Posts Tagged ‘Languedoc-Roussillon’
MWG May 15th tasting (4/6): Moonstruck
Finding their stone-covered vineyards reminiscent of a moonscape, the owners of Clos du Gravillas have chosen a crescent moon as their logo. It also appears on several of their labels.
VDP des Côtes du Brian 2010, Côté Obscur, Clos du Gravillas ($24.96, private import, 12 bottles/case)
100% Carignan from organically farmed 99-year-old vines, the grapes normally used for the estate’s flagship red, Lo Vièlh. In 2010, the wine took much longer to ferment and tasted so different from the usual Lo Vièlh, the owners decided to make it into a different wine named The Dark Side. Manually harvested. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. 3,500 bottles produced. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: Plan Vin.
Appealing nose of dill, spice, raspberry candy and a mass of black fruit. Medium-bodied. Fruity on the surface but with a dark undercurrent. Supple tannins and medium acidity keep things structured and fresh. Minerally and spicy, especially on the kirsch-toned finish. Tasty. (Buy again? Yes.)
VDP des Côtes du Brian 2012, Sous les Cailloux des Grillons, Clos du Gravillas ($22.44, private import, 12 bottles/case)
A blend of organically farmed Syrah (30%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), Carignan (10%), Grenache, Counoise and Mourvèdre. Manually harvested. Destemmend then lightly crushed by foot. Traditional but short vinification. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Matured 12 months in stainless steel tanks. 8,000 bottles produced. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Plan Vin.
Odd, stinky nose dominated by leather, animale and oyster shell aromas. Spritzy, as intended by the winemaker. Rich, fluid and quite dry. The fruit is clean, the tannins smooth, the acidity buoyant. The berry and slate flavours linger long. (Buy again? A bottle to see what’s up with the nose.)
VDP des Côtes du Brian 2010, Rendez-vous du Soleil, Clos du Gravillas ($28.23, private import, 12 bottles/case)
Organically farmed Carignon, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah in equal proportions. Manually harvested. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. Matured a little over two years, mostly in stainless steel tanks, though the Cab and Syrah spend half the time in old oak barrels. 3,000 bottles produced. 13.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Plan Vin.
Complex nose: leather, slate, candied cherry, mincemeat, hint of burned coffee. Round and dry and very present – a mouthful of spicy, peppery, blackcurranty fruit, sustained, velvety tannins and lowish acidity. The slatey finish has a lingering astringency and bitterness. The kind of generous red the Languedoc is known for. (Buy again? Maybe, though I wish it were $5 cheaper.)
Updated on June 10, 2014, with information provided by the winemaker (see comments).
MWG May 15th tasting (3/6): Dry whites from Clos du Gravillas
Founded in 1996, Clos du Gravillas is run by a husband and wife team (he’s from Kentucky, she’s from Narbonne). Their 8.5 hectares of vines, including a parcel of Carignan planted in 1911 and some old Grenache Blanc and Gris, are located on rocky soils within the Parc naturel régional du Haut-Languedoc and the Minervois AOC. The estate is certified organic.
VDP des Côtes du Brian 2012, Emmenez-moi au bout du Terret, Clos du Gravillas ($26.38, private import, 12 bottles/case)
100% organically farmed Terret Gris from 50-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Vinified and matured for nine to 11 months in 500-litre Austrian oak barrels. 2,500 bottles produced. 12.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Plan Vin.
Pungent nose: candied pear and lemon, wax, pastry with a hint of butterscotch and straw. Clean, rainwatery attack then swelling fruit and savour. Minerally and saline, with brisk acidity. Dry despite the ripe fruit. Quartzy finish. Unfortunately, our bottle wasn’t as fresh or pure as the one tasted a couple of weeks earlier at RASPIPAV’s Le printemps dézippé event. The delightful label takes its inspiration from the pun in the wine’s name, a play on Emmenez-moi au bout de la terre (take me to the end of the earth). Suggested food pairings: shellfish, lean fish, lemon chicken. (Buy again? Yes.)
Minervois 2011, L’Inattendu, Clos du Gravillas ($34.18, private import, 6 bottles/case)
A blend of organically farmed old-vine Grenache Blanc and Gris (80%) and Macabeu (aka Macabeo, 20%). Manually harvested. After pressing, the juice is clarified by cold settling. Fermented and matured for nine to 11 months on the lees in 500-litre Austrian oak barrels. 3,000 bottles produced. 14% ABV. Quebec agent: Plan Vin.
Complex nose: initially ash, then quartz, lily flower, white fruit and hints of burnt rubber and roasted poultry juices. In the mouth, multidimensional. Rich yet fluid, soft-textured yet acid-bright and minerally. A touch of honey flavours the lemony, applely fruit. Balanced and surprisingly fresh from start through the long finish. Memorable. As food parings, the winemaker suggests veal paprikash, white fish and cheeses. (Buy again? Done!)
VDP des Côtes du Brian 2012, Mademoiselle Lily, Clos du Gravillas ($25.64, private import, 12 bottles/case)
Organically farmed Viognier, Roussanne and Terret Gris. Manually harvested. Vinified and matured for 11 months in 500-litre Austrian oak barrels. 2,500 bottles produced. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: Plan Vin.
Lemon meringue pie, Lemon Pledge, rose, Lifesavers. Aromatic, even floral, in the mouth with a rich texture. While it doesn’t come across as bone dry, it remains fluid and bright, due largely to the crisp acidity. A welcome bitter note marks the finish. A bit bonbon to my palate but popular with several around the table, who said they would serve it as an aperitif or summer sipper. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Updated on June 10, 2014, with information provided by the winemaker.
Imposing Faugères
Faugères 2009, Intemporelle, Les Fusionels ($31.75, 11933711)
A relatively new estate – the first vintage was 2007 – owned by a young, binational couple (she’s from Champagne, he’s from Adelaide). The cuvée is called InTempus in later vintages. A blend of Syrah (46%), Carignan (26%), Mourvèdre (15%) and Grenache (14%) according to La Presse (the estate’s website provides technical information only for the 2007 and 2008). Manually harvested and fully destemmed. Each parcel is vinified separately. Fermentation and maceration in temperature-controlled tanks and with daily punch-downs lasts 20 to 25 days. Matured 12 months in oak Burgundy barrels, 18% new and the remainder second or third fill. 14.5% ABV.
Deep, powerful nose: turned earth, stones, red and black fruit, garrigue, bacon and animale notes, licorice overtones, a whiff of alcohol. Full-bodied, very dry and quite structured for a Languedoc red, with firm tannins and glowing acidity clad in dense, unjammy fruit. Long, minerally and astringent, the finish carries a suggestion of bitter chocolate and sour cherry. A savoury, chewy, heady wine reminiscent of a Priorat. Although never fully losing its austere side, it rounded and sweetened with time in the carafe. Best with food (think red meat), which softens the tannins and brings out the cassis-like fruit. (Buy again? If in the mood for an imposing red, sure.)
Edited May 9, 2014
MWG April 17th tasting (1/6): Flat and off
The huge Languedoc-Rousillon wine region arcs northeastward along the French Mediterranean coast from the Spanish border nearly to the Rhône. The two white blends in this flight came from opposite ends of the region.
Coteaux du Languedoc 2010, Puech Noble, Domaine René Rostaing ($24.20, 12167730)
Owned by renowned Côte-Rôtie producer René Rostaing, the estate is located near Nîmes in easternmost Languedoc. This is a blend of Grenache Blanc (50%), Vermentino (35%) and Viognier (15%). Sees only stainless steel until bottling. 13% ABV.
Peach and banana (Juicy Fruit gum in other words), chalk and, as one perceptive sniffer noted, a hint of “fish oil capsules.” Lush, smooth and not very fruity. The chalky substrate, bitter undertow and saline finish add interest but the low acidity fails to provide enough lift or tension. (Buy again? Probably not, especially when Villard’s Saint-Péray is around.)
VDP des Côtes Catalanes 2012, Les Calcinaires, Domaine Gauby ($25.40, 11463060)
A blend of organically farmed grapes, though exactly which isn’t clear. Just about everyone agrees that Muscat dominates the blend and that Macabeu is a minor player. Many add Vermentino to the mix. Some say the Vermintino is joined (or replaced) by Chardonnay and/or Grenache Blanc and/or Grenache Gris. Whatever. The grapes are directly pressed. After clarification by cold settling, the juice is fermented with indigenous yeasts, mainly in barrels, and matured eight months on the lees in lined concrete tanks. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. 13.5% ABV.
Odd nose of baloney and ketchup that slowly gives way to the more expected floral, fruit and mineral aromas. A poised mouthful of sweet-ripe fruit softly lit by lowish acidity. Chalk and saline notes mark the long finish. Quite different from earlier vintages and from the glowing descriptions proffered by SAQ staff and several wine critics, ours was probably an off bottle – the first in a series at this tasting. (Buy again? Yes, to give it another chance.)
Rostaing and Gauby are two well-known and highly regarded producers, which makes the lack of accurate technical information on these wines especially unfathomable.
MWG March 20th tasting (7/7): Singular Zins
Vin de France (2011), Z, Domaine de L’Arjolle ($19.95, LCBO 346072; available in Quebec as a $26 private import from L’Orée du bois)
100% Zinfandel from a one-hectare parcel of 16-year-old vines, the only Zinfandel planting in France. Manually harvested. Cold-soaked on the skins to extract phenolic compounds. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled (25°C) wooden vats. The resulting wine is matured in first- and second-fill barrels (two-thirds American oak, one-third French oak) for 12 months. Zinfandel not being a permitted variety in the Languedoc, the wine can be labelled only as a vin de France with no mention of vintage or grape. 14% ABV.
Savoury nose of tarry plum and blackberry (but no jam or prune), spice, pipe tobacco and cured pork. Full-bodied and full of ripe fruit that’s balanced by smooth acidity and round tannins and nuanced by mineral, cocoa and smoke flavours, which isn’t to say the wine couldn’t be deeper, longer or more complex. Still, this is far from a bomb – not quite as dry or rustic as a Primitivo but closer in style and food-friendliness to those southern Italians than to some of the sweet, overripe, overconcentrated and searingly alcoholic Zins coming out of the Golden State these days. Decent overall, especially at the LCBO price. (Buy again? If in Ontario and in the mood for a civilized Zin, sure.)
Zinfandel 2008, Fiddletown AVA, Old Vine, Eschen-Rinaldi Vineyard, Easton ($36.50, 12131340)
100% Zinfandel from one of the oldest, if not the oldest, currently producing vineyard in California, some of whose vines date back to the original 1865 planting. Dry-farmed without the use of synthetic chemicals. Matured in French oak. 4,800 bottles made. 14.5% ABV.
Blueberry, boysenberry, dried herbs, granite dust, peppery spice, discreet oak. More medium- than full-bodied. Savoury and dry. The fruit is earthy, freshened by bright acidity and deepened by subtle wood and a mineral substrate with a ferrous vein. The stealth tannins come out on the long, heady but not hot finish. Compared with the interchangeable fruit- and oak-heavy Zins that rule the market, this is terroir-driven, admirably restrained, somewhat old-fashioned and definitely contemplation-worthy, the kind of wine that could bring Zinfandel lovers turned skeptics back into the fold. (Buy again? Done!)
MWG January 16th tasting (6/8): Beau, bon, pas cher
IGP de l’Aude 2011, Kézako?, Domaine Mâmârutá ($23.50, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
Run by 30-something Marc Castan, the 13-hectare estate, which is located in La Palme near the Mediterranean coast, is converting to organic and leans biodynamic. This cuvée is almost entirely Carignan with a dollop of Syrah. Manually harvested, fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered, unfined. Minimal added sulphur. 13.5% ABV. The name means “what’s this?” in Occitain.
Plum, spice and evanescent barnyard. Pure, fluid and refreshing. Rich but not heavy, in no small part due to the vibrant acidity. Supple tannins and good length. The quaffability quotient is almost as high as for Castan’s Coupe Soif tasted in October. (Buy again? Definitely.)
Minervois 2011, Viti vini bibi, Benjamin Taillandier ($25.00, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
Thirty-something Taillandier founded his eponymous estate in 2007. This blend is made from organically farmed Grenache (60%) Cinsault (20%) and Carignan (20%). Manually harvested, indigenous yeasts, unfiltered, unfined, with a minimal amount of sulphur added only at bottling. Vegan-compatible. 14% ABV.
Plum, spice, shoe leather, a whiff of animale. Full-bodied and smooth, with soft, juicy fruit, lowish acidity, a tannic substructure and a long slatey finish. Very popular with some around the table though I found it a bit overshadowed by the Kézako’s vibrancy. (Buy again? Sure.)
MWG October 3rd tasting (6/7): Mamma Saffirio meets Mâmârutá
Langhe 2011, Nebbiolo, Josetta Saffirio ($34.50, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
Nebbiolo with 10% Merlot. The estate’s five hectares of vineyards are organically farmed but not certified as such. As the two grape varieties ripen at different times, they are picked (manually) and vinified separately: pressed, destemmed and macerated eight to ten days, after which point the juice is drawn off and fermented (using selected Barolo yeasts) in temperature-controlled tanks. At the end of malolactic fermentation, the wines are barrel-aged for 12 months, then blended and bottled. 13.5% ABV.
The expected cherry is joined by unexpected bramble as well as tree bark, cinnamon and a hint of tar and rose. Medium-bodied but rich with a plush mouthfeel, lacy tannins, balanced acidity and some oak on the finish. In a tasting populated by so many eccentrics, this relatively conventional wine may have been overshadowed and probably merits another visit. (Buy again? Sure.)
Fitou 2012, Coupe Soif, Domaine Mâmârutá ($25.00, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
Young Marc Castan began making wine on his 13-hectare organically farmed estate in La Palme in 2009. This “thirst cutter” is a blend of Carignan (80%) and Grenache (20%). The grapes are manually harvested and co-fermented in concrete vats and large barrels. Only indigenous yeasts are used and maceration and fermentation times are kept short. Minimal intervention and minimal added sulphur. 14% ABV.
Another funky, natural wine nose – “slate-eating donkey turd” was my initial descriptor – that eventually segued into red fruit (cherry?), spice, turned earth and a hint of leather. It’s a different story in the mouth: thirst-quenching indeed, fluid and bright, straightforward and pure, with a clean, lip-smacking finish. Aérien was how Cyril described it. Delicious was the last word I wrote. (Buy again? Yes.)
So-so Syrah
IGP Pays d’Hérault 2011, Syrah, Domaine de Petit Roubié ($15.70, 11703502)
100% organically farmed Syrah. Destemmed. Temperature-controlled fermentation with selected yeasts. Macerated 30 days. Screwcapped. 12.5% ABV.
The red fruit, turned earth, bacon and animale you expect from warm-climate Syrah are there, along with a little barnyard and, surprisingly for a 12.5% wine, alcohol. Medium-bodied. The ripe fruit is joined by spice on the attack and darker, slatey flavours on the mid-palate. Said fruit and its sweetness soon fade leaving an astringency and bitterness that border on the unpleasant. Food – in my case a lamb leg steak – brought out the wine’s best side. And it was a little less uncharming the next day. Yet the half bottle’s worth of wine that was combined with chopped shallots, boiled down to a few spoonfuls and mounted with butter to make a sauce for crisp-skinned salmon gave the sauce such an astringently desiccating bite that I had to add sugar – a first. The bottom line: appealing on paper (varietally correct, organic, civilized alcohol level, under $16) but with a very low pleasure quotient. Dommage. (Buy again? Probably not.)
Noseworthy
Corbières 2010, Réserve, Abbotts et Delaunay ($20.20, 11956833)
The firm is based in Marseillette, about 17 km due east of Carcassonne. This is a blend of Syrah (45%), Grenache (40%) and Mourvèdre (15%) from three of Corbières’s 11 terroirs. The grapes are manually harvested then transferred to the fermenting vats without crushing or pumping. Fermentation and maceration last 15 days, after which the grapes are pressed, with the press wine being added to the free-run wine. Maturated in stainless steel tanks (60%) and oak barrels (half old and half new). 13.5% ABV.
Impressively deep, dark, fragrant nose: plum and blackberry, turned earth, background violets, bacon smoke and spice, especially licorice, and a hint of sweet oak. Full-bodied, with plump tannins and a velvety texture. The bordering-on-overripe fruit has just enough acidity to avoid jamminess. Mouth-filling and long but, in stark contrast to the nose, surprisingly flat and unexciting. Going through a phase? (Buy again? Maybe to give it a second chance and to re-experience that opulent bouquet.)
Claper
Languedoc La Clape 2010, Château des Karantes ($25.65, 11476629)
Syrah (60%), Mourvèdre (30%) and Grenache (10%). Manually harvested, sorted, transferred by gravity to wood fermentation vats. Matured 18 months in 300- and 600-litre oak barrels. 14.5% ABV.
Plum, blackberry, turned earth, spice, hint of oak. A fleshy, big-boned wine. Ripe bordering on jammy fruit, chewy tannins and lots of acidity. A whiff of alcohol and tooth-coating astringency mark the chocolate- and licorice-scented finish. A bit stolid for now. Cellar time will bring some complexity and integration (dunno about elegance or finesse). That said, lovers of big wines will probably love this.
Brett happens 