2009 Causse Marines Marcillac Southwest of France

Causse Marines Gaillac & Marcillac 

Domaine Causse Marines is located in “Vieux”, a small village about 13 kilometers north of Gaillac and about 72 kilometers northeast of Toulouse, in the Tarn departement, southwest of France.

Like most Appellations in the southwest of France, Gaillac is fairly small and rather undiscovered, covering about 4,200 hectares. The traditional red wines of the region boast good ageing potential, about 8–10 years, due to the very good tannic structure and complex texture.

Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Duras, Fer Servadou and /or Syrah are the main grape varieties used for the production of Red and Rosé.

Made for drinking young, "Primeur" red wines are also produced (just a few months following the harvest). It's a marketing scheme is based on Beaujolais Nouveau. The template is followed so closely that primeur wines must be made from the Gamay grape and are released for sale on the third Thursday of November (like in Beaujolais).

The white wines are made of Mauzac, Sauvignon Blanc and / or Muscadelle, Len de l'El and Ondenc, local grape varieties. The appellation makes all sort of wines: Table wines, dessert wines and sparkling wines.

Bought by Patrice Lescarret in 1993, the Domaine was re-baptized “Causse Marines” for the two main geological factors of the area: “Causse” because the Domaine is located atop a Causse, referring to a limestone-calcareous plateau of a certain elevation, proper to most regions et department in and near the Massif Central. “Marines” because it is the name of the little river gently flowing down at the bottom of the property, consequently creating a natural boundary with the neighbors and a good source of water and moister for the surrounding Nature.  

Patrice was brought up drinking mainly Bordeaux wines until the age of 16 years old, which usually doesn’t help to be humble and open-minded. And when you know that shortly after he attended the famous "Institute of Oenology of Bordeaux", one will understand the prejudices and lack of objectivity of the boy. Fortunately, his experienced outside of Bordeaux brought him back to reason and lucidity regarding the wines from other regions than Bordeaux. First employed in Sancerre and then manager in Provence, he naively performed his classes before unconscientiously jumping in his new life to run his own Domaine in 1993 in Gaillac.

He learned his first lesson when he understood that to make some wine, one needs some grapes! Started with only 8 hectares that he bought from a local paisan and rapidly extended to 12 hectares, the Domaine is now run by Patrice and his wife Virginie Maignien (who first arrived at the Domaine to do the harvest in 2005 and ended-up staying longer, in her words: "she fell into a trap"), who, with their team, put all their efforts to produce great, Natural wines predominantly crafted with the local, originally cultivated grapes, meaning no clones and rigorous “massale” selection when replanting or grafting.

Despite their numerous efforts to convince the ones in charge of the Appellation to make some changes to rectify the rules, be more flexible and accept the wines of Patrice as part of the Appellation, most of Patrice’s wines are predominately sold as Vin de Table (except a few in AOC), because beyond the rule permitted by the Appellation. However, Patrice doesn’t give up and proudly continues to follow his goals and ideas, putting his dedication and personality in each bottle by producing high quality wines from old vines under Demeter certification, hence certified biodynamic and biologic, meaning: no herbicides, no pesticides, no synthetic or any non organic derivate products, low use of sulfur.    

The 12 hectares are planted with Syrah, Duras, Braucol, Prunelard for the reds and Jurançon Mauzac, Ondenc, Loin de l’œil, Muscadelle, Sémillon… and Chenin the whites. Yielding are kept to a minimum, between 13 to 30 hl/ha during the last 10 years. Of course, vineyard’s works and more especially harvests are done by hand. Letting the wine start and finish the fermentation, no addition of yeast or unnatural chemical, minimal intervention and light fining or / and filtering makes for natural vinification.

To conclude with a few words from Patrice and his great sense of humor: “one can make biodynamic wines without having long hair and smocking grass; and one can produce natural wines that do not smell like the fart of a cow!”

From his Gaillac estate, Patrice craft quite a few wines: 4 whites, 3 reds, 4 sweet wines, 1 semi-sweet and a sparkling wine.  I invite you to go to his website (http://www.causse-marines.com) to read a bit more about his other wines, because strangely enough, the wine of today from Patrice Lescarret under the Causse Marines label with a clown face on it, doesn’t come from Gaillac but neighboring Appellation Marcillac.

Strangely enough too, there is no mention of his vineyards in Marcillac on his website, yet if you go to Pictures on his website you will see some shots of his vineyards and estate in Marcillac. All together now, the Domaine includes about 15 ha of vines stretching across both the Marcillac and Gaillac AOC’s.

Marcillac is an even smaller appellation than Gaillac, surrounding the eponymous village, located a bit further northeast in the Aveyron departement, about 20 kilometers northwest of Rodez and about 112 kilometers west of Cahors on the same latitude.

Marcillac encompasses about 170 hectares of vineyards planted in red clay soils rich in iron oxide that are known locally as rougiers. The individual plots either cling to steeply sloping hillsides or are cut into terraces, facing south and therefore ensuring ideal ripening conditions. The main variety grown (90 %) is Mansois, the local name for Fer Servadou. The remainder is made up of Cabernets: Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. This particular red wine tends to be tannic and rustic in character, with predominantly raspberry aromas. Some rosés are also produced locally but rare to find on the export market.

The grapes for the following wines come from vineyards around the village of Salles-la-Source, a little village about 13 kilometers northwest of Rodez, on the road to Marcillac.

2009 Causse Marines Marcillac Southwest of France 
Suggested retail price $16-$19 
Imported / distributed by Louis / Dressner in NYC

Crafted with 100% Fer Servadou from old vines, the 2009 Causse Marines Marcillac is an amazing wine. Fairly dark in the glass, with good intensity, it seems slightly blurred surely due to light or no filtration with an attractive purple hue.  The nose offers fresh, earthy aromas of mixed red and dark berries; touch of plum, red and blackcurrant intermingled with Terroir oriented hints of spices, garrigues, earth, biter chocolate and smoke. The generous and structured palate is also earthy and slightly esoteric, seems rustic but in a good way, enhanced by great acidity and minerality. The flavor’s profile follow the ones on the nose accentuated with more soil and Terroir characteristics, and again, blackberry, plum, chocolate, spice and more garrigues. The ripeness of the fruit comes from the age of the vines, but also from the quality of the vintage and the exposure of the vines.  The long finish boasts good tannic structure and texture, give this wine a nice ageing potential.

A bit tight at first, it will need a decanting and at least half an hour to open up and deliver fully all of its features. Highly recommended, this earthy wine from the southwest of France deserves to be drunk with substantial food and stews: grilled steak, Saucisse Lentilles de Toulouse a la Graisse d’Oie (goose grease), Cassoulet, Pot-au-Feu, Barbeque, etc….

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken and edited from the winery website at http://www.causse-marines.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.

2005 Domaine du Pech "Le Pech Abusé" (Buzet) Rouge Vendanges Manuelles Biodynamic (Magali Tissot & Ludovic Bonnelle)

2005 Domaine du Pech "Le Pech Abusé" (Buzet) Rouge Vendanges Manuelles Biodynamic (Magali Tissot & Ludovic Bonnelle)

Domaine du Pech, owned by Magali Tissot & Ludovic Bonnelle, is a family owned and run domain in the heart of south west France, which focus on Terroir expression, biodynamic processes and crafted quality.

Established in 1978, Domaine du Pech is located on the eastern border of the AC of Buzet, about 100km south east of Bordeaux, on the hills to the north of Gascony. In 1997, Magali and Ludovic took full responsibility of the estate; and in 2003, they adopted and turned the Domaine to biodynamic production.

Hence, they produce wines using no chemical interference, whether in the vineyard or winery, no sulfur either, which is a risky strategy, but one they can take due to the high quality of the essential raw components: healthy vines and grapes.

The wines are produced from the typical varieties of the region: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc for the reds and Sauvignon Blanc for their limited release white. They greatly believe in Terroir expression and each variety is paired to the perfect soil to maximize its quality potential.

The label art work is designed by their two daughters.

Brief facts about the Domaine:

• 17ha of vineyard planted on gravel, limestone and clay soil using cordon training

• Average yields of 10-25 hl/ha due to careful pruning, bud removal and selection (no green harvesting)

• Active natural predator encouragement program (note the ladybird on the label)
  

• Hand harvested by a team of 30 trained pickers who have worked at the Domaine for many years and who provide the first tranche of fruit selection
  

• Only wild yeasts are used to ferment, made possible because chemicals do not kill them in the vineyard
  

• All fruits goes through a strict selection regime at the crusher and sorting table (a long process but worth it)
  

• No enzymes or chemical additions adding during fermentation and elevage (ageing) . Long maturation in wooden casks and demi-muid (depending on the cuvee) up to 3 years in some cases, allowing nature to work her magic
  

• No filtration or fining required so they don’t use it . All wines are bottled at the winery using their own bottling line (1.5g/hl of sulfur added only when required and depending of the vintage)

2005 Domaine du Pech "Le Pech Abusé" (Buzet) Rouge Vendanges Manuelles Biodynamic (Magali Tissot & Ludovic Bonnelle)
Suggested retail price: $19-$22
Imported / distributed by Metropolis Wines in NYC

A blend of 40% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon from hillside vines, which spent about 3 years ageing nicely in very old oak casks (36 month in oak, with pigeage every other day, and fermentation with natural yeasts only), this biodynamic Buzet possesses balance, ripeness and depth. Alcoholic fermentation naturally stopped at 15 grams, no SO2 added at all, and like most natural wines, no filtering or fining before bottling. 500 cases produced. We just received it and I love it.

Anecdote about the name of the wine: "Le Pech Abusé" is a play of word about the fact that Domaine Pech has been abused from its right of putting "AOC Buzet" on the label, even if the wine is from Buzet, because certain of its features didn't comply with AOC regulations: high alcohol content, length of the ageing process, etc...

Beside its bright ruby color, it offers expressive aromas of blueberry, blackberry and black fruit, mingled with earthy, smoky and mineral notes. The palate is rich, generous, ripe and super juicy with the same type of flavors as on the nose with oak ageing nuances, enhanced by good acidity and integrated tannins. The finish is quite soft, rounded and really ripe, but not overripe or stewed. Highly recommended. Discover natural, biodynamic red wine with hearty dishes like Cassoulet, Saucisse lentille, Magret de Canard, Braised beef, etc... How not to "abuse" of it, when it is so good?

This wine, once again, confirmed my passion for the Southwest of France and its rather undiscovered wines. Being from the Southwest of France myself, I have always been the faithful ambassador of the wines from this area. And surprisingly enough, despite the fact that the 5 top selling wines in the store are French, one of them is a super friendly, crisp and zesty little white, from Gascony, made from two indigenous grape varieties: Colombard and Ugni Blanc. I already wrote about it in an earlier post and will review it again soon.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken and edited from the importer website at www.winemc2.com and from the winery website at http://www.domainedupech.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.

2007 Tour des Gendres Rouge "Le Classique" de Tour des Gendres Bergerac Southwest France

This morning, my son and I decided to make Pizza for the lunch. What a mess! We first tried to knead the dough, the best we could with our hands. Things would have been better if we had had a rolling pin. Once the dough was slightly unevenly covering the bottom of the rectangular pizza pan, (but hey that was our first pizza together, so it doesn't matter), my son tried to spread out the tomato base sauce. He surely ate more than putting it on the dough.

While the oven was starting to reach the right temperature, we put a few tears of olive oil on the sauce, and spayed out a first layer of grated Italian cheeses, then added a thick layer of grated Mozzarella. Here again, my son, for each handful of grated cheese put on the Pizza, another handful was disappearing in his month. We then covered the layers of cheeses with as much pepperonis and mushrooms as we could, leaving a small line only with cheese just in case. Then another layer of grated Mozzarella and other cheeses with a last sprinkle of olive oil. Once satisfied by the way it looked, we put it in the oven and waited until ready to add a little touch of white truffle oil atop to add more flavors, just before serving.




Although making it is quite fun, especially with my 4 years old messing around with everything, the waiting part is the part that I prefer, because that is usually when I open my wine fridge to choose a bottle of wine. I didn't know what to try, but a bottle of red Bergerac was taunting me.

Nestled in Dordogne, touching the eastern part of the Gironde department and often assimilated with Bordeaux, Bergerac is a misunderstood place. Quite well known from the Britts who refurbished and repopulated the area over the last 30 years, it is a place of peace and quiet, a lost treasure grove of history, stories and legends. Some counts the adventures of the first hunters, covering the wall of underground prehistoric cave (like Lascaux), and other make knights and dark creatures reappearing in the multiple scattered hilltop medieval villages and Châteaux surrounded by impenetrable forests where time seems to have stop and remain still since the 12th century.

Therefore, in my quest of always trying to introduce you to lesser known wines, regions and producers, I think that a Bergerac wine is very "à propos"!

Moreover, the Bergerac that I'm about to describe today is somewhat sentimental because it is the first Bergerac that I ever tasted when I was younger (around about 14 years old, not very American I know, it is the French side of me) and then, that I first visited in my early twenties, in 1997. It was also one of my first Bergerac wines that I sold to my customers when I was starting my career as young waiter-Sommelier in a Relais & Chateaux restaurant in Péssac, in the outskirt of Bordeaux. This close to my heart Bergerac winery has managed to keep up with the high quality of their wines and even after all these years remains one of my favorite top Bergerac producers.

Château Tour des Gendres Bergerac

Owned and run for the past 3 generations by the "De Conti" family, Château "Tour des Gendres" is the flagship of the Bergerac appellation.

Known since the 12th century as the winery of "Château de Bridoire", Château “Tour des Gendres” (literally “Tower of the sons in law” in English) is located on the site of an old Gallo-Roman villa. Referenced in the “Féret” of 1903, the Domaine gets its name from its then owner, Mr. de Peyronny, who was none other than the son in law of the Marquis de Foucault Lardimalie, lord of Bridoire. Destroyed by phylloxera in the early 19th century, the vineyard now covers only one-tenth of its original surface.

Originally from Italy, Vincenzo de Conti and his wife and children settled in the Southwest of France in 1925. In 1956, Primo de Conti, his son takes over the family farm with Michelle, his wife, who is raising a few horses. In the early 80's, belonging to the third generation, Jean de Conti, guided by his passion for the land and Luc de Conti, guided by his passion for horses, finally settled in Ribagnac (home of "Tour des Gendres"), a little village of Dordogne located about 12 kilometers south of Bergerac. For several years, with their wives, Carol and Martine, they carry out their projects separately.

In 1986, the “de Conti” brothers find themselves in a common project. They combined their properties, associated their families and created the “SCEA de Conti”, a company regrouping the family farm, lands and vineyards. After both families took over the vineyard and the farm lands, they restructured and improved them. Then tasks were divided and remain the same til today: Jean takes care of the farm grain and Luc of winemaking and wine marketing; Carol supports the accounting and Martine, the reception at the Domaine for guests and customers. Francis, the cousin, joined the operation in 1990, adding his 20 hectares of vineyards of “St. Julien d’Eymet” to the vineyards of “Domaine des Gendres” and of “Grand Caillou”. He took over the culture of the vine within the 3 Domaines now encompassing 52 hectares of vineyards.

Chronologically, here is what happen since Jean and Luc decided to regroup the Domaines:

• 1984 - early work of replanting the vineyards, first on two hectares to experiment
  

• 1986 - first wine, Chateau Tour de Gendres, the classical Bergerac red was born

• 1987 - first white wine, the Cuvée des Conti, the addition of a new classical white

• 1988 – Beginning of ageing the white on its lees to add extra dimension and depth
  

• 1989 - first bottling of “La Gloire de Mon Père”
  

• 1994 - First vintage of “Moulin des Dames” Rouge, a very upscale Bergerac,
  

• 1994 - first tests of organic viticulture at the “Domaine des Gendres”
  

• 2005 – Organic Farming established and practiced on the property’s 52 hectares
  

• 2005 – first 100% Muscadelle à petits grains Since the beginning of the conversion to organic farming in 1994, de Conti family has been witnessing significant Nature changes in the vineyards and their immediate surroundings.
  

The physico-chemical equilibrium of the earth, the exploitation of all layers of the soils and sub-soils, and the strength of the vines have naturally altered the taste of the wines: the alcohol level has lowered, the natural acidity has increased, the mineral character of the soil is more assertive on the red and white wines, tannins are riper and soft and the flavors are typical of their plot of origin. The persistence of these features perfect the style of the wines, these are qualities appreciated by wine lovers and easily recognizable during tasting.

Nature’s advocate and being raised as the grandson of a winemaker in a natural agricultural environment for the first 24 years of my life, I have always been very supportive of Organic, Biodynamic and other natural vinification processes and techniques. Many times, I wrote my views and opinions about them in some other posts.

However, writing about Domaine “Tour des Gendres” is particularly enjoyable for me, because I adhere totally to the philosophy and natural agricultural approach of the "de Conti" Family. And to confirm what myself and many more have said about Natural ways, here is once again facts about why everybody should be more aware and respectful of the Nature, with the words of Luc de Conti:

“By practicing organic farming, we raised a few secrets about the natural mechanisms, we realized that we were part of a whole, one and indivisible. Every day we see its benefits on our vineyards, our wines and our environment.” - Luc de Conti

Here are some of his own personal advices and keys (with a few of mine intermingled with them), which I respect tremendously and actively incite people to follow, regarding the complex mechanisms of organic (Biologique in French) farming and agriculture:

• The herbicides destroy life in the soil; but constant periodic tillage under each vine aerates and purifies the earth.
  

• Chemical fertilizers trivialize the soil; but natural compost promotes the natural life of the sub-soil and reveals the character of the Terroir.
  

• Chemical treatments weaken the vine; but treatments using natural products strengthen it against diseases.
  

• Planting "buddies" or “partners” seeds of other plants, encourages biodiversity and reveals the character of soil (and Terroir)
  

• Planting plants with deep root penetration - as the oats & phacelia - promotes aeration and the life of sub-soils.
  

• Deeply rooted, the vines can easily manage and benefit of the cool and moisture of the sub-soil and mineralization of the bedrock, which is indispensable especially with the rise of temperatures, more signs of global warming and climatic changes with sudden heat waves across Europe, like in 2003 and 2005.
  

• Promoting biodiversity in the sub-soils acts on biodiversity at the soil surface and reveals the character of the Terroir: insects, earthworms, rodents and birds live in the vineyard; they graze, touch and land on the berries and deposit Natural yeasts, the true signature of the Terroir, which irrefutably will reflect in the produced wines.
  

Their website is in French and I translated some of the above texts adding my personal touch on some of them, however Tour des Gendres produces 5 different labels coming in white and red (and rosés) and 1 sweet wine:

• Château Tour des Gendres Classique (blanc, rouge, rosé)
  
• La Gloire de mon Père (blanc, rouge)
  
• Moulin des Dames (blanc, rouge)
  
• Anthologia (blanc, rouge)
  
• Cuvée des Conti (blanc, rouge)
  
• Conti-ne Périgourdine (sweet white)
  

Therefore, I invite you to go visit their website for more info on the different cuvées at www.chateautourdesgendres.com



2007 Tour des Gendres “Le Classique” rouge Bergerac France
Suggested retail price $11-$14
Imported / distributed by Baron François in NYC

Tour des Gendres “Le Classique” Bergerac Rouge wine is a benchmark for Bergerac appellation. A well-structured, enjoyable and versatile red to enjoy at any occasion, preferably with local food from the Perigord. It represents the outstanding result of the work of talented winegrowers and an exceptional winemaker: Luc de Conti, often referred as “the Prince of Bergerac”. Considered as one of the best winemakers in France, Luc, his brother Jean and his cousin Francis, as well as their respective families, run this innovative Bergerac estate with upmost respect for the terroir and to the balance of the ecosystem.

2007 Tour des Gendres “Le Classique” Bergerac Rouge is a blend of 70% Malbec and 30% Merlot from south exposed vines planted on clayish soils resting on calcareous-limestone bedrock. After full destemming, the grapes were pressed then underwent a long fermentation of about 30 days immediately followed by the malolactic fermentation, both in stainless steel tanks and Bordeaux size oak barrels. The ageing process also occurred in both stainless steel tanks and oak barrels, with the wine resting on its lees to add richness, roundness, complexity and depth. It was finally bottled without fining or filtration to maximize and emphasize its lush, earthy, Terroir oriented profile.

2007 Tour des Gendres “Le Classique” Bergerac Rouge offers a dark ruby color; quite intense and opaque with just few, light ruby reflects near the rim. The nose is clean, somewhat delicate and discreet, yet definitely refine with aromas of ripe dark berries and dark fruit, light touch of eucalyptus, mint, spice, mineral, earth and smoke intermingled with profound and well integrated dark bitter chocolate and toasted oak nuances. The focus and dark palate is lush, rich and soft with well-balanced ripe dark juicy fruit flavors framed by a solid and present yet extremely well integrated, earthy tannic structure and enhancing acidity. The generous mid-palate is expanding with the same yet more expressive notes as in the nose. The textured finish is lingering and call for another glass.

This gorgeous Bergerac wine is as dark and appetizing as the black truffles (Tuber melanosporum), which grow exclusively within the oak roots and abound in the forest of the Périgord, enhancing further the already rich and flavorful local traditional food often prepared with Duck, Goose, Game, Venison, Wild Boar and Rabbit.

FYI: Périgord, which by the way gave its name to the eponymous truffles, is a former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne département (county), now forming the northern part of the Aquitaine region, in the southwest of France.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken and edited from the winery website at www.chateautourdesgendres.com and from the importer website at www.baronfrancois.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.

Remember your grandfather's ways, stories and recipes? I do, and they are always sweet memories! Especially, his Escargots à la vinaigrette!!!

In memory of my beloved grandfather and his Escargots à la vinaigrette!

The culinary world is fascinating! Surely as fascinating as the wine world for me... Like behind the label of a wine, the concept of a dish encompasses the work of men, culture, traditions, geography, history, topography, climatology, chemistry, biology and most other aspects of the natural life in general, all of these combined with time and patience.

As I like to say, our ancestors and even the recent ones (I’m talking about my late grandfather generation), knew how to take the time to properly craft things with their hands and recognize the natural signs of Mother Nature. They put their heart, skill, knowledge and patience in everything they were doing. They were aiming for quality, longevity and practicality.

It was a form of art to see them master all these effective and precise movements to create, craft or/and produce. Things were mostly useful and had a function to obtain a result that was essential in their everyday life. Yet nobody can get away from human nature, we always will have to go further no matter what, isn’t it? It seems that we are unsatisfied by nature.

Nowadays, everything goes way too fast and because our behavior of the last 60 years (since the end of World War II) obliges us to come back to greener methods in order to save our planet and all its living creatures (including us), we are now somewhat more diligently following a calendar of things to do at the right time, at earth pace. It is one of the reasons why in these very critical and transitional times, we are going back to more natural and organic oriented ways.

Now faced with somewhat irreversible situations, people are very slowly starting to comprehend that we’ve been rushing without measuring the bad consequences of our actions on our surroundings and environment. Therefore, they are more inclined to slow down a little and listen a bit more than usual (although I’m not so sure if they are willing to change their bad habits that easily…).

People have given names to things that were part of the natural everyday life of our ancestors. Natural has become “Organic”, “Biodynamic”, “sustainable”, “Lutte Raisonnée”, “recycling”, etc… while it was the way of everyday life before, but was somehow abandoned or forgotten for decades, it has fortunately come back in the past 10-15 years, yet unfortunately it was a necessity to clean up the mess, not to continue tradition.

Using organic ways with astrological science and proper management of the soil and surrounding nature, the biodynamic methods in agriculture and viticulture also follow a calendar of ancient tasks to be done at a given time.

These tasks have been studied and gathered from our ancestor’s methods by recent searchers like Rudolf Steiner (a recommended read “Agriculture: Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture,”) at the beginning of the 20th century, but they existed long before and their efficiency was the result of the amount of knowledge passed on from generations.

It is something that we tend to forget more and more. Yes, we have improved the technology for the better in science and medicine, which is a very good thing, but regarding the agriculture, ancient techniques and methods are back in fashion for their less harmful nature preserving ways.

However, before all that, our ancestors knew when they should plant certain things at certain periods because of the position and influence of the moon, the stars, and the seasons. They also approximately knew, probably more accurately than our televised forecasts, if it will rain or freeze or snow just by looking at the sky and paying close attention to their environment and the behavior of the plants and vegetables in their gardens, orchards and backyards.

It is one of these indefinitely stored moments of my memory of the ancient time and the time spent with my grandfather that I would like to share with you to relive it.

As you may have understood it by now, my maternal grandfather was an important figure in my life, almost like a father figure, a man who unconsciously taught me a lot about my love for wine, people, nature and life in general.

He wasn’t a funny guy, often lonely but never alone. He was a character, someone with presence and charisma, loved by his family and entourage. He was a man of earth, down to earth, practical and genial at the same time. Hard and tough, yet gentle and open minded, with a big heart and always living his door open for whom ever would like to come and enter his home to pay a visit, to talk or eat or drink or just spend some time to share the day, and mostly all the above.

His garden surrounded his house, or let’s say that his house was in the middle of his garden. Living alone, when he retired and the vines at my mother’s house were uprooted more than 20 years ago, his garden became his passion. It is where he concentrated most of his days from the minute the rooster crowed at the break of down to the last minute of the sunset. He was living at farm pace.



This garden was a treasure grove of numerous fruits (pear, apple, cherry, kiwi, lemon, orange, fig, strawberry, blackberry, prune and tomato), countless vegetables (salad, bean, carrot, artichoke, pumpkin, potato, celery, melon, endives, radish, cabbage, etc..), and all sort of plants and herbs (rose, thyme, rosemary, laurel, parsley, cilantro, mint, etc..). He even had numerous rabbits and hens, plus a dog, two cats, some golden fishes in an old pound that he built himself with an old tractor wheel as a frame for the concrete basin next to his old water well.



He was even making his own wine, his own preserve of fruit and vegetable, his own amazing paté, and his own eau-de-vie de fruit and cognac in his immense cellar, which contained, despite a few barrels and an alembic, all sorts of antic furniture and old objects from a 1930 American Hoover (the brand) to a collection of 1970’s moped and even a “Peugeot Triporteur TN 55” from 1957 (that he actually offered me for my 18th birthday and which is identical to the picture bellow). A real collector Alibaba cave!




In short, he had everything at home and grew everything organically by recycling and making his own fertilizer. He was doing everything himself. A winemaker and self-taught countryside man in harmony with his surrounding with a near perfect understanding with Mother Nature. If I could I wish I could be like him. Sometimes I feel that it is in me, dormant and unused… oh well, may be one day.

What I forget to tell you is that he was at time also farming “Escargots”. The escargots of my grandfather remain to this day one of my favorite memories of him and what I used to eat at his house quite a few times a year.

At certain period of the year, during or after a rainy day (like today, it is pouring out there tonight in New York), escargots (or snails in English) were abundant in the shrub wall surrounding his garden and he was a joy to harvest them with him. Of course, too young and impatient to make the difference, I was putting all the ones that I found in a linen bag; and of course he used to curse at me saying that I will never go anywhere or do anything of myself, if I wasn’t more careful and more focus to what I was doing. He didn’t say that in a bad way, he was just trying to aware me that I was becoming like the other kids of my generation: too distracted with lack of attention and patience, and misplaced motivation and attitude.

So in his presence, I used to keep a low profile and slow down, not take my time necessarily but be more efficient and attentive, to try to understand his way, his views and opinions that I valued immensely.

For example, and that is why I started this post by saying: “The culinary world is fascinating!” because, as my grandfather was often saying, in the culinary world and especially in the English language, the name of the meat his not or rarely the same as the name of the animal it comes from: a pig’s meat is pork; a caw’s meat is beef; a calf’s meat is veal; a hen’s meat is chicken; etc…

Yet, there is always something that was intriguing my grandfather (and myself by the same occasion): Why the British and the American, who usually hate calling their food by the regular name of the animal it came from, because they do not like the image of eating a cow, a pig or an hen, continue in restaurant to call snails, “Escargots”?…. Well for the same reason, it is because for them eating a slimy and disgusting snail is a totally different experience than eating the succulent and eclectic “Escargots” a la Française.




Once collected from my grandfather garden, him and I sorted them through one more time to only keep the best with a decent size and from a certain category (Helix Aspersa is the one you should look for), leaving the small and undesirable to continue their journey amongst the salads and the shrub walls.

Hastily, I was genuinely asking: Are we going to cook them today? And once again, I was once again verbally reprimanded for my lack of patience and my ignorance. You have to understand that topping the fact that he knew pretty much everything about everything in his garden, he spent most of his youth reading books and more especially the house’s dictionary and encyclopedia as a past time growing in a poor rural family during war time.

Even only two generation later and countless hours listening to his stories, I have difficulties to imagine how it really was when he was young. Few of us can, I think, things and people especially have changed so much since the Second World War.

So the answer was NO, we won’t cook them today, we will have to wait until they are ready. Like a winemaker nurtures his vines and watches the ripening grapes until the perfect moment for the harvest, my grandfather was putting all the escargots in a closed wooden box with a diamond shape metallic mesh netting at the bottom, with holes small enough to keep the snail inside for about 3-4 weeks before we could eat them.



Nowadays, you go to your local gourmet supermarket and you most likely will find seasoned snails in a frozen carton box, ready to be cooked in your oven or your microwave.

But at my grandfather’s house, it will have been a sacrilege to eat them that way. No, no, we had to wait, nurture them, to feed them salad leafs for 3-4 weeks to purge them and prepare them for a family Sunday feast. You see, snails gorge on pretty much any leafs in nature, but salad leafs give them better taste and clean their inside, ensuring any toxins or impurities are out of their bodies. This cleanses them, ensuring any toxins or impurities are out of their bodies. So patiently I waited, mesmerized by how such a little innocent animal could devour those leafs with such verocity.

Once well fed and ready for the casserole, we stopped nourishing them for 2-3 days, for them to evacuate their excrement. Then we harvested dozens of them from the box to put them in the kitchen sink where we washed them one last time to clean them from any debris and dirt residues.

Most restaurants serve them “à la persillade”, a concoction based with parsley (Persil), garlic, salt and pepper mixed with oil in which you bake the snail, usually the most traditional way. But at “Papi’s house”, we used to call my grandfather “Papi” but most people and neighbors used to named him “Mr. Henri”, we were boiling the escargots in water with herbs, a touch of oil, salt and pepper, garlic and parsley, and even a touch of wine sometime. It was fun and interactive because, while boiling the snails reject murky foam that needed to be removed as often as possible, although my grandfather didn’t see it as a problem when he was cooking them for himself, he was doing it or having me remove it when it was for the family Sunday lunches.

The escargots were ready as soon as the foam ceased to appear at the top of the boiling water. In most houses, the snails would have been transferred in a proper dish, but at Papi’s house there were no “chi-chi” for anything, it was the countryside for god sake! No needs for the mundane snobbery of the city people supposedly more civilized ways! No, no, we just emptied the casserole from the dirty water and put the casserole directly on the table! A touch of mustard vinaigrette and a little pick to dig out the snails from their shells, Et Voila! What a blast and what a feast! Artisanal, rustic and earthy and complex and immensely flavorful, the way I like it!




Like for the wine that I buy, these escargots, even cooked, were still endlessly conversing with my taste buds and excited them by coating my tongue and palate with seamless pleasurable and unforgettable sensations and memories.

This tale of my Papi’s escargots is one of the innumerable fantastic memories that I have from all the precious moments that I spent with my grandfather until he passed away in August last year. Rest in peace Papi (or should I say Mr. Henri), I will never forget you and will always try to be a better man. Promises, I will work on it. This post was for you where ever you are.

Next time, may be I will tell you about how he cured his own leg of “Jambon” Bayonne style or how he was making his paté or fruit preserve, but knowing myself, it will surely take another long post to share the experience…

Enjoy!

Ledom du Vin

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Château Le Payral Saussignac & Bergerac wines Southwest of France

The post of today is bringing us back in the southwest of France; in the region of Bergerac surrounding the village of the same name, located about 57 kilometers (35.5 miles) east of Saint-Émilion, and more precisely in the appellation of Saussignac.

Saussignac

Saussignac is a small village in the Dordogne department, nestled in the heart of the Bergerac wine region, and located about 18 kilometers southwest of Bergerac and 10 kilometers southeast of Sainte-Foy-la-Grande. This charming little village gave its name to the surrounding wine region, which exclusively produces sweet white dessert wines, on the southern bank of the Dordogne, a stone’s throw from the Gironde department.

Somewhat similar yet a little drier and definitely lesser known than the neighboring wines from Monbazillac, the grapes used for Saussignac are generally botrytis affected Sémillon grapes. To qualify for the appellation, the grapes must be grown, and the wine produced, in the 4 villages of Saussignac, Razac de Saussignac, Monestier and Gageac-Rouillac.

May be for practical but frankly and mainly for economical reasons, because they surely couldn’t survive only on their production of dessert wines, most producers of Saussignac also produce red, rosé and dry white wines, which can only be sold under the "Bergerac" and "Côtes de Bergerac" appellations.

Due to lack of reputation and promotion of the region and the wines in the export markets (outside of a few European countries), the local estates and Châteaux have diversified their portfolios by producing various appellations wines within the Bergerac region. They are often open for visits and always happy to guide you with a tasting of their reds, rosé, dry and sweet whites.

Château Le Payral

Located in the little village of Razac de Saussignac (about 5 kilometers west of Saussignac), Château Le Payral is a small family owned property, run by Thierry and Isabelle Daulhiac. In 1992 Thierry inherited the vineyard from his father who had, in turn, inherited it from his father.

Besides being a wine estate, Château Le Payral is a large, welcoming, 19th century manor house, which is also used, has a Bed & Breakfast for agro-tourists, offering to its guests, two huge, cozy and comfortable bedrooms.

However, the estate extends over 15 hectares (37 acres) of hillside vineyards in the Saussignac and Bergerac appellations (AOC), comprised within the region of Bergerac and located between the appellations of Monbazillac and Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux. Since 1992, Thierry has gradually adopted more natural vineyard management methods, and nowadays, the vineyards and cellar are entirely managed in organic culture tending more accurately towards Biodynamic.

Château Le Payral produces both Saussignac and Bergerac (AOC) wines from hillside vineyards. The vines are planted on mainly sandy-muddy-clay soils and the various parcels, planted with same grape varieties as Bordeaux, are divided as follow:

8 hectares (19.77 acres) of white vines:

• 3.40 ha (8.4 acres) of Sémillon,
  
• 3 ha (7.4 acres) of Sauvignon Blanc,
  
• 1ha (2.47 acres) of Muscadelle
  
• 0.60ha (1.48) of Sauvignon Gris.

7 hectares (17.29 acres) of red vines:

• 4 ha (9.88 acres) of Merlot,
  
• 1 ha (2.47 acres) of Cabernet Sauvignon
  
• 2ha (4.94 acres) of Cabernet Franc.

As previously stated, although based in Saussignac, for practical and especially economical reasons, Chateau le Payral produces understandably much more Bergerac dry wines than Saussignac sweet wines, the later only being produced when weather and micro-climate ideal conditions allows it (thus a challenging production and not a good source of revenues).

Out of their portfolio, which includes more than 8 different labels (depending of the vintage, more especially for the sweet wines), the average total production can be divided as follow:

• - Bergerac blanc sec: 50,000 bottles
  
• - Bergerac rosé: 8,000 bottles
  
• - Bergerac rouge “Traditionnel”: 40,000 bottles
  
• - Bergerac blanc Sec Réserve “Petite Fugue”: 2,500 bottles
  
• - Bergerac rouge “Terres Rouges”: 6,000 bottles
  
• - Bergerac Rouge “Cuvée Héritage”: 4,000 bottles
  
• - Côtes de Bergerac Blanc “Tutti Frutti”: 6,500 bottles
  
• - Saussignac & Saussignac "Cuvée Marie-Jeanne": between 2,000 to 4,000 bottles
  

Out of the total production, 40% of the bottles are sold to the local markets to retails, cavistes, restaurants and wholesalers; while 60% are sold to the export markets led by the UK (London more precisely), Belgium and Netherlands, and followed in smaller quantity by the United Sates of America and Japan. Their Bergerac white Sec, Bergerac red Traditionnel and Saussignac are consistently receiving the most recognition from the press and the critics, and are understanbly the ones that are found the most on the export markets.

These 3 wines from Château Le Payral are available in New York, and part of Savio Soares Selections: Bergerac Dry White, Bergerac Red and the relatively little known rich, sweet, "liquoreux" Saussignac.



2009 Château Le Payral Bergerac Blanc Sec France
Suggested retail price $10-$13
Imported/Distributed by Savio Soares Selections

Grown and nurtured organically with emphasize on biodynamic methods, the grapes are harvested so that quality is the best possible, preceded a few month earlier by a green harvest to maximize concentration and complexity, and followed by manual sorting at the winery before fermentation to keep only the most healthy grapes. The grapes undergo a maceration lasting 18 hours on average. Gentle pressing is carried out since 1998 with a pneumatic press, which ensures a smoother and more refine extraction of juice. The alcoholic fermentation starts after addition of natural selected yeast. During fermentation, the temperature is maintained at 18 ° C. Moreover, during the vinification process the lees are oxygenated, meaning that they are separated and aerated for one to three weeks until their full expression. They are then reincorporated. Shortly after the wine is bottled. An average of 50,000 bottles are produces, depending of the vintage.

A blend of 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Sémillon and 25% Muscadelle from vines planted on sandy-muddy-clay soils, the Bergerac dry white (Traditional) is very flavorful and extremely round in the mouth due in part to the blend of the three local white grape varieties, and also to the particular methods of vinification (skin contact, lees contact). The Sauvignon brings cleanness, crispiness and acidity. The Sémillon brings fruit weight and depth with complexity. The Muscadelle brings freshness and slight floral aromas. The resulting wine is a food friendly, earthy, versatile white to drink at anytime, enhance by a lovely acidity and a well-rounded mouthfeel.



2008 Château Le Payral Bergerac Rouge “Traditionnel” France
Suggested retail price $11-$14
Imported/Distributed by Savio Soares Selections

Mechanical harvesting provides a total de-stemming the grapes. Fermentation lasts from 15-30 days depending on the characteristics of the lot: ripeness of the fruit, color, etc… Initially, the pumping-over takes place twice a day, then only once a day at the end of fermentation. The goal is to break up the "hat of marc topping the must" (skins, flesh, etc…) in order to extract the best tannins and "anthocyanes" (color and flavor elements). During this period, the temperature is controlled and does not exceed 33 ° C. The malolactic fermentation takes place thereafter. Because full ripeness can somehow be difficult to reach and most Bergerac reds possess slightly hard tannins and hints of green that need a bit of time to settle for the wine to be more approachable, occasionally, they use micro-oxygenation on lots during aging, in order to "soften" the tannins a little too rough and thus obtain a wine easier to drink in its youth. About 28, 000 bottles are produces.

A blend of 50% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon from vines planted on sandy-muddy-clay soils, the resulting wine is quite nice and fresh and earthy, fairly rounded and easy drinking with good balance and acidity and slight tannic touch in the finish. Overall, a touch spicy, with rich, soft, red berry fruits flavors, it boasts generous ripe fruit with slightly peppery and herbal hints and good structure.



2002 Château Le Payral Saussignac sweet white France
Suggested retail price $25-$28
Imported/Distributed by Savio Soares Selections

This Saussignac is sourced from the oldest vines on the estate and is crafted out of botrytised Sémillon grapes in a small portion of the selected parcels with up to 4 'tries' or passes of the pickers in order to hand select the appropriate grapes from each bunch.

Only produced in the best vintages that combines moist early morning with good amount of humidity and the right amount of sun during the day for ideal ripeness (like in 1997, 1998 and 2002), Saussignac is the château’s most prestigious wine, a rich "liquoreux" wine produced from the vineyard’s oldest white vines using the same methods as Sauternes.

The region’s early morning mists and the proximity of the Dordogne river favor the development on the grapes of the fungus, Botrytis Cinerea, which is responsible for the high concentration of sugar level in the grape. It effectively causes the fruit’s skin to disintegrate and shrivel (or “raisins flétris” in French), which in turn leads to the evaporation of the water in the grape. The fruit dries out leaving behind a gray-purple blue dust partly covering the grapes.

The grapes don’t, at this stage, look very enticing but their taste is surprising and wonderful, a bit like dried raisins. Harvesters with the most experience to choose the most concentrated grapes at each successive "tri" or passage slowly and carefully harvest them manually, going thru the same vineyards and rows up to 3-4 times over a period of a few days or even weeks sometimes.

The harvest can go on till very late in the season, in 1999 the third and final "tri" took place on 24th November. It is hardly necessary to point out that yields are extremely low, generally speaking, 10-15 hectoliters per hectare. It is also an extremely risky business as, if the autumn is wet, the grapes will not become concentrated, noble rot will not develop and it will be impossible to harvest. Once harvested and pressed, this nectar ferments and ages in oak barrels for approximately 18 months.

Made from 100% botrytised Sémillon, the resulting wine is absolutely delightful, sweet yet balanced and enhanced by great acidity with honey, apricot, coin fruit and ripe yellow fruit flavors. The palate is fairly rich and long and tremendously enjoyable. Great as an aperitif, or complementing a pan-seared slice of “Foie Gras Frais”, it will be ideal with pear or apple tart and fruit salad.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken and edited from a word document sent directly to me by Isabelle & Thierry DAULHIAC to compile info to create a technical data sheet on behalf of and for Savio Soares. Other info taken from the winery blog at http://chateaulepayral.over-blog.com/; as well as the Bergerac region’s website at http://www.pays-de-bergerac.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.

Buzet & 2004 Chateau de Gueyze Buzet red Southwest of France

Buzet

Buzet? Did you ever heard about Buzet? No? Well I will try with this post to enlighten you. Let’s go back to the southwest of France to discover it together.

Often confused with Bordeaux or even more confused for being one of the numerous Bordeaux appellations, Buzet has always lived in the shadow of Bordeaux. It is partly due to the fact that during the Middle-Age period, Buzet belonged to the Bordeaux wine region; but it is also because even nowadays, Buzet wines, which are predominately red, are produced with the same prominent Bordeaux red grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Although Buzet are usually darker, fruitier, spicier and earthier than Bordeaux, they both have somewhat similar tasting features.

The village of Buzet, which gave its name to the surrounding eponymous wine region, is located about 110 kilometers (about 60 miles) southeast of Bordeaux, about halfway between Bordeaux and Toulouse when you drive south on the Highway A62, in the Lot-et Garonne.

Buzet is a short name for “Buzet-sur-Baïse”, named after the Baïse River, an affluent of the Garonne River, near which the Romans first built it centuries ago, and also where, some centuries later, influential Lords of Gascony established their quarters and built their Castle near by. Consequently, Buzet gave its name to the wine region, which is now regrouping about 900 hectares of vineyards that roughly stretches between Agen and Marmande, in the heart of Gascony.

All Buzet vineyards enjoy a continental microclimate slightly influenced by the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean yet protected by the Landes forest, which allows for a good amount of sun and ideal ripeness. Growing conditions are imparted by the west wind, which aerate the vines, and the nearby Garonne River, which provides just the right amount of moisture for the grapes to fully ripen.

The main economic activity of Buzet has always been the agriculture, and more especially the viticulture. From the village archives, it easy to attest that the wine of Buzet had their glorious days back in the 13th and 15th centuries; then were fairly reputed in the 18th century; rediscovered during the 19th century when the village experienced a needed renaissance, and enjoyed a fair amount of recognition up until early 20th century. The Baïse River and the Canal de Garonne inaugurated in 1856, also brought a lot of commerce activities.

However, due to the Phylloxera plague, which occurred between 1860 and 1930 and devastated more than 75% of most European vineyards, Buzet wine quality dropped and the village became more renowned for its pencil factory than its wines, especially in between the two world wars, up until the mid-1950. But wine production has always prevailed, adored by the locals, and more especially the Lords and Bourgeois since the Medieval times, it was normal that wine production had to resurface.

Buzet is now somewhat known worldwide through the “Cave des Vignerons de Buzet”, which was established in the 1950s, thanks to the will of a handful of growers who wanted to free themselves from the tutelage of traders and Négociants. It is both a qualitative and commercial success, beyond the hopes of its creators. La Cave des Vignerons de Buzet accounts for about 90% of total production of Buzet wines.

In 1973, the region was elevated to the rank of Buzet AOC, a well-deserved victory that once again confirmed the will and determination of its growers and established the quality of Buzet wines, once and for all marking the difference with Bordeaux, taking the shadow away. Rare are the independent producers, but there are a few that grow, vinify and bottle their wines at the estate.

La Cave des Vignerons de Buzet produce many different wines under various labels, which depend on the Terroir of origin, the type of soil, the quality of the parcels, the age of the vines and the potential of the resulting wines depending of the vintage.

Château de Gueyze is the leading brand of “La Cave des Vignerons de Buzet”, it has became a real standard for the appellation.

Château de Gueyze

Château de Gueyze is a magnificent 80 hectares (200 acres) vineyard situated on gravelly and clay-limestone soils overlooking the Garonne River. It is the largest vineyard of the appellation and the venerated benchmark of the area. Over the last 25 years, the estate has gained great recognition, producing powerful yet delicate wines. The maturing period in oak enhances the wine’s expression without ever dominating it.

The key of the complexity of Château de Buzet comes partly from the quality of the various types of soils: gravely, chalky and clayey, which allow for greater texture and structure; and also from a rigorous selection of the best parcels.



2004 Château de Gueyze Buzet Southwest of France
Suggested retail price $20-$23
Imported/Distributed by Baron François in NYC

"Gueyze" is like "Baïse". It's a Gasconised Celtic word meaning, roughly, "little river". At the edge of the nearby heath, a tiny stream full of trout and shrimps is called "the Gueyze". In other words, water! How has a place with a watery name become the flagship "terroir" for Buzet wines? It's one of the great mysteries of this marvelous soil. And it's here that one of the best wines in Gascony is made.

After careful hand-harvest, the wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks, with a long maceration (about 3 weeks) like in Bordeaux to extract the maximum of components: color, tannins, fruit, etc.. And then matured in French oak barrels for 12 months. The wine is finally lightly fined in barrel before bottling without filtration.

A blend of 40% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2004 Château de Gueyze Buzet red is quite dark in color with good intensity. The nose offers complex and fragrant aromas like ripe dark and red fruit mixed with spices and earth and complemented by menthol and eucalyptus hints. The palate is quite dense and rich, yet well balanced with the same flavors as in the nose and present yet integrated tannins. The finish is soft and harmonious, a touch earthy an elegant tannic structure, a promise of good ageing potential.

Pair it with stew and grilled meat, and more especially with some specialties of Gascony like: "Confit de Canard", "Cassoulet de Castelnaudary", "Saucisses lentilles de Toulouse a la graisse d'Oie", "Gesiers de Canard aux Pruneaux d'Agen", "Magret de Canard a L'Armagnac", "Tournedos Rossini" (tender piece of beef topped with pan seared Foie Gras), etc...

The last vintage that we had in the store was the 2000, which was truly enjoyable and complex. Although integrated and fairly well rounded, the 2004 vintage seems a touch more tannic with less riper fruit than the 2000, but it still shows promises for the near future. Southwest of France wine lovers should enjoyed it a great deal. I know I did.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken from the importer website at www.baronfrancois.com and from the winery website at www.vignerons-buzet.fr

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.

Madiran & Domaine Le Serp Madiran Tannat Southwest of France

This post is bringing us back into a region dear to my heart, the southwest of France and more precisely Madiran. The southwest of France seems to have always been known because of the reputation of Bordeaux, it is partially true but this point of view isn’t accurate anymore.

As I already discussed it in many other posts, the southwest of France encompasses many small appellations and estates that existed and were highly regarded long before the actual Bordeaux flagship estates from the left bank appeared.

Remember that the Romans planted the first Bordeaux vines along the eastern part of the Dordogne River, on a limestone plateau perfectly suited to grow quality wines, which contributed to the lingering reputation of the area where the medieval village of Saint-Emilion now stands, since the 2 century AD.

That said, the right bank and especially the Médoc and more importantly Haut-Médoc were for most of their history, a vast region of salt marshes used for cattle and sheep grazing rather than viticulture.

In the 17th century, Dutch merchants began an ambitious drainage project to convert the marshland into usable vineyard area. The project was paid and requested by the Negociants merchants and aristocrats who had the financial means and saw a potential to grow their business by expanding the surface of production and thus selling more wines.

Their objective was to provide the British and Dutch market a wine alternative to the Graves, Saint-Emilion and Portuguese wines that were predominantly dominating the market at that time in the 17th century. Using technology that was advanced for that time, the Dutch were able to convert enough marshland to allow the implementation of larger estates than the original few ones already scattered all along the Gironde.

Soon the Bordeaux wine regions of Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe took shape, growing around the eponymous ports that were the only accessible way to carry the barrels up the Gironde to be shipped to England and other countries and down the Garronne Rivers towards Bordeaux to be aged in the Negociant’s Chartron warehouses. By the 19th century, the wine region of the Haut-Médoc was one of the most prosperous in France, with wines that had an international reputation that would be unparalleled till the late 20th century.

Meanwhile, some regions of the southwest which were once much more famous than Bordeaux, saw their reputation slowly diminished and somewhat disappeared from the export market, almost forgotten in the shadow of Bordeaux.

In the kingdom of Gascony and its surroundings, an area belonging to the Guyenne region, which now forms the southwestern triangle of France called Aquitaine, vineyards and orchards around the medieval villages of Sarlat-la-Canéda, Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, Cahors, Madiran, Carcassone or even the unmistakable and magnificent fortified city of Carcassonne (just to name a few), witnessed centuries of wine recognition way before Bordeaux, with reputation dating back from before the 10 and 11 century.

The wines from regions like Bergerac, Monbazillac, Pecharmant, Montravel, Duras, Marmandais, Buzet, Cahors, Madiran, Pacherenc du Vic Bhil, Gaillac, Marcillac, Cotes du Frontonnais, Jurancon, Irouleguy and Bearn, continued to trigger the interest of the local and regional market but were not as sought after as they used to be by the national and even by the international market, up until about 10-15 years ago.

Cahors pretty much always kept is notoriety, producing strong, earthy, tannic, dark Malbec based wines with long ageing potential. Bergerac and its surrounding Appellations also remained fairly renowned to certain connoisseurs and amateurs. One of the Appellations that really experience a renaissance on the international wine market, in a small scale, but don’t’ get me wrong it is a huge step for the appellation itself, is Madiran.

Madiran

At the crossroads of the département of Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques, planted on the gentle slopes of the Béarn, Madiran was born approximately around the 1st century BC.

The locals were growing vines and producing wines for the land Lords and for their own consumption. In the eleventh century, the monks founded the Benedictine Abbey of Madiran and improved the quality of the vineyard. Pilgrims walking to St Jacques de Compostela crossing this region quickly carried the fame of Madiran’s wine.

Madiran became an appellation in 1948. Nowadays, around the villages Crouseilles, Lembeye, Mont-Disse, Corbère-Abères, Arricau-Bordes, about 1600 hectares are cultivated in the traditional style by multiple cooperatives and family run estates. A tasting is required!

Madiran, like most southwestern French appellations, is rather unknown or let's say undiscovered, but it started to reappear on the European and international scene about 10 years ago and continue to climb the steep ladder of recognition.

Madiran is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department. Part of the Gascony area, Madiran wines are produced around the village of the same name located about 47 kilometers northeast of Pau and 27 kilometers southeast of Aire-sur-l'Adour, nestled in a little valley surrounded by gentle rolling hills preceding the foothills of the Pyrénées.

About 10 kms apart from each other yet sharing the same area, AOC Madiran is the red twin sister of another appellation called Pacherenc-du-Vic-Bihl producing only whites.

The production area for Madiran wine is spread over three departments: Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Madiran appellation produces slightly rustic, earthy, somewhat esoteric, fairly rich and tannic reds made with at least 40% Tannat, the predominant and indigenous grape variety which contributes to the fame, the uniqueness and the particular characteristic of Madiran wines.

The hallmark of Madiran, the black-skinned Tannat grape is often recognized for its deep color and astringency. It has great ageing potential and need time to settle down and tame its tannic structure. In order to be more enjoyable in its youth and soften the tannins, new techniques have been used like micro-oxygenation to maximize the fruit. Also due to its tannic structure, Tannat has often been blended to make it more approachable.

Tannat usually accounts for 40-60% of the final blend and is regularly blended with Cabernet Franc (locally known as "Bouchy" or "Bouchet" in the rest of "Southwest of France" region), Cabernet Sauvignon, Courbu Noir (also known as "Madiran"), "Fer Servadou" (also locally known as "Pinenc") and "Cot" (worldly known as Malbec or "Auxerrois" in Cahors). However, most of the best and most authentic Madiran wines are made with 100% Tannat, and usually express flavors of black fruits, earth, spices with toasted hints due to oak ageing and a fairly present tannic structure in the finish, which generally contributes to good ageing potential (between 4 to 8 years in general, and more for the best vintage).

FYI: Tannat, a typical and indigenous grape variety from the Pyrénées and more especially the Basque country, was imported to Uruguay in the 19th century by the basque settlers. It has now become the national grape variety of Uruguay, like: Malbec for Argentina, Carmenère for Chile, Shiraz for Australia, Pinotage for South Africa,etc... Tannat is also known in Uruguay as "Harriague", named after Pascual Harriague, one of the settlers who introduced it in the country. In France, in addition to Madiran, Tannat is also produced in the region of Irouléguy, Tursan and Béarn.

Also crafted in the Madiran region, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec produces dry and sweet whites predominantly made with a blend of two local and indigenous grape varieties including "Petit Courbu" (another traditional Gascon's grape variety and a variation of the "Courbu Noir") and "Petit Manseng" (the sister grape of Gros Manseng, both indigenous from Gascony and more especially used in the Jurançon appellation to produce dry and sweet whites).

Pacherenc du Vic-Bihl Sec wines are usually dry and tangy yet ample, intriguing and quite rich with a deep yellow color with somewhat golden apple, yellow peach, pear, honeysuckle, honey and fresh hay aromas and flavors. They can also be sweet depending on the vintage and sold under Pacherenc du Vic-Bihl (without the "sec" meaning "dry" in the name). In any cases, the local Courbu and Petit Manseng must make up at least 60% but not exceed 80% of the blend, which also can include "Arrufiac" (or Ruffiac) and Sauvignon Blanc (10% max).


Let's go back to the wine of the day:

Vignoble Laplace -Domaine Le Serp Madiran Tannat Southwest of France

Domaine Le Serp is a bottling from the Vignoble Laplace – Chateau d’Aydie, an estimated and praised estate which produces traditional Madiran wines with a modern twist. Pierre Laplace and his 4 children is one of the most dynamic, innovator and influential families in Madiran. The last decade was important regarding the restructuring of the 70 hectares of vineyards, which were replanted with high density, as well as the optimization of extracting, maturing and aging methods.

You may not be familiar with Pierre Laplace or even the small village of Aydie near Madiran, however Château d’Aydie and the Laplace family are widely regarded as one of the foremost quality producers of Madiran. Frédéric Laplace was recognized as one of the pioneer winemakers of Madiran when he first bottled his Madiran wines and sold them under his own name when the appellation was first created in 1948 with just 50 hectares of vineyard under production, compared to the actual 1650 hectares that Madiran now encompasses.

The whole venture is very much a family affair – the three grandsons and granddaughter of Frédéric run the estate between them – Francois in charge of the business side; Jean-Luc is in charge of wine-making; Bernard manages the vines; and Marie presides over the office, whilst their father Pierre is in semi-retirement but still very much involved. Their Madiran wines are some of the flagships of the appellation made with at least 80% Tannat aged in small barrels and large used oak vats. Always involve in new little projects, the Laplace family produce a wide array of different regional wines from their unmistakable A.O.C. Madiran to their delightful Vins de Pays they launched in 1995.




2006 Domaine Le Serp Madiran Tannat Southwest of France
Suggested retail price $14-$17
Imported/Distributed by Wineberry in NYC


Le Serp is one of numerous labels made under the AOC Madiran, and like their grand vin Chateau d’Aydie, it was crafted with 100% Tannat from younger vines averaging 10 to 15 year-old. The wine was vinified with a cold soak so as to be enjoyable young by highlighting the fruitiness of the Tannat over its tannins. Madiran yields earthy, dark, full-bodied wines of great depth and complexity, with ripe fruit texture and solid tannic structure, and Le Serp is no exception to the rule. This delightful and approachable Tannat has great fruit and depth, although dry as it should be, it possesses enough fruit to make it really enjoyable.

Behind its dark ruby robe, the 2006 Le Serp Madiran Tannat offers aromas of dark fruit and ripe berries, floral scent, intermingled with earthy notes. The dark ripe fruit mixed with violet and other floral and earthy notes on the palate are nicely complemented by flavors of red fruit, dark cherry, plum, licorice, spice and cinnamon flavors. The finish is fairly full-bodied with present yet smooth and integrated tannins. Ready to drink now after a little decantation, it will age nicely for the next 2-3 years. Enjoy it with barbecued red meats, or more appropriately with southwestern France specialties like Cassoulet, Confit de Canard (duck), game and strong cheeses.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

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Aramis Blanc & Rouge Vin de Pays de Gascogne Aydie Southwest of France

Aramis Blanc & Rouge
Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne, Aydie, Southwest of France

After Domaine d'Uby Colombard-Ugni Blanc and my articles about the different regions of the Southwest of France previously posted on this blog (www.LeDomduvin.com), today's post bring us back again in the Southwest of France, and more precisely in the "Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne", with two really good value wines in white and red labeled under the name of Aramis (not to be mistaken with "Aramis Vineyards", a winery located in Mc Laren vale in Australia).

When you think of Aramis, suddenly "d'Artagnan" and the writer "Alexandre Dumas" come to mind. As the region of origin of d'Artagnan, Gascogne is somewhat also coming to mind.

Aramis a.k.a René d'Aramis de Vannes (born René d'Herblay) is a fictional character in Alexandre Dumas most famous novel: The Three Musketeers (Les Trois Mousquetaires). He and the other two musketeers Athos and Porthos are friends of the novel protagonist: d'Artagnan. They work together to bring peace to the king's court and kept the queen's affair with the Duke of Buckingham from being revealed by Cardinal Richelieu (who rose in both the Church and the state, becoming a cardinal in 1622, and King Louis XIII's chief minister in 1624), which audacity so impresses the cardinal he helps d'Artagnan into the Musketeers corps. The book is the first of a trilogy recounting the adventures of these Musketeers including the ambitious and unsatisfied profile of Aramis. Read the book for more info and entertainment.

Once again, I get carried away in my details so let's go back to Gascogne and our wines of the day: Aramis.

Gascogne and Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne

Gascogne or Gascony in English (and in Gascon: Gasconha) is an area of the southwest France that was part of the "Province de Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution (1789-1799). The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a part of Guyenne. Most definitions put Gascony east and south of Bordeaux. But in France, when people talk about Gascogne they mainly talk about three departments: Landes, Gers et Pyrénées; and more especially "Gers" for wine.

However, the Gascogne region is currently divided between the Aquitaine région (which regroups the department of Landes, Pyrénées-Atlantique, south and west of the Gironde, and south of Lot-et-Garonne) and the Midi-Pyrénées Région (which regroups the départements of Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées, southwest of Tarn-et-Garonne, and west of Haute-Garonne).

Gascony was historically inhabited by Basque-related people who appear to have spoken a language similar to Basque. The name Gascony comes from the same root as the word Basque. From medieval times until the nineteenth century, the Gascon language was spoken, which is a regional variant of the Occitan language. As previously said, it is also the land of local fictional character like d'Artagnan, but also Cyrano de Bergerac.

Gascony has a great diversity of landscapes from pine tree forests in the Landes between Mont-de-Marsan and Dax, to more agricultural semi-plains between Agen and Auch and gentle rolling hills between Mont-de-Marsan and Orthez.

French will tell you that Gascony is also famed for its "douceur de vivre" (sweetness or softness of life), its history and more importantly its culinary traditions. Gascogny is home to Foie Gras in the Landes near the town of Dax, and Armagnac (french brandy) in the Gers between the towns of Condom (the French town, not the contraceptive device for male what where you thinking...) and Eauze. The region of Agen encompasses some of the best orchards ("vergers") in France planted with Apple, Pear and Prune trees. The "Pruneau d'Agen" (dried dark prunes) are one of the specialties of the area.

Its medieval towns and villages locally called bastides nested amidst green rolling hills, with the occasional distant views of the Pyrénées mountain range, all contribute to the popularity of Gascony as a tourist destination. Due to rural exodus, Gascony is one of the least populated areas of western Europe, although it has recently become a haven for stressed urbanites of northern Europe, more especially the British who, in search of quiet, space and peace of mind, have been, for the past 2 decades, increasingly buying second homes in Gascony.

Despite the Armagnac region and a few other major wine appellations like:

• Madiran AOC: red wines produced with mainly Tannat 40-60% up to 100% for some of the best wines, usually blended with Cabernet Franc also called Bouchy, Cabernet Sauvignon and Fer, also called Pinenc.

• Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh AOC: sec and semi sweet and sparkling whites made with Courbu and Petit Manseng (at least 60% to 80% of the blend) blended with Arufiac, Gros Manseng and a touch of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.
  

• Saint-Mont VDQS: created in 1981 and previously called Côtes de Saint-Mont, before the name was changed in 2007. Producing red and rosé wines with Tannat, Fer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carbernet Franc and Merlot. But also white wines made with Arrufiac, Gros manseng, Petit Manseng, Courbu and Clairette.

• and Tursan VDQS: a "Vin Délimité de Qualité Superieure" appellation created in 1958, producing red wines made with Tannat (40% maximum), Canernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon; but also some whites made with Baroque (30 to 90%), Gros Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc (more or less 10%); and some rosés made with Cabernet franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Gascogne is also home for small patches of vineyards, located mainly in the department of Gers, outside of the cited above appellations (mostly designated under the "Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne" appellation) owned by up-and-coming small artisanal producers and co-operatives making simple, well crafted, earthy, fresh and easy-going white wines made from the local indigenous grape varieties: Ugni Blanc (also known as Trebbiano in Italy) and Colombard for the whites (grapes also used in Cognac), as well as Gros Manseng (the white grape mainly used for dry Jurançon wines) and a touch of Chardonnay and Sauvignon. Less well-known, the few reds produced under the "Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne" appellation are also made mainly with the local indigenous grape: Tannat with the Cabernet(s) or Merlot.

Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne (mainly located in the "Gers") produces more than 600,000 hectoliters of certified "Vin de Pays" wine each year and is the number one French producer of Vin de Pays white wines. Taking all varieties into consideration, the Gers is the fifth largest producer of Vin de Pays wines in France. Côtes de Gascogne wines represent a commercial potential of more than 80 million bottles per year. Roughly 91% of the wine produced is white, while only 8% is red and 1% is rosé.

75% of Côtes de Gascogne wine is sold for export. Côtes de Gascogne white wines are a particular favorite in northern European countries, such as Belgium, England, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The United States and Asia also enjoy their fair share. In fact, these low-key, fairly unknown Côtes de Gascogne are some of France's most widely exported white wines worldwide.

However, due to their usually low price and somewhat uncomplicated yet easy going and food friendly profile, people tend to buy them and drink them without even paying attention to their provenance, gape variety or taste, thinking that it is just a nondescript little French wine. But you'll be surprised, at the store we have about 5-8 whites from the Southwest of France that have been consistently flying off the shelves all year round. Obviously not for the cellar, they offer their best within the first 1-2 year after bottling. If you like bright and racy whites for everyday drinking, Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne whites are real gems.

Aramis white and red

Aramis is a label or a brand covering the bottle of a great, racy, crisp white and a generous, full, earthy red with a firm yet integrated tannic structure. The label is fairly sober and simple yet distinguished (especially with this 17th century writer hand holding a feather ink pen), however even the back label doesn't say much about these two wines, but both were bottled by SARL Pierre Laplace located at Aydie.

You may not be familiar with Pierre Laplace or even the small village of Aydie near Madiran, however Château d’Aydie and the Laplace family are widely regarded as one of the foremost quality producers of Madiran. Frédéric Laplace was recognized as one of the pioneer winemakers of Madiran when he first bottled his Madiran wines and sold them under his own name when the appellation was first created in 1948 with just 50 hectares of vineyard under production, compared to the actual 1650 hectares that Madiran now encompasses.

The whole venture is very much a family affair – the three grandsons and granddaughter of Frédéric run the estate between them – Francois in charge of the business side; Jean-Luc is in charge of wine-making; Bernard manages the vines; and Marie presides over the office, whilst their father Pierre is in semi-retirement but still very much involved. Their Madiran wines are some of the flagships of the appellation made with at least 80% Tannat aged in small barrels and large used oak vats.




2008 Amaris Blanc Ugni Blanc - Colombard Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne
Suggested retail price $9-$11
Imported / Distributed by Wineberry America LLC

Made from 50% Ugni Blanc and 50% Colombard vinified in stainless steel tanks, this wine is really fresh and crisp, with high, racy acidity and overall quite tart. The robe is really pale yellow color. The nose is discreet, fresh, floral, almost grassy and flinty (somewhat Sauvignon like) with white fruit, citrus peel, white blossom and mineral. The palate is clean, fresh, light, cleansing and very summery with the same flavor profile as in the nose. Excellent balance, focus and brightness in a simplistic kind of way that will greatly enhance a dozen of oysters. Pair it also with simple green salad and cheeses. Pan seared or grilled white river fish will be a perfect dish. Lovely and tart.


2008 Aramis Rouge Tannat - Cabernet Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne
Suggested retail price $9-$11
Imported / Distributed by Wineberry America LLC

Made from 60% Tannat and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon vinified in stainless steel tanks, is a gentle, easy going, full (without being heavy) and structured red wine. The color in the glass is quite dense and opaque yet expected for a Tannat wine. The dry nose, here again, is quite discreet yet delivering dark cherry and berry, plum aromas with earth and spice notes. The palate is rather dry due to the tannins, but it still offer nice, ripe, generous dark fruit and plum flavors intermingled with earth, spices and mineral, and an attractive rustic Terroir oriented touch. Pair it with cold cuts, "charcuterie", cheeses and earthy, wintry dishes.

Overall, both wines are quite enjoyable, especially even more for the price. I need to admit that the white is more summery due to its crisp, vivid nature. However, although if the red has a Fall-Winter profile, like the white, it can also be enjoyed at any time for any occasion. I personally preferred both wines with food rather than on their own.

Wineberry is a small, low-key yet prominent importer and wholesaler of French wines, owned by Eric Dubourg, a young an dynamic French man (from the right bank of Bordeaux like me) with innovative and fresh ideas with a twist of traditional old school attitude. The Wineberry website doesn't have any descriptions yet for these two wines that are new to the portfolio.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken from the various following websites: www.wikipedia.org , www.vins-cotes-gascogne.fr and frenchduck.co.uk

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