The new system started its journey into hierarchy in 2007, when the all-encompassing general Languedoc Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AC) into being.  Wines from this appellation should be fruity, easy to drink, and not expensive, about €3-6 as a price indication for consumers.

Languedoc AC now forms the foundation. Above it lie the ‘Grands Vins du Languedoc’ and at the apex of the pyramid lie ‘Grands Crus’ du Languedoc.

Grands Vins du Languedoc

• Account for 60% of the region’s AC production.
• Style:  more terroir identity, available in decent volumes
• Comprises: Cabardès, Corbières, Faugères, Malapère, Minervois, Saint Chinian, Limoux rouge, sweet muscats, and a bevy of Coteaux du Languedoc ACs including Picpoul de Pinet, Languedoc-Quatourze, Langeudoc-Saint-Saturnin, Languedoc-Montpeyroux.

 Grands Crus du Languedoc

• Specific, terroir-wines of individual character, representative of their site.
• Icon wines that should stand out with the rest of the world.
• Comprises nine (so far) locations: Corbières Boutenac, Minervois la Livinière, Saint Chinian Roquebrun, Saint Chinian Berlou, white Limoux and posh cuvees of  sparkling Limoux. Plus five locations which are on the verge of independent AC status: Terrasses du Larzac, Grès de Montpellier, Pic Saint Loup, Pézenas, and La Clape.

 
The new system has yet to be approved by INAO, which is necessary for it all to become proper, but the CIVL hope everything will be in place by the end of this year. At the moment these terms are not on the label, so this is not yet something simple and useful for consumers.

Disappointingly, it seems that very few of these wines are available for retail in the UK.

My top 30 tasting notes, London, April 2011

Celliers d’Orfée, B, 2007, Corbières Boutenac
50% grenache, 40% carignan, 10% syrah
No UK importer
Almost purple colour, young, fresh and juicy, spicy plum, youthful and finely textured. Good.

Château les Ollieux Romanis, Atal Sia 2008,  Corbières Boutenac ~£19                     
45% carignan, 30% grenache, 20% mourvèdre, 5% syrah
UK importer:  www.ewwines.co.uk  
Sweet, rumtopf with hints of overripe, gently stewed berries. More modern expression of succulence and spicy plum juiciness, with depth, volume and texture. Warmth of 14% alcohol noticeable, but not obtrusive.  

Château Sainte Lucie d’Aussou, Lady Bird 2007, Corbières Boutenac                        
50% carignan, 30% grenache, 20% syrah
No UK importer
Sweetly stewed black fruits, with texture, fresh frame, fine textured sweet tannins. Rich and well built, with a soft touch.

Château de L’Engarran, Grenat Majeure 2008, Languedoc – Grés de Montpellier 
75% grenache, 25% syrah
No UK importer
Lifted wild strawberry perfume with weight and liquorice spice to give it heft. Fresh core with nicely proportioned tannin frame. Vg.

Château Roumanières, Le Chant des Pierre 2009, Languedoc – Grés de Montpellier              
43% syrah, 24% grenache, 19% mourvèdre, 15% carignan
No UK importer
Mulberry and bramble with ripe stalkiness to support, in a positive, complexing way. Elegant proportions, too easy to appreciate. Nice.

Mas de Martin, Ultreia 2007, Languedoc – Grés de Montpellier
50% syrah, 30% grenache, 20% mourvèdre
No UK importer
Aromatic spice and gentle black berried fruits, rich, deeply fruited, with succulence and a refreshing element to the tannins. Deliciously balanced, seductive and tasty. Vg.  

Château Camplazens, Premium 2008, Languedoc – La Clape ~£20        
70% syrah, 20% grenache, 10% carignan
UK importer: www.barrelsandbottles.co.uk
Dry-baked, sweetened-style black forest berries nose and attack. Fresh redcucrrant-orientated core, with refined, smooth texture. Perfumed and elegant. Lovely.

Château des Karantes, 2006, Languedoc – La Clape
50% syrah, 40% grenache, 10% mourvèdre
No UK importer
Lifted blackcurrant nose, elegantly profiled with a gentleness and refinement of texture. Very little age showing, mellowing into primary fruit with suppleness and still fresh fruits. Long finish, Vg.

Mas du Soleilla, Les Bartelles 2008, Languedoc – La Clape, ~ £17
75% syrah, 25% grenache
UK importer : The Imperial Wine Company
Dark and mysteriously brooding black fruits with herbal nose, followed up on palate. Big and deceptively muscley, very nicely balanced with high tasty quotient. Vg.

Domaine de Nizas et Salleles, Domaine de Nizas 2008, Languedoc – Pézenas
50% mourvèdre, 26% grenache, 24% carignan
No UK importer
Bright, crunchy, dark and strong, savoury flavours, muscle-bound and still inching into its frame. Has everything to mellow into a lovely place. Good.

Château Fondouce, 2006, Languedoc – Pézenas
70% syrah, 30% grenache
No UK importer
Smoked red berry fruits. Hint of chalky tannin entry giving lift and refreshment. Medium bodied, with fresh and considered ripeness to fruit; not overtly super ripe fruits.  

Domaine du Pech Rome (Remparts de Neffies), Clemens 2007, Languedoc – Pézenas
50% grenache, 38% syrah, 12% carignan
No UK importer
Juicy, fragrant, fresh and aromatic, black berries, sweet fresh fruit, crunchy ripeness, with herbal complexity to finish. Good.

Domaine de Bébian, Chapelle de Bébian 2007, Languedoc – Pézenas, ~£12
50% grenache, 40% syrah, 10% cinsault
UK importer : www.terroirlanguedoc.co.uk
Lifted, aromatically spicy perfume, bramble and almost gentle curry leaf spices. Enticing layers of flavour. Individual, and good.

Bergerie du Capucin, 2008, Languedoc – Pic Saint Loup
Syrah, grenache
No UK importer
Spice and redcurrants, fresh, linear, and refined. Lifted, medium body, with some elegance and well toned proportions. Red berries through the core. Good.

Le Chemin des Rêves, Gueule de Loup 2008, Languedoc – Pic Saint Loup
60% syrah, 30% grenache, 10% carignan
No UK importer
Sweet, fat, toasty oak on the nose. Rich and dense, gently chewy, big and latently muscley. Good.

Domaine Grandes Costes, Cuvée super premium 2008, Languedoc – Pic Saint Loup
75% syrah, 25% grenache
No UK importer
Sweet-spicy stewed fruits of the forest, rich and flavoursome, open knit, savoury fresh leather and liquorice, nice balance and intensity. Good.

Domaine Haut Lirou, Mas des Costes 2009, Languedoc – Pic Saint Loup
70% syrah, 30% grenache
No UK importer
Smoky nose, sweet blackcurrant fruits, lush and enveloping. In the rich, sweet, fat spectrum and nice for it. Good.

Château La Roque, Cupa Numismae 2008, Languedoc – Pic Saint Loup
65% syrah, 35% mourvèdre
No UK importer
Gentle, understated red fruits, then deep density of fruit, supple and smooth texture. Nicely balanced with some sophistication, leading into dark berry fruits. Long finish. Vg.

Domaine de Familongue, Les Trois Naissances 2007, Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac
41% syrah, 12% mourvèdre, 20% grenache, 15% carignan, 5% carignan carbonic maceration, 7% cinsault
No UK importer
Smoke, spice, savoury, with dry baked forest berries. Full and dry, with just-ripe, rather than sweet, fruits. Good.

Domaine de Montcalmès, 2008, Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac ~£19
60% syrah, 20% grenache, 20% mourvèdre   
UK importer :  The Wine Society
Fresh, lifted, strawberry perfume, aromatic, delightful fresh and fragrant entry. Medium body, primary fruits, with elegance of effortlessness. Long. Vg.

Domaine le Clos du Serres, Les Maros 2009,  Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac, ~£13
61% grenache, 22% cinsault, 17% carignan
UK importer: Stone, Vine and Sun
Smoke and dark red fruits, cherry plum, almost full bodied, lush and sweet with dry structural and refreshing tannins. Nice balance. Good.

Domaine La Croix Chaptal, Cuvée Charles 2007, Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac
40% carignan, 30% grenache, 30% syrah
UK importer:  Aldeby Wines
Smoked meats, biltong and barbecued steaks. Big, hulking meatiness, and no less interesting for that. Balanced, and with smoked dark berry fruits there too.

Mas des Chimères, 2008, Languedoc – Terrasses du Larzac
20 cinsault, 20% syrah, 20% grenache, 20% mourvèdre, 20% carignan
No UK importer
Smoke, marble, dry baked cherries, and forest fruits, delicious layering of spiced fruits, aromatic spices with a hint of herbal garrigue. Complex, seductive, layered, long and delicious. Vg.

Château de Cesseras, 2008, Minervois la Livinière, ~ £13
77% syrah, 12% grenache, 11% carignan
UK importer : Waitrose
Juicy, perfumed violet and strawberries. Crunchy fruit with texture and style. Supple, plentiful tannins of sweetness and nestling support. Lush and fresh at both the same time. Vg.

Château Sainte Eulalie, La Cantilène 2008, Minervois la Livinière, ~£12
55% syrah, 25% grenache, 20% carignan
UK importer :  Wine Society
Smoked red berries, bit of liquorice and tar. Nicely balanced in a more upright style. Good.

Domaine des Aires Hautes, Clos de l’Escandil 2007, Minervois la Livinière
50% syrah, 20% grenache, 30% mourvèdre
No UK importer
Smoked, rich and sweet bramble fruits, lush and sweetly textured. With fresh backbone, dark berry conserve. Rich and headily perfumed with plenty flesh and succulence. Vg.

Domaine La Rouviole, 2006, Minervois la Livinière,
75% syrah, 25% grenache
UK importer :  Hallgarten Druitt
Smoked bramble and liquorice nose. Dense and savoury with concentrated dark fruits, muscular, meaty and Heathcliffe-brooding fruit and structure. Long finish.

Cave de Roquebrun, Les Fiefs d’Aupenac 2009, Saint-Chinian Roquebrun             
60% syrah, 20% grenache, 20% mourvèdre
UK importer:  Barton, Brownsdon and Sadler
Juicy, redcurrants, bright and crunchy, nice balance, and fresh intensity. Good in a youthful spectrum.

Cave de Roquebrun, Baron d’Aupenac 2007, Saint-Chinian Roquebrun
70% syrah, 15% grenache, 15% mourvèdre
UK importer :  Barton, Brownsdon and Sadler
Spice and youth, super density of fruit, open knit, ripe and aromatically spiced fruits. Good.

Domaine de Mouscaillo, 2008, Limoux   
Chardonnay
Citrus, nut and meal, quite sophisticated and textured. Very nice indeed, smooth, with intense flavours. Good.

Languedoc

The Mediterranean south is France’s biggest vineyard area, and one of the country’s most exciting wine-producing regions. So much so that over the past couple of decades folk from all over the world have been relocating to the south and following their vinous dreams, a move that invariably involves a change of career, from teaching, the law, advertising, finance, sales and marketing etc.

At a tasting this month in London a number of these so-monikered, (for the purposes of creative PR, one imagines), ‘Languedoc Outsiders’ presented some of their wines.

The following are my favourite wines from the tasting:

Château Rives-Blanques,  Odyssée Chardonnay 2009, Limoux
£11.75 Great Western Wine 
13.5%. Light citrus, restrained nose. Light and intense melon on palate attack, backed up by big volume of fresh melon and spiced citrus with a creamy-toasted core. Nicely balanced with the freshness typical of Limoux.

Château Rives-Blanques, Chardonnay/chenin blanc 2009,  Vin de Pays d’Oc
£7.60 Great Western Wine
Englishwoman Caryl Panman said “every year we try to make a 100% chardonnay, and every year a little chenin just lifts the wine a bit”
13%. Light, with melon and bruised pear flavours. Smooth texture, with good fruit intensity focused on freshness and fruitiness. Nicely appealing, gentle wine of good value.

Mas Gabriel, Clos des Lièvres 2008, Coteaux du Languedoc
£14.95 Terroir Languedoc, The Wine Society       
14.5%. Typical blend of syrah, grenache and carignan. This one has a fragrant, strawberry compote nose, then a smooth, slippery texture, with plentiful supple and soft tannins, in an enticing and more-ish whole. Full, rich flavours in a medium bodied wine, despite the alcohol, which is integrated, if warming at the finish.

Mas Gabriel, Les Trois Terrasses 2009, Vin de Pays de l’Hérault
£11.50  Terroir Languedoc           
14.5%.  Entirely from carignan. Bright, purple hint to the rim.  Raspberry and strawberry fruits on the nose and palate. Crunchy fruit attack, with a sweet berry core, emphasising sweetness of fruit and lightness of nicely proportioned tannin. Alcohol invisible. Not a complex wine, but packs a lot of juicy flavour into an honest frame.   

Mas des Dames, La Dame 2008, Languedoc
£9.95 Roberson Wine     
Dutchwoman Lidewij van Wilgen said “I try to find the concentration in the vineyard not in the vinification.” She succeeded with this blend of grenache, syrah and carginan.
13.5%.  Lifted strawberry aromas, then a darkly spiced attack, with aromatic hints of gentle biltong. Supple and medium weighted with a crunchy yet diaphanous texture.  Nicely balance with a depth of fresh and rich fruit. Very good all round.   

Domaine Jones, Jones Blanc 2009, Vin de France, £15
Direct from producer website. First vintage for this Englishwoman.
13.5%. A truly fine expression of rather humbly-regarded grenache gris. A fresh, appley-citrus nose follows through on palate. Light and intense, sweet apple compote flavours with a fragrant lift to the mid-palate. This has a lovely purity of fruit concentration and definition, as well as a lengthy finish. 

Domaine Jones, Jones Rouge 2009, Vin de France, £15
Direct from producer website.
14.5%.  Has a gentle strawberry fragrance typical of grenache. Sweet pure strawberry and raspberry on the palate in a delineated, fresh, light and intense flavour, with the alcohol goes entirely unnoticed. Elegance comes to mind, as does a silky texture that more established producers might give an eye-tooth for.

Hegarty Chamans, Cuvee No. 2. 2008, Minervois
£12.75 Adnams
14%. Blend of 70% grenache, 20% mourvèdre and 10% cinsault.  This has a fragrant strawberry perfume with hints of raspberry compote thrown in. It has smooth, youthful tannins that are softly crunchy. Full bodied, with black pepper spice, mouth-filling in a fresh, warming manner. Nicely structured, with backbone and well-toned fruit flesh. Good.

Hegarty Chamans, Les Chamans Blanc 2008,  Minervois
14%. A 50:50 marsanne : roussanne  blend.  Gently spicy, ripe stone fruits – apricot, nectarine – mix with a nutmeg-melon thing. Full-bodied, with a modestly fresh palate, more focused on its rich, rounded, full flavour, which it does well with very good flavour intensity and dimension. Long finish.

Domaine de Cébène, Ex Arena 2008, Vin de Pays d’Oc
14%. Brigitte Chevalier said ”the sand soil – from ancient sea sediment – brings finesse to the terroir.” Certainly the wine’s aroma is of fragrant summer strawberries, with a hint of complexing rumtopf on the palate. The blend of 85% grenache and 15% mourvèdre is smoothly-textured, youthful with a characteristic savoury note of mourvèdre and with an elegant lightness of fruit core. Good.

Domaine de Cébène, Felgaria 2009, Faugères
14%. A blend of 50% mourvèdre with the rest from syrah and grenache. Fresh raspberries aromas meld into a fresh meatiness on the palate. A bit of fresh biltong from the mourvèdre adds a spicy savouriness to the otherwise sweet and aromatic summer berry fruits. This is nicely structured with some attractive complexity in the gentle mix of meat and fruit. Good.

A recent visit by a group of sommeliers to some of the top appellations of the Languedoc turned up some interesting finds, as well as ideas for putting the region’s wines on the map and on the list. Sally Easton MW shadowed them.

The Beautiful South

The vast Languedoc, France’s beautiful south, is the country’s largest vineyard area. The landscape is rugged, rocky, rustic and resilient with the patina of ancient pastimes. Small patches of near flat abut garrigue and rocky outcrop. The vineyards are defined by gnarled and stumpy bush-trained carignan and grenache juxtaposed with the more slender trunks of younger syrah trained on wire for support against the buffeting winds.

Fill the void

It’s obvious to say, but the south of France has a Mediterranean climate.  Other regions with a Mediterranean climate include parts of Australia and the Cape in South Africa.  Grapes like this warm, dry climate, which gives a regular supply of warm, sunny fruit and consistent flavours every year.   

If that sounds a bit Australian, well, the Languedoc has long been called the new world in the old world, so now is the time to fill the void left by declining Aussie imports. Vincent Bouin, sommelier at Coq d’Argent restaurant in London said “in the last 10 years, Australia has created the benchmark in UK taste.  Consumers will automatically compare everything with Australia”. 

Corbières Boutenac, one of the appellations visited, said Donald Edwards, executive sommelier for Le Bouchon Breton “have the power and character to stand up against Australia, for those who are used to drinking that.”  Bouin added “Boutenac, with its strong and intense flavours, could really be a successful appellation on the UK market. They could be a challenge for Argentine malbec, or some Chilean wine”.  The new world gauntlet seems thrown down.

Corbières Boutenac – Corbières, Cathars, Carignan

What sets the Corbières Boutenac wines apart, though they shared the supple, soft, sometimes sweet tannins reminiscent of Australian wine alongside big volume of fruit and ripe, intense flavours, is their fresh acid core. This makes them a good bet for food pairing.

The grape varieties in the Languedoc also have a theme that the new world, especially Australia, made its own – grenache, syrah, mourvèdre – GSM.  And the south of France has these too, in abundance. The different appellations have their own twist on the theme.  Corbières Boutenac is one such, centred on the increasingly trendy carignan, with GSM in support.

Bush vines

Carignan, is proving to be a classier variety than previously thought.  Changing the way carignan is grown, from ancient bulk workhorse variety, to valued mainstay from ever older vines, comprising up to 50% of the blend, has enabled Boutenac to carve a niche and a unique selling point. Gustavo Medina, sommelier at Tate Britain said: “I’m discovering carignan is a serious wine, with lots of fruit, good acidity, and powerful tannins“.

Corbières Boutenac is a cru, a top wine, of the Corbières, with its own appellation.  Its story is alliterative and alluring: Corbières is an old massif, originally pushed up by the Pyrenees even higher than the Cevennes, in the foothills of the country’s Massif Central. This is the land of the 12^th century Cathars, where the châteaux of Quéribus and Peyrepertuse formed part of this Christian group’s string of strongholds. Boutenac is bang in the middle of all this heritage.

Fewer treatments

Another of the things that gives the Languedoc an edge is the winds, which help keep the vineyards healthy. Such a benign climate means the Languedoc vineyards are some of the least spray-treated in France.

This was one of the defining aspects for Michael Pichon, sommelier at the York and Albany, part of Gordon Ramsay Holdings, who said “organic is most important for me. We try to list organic and biodynamic wines, though they don’t have to be certified.  We’re always looking for the purest producers, and we need to know the winemaker, and then give that message to our customers.” Half the York and Albany list comprises wines with some principles of organic or biodynamic cultivation.

Going organic, as an appellation, is something Boutenac has considered.  Pierre Bories, president of the appellation said “We would go to organic as an appellation. [But] we would need to increase wine cost by €0.15/bottle if we go organic.” There may only be 30 producers of Boutenac, but getting them all to agree is also a factor.  Bories’ property, Château Ollieux Romanis, which supplies house wines for several UK restaurants, works to some organic principles already.

The value proposition

Sommeliers in the South of France

Though there is plenty of expensive wine, especially from the cru appellations, outstanding value is another byword for the South of France. This was important for Medina’s search for something different: “value for money is one of the policies of the gallery, and the whole Tate group. This region is fantastic value for money“.  Shana Dilworth of D&D’s Skylon restaurant echoed the view, saying “I like the region because you get a lot of value.  We look for value on the bistro side. We want approachability and value for our guests. In the restaurant wines sell around £50-£70, and on the grill side for £27-£28. Languedoc wines fall in this latter bracket”.   

The region also has everything in place to offer customers wines across all the prices, from the simplest house wines, to icon wines such as Mas de Daumas Gassac and Domaine de la Grange des Pères. Dilworth said: “Varietal and appellation both play a part. Our house red and house rosé are both vin de pays, and they represent the grape and region well. [But] if someone is willing to go one step above house wine they can go straight into Languedoc AOC, and the quality is fantastic: Pic St Loup or St Chinian give so much more wine at 50p a glass more than the house merlot. The challenge is getting our guests to make that jump.” 

Edwards came at the value proposition from the other direction, saying “there are knowledgeable people in the UK who can’t afford to buy classed growth Bordeaux, and now can no longer afford to buy northern Rhône wines. They want to carry on buying in France, and this is where places like La Clape have to stand up and be counted“.

The La Clape appellation is a geographical oddity with its muddy white, sheer limestone outcrops on the windy Narbonne beach. It is a peninsula connected only on its north side to the rest of Languedoc. Pine nut trees abound, used to make the local speciality of sweet pine nut tart.  

The likes of Gérard Bertrand’s L’Hospitalet and Château de la Negly are here, as is Mas du Soleilla and Château Pech Redon.  Pech Redon’s owner, and president of La Clape, Christophe Bousquet explained La Clape wine was a favourite wine of Julius Caesar, a pearl in the gulf of Narbonne, being kept only for the most important people. 

Reds here are another theme on the GSM tune too. Wildbolz, the owner of Mas du Soleilla said the ideal red La Clape “has lots of flavours, rich, aromatic, you feel the fruit as the grapes ripen easily; you also sense the surrounding garrigue – rosemary, thyme, pine trees. They are nicely structured, with freshness and vivacity, a full body and soft tannins.”  Edwards was “quite impressed” finding a consistent impression of La Clape as being “medicinal, herbal and garrigue-y, with approachable red fruits.”

Medina added “this garrigue gives a unique expression to the wines produced in this area, making them a good choice for specific dishes. La Clape or Pic St Loup wines would go really well with our grills, for example our 28 day South Devon beef Rib steak, Sirloin or even the fillet.”

Garrigue galore

Pic St Loup is an appellation not short on scenic beauty. It is in the north of the Languedoc, in the foothills of Cévennes about 20km north of Montpellier. The limestone peaks of Pic Saint-Loup and the Causse de l’Hortus stand on opposite sides of a small valley, overlooking the vineyards which drape across their slopes. The mountains send down cooling night time breezes to help retain defining acidity in the wine.  And the Mediterranean garrigue is concentrated here: oaks and pine trees, rock rose, bay, juniper, rosemary, laurel and thyme.

The usual suspects of grape varieties are planted, grenache on the warmer sites, syrah in the cooler ones.  But here, silky syrah acts as the mainstay of the flavour profile, with mourvèdre making up the trilogy of varieties that together must constitute 90% of the blend. A peppering of carignan is also allowed.

This proved to be the most interesting tasting for the group, with a “higher overall level of quality across the board” for Dilworth, with Gustavo “Its wines are amazingly balanced” adding a quarter of the wines tasted he felt were outstanding. Bouin suggested marketing success for the appellation may come in part because the growers are unified in the appellation. He said “for everybody the aim is: appellation Pic St Loup first. They are aware that a group will be stronger than any individual.”

Picpoul de Pinet

It’s not all big, softie Mediterranean red blends in Languedoc. The increasingly trendy white Picpoul offers an oasis of crisp, fresh citrus and lemongrass zest. The vines languish on coastal terraces just north of Béziers, watching over the oyster beds of the Thau basin, and Dilworth said “they were fantastic with the oysters, showing their compatibility with shellfish and their promise as a nice aperitif wine. The value for money seems very good however they don’t have ‘mass appeal’ to propel them into a more popular status.”  So still niche. Medina would serve Picpoul with his “Duchy of Cornwall native oyster No 3’s and  the Colchester rock oyster No 2’s”.

The final opportunity for restaurants rests on tourism.  There’s not much industry in the south of France.  Apart from tertiary commerce, the economy is pretty much built on wine.  And tourism. Re-igniting customers’ holiday memories with the wines they were drinking will automatically create a relaxed ambience.   

The sommeliers’ top tipples

Château Ollieux Romanis, CORBIERES
Importer: Les Caves de Pyrene, Guildford, 01483 538820,
Located in heart of the Boutenac appellation, an enclave of the wider Corbières, just 20 kilometres from Narbonne.  Vines nestle on a south-eastern slope of this former Cistercian abbey.  The family, who’ve owned the property since 1860, produce both Corbières and Boutenac wines from their 70 hectare property.
Atal Sia 2007, Corbières Boutenac £12.82 /bt ex VAT

Mas du Soleilla, LA CLAPE
Importer : Great Western Wine, Bath,  01225 322800,
Perched atop the historic La Clape peninsula, east of Narbonne, lies this 18 hectare property, owned by Peter Wildbolz and Christa Derungs. It’s windy up there, making the soils and climate dry. Deliberately low yields and hand harvesting add concentration and distinction to the wines. As well as traditional whites from bourboulenc and roussanne, southern-Mediterranean fuelled reds are made from syrah, grenache and mourvèdre. 
Les Chailles 2008, (90% grenache, 10% syrah) £11.90 / bt ex VAT
Les Bartelles 2007, (80% syrah, 20% grenache) £15.25 /bt ex VAT

Ermitage du Pic St Loup, PIC ST LOUP
Importer: Aldeby Wines, Leicester, 07854 856 282
Fifty five hectares of vines on the southern slopes of the Pic Saint Loup are the focus for attention in a large domaine of garrigue and southern Mediterranean scrubland which imbue the wines with its unique character.  The family have been farming using biodynamic principles for some years, and are en route to both organic and biodynamic certification, with the former expected for the 2011 harvest, and biodynamic following a couple of years later.
Cuvée Saint Agnes rouge 2008 £9.75 / bt ex VAT

The sommeliers also recommend:

Corbières and Corbières Boutenac
Château Vieux Moulin, Vox Dei 2005. Corbières. €3.74 /bt ExC.
Château Fabre Gasparets, Chimere 2006, Corbières Boutenac. €8.90 /bt ExC. 
Domaine Grand Lauze, Ledogar 2006, Corbières Boutenac. €9.60 /bt ExC.

La Clape
Domaine Sarrat de Goundy,  Cuvee du Planteur 2007. €5.30 /bt ExC per pallet.
Château Laquirou, Ausines 2007 €8.30 /bt ExC 
Château Pech Redon, Lithos 2007, ~€6 /bt ExC per pallet.

Picpoul de Pinet
Cave de l’Ormarine, Duc de Morny, Picpoul de Pinet.  £5.34 / bt ex VAT. 
Domaines Félines Jourdain, £5.19 /bt ex VAT 
Mas St Laurent. €2.95 /bt ExC for 25 doz.

Pic St. Loup
La Gravette de Corconne, Coeur de Gravette 2007.  €6.61 ex-VAT at cellar door for consumers.
Domaine de L’Hortus, Grande Cuvée Rouge 2008.  £13.87 /bt ex VAT.

Languedoc vines

A high-profile panel of trade buyers and writers recently whittled down, by blind-tasting/judging, a selection of so-called icon wines from sunny Languedoc and Roussillon, in a tasting organised by the Sud de France promotional organisation.    

The tasting shows how much real character and individuality can be found in the south of France – a region more commonly known for its everyday, often varietally-labelled, Vins de Pays wines. 

Vins de Pays can offer super value for money, but not all the wines produced under the Vins de Pays label are so humble. Some are made from low yielding old vines with the level of care bestowed on the highest quality wine. Also the rules allow more flexibility of grape variety choice than appellation wine, which means the likes of cabernet sauvignon can be blended with syrah and carignan.  

The appellation wines, such as Corbières, St. Chinian, and Minervois are generally made from a core group of varieties including grenache and syrah, with greater or smaller dollops of others including mourvèdre and carignan.

Of the top 40 wines selected, here’s my top 25.

White

Domaine Guillaume Cabrol, Picpoul de Pinet Prestige 2009, Coteaux du Languedoc,
Majestic £7.99
Creamy linden blossom and citrus. Smooth texture, good density of zesty citrus with fennel notes. Nice concentration. Good.  

Domaine de Peyreficade, Cuv ée Ludovic Gaujal, Picpoul de Pinet 2009, Coteaux du Languedoc
Yapp Brothers £8.75
Hints of gun smoke alongside lemon curd. Quite full bodied and concentrated. Some real character and width to this wine. Tasty.

Domaine Astruc, dA Chardonnay 2009, Limoux,
Stratford’s Wine Agencies £10.49
Gentle toasted nut aromas, smooth, butter-cream attack with attractive slippery texture, balance and integration. Nicely put together with some class at this level.

Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup, Cuvée Sainte Agnès Blanc 2008, Languedoc,
Aldeby Wines £19.95
Clairette, marsanne, roussane, grenache blanc et gris
Fresh, melon, and baked yellow plums, lovely primary fruit flavours, white and yellow fruits without being tropical. Good concentration of fruit – white nectarine, apricot. Delicious.

Domaine Ledogar 2009, Corbières,
Dynamic Vines £17.20
Carignanc blanc, maccabeu, grenache blanc
Funky, sweet-savoury lift to the nose, soft, round palate, with soft melon notes. Bags of individuality and personality in this rounded, quite full bodied wine, thought with a steely, nutty background of structure. Good. And unusual.

Clos du Gravillas, L’Innattendu 2007, Minervois,
Les Caves de Pyrene £21.99
Grenache gris
Toasty, spiced and roasted almonds on the nose, sweet attack of lanolin and dried honeyed melon. Rounded and soft palate with plenty of flavour intensity, and savoury allspice finish. Full bodied, dry and softly structured.

Famille Guibert Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc 2009, Vin de Pays de l’Hérault,
Les Caves de Pyrene £28.99
Viognier, chardonnay, manseng
Apricot and honey aroma, primary fruits, lifted, elegant and freshly intense. Perfume lingers all through the palate length, weighing pleasantly on the tongue. Fresh and fleshy all at the same time. Far too easy to glug for such a big yet elegant wine. Long finish.

Domaine Matassa, Matassa Blanc 2007, Vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes, 
Les Caves de Pyrene £34.49
Grenache gris and maccabeu
Almond blossom and toasted white nut nose, oily-spiced attack, savoury and aromatically spiced – allspice, cinnamon, clove. These early stage wood aged elements whilst to the fore, will mellow with more time. Dense and volumed. Very long

Red

Château La Dournie, 2007, St Chinian,
Majestic £7.99
Syrah, carignan, grenache
Violet perfume with baked cherries and redcurrants, elegant with tarry note to back palate. Good value for what it delivers. Medium bodied, light dry-ripe tannins offering backbone. Finishes with the violet perfume. Good.

Mas Bruguière,  L’Arbouse 2008, Coteaux du Languedoc – Pic Saint Loup,
Yapp Brothers £10.95
Syrah, grenache
Meaty, with fresh-stewed red berries, and aromatic tar core. Medium bodied with sweet ripe fruit, focused on the primary and with complexing tar and black pepper spices. Savoury hints add further complexity. Very nice.

Domaine Les Yeuses, Les Epices 2008, Vin de pays d’Oc,
Majestic £8.99
Syrah
Enticing smoked black pepper and parma violet on the nose. Sweet palate attack with smoothness and bonfire smoke aromatics in the core. Freshly structured, aromatic and elegant.  Really classy syrah with a silky-textured profile more often associated in the northern Rhone. Very nice.   

Domaine Paul Mas, Mas des Mas 2009, Corbières,
Majestic £9.99
Syrah, grenache, carignan
Smoke and burnt rubber nose, mulling spices and redcurrant jelly speared with supple tannin support. Supple and structured, with plenty of fruit flesh to adorn the supple frame – nice.

Château du Vieux Parc, La Sélection 2007, Corbières,
Great Western Wine £11.25
Carignan, syrah, mourvèdre, grenache
Tar and wood-smoke. Bramble crumble on the mid palate betrays the lush sweet fruit and supple, plentiful tannins. Immediately appealing and youthful. Big softie.

Château Cesseras, Château Cesseras 2007, Minervois La Livinière,
Waitrose £12.99
Syrah, with carignan, grenache, mourvèdre
Aromatic tar and violets, some restraint on the palate, smoothly textured, fine tannins, with black pepper and plum profile, relaxed refinement.  Silky texture. Very nice indeed.

Domaine Le Roc des Anges, Segna de Cor 2008, Côtes du Roussillon Villages,
Les Caves de Pyrene £14.49
Grenache, carignan, syrah
Sweet, raspberry jam, super-smooth texture, sweet tannins, savoury spice mid palate, dense, savoury core with dark flesh clothing. Almost a hint a porty in fruit flavour – dense, brambly, fresh-jam.  Very nice. Well structured for all that sweet fruit.

Domaine Les Eminades, Cebenna 2006, Saint Chinian,
Aubert & Mascoli £15.00
Grenache, carignan, syrah
Cinnamon, clove, allspice. Savoury and meaty nose, and palate attack. Dark loganberry and blueberry complexity. Big boned and fleshed and delicious for that. Meaty, sweetly-chewy and youthful, and beginning to develop.  Good.

Domaine de Clovallon, Les Pomarèdes 2008, Vin de Pays Haute Vallée de l’Orb,
Terroir Languedoc, £15.75
Pinot noir
Medium pale cherry colour. Fresh redcurrants and strawberry, but not overtly varietal despite those fruits. A little soft bellied for benchmark pinot noir. Nice fruit intensity and volume, but don’t expect the profile of either classic or new world pinot noir. Nice wine.  

Clos du Gravillas, Le Rendez Vous du Soleil 2006
Les Caves de Pyrene £16.49
Carignan, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, mourvedre, grenache
Dark, steak, liquorice and aniseed nose, meaty and spicy, super-smooth tannins, blackcurrant concentrate. Big, fat, sweet fruit. Alcohol burns a little at the end. characterful. Lacks a little elegance, but I suspect it wasn’t looking for any.

Domaine Jean-Michel Alquier, Les Bastides d’Alquier 2005, Faugères,
Richards Walford £17.49
Raspberry and strawberry nose, sweetly spiced attack, smooth tannins, structure balanced with fruit intensity. Understated structure supports flesh and spice to good effect. Sets off the ripe fruit well on the catwalk. Long finish

Mas du Soleilla, Les Bartelles 2007, Coteaux du Languedoc – La Clape,
Great Western Wine £19.50
Syrah, grenache noir
Enchanting violet perfume, intense, enticing. Seductively smooth, silky texture, really quite classy definition and intensity. Understated complexity with layered fruit and spice, long in-palate length and finish. Very good. .

Léon Barral, Jadis 2007, Faugères,
Les Caves de Pyrene £23.49
Enticingly sweet-spiced soft black fruits, sweet attack, lush and gently supported by sweet tannins in a full bodied whole. Brooding bramble and loganberries in itscore. Still with freshening acidity so nothing falls flabby. Porty-bramble flavour finish with youthful dry-ripe tannins.  Good.  

Domaine Alain Chabanon, L’esprit de Font Caude 2004, Coteaux du Languedoc,
Dynamic Vines £25.10
Syrah, mourvèrdre
There’s a funky, meaty savoury thing going on with this aroma.  The attack is fresh, and of medium body with attractive, somehow elegant poise despite big flavours. Savoury, dry spice, and bramble depth to the fruit. Lush sweet fruit, in big and bold, but not brutish style.  Unashamedly big.

Les Clos Perdus, L’Extreme 2006, Vin de pays des Côtes Catalanes,
Dynamic Vines £27.50
Grenache, syrah
Almost gravelly, lead pencil sort of aroma, with supple, finely textured palate entry. Ripe fruit, not super-ripe, still held in frame by the chalky tannins and fresh acidity. Some sophistication and definition here in what is still a big wine, but well proportioned. Savoury spice to finish. Nice.

Domaine Peyre Rose, Clos Syrah Léone 2002, Coteaux du Languedoc – Grès de Montpellier,
Terroir Languedoc, £64.50
Syrah
Wood smoke and dark berry fruit. Remarkably little age showing on the palate which is still lush and sweet, invisibly supported by integrated tannins. Just a hint of fruitcake on the back palate gives a clue to some development. Delicious, if a tad pricey.

Sweet

Vignerons de Maury, Maury Solera 1928 Cask no 886 NV
Richards Walford £17.99
Grenache noir, grenache gris, carignan
Dark, mahogany with amber rim. Walnuts, wood, wood-smoke, just-burnt toffee, big complexity. Coffee and chocolate give a not so sweet perception, though sweetly textured.  Delicious, concentrated and elegant. A digestif with which to put the world to rights. Long and very good.

Picpoul de Pinet is one of those French wine appellations, and grape varieties, once discovered, long-loved.  For a grape variety grown in the warm, sunny Mediterranean, inland from Sète, it has remarkable freshness and citrus-vivacity. Indeed, anyone in doubt of this grape’s freshness should look to its Occitan origins for a translation … lip stinger… so-called for the grape’s high natural acid content, which it retains well in the Mediterranean warmth. This may be partly due to the sea breezes cooling the extreme warmth of the day, and bringing much needed moisture to the vines on their panoramic limestone plateau.

Picpoul de Pinet

It has other quirky attributes too. It is a white-wine-only cru of the Coteaux du Languedoc appellation, though Picpoul de Pinet is always prominently displayed on the label, so it’s easy to find.  The region is well on its way to achieving its own stand-alone appellation, AoC Picpoul de Pinet.

There is only one other white Languedoc AoC (the much less well known Clairette du Languedoc). Such rarity value in the sprawling, delightful Languedoc, better known for its reds from grenache, syrah, carignan et al., makes it something of a minor gem.

It’s also one of those rare things in France, varietally-labelled wine. Alsace is normally regarded as France’s mainstay of varietal labelling. Even more than this, picpoul de pinet has its own special, slender bottle, with an embossed Languedoc cross, for further ease of recognition. In other words, it’s difficult to miss (once you know what you’re looking for).

Picpoul is also becoming the trendy wine to be seen drinking. This resurgence is much overdue as its earlier spotlight was in the late 19^th century under Napoléon III. 

The appellation covers a mere 1,300 hectares, and lies between Pezenas and Mèze, overlooking the salt water lagoon of the Bassin de Thau, where oysters and mussels are farmed. And it is as an aperitif and to accompany such seafood that it reaches its simple apogee. 

For this reason, it’s sometimes called it the ‘muscadet of the Languedoc’, though the flavour profile is fuller, if similarly zesty. Picpoul tastes best in the prime of its youth, when it is showing full flavours to their best: white flower blossom, lemon freshness, soft green apple, richly flavoured and relatively full bodied, with just a hint of herbal complexity to the finish of the better examples.  It’s a wine that wisely doesn’t see any overt oak influence. Massively complex it will never be, but as a good flavoursome drop with a bite of freshness, it excels. 

Here’s a few to try:
Domaine de Creyssels, Picpoul de Pinet, Coteaux du Languedoc, 2009, £7.70, Stone, Vine and Sun
Domaine de Belle Mare, Picpoul de Pinet, Coteaux du Languedoc 2009 £7.70, Great Western Wine
Els Pyreneus, La Cote Flamenc Picpoul de Pinet, Coteaux du Languedoc 2009  £8.06, Nebuchadnezzar Wines 
Domaine Félines-Jourdan, Picpoul de Pinet, Coteaux du Languedoc, 2009 £7.50, The Wine Society

Corbières-Boutenac

In the Languedoc, Corbières-Boutenac is one of the more recent areas to achieve its own cru appellation, following the lead set by Minervois La Livinière in 1998.  Prior to the 2005 vintage, the area of Corbières-Boutenac was merely an area of the ‘straightforward’ Corbières appellation, though the area has been working for some decades to achieve cru status. 

With just 1,429 hectares, Boutenac produces not even 1% of Corbières production, which is the largest appellation in the whole of the Languedoc.

The larger Corbières is a mountain massif all its own, crushed into the foothills of the Pyrenees, and it was the land of the Cathars. The relics of their strongholds jut defiantly from atop the highest rugged outcrops.

Boutenac is situated as the beating heart of this ‘straight’ Corbieres. The area, with a plum Mediterranean climate, is protected from the waning Atlantic Ocean influence, as it lies on the east and south facing slopes of the Pinede hill, and it is protected from the Mediterranean by the Fontfroide hills in the east. This means it is very dry, as well as being one of the warmest areas in Corbières.

A saving grace is that the deep clay-limestone soils have good water retention capabilities, to provide moisture through the dry summer. The other climatic adaptation is that the appellation’s signature grape variety is drought resistant, and needs a long ripening time late into the season.

Carignan is king in Corbières-Boutenac. As well as being drought-resistant, it produces powerful, deeply coloured wines with plentiful tannin.

Historically carignan was the workhorse variety, grown as a bulk wine, or blended to add colour and some grip. But there’s been a change in the way carignan is worked in Boutenac, taking more care in the vineyard and using a mix of carbonic maceration and traditional fermentations in the winery, enabling interesting wines to be put into bottle, standing on their own account.

More Corbières-Boutenac

And since not much carignan has been planted in the last quarter of a century, plenty of carignan is building the flavour concentration and balance of venerable vine age.  Pierre Bories, the winemaker at Château Ollieux Romanis said “you need to wait 50 years for carignan to give little [concentrated] grapes” though he added “using selection massale at Ollieux Romanis we found that vines can give good grapes after 10 years.“ Certainly producers are viewing carignan in a completely different light. 

The finished wines of Corbières-Boutenac are always a blend. The small supporting cast comprises grenache, mourvèdre and syrah, though this latter may comprise no more that 30% of the blend, while carignan must be at least 30%, and up to half of any blend. Mourvèdre is equally late ripening, and grenache is also drought-resistant.  The wine must be a blend of carignan plus at least one other, which leaves plenty of opportunity for stylistic individuality within the appellation.    

The typical Boutenac style is said to be of black fruit, with spice and mocha in an intense palate with big soft tannin.  In tastings during my visit I found fresh acidity despite the warmth of the zone, a big volume of fruit, and dry, with supple, sometimes sweet tannins reminiscent of the succulent tannins of the new world. The fresh acid core and full dryness still marked the wines out as old world. The tannins were often elegant as well as prodigious. The sometimes high alcohol was nearly always neatly and inconspicuously integrated. The wines were eminently drinkable. Almost all deeply, darkly coloured.

Crop of the tasting notes, in situ, January 2010

Domaine de la Bouysse, Mazérac 2007, Corbières-Boutenac
80% carignan and 20% grenache.  Dense, dark berry fruit nose, hints of graphite, some complexity on the nose, soft palate attack, full body, black, iron and graphite notes with rich, sweet fruit. Decent palate length, with good volume of fruit.

Château Aiguilloux, Cuvee Anne-Georges 2007, Corbières-Boutenac
Mostly carignan, up to 70 years old, with syrah. Red berry fruit, with notes of iron mid palate, fine tannin, fresh core, nicely framed. Rich, sweet fruit with dry, almost refreshing finish.      

Château Sainte Lucie d’Aussou, 2007, Corbières-Boutenac   
50% carignan, with grenache and syrah. Rich, dark, musky berry nose, succulent palate attack, sweet fruit, dry and fresh core. Big volume of big, sweet fruit, lush tannins, full body. Very clean style with core of spice, and dark berries.

Château Maylandie,  Villa Ferrai 2006, Corbières-Boutenac  
Bright red cherry fruit, with a fresh acid core and a medium-full body.  Attractive, bright, fresh and balanced, with some gentle elegance.

Domaine Grand Lauze, Ledogar 2006, Corbières-Boutenac  
50% carignan, 30% mourvèdre, 10% each of grenache and syrah. Sweet graphite and slate nose, black fruit and sweet; silky texture, long palate length, rich and blossoming in the mouth.  Fine textured, elegance to the fruit of dark, dark dark berries. Delicious.

Château Grand Moulin, 2006, Corbières-Boutenac  
40% carignan, 60% mourvèdre. Smoke, aromatic tar, liquorice, complex nose, followed by big, full, muscled attack, well toned. Sweet fruit, not lush but well proportioned, dark and brooding texture. Nicely balanced with long finish.

Château Fabre Gasparets, Chimere 2006 Corbières-Boutenac  
40% carigan 30% each of grenache and syrah. Almost black in colour with hints of graphite on the nose, and aromatic tar on palate attack, with sweet fruit in a savoury framework, all nicely balanced. Big concentration without being butch or crass, with full body, sweet fruit, and still has that freshness at heart. Good. 

Château Saint Jean de La Ginestre, Crepuscule 2008, Corbières-Boutenac  
40% carignan, 30% each of grenache and mourvèdre. Very young; bright, black, dark brooding. Supple, almost purple fruit, lush and sweet, and with that freshness. Balanced, attractive, with supple tannins. Good.

This article was inspired by a visit to the region sponsored by the CIVL (Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Languedoc).

Deep in the far south of France, edging its southern borders into the foothills of the Pyrenees, and commanding a Mediterranean coastline to the east, lies Roussillon, the sunniest and driest region in France.  Its vineyards cover about the same acreage as those of Champagne, and it is more often than not tacked onto to its much bigger neighbour, making a region covering the whole of southern France – Languedoc-Roussillon.  Yet the wines of Roussillon have an identity and expression all their own.

Roussillon is drenched in both sunshine and history. Vine growing can be traced back thousands of years. And in a similar manner to Alsace, over the centuries Roussillon has passed back and forth between Spanish and French ownership, finally being settled in France in 1659.  In the region’s main city, Perpignan, it is the Palace of Kings of Majorca that holds the city in its gaze, now an historic and tourist monument. Catalan culture remains strong and many people are bi-lingual.

The region has a complex geology, and much that producers speak of is to do with their terroir, and which patch of dirt best suits which of the grape varieties are used in the region. 

Grenache bush vine

Red grape varieties are mainly an extension of those from the better known southern Rhône: grenache, mourvèdre, cinsault, supplemented by carignan, the best examples of which add colour, depth, acidity, and a black fruited meaty spiciness to the blend.  As with neighbouring Languedoc, syrah has been planted for the past 30 years or so, to add with the local varieties.  Whites are based on grenache blanc and increasingly roussanne, marsanne, plus muscat (Alexandria and petits grains) for sweet wines.

What’s rare in a dry, sunny climate is to find white wines with a freshness and minerality that is characteristic in Rousillon. Part of the explanation is altitude. Vineyards are found from sea level up to 550m above the sea.  With an approximate 1°C drop in temperature for every 100m increase in altitude, combined with a tortured topography, it’s possible to envisage cooler plots of land at higher altitudes and aspects away from the sun where white grapes can flourish.

The dry, sunny climatic disposition of Roussillon enables producers to make some excellent wine to organic principles. Without regular moisture, disease pressure is low, lending viticulture to minimum intervention practices.  Domaine Gauby, one of the top producers in Roussillon farms to the more rigorous biodynamic approach. Fourth generation Philippe Mercier, of Domaine Joliette which produces certified organic wines, explained: ““Organic is more a work of observation. I learn a lot by being near to the vines. You need to be near the vineyard to understand the vines and their treatment.”

One of the best open secrets of this self-contained Catalan enclave is the region’s varied fortified wines. Called vins doux naturel (VDN), these are made by adding pure grape spirit to partially fermented grape juice, to create a sweet wine.  The characteristics of the grapes are preserved by using pure spirit, rather than grape brandy.

Maury, and its more famous cousin, Banyuls are made from red grapes, notably grenache, while Rivesaltes is from white.  The wines can be made in more reductive (primary fruit) or more oxidative (nutty, dried and candied fruits) styles.  These latter, tuilé (tawny) styles of red VDN and ambré (amber) styles of white VDN, are a perfect accompaniment to traditional English winter season fare.

Vin Doux Naturels, maturing outside

Of his Maury, Robert Pouderoux, of Domaine Pouderoux said: “We try to finish on freshness, not sugar. If you have a good tannin structure, then even with 100g/l of sugar, you don’t see the sugar, also if you have a good acidity. All the work is the balance of these three – tannin, acidity and sugar.”

Muscat de Rivesaltes is always reductive, always to be drunk within a year after the harvest. Gentle, grapey, aromatic, with an elegance and lightness of touch despite the sweetness.

As concern increases about higher alcohol levels in wine, Vins doux naturels could find themselves becoming fashionable once more.  They consistently have an alcohol level of about 15% abv.  This is undoubtedly similar or even lighter than muscular Australian shirazes or Californian zinfandels. At just three-quarters the alcohol level of port, they also offer a different style of digestif.

Eric Aracil, export manager for the promotional body Vins du Roussillon has suggested ““marrying the colour of wine with the colour of dessert”, which is a new twist on the idea that the wine should be as sweet as, if not slightly sweeter than, the dessert.  Certainly across the styles of VDN, almost every colour can be catered for, from the palest lemon tart Muscat de Rivesaltes to the densest, darkest, most chocolatey Maury.

This article was inspired by a visit to the region sponsored by Wines of Roussillon (Vins du Roussillon).