail price $12-$15
Imported/Distributed by Savio Soares in NYC

The 2006 is only the 2nd vintage produced. This wine was produced with 100% Carignan grapes grown in AOC Côteaux du Languedoc, but was sold under Vin de Pays du Mont Baudile appellation, because by law a “Côteaux du Languedoc” AOC wine (red or rosé) must obligatory contain a minimum of two type of grape variety: Grenache Noir, Syrah and/or Mourvèdre (50% minimum) complemented by Cinsault and Carignan Noir.

Following a long ripening season, the Carignan grapes appeared to be fully ripe, complex and concentrated, which were the deciding factors to bottle the resulting wine on its own to fully enhance and preserve its unique character and flavors.

2006 Les Chemins de Carabote Vin de Pays du Mont Baudile possesses an attractive ruby-garnet red color of medium intensity yet it appeared slightly darker at first. A bit shy just after opening, but more appealing after about 20 minutes, the nose is dry, warm and earthy with interesting aromas of ripe dark fruit, prune and underbrush, slightly animal tones intermingled with hints of stone minerality, coffee and spice. The palate is quite dry and dark too with the same type of flavors, yet after a few minutes of opening, it started to open up and took a nice juicy and spicy balanced profile with interesting tannic structure.

In fact, it was surprising because it seemed lighter and rounder than I thought it will be with a lingering spicy touch, not as rigid or alcoholic as the nose and the first sip may have suggested. A decanting will surely tame this wine and give it the time it needs to open up properly.

Overall, racy, fairly complex and enjoyable, it was a nice surprise. May be not your everyday wine, but this very approachable Carignan is definitely a food wine to pair with substantial food like grilled red meat, game, venison, wild boar, paté and cheese.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken from the winery website at www.carabote.com

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Montpeyroux & 2008 Domaine d'Aupilhac Rouge "Lou Maset" Languedoc VDP France

Montpeyroux & Domaine D'Aupilhac

Located roughly at 40 kilometers from the Mediteranean coast, northwest of Montpellier, Montpeyroux is a village and a wine region of the same name where climate is typically Mediterranean: hot in the summer, cool in winter, with occasional yet needed rainfall during the spring and autumn.

Micro climates are numerous and very diverse in certain parts of the Montpeyroux area, where vineyards are being nestled in the foothills of the high Larzac between 100 and 850 meters (2800 ft) above sea level, benefiting from cool summer nights which, together with occasional storms, help refresh the vines after the scorching daytime sun. By the way, the Causse of Larzac is a mountainous chain in the southern part of the Massif Central.

The Domaine d'Aupilhac is located in Montpeyroux, a little village some 36 kms north-west of Montpellier which gave its name to the vineyards area. The cellar, created in 1989 in the family home, is right in the heart of the village. Sylvain Fadat and his family have been growing grapes for over 5 generations.

A large part of their vines grow on south-west facing "terraces" on a site named "Aupilhac", planted mainly with Mouvedre and Carignan, and a bit of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault. Another part of their vineyard is the north-west facing "Les Cocalières" located at an altitude of some 350m (1150ft) where Syrah predominates, though Mourvedre and Grenache also grow here too. The most northerly facing part is also planted with the four white grapes allowed in the Coteaux du Languedoc: Roussanne, Marsanne, white Grenache and Rolle (also known as Vermentino).

The land is ploughed regularly, which means the roots have to force their way deep into the cool and moistened sub-soil, thus protecting the vines from seasonal drought. They treat their land ("terroir") with great respect, with the absolute priority being to maintain its natural balance.

Harvests are done by hand, when the grapes reach ideal maturity and phenolic ripeness. The skins must be properly mature to extract the best aromas and color, as well as ensuring silky tannins. The land's natural yeasts ensure the natural start of the fermentation. The wines mature in casks and barrels in the underground cellar. The wine is bottled unfiltered at the Domaine. Their belief and motto is: “work in the vineyards has far more influence on a wine's quality than what we do in the Cellar”.

D’Auphilac red was crafted from grapes for this wine come from 13.5 hectares of vineyards planted on terraces at an altitude of 100 metres in the area known as "Aupilhac", overlooked by the Castellas, ruins of an XI century hilltop castle which is the emblem of Montpeyroux. The vineyards are planted with Mourvédre (3.5ha), Carignan (4.3ha), Syrah (2.2ha), Grenache (2.5ha) and Cinsault (0.8ha).




2008 Domaine d'Aupilhac Red "Lou Maset" VDP Languedoc France
Suggested retail price $13.99
Imported by Kermit Lynch and distributed by Winebow in NYC

In the old Occitan language “Lenga Oc” ("Oc tongue" or "Language from Oc" or even "Langue d'Oc" in French), which eventually gave its name "Languedoc" to this vast region bordering the Mediterranean Sea in the south of France where this language was spoken for centuries by the locals, “Lou Maset” roughly signify “Le petit Mas”(or "small Mas" in English), the “Mas” being the traditional name of the old countryside houses scattered in the landscape of Languedoc and Provence.

Made with 40% Grenache, 40% Cinsault, 10% Carignan, 5% Syrah, and 5% Alicante Boucher, from vines planted on arid stony limestone where Grenache and Cinsault thrive, D’Aupilahc Red “Lou Maset” wine was fermented in traditional vats for 10-15 days, then aged for 6 months in cask. It was bottled without filtration.

Montpeyroux usually offers powerful, full-bodied yet balanced and structured wines with ripe fruit and earthy, Terroir oriented attitude, and the 2008 Domaine d’Auphilac "Lou Maset" red is no exception to the rule. Beside its dark, intense ruby color, the nose is fresh, earthy and warm at the same time, with ripe dark fruit mixed with floral and Garrigue scents. The palate is full, generous, with a lot of ripe, dark berry fruit and earthy Terroir components enhanced by a great acidity that makes this wine quite juicy and also an integrated tannic structure nicely framing all the layers and nuances. The finish is dry and slightly tight yet will settle down rapidly with a decantation and a bit of substantial food like grilled red meat, roasted leg of lamb, Cassoulet prepared in goose grease from castelnaudary or even Saucisses Lentils also prepared in goose or duck fat from Toulouse.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken and edited from the winery website at www.aupilhac.net

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Pic Saint-Loup and 2005 Château La Roque Pic Saint-Loup Languedoc France

Pic Saint-Loup and the "Cru(s) des Côteaux du Languedoc"

How many of you have ever heard of Pic St. Loup? Not many, that’s what I figured! In fact, from the Languedoc region, it seems that consumers are much more acquainted with Minervois, Corbières, St. Chinian, Picpoul de Pinet and Faugères, which are some of the most exported and thus reputed appellations of the Languedoc.

If one look at a wine map, however, he (or her) will realize that Languedoc encompasses a lot more sub-wine regions and appellations than the few cited above.

If we start with Collioure and Banyuls down in the French Catalan region, toping the northeastern part of Spain, and if we follow a curve going upward then eastward towards Nîmes, we have all the following appellations:

• Banyuls,
  
• Collioure,
  
• Côtes du Roussillon,
  
• Côtes du Roussillon Villages,
  
• Maury Fitou,
  
• Blanquette de Limoux,
  
• Corbiéres,
  
• Côtes de Maelpère,
  
• Cabardès Minervois,
  
• Muscat de saint-Jean-de-Minervois,
  
• Coteaux du Languedoc,
  
• Muscat de Frontignan,
  
• Muscat de Mireval,
  
• Muscat de Lunel,
  
• Costières de Nîmes,
  
• Clairette de Bellegarde,

Among these 18 Appellations and regions bordering the Mediterranean Sea from Spain to the Rhône River, 1 of them, comprised between Montpellier to the east and Béziers to the southwest and Saint-Pons to the west, encompasses 15 more specific Appellations, also known as “Cru(s) des Côteaux du Languedoc”.

From north to southwest within the Hérault department (or district), with already 6 appellations (or should I say "Crus") surrounding the department’s capital town of Montpellier, one will find the following Cru(s) comprised within the Coteaux du Languedoc:

• Pic-Saint-Loup
• Saint-Drézéry
  
• Coteaux de Véragues
  
• Saint-Christol
  
• Côteaux de la Méjanelle
  
• Saint-Georges d’Orques
  
• Picpoul de Pinet
  
• Montpeyroux
  
• Saint Saturnin
  
• Clairette du Languedoc
  
• Cabrières Faugères
  
• Saint-Chinian
  
• Quartouze

I could write an entire post for each of this appellation and get myself carried away as usual, but for this post I will only focus on Pic-Saint-Loup.

Pic Saint-Loup

With an elevation of 658 meters (2,159 ft), Pic Saint-Loup is a little mountain in the Languedoc, located near the communes of Cazevielle overlooking a little valley with the village Saint-Mathieu-de-Tréviers in the Hérault département (district), about 28 kms north of Montpellier.

Pic Saint-Loup gave its name to the appellation of the same name that roughly extend from the northern border of the town of Montpellier going toward the north up above the Pic Saint-Loup and its facing counterpart “le Causse de l’Hortus” (512meters).

Along the roughly 30 kilometers length of the appellation, from north to south, the diversity of the landscape and type of soils is mindboggling, going from mountains and slopes at the foothills of the Cévennes National park to the gentle rolling hills bordering Montpellier.

Pic Saint-Loup has been experiencing a renaissance over the past 10 years and most vines are at least 25-30years old in average. After the last 30 years of restructuration of the vineyards and replanting of more appropriate and adapted varieties, Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre are now the predominant grape varieties. Blended they produce great, medium to full bodied wines expressing floral, mineral and wild berries aromas and flavors with earthy notes of Garrigues and Terroir influenced characteristics.

Grenache was massively replanted in the 80s and now represents the backbone of the wines and the memory of the vines, bringing richness, depth and roundness. Syrah brings color, fruit, aromas and texture. Mouvèdre brings strength, excellent tannic structure and ageing potential. The resulting wines are usually quite full bodied, rich and powerful, yet well-rounded and balanced, with ripe fruit, earthy notes and present yet integrated tannins.

Château La Roque Pic Saint-Loup

Located in the village of Fontanès, approximately 20-25 kms north of Montpellier and a few kilometers east of the Pic Saint-Loup itself, in the heart of the appellation, Château La Roque is one of the leading wineries of this beautiful mountainous region. A 41-hectares estate, with a distinctive lilac-shuttered white Château, which was in fact an 8th century post house, enlarged through the centuries. Today, its vaulted tasting room and emblematic medieval “pigeonnier” (old pigeon house) bear witness to its rich history. Vines’ growing on the Domaine goes back to 1259, when two gentlemen, brothers Jean and Guilhaume de La Roque, started to grow vine on the slopes of the hills, which protect the estate to the north.

Château La Roque stretches on 80 hectares all in one block, of which 32 hectares are planted in vines. On clay and limestone scree, the south / south-east facing terraced vineyard forms an amphitheatre, in majestuous yet wild background hills, made of several distinct "clos" encircled by Garrigues (wild bushes and small trees, plants and herbs characteristic of the south of France and the Mediterranean basin).

The reds are produced from Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache, while the whites are based on Viognier, Rolle, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Marsanne.



2005 La Roque Pic St Loup Côteaux du Languedoc France
Suggested retail price $16-$19
Imported by Kermit Lynch / Distributed by Ibanez Pleven


Vinification is done in traditional or tapered vats at controlled temperature. Maceration lasts about 40 days before racking. After maturing for 4 to 12 months, the red wine is estate-bottled without filtration. A blend of roughly 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre, the 2005 shows ripe red berries and dark fruits on the nose, with earthy and spicy notes. Terroir oriented, the palate is quite savory and warm with good density and structure. It is well rounded, fruity and really inviting, with a very good balance and a lingering finish. Pair it with Mediterranean food and game, grilled meats, roasted pigeon with figs or boneless rib steak.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken from the winery website at www.chateau-laroque.eu

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2007 Domaine Le Pas de l'Escalette "Les Clapas" Rouge Coteaux du Languedoc France

Domaine Le Pas de L’Escalette

Le Pas de l’Escalette is a young Domaine owned by Julien Zernotte & Delphine Rousseau. It is located near Poujols, a little village situated northwest of Montpellier and south of the National Park of the Cévennes (Hérault).



In 2002, while searching for some new Terroir(s) to establish a vineyard, Julien and Delphine passed by Pégairolles-de-L’Escalette, a little “Hameau” (hamlet) nestled in the gentle rolling hills of the “Pas de L’Escalette”, on the emblematic path between the south of the Larzac plateau and the Mediterranean sea. They fall in love with the area and its magical feel, and despite the stony, hot and arid land, they took the challenge of creating a Domaine.

Julien, with his degrees in viticulture and oenology (as well as a track record of producing outstanding wines in the Loire appellation of Menetou-Salon), and his wife Delphine, have built the domaine from small parcels of old-vine Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, and old plantings of Alicante, Aramon, Carignan Blanc, and Terret Bourret.

Their Domaine is growing. They recently bought some vines in the "Vallée de Lauroux" (somewhere west between Pégairolles et Poujols, not too far from the Domaine), planted with 15 years old Grenache Noir, some old Cinsault, two parcels of Syrah, some olive trees and a nice "Mazet" (name for a small country house).



Surrounded by small dry limestone-calcareous stone walls called “Clapas”, the 10 hectares of vineyards are planted in terraces carved into the rocky soil of steep limestone hillsides, located at 350 meters above sea level in the southern foothills of the Larzac plateau. On the calcareous stone heaps of the plateau, they work the soils in the most natural way possible, with Organic leaning towards Biodynamic methods and immense respect for the environment, and more especially for the diverse indigenous wild herbs, flowers and garrigues.

If we divided their entire vineyard in two, half of the parcels are east facing so enjoy the rising sun, the rest face west benefiting from the setting sun. Complementing the ideal exposure of the vines, the stony soils provide complexity and depth, but also contribute to the richly ripe fruit by redistributing the heat of the day during the night, and help to restrain yields, resulting in wonderful concentration of flavors.

The grapes are hand harvested and transported to the winery in small plastic baskets to be more easily hand sorted and destemmed. Fermentation take place in tronconic shaped oak vat (in a truncated cone shape). The wines are then aged partly in oak barrels and partly in bigger oak vats. Unless the vintage requires it, Malolactic fermentation isn't always done to keep the maximum of freshness.

They are just about to finish their new cellar where the 2009 vintage will be the first vintage to be vinified and aged.

Their philosophy: The exposure of the vineyards on terraces, the altitude, the depth of the clay-calcareous soil, the traditional grape varieties used and the temperate climate, represent the perfect factors and conditions to produce great wines.

They produce 5 wines:

• “Le Grand Pas” is their main wine and the primary reason for this adventure. It is a beautiful, rich and age worthy red wine blending harmoniously the silkiness and richness of the Grenache with the freshness of the Carignan and the finesse of the Syrah.

• “Ze Rozé” is self explanatory: made from old Syrah and Cinsault, it is a fresh and simple rosé for everyday drinking under the shadow of a fig tree or an oak tree during a picnic, as an aperitif or even with a light summer meal with salad, fish, chicken and cheese.

• “Les Clapas” Blanc, an unusual blend of two forgotten grape varieties: Carignan Blanc & Terret Bourret (one of Languedoc’s oldest grape varieties, also known as Terrain and Terret Gris), delivering great freshness and complexity due to the age of the vines and their location. Goat cheese is a “must have” with it.

• “Le Premier Pas” is a “blink of an eye” to the first step of their son, Jules. It is an easy going, friendly and versatile red to drink for any occasion. It is a blend of all the grape varieties from the Domaine, and its vitality makes it the perfect everyday wine.

And of course, our wine of today: “Les Clapas” Rouge




2007 Domaine le Pas de L’escalette “Les Clapas” Rouge
Coteaux du Languedoc France
Suggested retail price $20-$24
Importer / Distributor Sussex wine Merchants / Petit Pois

In short for the vinification process: the hand harvested grapes were totally de-stemmed and de-stalked. Then macerated in vats for 30 days. The alcoholic fermentation occured in 50 hl oak casks with natural yeasts. Regular draining and circulation of lees. Malolactic fermentation occurred in wood and the wine was then aged for ten months half in oak vats and half in oak conical casks.

The old Carignan vines (in Gobelet training system: meaning roughly untouched and unpruned, it looks like a a small round vine bush just a few inches of the ground cover with small stones) are the soul of this wine, they bring the earthiness and the freshness. The opulence and richness come from the Grenache. The old Cinsault and the Syrah respectively bring the aromas of flowers and wild red and dark berry fruit. Overall, the Meridional profile of this wine accentuates the characteristics of these Languedoc grape varieties.

A blend of 35% Grenache, 35% Carignan, 20% Syrah and 10% Cinsault, the resulting wine is quite amazingly attractive: balanced, focus, earthy, medium bodied yet complex, dense without being heavy and well structured by present yet integrated tannins. The robe is dark ruby red yet of medium intensity. The nose is quite expressive, clean and floral with bright red and dark berry aromas intermingled with earth, mineral and spice. The palate follows the same path with the same type of flavors in a complex, expanding, bright, vibrant and focus way, leading toward the lingering finish. Still a bit young with great ageing potential, we didn't decant it but opened it at least 30-45 minutes before drinking it. What a lovely wine!

As I always say when I buy a wine: “A good wine always calls for another glass!”, well this wine has my approbation to be on the shelf of the store. No problem. I instantly loved it when I first tried it. Last Sunday, I brought it for the Lunch at a friend’s place and it showed beautifully. We enjoyed it with “Carré d’Agneau à la Provençale et Purée de Pomme de Terre a l’Ancienne” (baked Rack of Lamb with onion, shallots and herbs in olive oil and served with traditional buttered mashed potatoes). It was a great combination of flavors.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Pictures taken from and Info mostly translated from the winery website at www.pasdelescalette.com , where you will also find great pictures of Pas de L’Escalette hills, vineyards and surroundings.

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2007 Domaine des Terres Falmet Cinsault Vin de Pays d'Oc Languedoc France

Domaine des Terres Falmet Cinsault Vin de Pays d'Oc Languedoc France

I do not know why I never wrote a post about this wine before, because it has always been one of my favorites on the shelves. I discovered it a few years ago when the importer, Patrick Allen and his wife Connie (founders of United Estates Wine Imports), came at the store where I used to work and introduced me to this incredible gems. I fell in love with it for 2 reasons:

• 1st: because I though that it was a lovely red wine, quite juicy, with good acidity, a touch rustic with some tannins toward the end, but overall really enjoyable and definitely food friendly, and more especially not overripe or overdone like some Languedoc wines can be (sometimes).

• 2nd: because, this nice wine is made with 100% Cinsault which is definitely not a common thing to see or taste, and I was really intrigued and surprised to find such a rare and distinctive wine that good at this price (under $15).

Cinsault (also spelled Cinsaut) is a red grape variety, whose heat tolerance and productivity make it very important in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, where it excels when blended with Grenache and Carignan, but also in Algeria, Morocco, Lebanon, South Africa and California.

As part of a classic Languedoc-Roussillon blend, Cinsault brings juiciness, brightness, structure and tannins while Grenache bears most of the fruit, softness, opulence and the aromatics, and Carignan complements the texture, the roundness and also some of the features through out the flavors in the palate.

Although, it is said that Cinsault originated from the Hérault district, near Beziers, in the Saint-Chinian region to be more precise, it may have been imported a long time ago from the middle-east, where it is still widely cultivated. As an example, Cinsault has always been one of the main components in the blend of Château Musar (see my previous post on Château Musar).

Cinsault has many synonyms, one of them (and probably the most confusing) is called "Oeillade" and is sold as a table grape, although it is different from the ancient and "true" Oeillade which is no longer cultivated.

In South Africa, it was known and bred as "Hermitage", hence the name of its famous cross created in 1925: South Africa's pride "Pinotage", a cross between Pinot Noir and Hermitage (Cinsault). After Languedoc-Roussillon, South Africa is somewhat the 2nd house of Cinsault.

Until about 5 or 10 years ago, Cinsault bottled on its own was nearly unseen and for most producers quite unthinkable. However, better technology and multiple experiences but also soil studies and partly global warming (I obviously mean: increase of temperature and longer ripening season), combined with skilled winemaking techniques, allow us to find more interesting wines made from grape varieties that were only believed to be small part of a blend or even sometimes nearly instinct. And trust me, this kind of wine really triggers my attention and interest.

In the store, I proudly bought quite a few wines made with grapes that were nearly instinct or only part of a blend before, here is a few very interesting examples that you should taste:

• Domaine de Monpertuis Counoise Vin de Pays du Gard: I also fell in love with this wine a few years ago when I first tasted it with my rep from Rosenthal. Roughly, about 15 to 20 years ago, Counoise was one of the 13 authorized grape varieties used in the blend of red Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Slowly, it was less and less used and was nearly instinct for lack of interest from most southern Rhône producers.... Most, except a few, like Domaine de Monpertuis (and a few more) who decided to revive it, replant it and bottle it on its own. They did the right things. Since then, Monpertuis Counoise has been one of my flagship wine in the store (for this one again, I do not know why I never wrote a post about it, may be because I always talk about it, at least 1 or twice a day, and I suggest it so much that I though that I already wrote something about it.....anyhow...)
  

• CVNE Contino Graciano and Santiago Ijalba Graciano: two great, earthy red wines made with this red grape variety called Graciano that has always been blended with Tempranillo in the Rioja region predominantly. Here again, due to daring and talented winemakers who believed in the Graciano grape, but also due to the cited above reasons, we can now find Graciano bottled on its own (see my previous post on Contino where I described in further details my experience with the wines of Contino and my meeting with the master winemaker behind them: Jesus Madrazo).

Cinsault is now a part of the list of these ancient grape varieties that were put aside for a while and nearly forgotten for some, which are now experiencing a renaissance and expressing the true characteristics and unique flavors of their Terroir of origin.

2007 Domaine des Terres Falmet Cinsault Vin de Pays d'Oc Languedoc France

Suggested retail price $10-$13

Imported by United Estates Wine Imports and Distributed David Bowler in NYC

Domaine des Terres Falmet was established in 1996, in the little village of Cebazan, located southeast of Saint-Chinian (north of Narbonne and west of Beziers). The Domaine encompasses 25 hectares of contiguous vineyard plots planted on hillside with excellent sun exposure.

The young and talented Yves Falmet, owner and winemaker, produces this well crafted Cinsault from vines that are more than 50 years old planted on very rocky, clay-limestone soil, so the resulting wine combines, character, length and depth with juicy fruit, mineral and good tannic structure. Moreover, with no filtration or no fining, this wine didn't lose any of its personality or varietal character.

I loved the previous vintage, and think the 2007 Terres Falmet Cinsault follows the same profile, attitude and charm. The robe is clean, bright ruby red with light intensity. The nose is quite expressive and inviting, Garrigues-like with freshly crushed wild red and dark berries aromas, touch floral, earthy and mineral. Overall light to medium bodied, the palate is quite lush with darker berries flavors than the nose, like blackberry, ripe dark cherry and blueberry, nicely lifted by a great acidity which adds balance, freshness and juiciness, especially in the mid-palate. Calling for another glass, the lingering finish is dry and earthy, a touch spicy, with present yet integrated, soft tannins.

Food friendly and an easy drinking, this intriguing and attractive little wine offers a complexity not often found in wines in this category. Pair it with grilled lamb Chops and veggetable Mediterranean dish like Ratatouille. You can serve it both room temperature or even slightly chilled, it has been flying off the shelves this summer.

Due to the consistency and harmony of the last two vintages, Domaine des Terres Falmet and Yves Falmet deserve that interested amateurs and connoisseurs keep an open eye on this estate and its wines. Yves also produces an other beautiful wine produced in AOC Saint-Chinian, called: "L'Ivresse des Cîmes" (which could be translated by the "Dizziness of the Summits", just the name speaks for itself).

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

You can also find more info about this wine on the importer website at www.unitedestateswines.com

Step into the Green! Drink more Biodynamic and Organic wines (and food) from sustainable cultures and respect the environment!

My favorite under $12 reds of the moment

My favorite under $12 reds of the moment

Although, as a Wine Buyer, I always need to keep an extremely open mind and a consistent yet very eclectic palate toward the wines that I try, taste and more especially buy (ranging from the driest, acidic or tannic, most esoteric to the fuller, often way too ripe - for my taste - and alcoholic style of wine), I recognize that, like anybody else, I also have my favorite wines that correspond a bit more to my true palate and that I rather drink at home. In most cases, I like to be surprised, intrigued, pleased and even fascinated by the wines that I will buy and put on the shelves, and I like my customers to experience the same thing when they will try it.

You see, I love my job (not everybody can say that... isn't it?), and what makes it even more interesting and kept me going to work in the wine-business as a Wine Buyer - Sommelier and Wine Director for the last 18 years, is the fact that I have to understand, comprehend, learn about, dissect and analyze each wine that I taste everyday, not only to keep my palate sharp, trained and skilled, but also to be able to always provide, everyday, the best, most interesting and most eclectic choice of wines from all around the world to my customers.

And that's what I try do everyday at the store: please and satisfy the interest and the curiosity of my customers by sharing my knowledge with them, offering great service by trying to understand their palate, what they would like to drink and more especially respect their budget, but also trigger their interest by always trying to recommend them different wines from various countries to extend their experience.

There is nothing worst than to go shopping in a wine store where the staff has no knowledge, no passion and no conviction, and thus where the wines are boring and have the same type of taste profile due to a narrow minded wine buyer behind the wine selection on the shelves.

What I love the most and what usually pleases most of my customers, is that I usually do a good job in general by recommending the most appropriate wines (despite a few exceptions from time to time, nobody's perfect...), but my forté is the wines under $20 and more especially the wines under $15. As I always say: "I'm the King of under $15", and that for 2 reasons, first because I rather (and it is much more fun) sell 12 different bottles at $10 than 1 bottle at $120, and second, because (like most of my customers) these under $15 wines are the ones that I drink at home with friends and family, thus that I know the best and that I can more easily recommend with even more conviction and excitement.

The next 4 wines are part of these little gems that I had a lot of pleasure to suggest lately to my customers. I hope that if you'll try them and you'll agree with my choices. These are some of my favorites of the moment.

Enjoy them young, as an aperitif with hors d'oeuvres, but also with more sophisticated Fall-Winter dinner stews like: "Ragoût" (any stew), "Daube" (usually prepared with beef braised in red wine vegetables, garlic and herbes de Provence), a "Blanquette de Veau" (prepared with veal in a white sauce, but also be made with Lamb, Chicken or Rabbit) or even with a "gibier" (Game).

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2008 Henry Fessy "Château des Reyssiers" Regnié Crus de Beaujolais Burgundy France
Suggested retail price $10-$13
Imported by Louis Latour / Distributed by Mr. Touton Selections

Domaine of Henry Fessy produces wines for generations in the village of Saint-Jean-d'Ardières, located in the southern part of the Beaujolais region, east of Brouilly and west of Belleville (south of Macon and north of Lyon).

The ancestors of Serge and Henry Fessy, the Pellissier family, began to buy, grow and sell wines in 1888. Then, they bought a wine estate in the heart of Beaujolais ("Le Paradis") in Brouilly. After the first World War, Henry Fessy, the son in law of Jean Pellissier, became the successor and started to run the estate which now bears his name. It was a very distinguished man that inspired respect. He created the co-operative cellar of Bel-Air in 1928, and remained its President for more than 40 years.

In 1947, his son Georges took over the family estate and continued with dedication the work of his father helped by the rest of the family. Nowadays, the Domaine is run by Henry (named after is grand-father) and Serge Fessy, his little brother, who carefully take care of the 11 hectares of vines planted mainly in Brouilly and Beaujolais AOC, but also carefully select the grapes and wines that they will vinify, age, bottle and sell under their Négociant label. They also take care of the wines of different growers.

Today, including the resulting wines from their vines and the wines that they bought and vinified, they produce more than 2 millions bottles from a state of the art cellar facility which allow them to proudly insure the quality and the consistency of their wines. They are probably the only Négociant company in Beaujolais which completely vinify their own wines.

Domaine Henri Fessy produces quite a few wines from all the appellations of Beaujolais, the 2 generic and the 10 Crus: Beaujolais, Beaujolais Villages, Brouilly, Cote de Brouilly, Régnié, Morgon, Chiroubles, Juliénas, Chenas, Fleurie, St. Amour and Moulin à Vent.

Régnié was the most recently recognized cru of Beaujolais in 1988. Despite its resemblance with its nearby siblings Brouilly and Morgon, Régnié possesses it sown typicality which defines its personality.

2008 Henry Fessy "Château des Reyssiers" Regnié is a charming, easy going, light Gamay wine. The robe is light, bright ruby red. Developed aromas of red berries, like red currant and raspberry, with subtle floral perfume constitute the nose. In the palate, the attack is quite juicy and fruity, expanding nicely in a structured, elegant and supple mid-palate. The acidity carries the red fruit flavors with focus toward the lingering, fresh and dry finish. Quite well rounded without excessive tannins, this wine is well made, simple yet refined and charming, somewhat feminine and refreshing with a twist of earthiness. Enjoy it warm temperature with white meat and poultry, or even slightly chilled with fish or cheese.

Enjoy!

Info taken partly from the winery website at: www.vins-henry-fessy.com

LeDom du Vin

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2006 Cantele Salice Salentino Riserva Apulia Southeastern Italy
Suggested retail price $9-$11
Imported / Distributed by Vias Imports in NYC

2006 Cantele Salice Salentino Riserva is roughly a blend of 80% Negroamaro and 20% Malvasia Nera, from vineyards located next the village of Guagnano. After de-stemming, crushing, maceration of 6-7 days and fermentation, this Riserva wine aged in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for 3 years with selected lots being transferred to French and American "barriques" (barrels) where they matured for at least six months to add more dimension and structure, before bottling.

The robe is quite intense, dark ruby red. The expressive nose exposes earthy aromas of ripe red fruits, spices and cigar box, woody notes. In the mouth, it is fruity, dry and earthy, quite full yet balanced by the tannins and great acidity to keep it fresh, almost crisp, with ripe red and dark fruit and hints of spices. Smooth and rounded in the finish, with gentle vanilla oaky notes, it is pretty easy going and perfect for simple dish and picnic, yet it structure and texture can definitely complement heavier and earthier "wintery" dishes, like roasted or braised beef or lamb. Perfectly fine with pasta and meat sauce. Ideal with medium to hard cheese.

Enjoy!

Also read my previous post on the 2004 vintage at www.LeDomduVin.com and you will find even more info on the winery website at www.cantele.it and on the distributor website at www.viaswine.com

LeDom du Vin

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2007 Domaine de Fenouillet Côtes du Ventoux Rhône Valley France
Suggested retail price $10-$13
Imported / Distributed by MadRose / Rosenthal in NYC

The Domaine de Fenouillet is situated in the village of Beaumes de Venise at the foot of the "Dentelles de Montmirail", the heart of the finest vineyard sites in the southern Côtes du Rhône. The Domaine has been in the hands of the Soard Family for many generations, until 1989 the grapes were harvested and immediately sold to the growers' cooperative. Vincent and Patrick Soard took over direction of the domaine in 1989 and, at that point, began to vinify their harvest and bottle the wines now made at the estate.

The Domaine: There are 16 hectares planted to grapes: 5.3 hectares devoted to Muscat to make the fabled Muscat de Beaumes de Venise; 7.7 hectares planted in the appellation of Cotes du Rhone Villages "Beaumes de Venise"; and 3 hectares within the Cotes du Ventoux appellation. Average production levels are 34 hectoliters per hectare yielding approximately 5,000 cases of wine per year.

The vineyards for the Beaumes de Venise Rouge are situated at an altitude of 350 meters and rest in soil composed of clay and chalk. The grape combination for the principal reds is: 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% old vines Mourvedre and 10% Cinsault.

Vinification: The entire harvest is done manually. The Muscat for the Muscat de Beaumes de Venise is picked at optimum levels of maturity to achieve maximum sugar concentration. Several passes through the vineyards and a severe selection of the individual clusters is done prior to fermentation. Crushing is done with a modern pneumatic press to extract the finest juice which is then fermented under temperature-controlled conditions for about 15 days. The fermentation is then stopped to leave the wine with residual natural sugar. The Muscat de Beaumes de Venise is normally bottled in the spring of the year following harvest. For the Beaumes de Venise Rouge and the Cotes du Ventoux, the varietals are harvested and vinified separately and then blended to create the final cuvees. The Cotes du Ventoux is vinified with the objective of making a fresh, fruity wine for current consumption. The Beaumes de Venise Rouge, with its component of old vines and concentration of Grenache, is solidly built, deeply colored and quite age worthy. There is an extended cuvaison to achieve maximum extract; the wines are aged in both "cuve" and barrel; and the bottling is done normally after two years of aging without being filtered. Beginning in 1995, the Soards have bottled a special cuvee of Beaumes de Venise Rouge known as "Cuvee Yvon Soard", in honor of their father. This extremely limited production wine is exclusively from old vines and provides an additional level of complexity and intensity.

2007 Domaine de Fenouillet Côtes du Ventoux Rhône Valley is a lovely, dry, bistro-ish red from the south of the Rhône Valley. Made of approximately 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 5% Carignan, the robe offers a medium to dark color in the glass, with good intensity. Soft, ripe red and dark berry aromas intermingled with earth, mineral and wild bush scent. The palate is softly textured, dry yet ample with generous dark, ripe fruit due to the Grenache and earthy notes. The finish also is earthy with some, fairly integrated yet a touch dry, tannins. Overall, here again, a well made wine with interesting features, good acidity and fruit, in a very versatile way. Appealing and bistro-ish, a quaffer for everyday, easy drinking with a bite of something, like: charcuterie, cold cut, cheese, grilled meat, chicken, etc...

Enjoy!

Info mostly taken from the Importer / Distributor website at www.madrose.com

LeDom du Vin

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2008 Château de Massiac Cuvée "Sentinelle de Massiac" (2nd wine) Minervois Languedoc France
Suggested retail price $9-$12
Imported / Distributed by Madrose / Rosenthal

France and Bernard Boudouresques own the Château de Massiac, located in Azille, a small village in the heart of the Minervois appellation south of one of the best Minervois' vineyards "La Liviniere"(also an appellation on its own since 1999), on the road between Carcassonne and Narbonne (Aude, western Languedoc, France).

Sentinelle, being the second wine of Château Massiac, is a blend of younger vines 50% Syrah and 50% Carignan, compared to the first wine which is normally older vines 75% Syrah and 25% Carignan, planted on rocky clay-limestone soils.

Here again a very bistro-ish wine, well balanced and easy going little red wine, with a soft, versatile and food friendly profile (everything that I love and that I'm looking for when I buy and drink a wine, somewhat my specialty... finding these little everyday gems: great wines at very affordable prices! I definitely love my job).

In the glass, it is dark in color and quite intense. The nose is clean, fresh yet ripe and gentle with dark fruit and blackcurrant aromas. The palate is very friendly, supple with nice ripe dark berry flavors mixed with earth and garrigues notes. Tannins are present yet integrated and the earthy finish is quite inviting. A really enjoyable sipper red for a very decent price, to appreciate all day long with cold cut, charcuterie, steak frites and other bistro food and easy going red meat dishes. Love it.

Enjoy!

I couldn't find much info about the winery and the importer Madrose/Rosenthal doesn't have any info on their website. However, here is their contact info: Massiac, Chateau de Massiac (alo under Domaine de Massiac) 11700 Azille - Tel: 04.68.91.49.92 (I like the wine so much, I will surely give them a phone call soon to ask for more info, may be I will write a post about it).

LeDom du Vin