Some new vintages from Domaine Treloar

Before the Bruce Springsteen gig mentioned in my previous post, we met up with Jonathan Hesford and Rachel Treloar at the hotel they had booked for the night. Jonathan had brought along with him a few bottles that he had opened for a tasting the previous day - 5 different wines, and all new vintages, which he kindly gave to me to take away and taste. I must say that even though all of them had been open for 2 days before I actually sat down to taste them and write my notes, they remained remarkably fresh - and all very good indeed..........

One Block Muscat 2011 IGP Pays Cotes Catalanes

Uber fragrant and grapey on the nose, with notes of tree blossom, oranges, apricots and a whiff of fine herbs (notably oregano). There's still a touch of residual SO2, but that wears-off in time. Fresh, grapey and lightly citrussy in the mouth, with a hint of zesty orange. Medium-rich, and with some real depth, but remaining very refreshing. Finishes long, zesty and tangy. A serious Muscat.

La Terre Promise 2011 IGP Pays Cotes Catalanes

Grenache Gris, Macabeu and Carignan Blanc. Aromas of spiced oranges, herbs, nettles and a faint hint of woodsmoke. Faintly appley too, and even a hint of apricot, but tends more towards the citrus end of the spectrum. Nice and firm on the palate - just the right amount of pithiness, without bitterness, and some nice orange and peach flavours, again herby and lightly spicy, with plenty of juicy acidity. Fruitier and more fragrant than some previous vintages, whilst remaining complex and structured, with a gently creamy texture and decent grip. Very enjoyable, even at this early stage.

Le Ciel Vide 2010 Cotes du Roussillon

Leather, polished wood and and a touch of meat and damp earth, with lashings of bramble and fresh raspberry. A hint of eau de vie, but this only serves to heighten the freshness and the fruit - beautifully harmonious. Full-bodied, without being particularly rich, with plenty of chunky, earthy Carignan fruit, married to grippy tannins and juicy acidity. A delightfully traditional style of wine, and really lovely!

Three Peaks 2009 Cotes du Roussillon

High-toned and zesty, almost orangey, with aromas of redcurrant and cranberry. Herbaceous and earthy, too. Grippy yet juicy, with ample red and black fruit and fruitcake flavours, leather, soft spices and lovely acidity. All-in-all, there is a richness to this wine that might put me in the hills of La Liviniere, were I to taste it blind. Lovely wine.

Motus 2010 Cotes du Roussillon
This is crammed full of aromas of bramble and cassis, leather, roast meat and polished wood. Subtle hints of garam masala and cardamom and a whiff of decaying leaves add yet more interest. Very complex stuff, which really does have thed feel of a classy wine, with flavours of ripe bramble and raspberry, allied to fine, grippy tannins and tangy acidity, making for a deliciously sweet and sour whole. There's also a touch of savoury meatiness, as you might expect from Mourvedre (no mention of any other grape variety on the back label this time, by the way) but it doesn't dominate. And despite the fact that it is very young, it is already good to drink, with a lightness of touch that belies its full body and relatively concentrated and rich texture. That said, I can see this being even better by the time it reaches its peak, in another 5 to 10 years. A brilliant wine, which manages to capture the essence of Mourvedre (a la Bandol) with a softness that makes it amazingly approachable at such a young age.

I should have these wines in stock within the next month - with prices similar to those of the vintages currently listed on my website.

This evening, I have a rendezvous with Marc Benin at Domaine de Ravanes in Aspiran, just 2 or 3 kilometres from the villa we are renting in Autignac. Marc's wines are not particularly cheap, but they impressed me sufficiently at Vinisud to make me seriously consider importing them. I'll tell you more about my visit in my next post.