A trio of lovely Provençal reds for Autumn - plus a delicious wedding anniversary wine

Although the weather over the past few days has been wonderfully bright and sunny, there is no doubting the onset of Autumn. An early morning nip in the air and an abundance of dew is testament to that. And so, it is time for us to start opening a few more red wines (having consumed more whites in our house this year than ever before). And here are just 3 of the best we have tasted in the last week or so..........

Terre des Chardons Bien Luné 2012 Costieres de Nimes
Not *strictly* Provence, although Costieres de Nimes is as close as it gets without being so, wedged as it is between the southern Rhone, Languedoc and Provence. A 50/50 blend of Syrah and Grenache. When we last tasted this in June, the Syrah was very much the dominant variety, almost to the exclusion of the Grenache - so much so, that it would be hard not to imagine it was a rather good Crozes-Hermitage or even a lesser Cote-Rotie. It is still fragrant - actually, perfumed is a better word - with wonderfu plum, blackcurrant and floral aromas, but the Grenache now gets a look in. Spicy, earthy, raspberry and redcurrant notes abound, with hints of darker, crystallised fruits, black cherry and iodine. The palate is beautifully rounded, elegant and complex, with a softly tannic backbone, around which is wrapped the most voluptuouscloak of ripe red fruits, soft spice, minerality and subtle garrigue herbs. And all shot through with the freshest, most piquant sour cherry and soft citrus acidity. It really is a delightfully elegant and uplifting wine, the result of the finest grapes (biodynamic), a mix of traditional and whole-bunch fermentation, the complete absence of oak and brilliant winemaking. One of the best bargains I have ever found in 10 years of importing from Languedoc. £11.99.

The next 2 wines speak very much of Provence. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre are the 3 varieties that make up the blend in the main Chateau d'Estoublon red wine. Winemaker and owner Remy Reboul told me at Vinisud last year that people had suggested, after tasting barrel samples, that he should bottle some varietal wines, such was the quality of each of them. He was, to be honest, rather scathing about the idea, since he believes that the true expression of his terroir is in the final blend, rather than in the individual components. Which is fair enough, but these wines are so good that they do - in my opinion - stand on their own as brilliant examples of what is possible on the southern slopes of the Alpilles.

Estoublon Mono-Cépage Grenache 2009 Vin de Table

The colour is a reassuringly pale/medium raspberry, with a slight tawny hue, whilst the nose is delightfully elegant, with aromas of redcurrant, raspberry and old leather fairly leaping from the glass, and subtle hints of sous-bois, graphite, truffle and soft citrus peeping through. There's also a gentle waft of very fine eau de vie, although despite the 15.25% (yes fifteen) abv, there is little suggestion of heat, either on the nose or the palate. Indeed, it is really rather fresh and elegant, with a veritable bucket-load of fresh and crystallised red fruit and soft citrus flavours, barely perceptible tannins and plenty of mouth-watering acidity. In the space of around a year since I last tasted it, this really has blossomed into something really quite lovely and more-ish - in short, a wonderfully balanced wine, which is a real delight to drink. Burgundy snobs might well throw their arms up in horror at my suggestion that a wine like this can be so fresh and elegant, but I would venture to say that it is almost "Burgundian" in structure. On the other hand, lovers of nearby Chateauneuf du Pape might be surprised that a 100% Grenache from outside of "their" region could be so utterly compelling. None of your 101 point Parkerised soup here, I'm afraid. Actually, I've heard more than one vigneron call Grenache the "Pinot Noir of the south" - and on this evidence, they are not far wrong. Wonderful wine. £19.99

Estoublon Mono-Cépage Syrah 2009 Vin de Table
Deep, translucent blood red. Identifiably Syrah - bramble, blackcurrant, violets and herbs, again steeped in the finest eau de vie, with enticing hints of tobacco and damp earth. As with the Grenache, the alcohol (15.5% in this case) neither burns nor overpowers the fruit. Yes, it is rich and spicy, but gloriously tangy and balanced, with cherry skin and citrus flavours, ripe tannins and ample acidity ,all of which combine seamlessly with the abundant red and black fruit flavours. In fact, this is anything but soupy - quite the opposite. And it certainly passes the "more than one glass" test with aplomb. Elegant? No. More-ish? Yes indeedy! £19.99

Oh, and by the way, 28 September 1985 was hot and sunny. How do I remember? Because that was the day I married the lovely Diane. How lucky am I?! And to celebrate, we have been enjoying a bottle of Francis Boulard Les Murgiers Extra Brut Champagne. No tasting note - but it is very yummy - just like my wife! As is this wonderful bottle of Paul Jaboulet Ainé Domaine de Thalabert 1988 Crozes-Hermitage.

Well, a special occasion demands a special wine, don't you think?

TTFN.............
                      

Two new wines from Provence - a classy rosé and a compelling red

Alongside all the other things that have been occupying my time in recent weeks, I have been dealing with my annual shipment of wines from Provence, including Domaine de Trévallon, Chateau d'Estoublon and a grower new to my list, Villa Minna (of which more in my next post). Meanwhile, here are my notes on a rosé and a red that I have just uploaded to the website.

Chateau d'Estoublon Le Rosé 2011 Les Baux de Provence

1/3 each of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, aged for 6 months, partly in oak barrel and partly in stainless steel. There is an orangey quality to both the colour and nose of this wine - an exquisite shade of pale onion skin/terracotta, with a delightful pot-pourri of flowers, summer fruits (redcurrant, raspberry, peach) and herbs and juicy tangerine. At 14.0% abv, it is definitely a food wine rather than a quaffer, but whilst undeniably rich and heady, it certainly isn't hot. The palate is in fact beautifully rounded and complex, offering soft red fruit and citrus, a layer of creamy richness, mouth-watering acidity and even a modicum of tannin. Again, there is a subtle herbiness, which combines seamlessly with the other elements in a tangy but elegant wine. It compares well with some of the finest rosés Provence has to offer (for instance, the excellent, though very pricey wines of Domaines Ott) at a price that doesn't break the bank. Classy wine! £15.79

Domaine de Trévallon 2009 IGP Alpilles

The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that the denomination has changed from Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhone to IGP Alpilles. This is the result of recent reforms in the French wine regulations - see here for more information (for time-rich wine geeks only!). Essentially, though, nothing has changed - and the wine in the bottle is as good as ever - if not better!

A 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, with each variety aged in oak foudres for 20 months, prior to blending and bottling. The colour, which is deep-ish but semi-translucent, hints at an elegant wine - as does the truly evocative, perfumed nose, with its intense aromas of raspberry, redcurrant, cranberry and blackberry, hints of woodsmoke, garrigue herbs, garam masala and polished old wood. Neither the Cabernet nor the Syrah have the upper hand, with a touch of cassis and charred red capsicum melding nicely with hints of smoky pastrami and violet. As for the palate, I don't think I have ever tasted a Trévallon that shows such elegance and finesse in its first flush of youth. It is medium-bodied, rather than full-on, again more red fruits than black, and beautifully tangy, with ripe, supple tannins, soft citrus acidity and a noticeable streak of minerality. Subtle hints of lapsang tea, black olive tapenade, all-spice, meat and herbs de Provence show through, carried along upon waves of mouth-watering fruit. It is all so beautifully balanced and at 13.0% abv (quite unusual in these times of global warming) perfectly ripe - a sign of exceptional winemaking. This may not be a 20-year wine, in terms of development potential (though who is to say it won't be?) but it is so delicious now. Wines can sometimes go through a "closed" phase, but I suspect that this one will remain open for business, so if you want a clue as to the glories of an aged Trévallon, but don't want to wait, then this is the one. An utterly compelling wine. £38.75.

I'm not quite done with writing-up all of these new wines, but already have a few more notes in the can, as it were, so will be adding a few more blog entries over the next few days.

        

A wonderful aged Languedoc Syrah, an enigma wrapped up in a conundrum, and a delicious white from Southern Burgundy

Here are 3 wines worthy of note, consumed over the last week. I've been meaning to write them up for a couple of days now, but as always, other things seem to get in the way.....

Chateau La Dournie Elise 2000 Saint-Chinian

80% Syrah, 20% Grenache. Part of the wine is aged for 10 months in new oak barrels, whilst the remainder is aged in vat. This has all of the hallmarks of absolutely top-notch Saint-Chinian. It offers complex aromas which range from floral to savoury/herby/meaty to mineral and all points in-between. There's a strong hint of black olives, a whiff of smokey bacon and even a suggestion of lilies and violets. There's something very Northern Rhone about it, and indeed when I put this bottle around at a Nottingham Wine Circle blind tasting last week (and even given my propensity to offer wines from Languedoc) nobody guessed Languedoc - in fact, most were convinced it was a Cote Rotie or a particlarly elegant Cornas. It has a wonderful core of raspberry and blackcurrant fruit - at almost 12 years old, still absolutely fresh and vibrant - along with a rather fabulous array of secondary aromas and flavours, a subtle herbiness and an intense core of stoney minerality. I've often opined that Saint-Chinian is capable of producing some of the most distinctive wines in the whole of Languedoc, especially when grown on schistous "soil" (which La Dournie is). And this is a simply exquisite wine, which (despite the Grenache element!) bears comparison to many more exalted Northern Rhone wines.

Domaine d'Estoublon Blanc 2007 Vin de Pays des Alpilles

A blend of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Roussanne. This wine (and I don't just mean this particular bottle or vintage) is the epitome of an enigma wrapped up in a conundrum! I recently published a tasting note for the 2008, in which the wine seemed tired and oxidative to begin with, before blossoming into something much better over the next few days. This 2007, on the other hand, was much cleaner and fresher when I first opened it - which, as I write, was around a week ago. But despite that freshness, it just seemed to lack the excitement and complexity I was expecting, so I bunged the half-consumed bottle in the fridge and forgot about it. Until a couple of nights ago, that is, when I poured myself a glass and was struck by how much it had changed and evolved - for the better, thankfully. It now has wonderful aromas of spring flowers and honeysuckle, peaches and orange marmalade, garrigue herbs and exotic spices. The texture is slightly oily, rich and mouth-filling, with flavours of quince, apricot and bitter orange peel, again quite spicy/licoricey and full of southern warmth. The acidity isn't high, but it is adequate, and there is plenty of minerality and an almost tannic grip to it that keeps everything nicely together. I'm just amazed by the chameleon-like qualities of this cuvée (both the 2007 and 2008) but it only serves to strengthen my view that it is a wine that will go through various phases before really blossoming into something quite different (though hopefully very pleasing and quirky) in a few years' time. 13.7% abv. £22.99.

Domaine Laborbe-Juillot Les Saint-Jacques 2006 Rully

For some reason, TLD isn't a big fan of the Estoublon white(!) so to placate her, I opened this wine (we were having some home-made chicken liver parfait and salad, so a white wine was called for). It comes from the relatively humble Caves de Buxy co-operative in southern Burgundy, so has no great pretensions to complexity or seriousness. But it does everything I want a young, inexpensive white Burgundy to do - plenty of Chardonnay typicity, minerality by the bucketload, a decent structure and gorgeous acidity. It is ripe, but not fat, with delicious lemon meringue, peach and ripe bramley apple flavours, mouth-watering acidity and a distinct mineral streak. It is a really lovely, refreshing and very food-friendly wine, which can be had from the cellar door for not very much money (if I remember correctly, about 7 or 8 Euros).

Next up, some fine Burgundies.........
    

Is it me, or is it the wine?

Whenever I open one of "my" wines - i.e. the ones I actually sell, I always want to love them. And, in the main, that is usually the case. Once in a while though, I open a bottle which for some or other reason struggles to hit the spot. It may be because I'm just having an off-day, perhaps the wrong wine/food pairing, or because it is a root day (or some such clash with the mysterious biodynamic calendar!) - or perhaps there is just something not quite right about the bottle. Here's one that's been vexing me and testing my olfactory and gustatory senses over the past few evenings.......

Domaine d'Estoublon Blanc 2008 Vin de Pays des Alpilles
A blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc, aged in oak for 11 months. I still can't quite make up my mind about this bottle. On the first night, it seemed to lack the freshness and vitality I expect in what is still essentially a relatively young white wine. Those of you that are familiar with this wine (the third vintage in a row that I have listed) will know that it always has a rich, ripe, quince and apricot quality to it, along with a lightly oxidative style which can certainly split the jury. But this bottle initially seemed a little too oxidative, perhaps even a bit "warm", though certainly falling short of sherried or tired. But I'm not sure I was enjoying it, even though I opened it especially to go with a simple dish of pasta, herbs, garlic, olive oil, peppers, chilli and mushrooms. By Friday evening (day 2) it had opened-up considerably and was even beginning to show a little freshness and charm. By Saturday, it was even better, with the fruit still intact and the herby, spicy and floral/honeysuckle nuances that I expect from this wine adding complexity. By tonight (day 4) it is just about singing. Was it just me and my particular mood at the time, or do I simply need to admit that I will occasionally encounter a slightly iffy (rather than overtly faulty) bottle - even if it is one of "my" wines? And if a customer had bought this bottle, would they have given it as much of a chance as I did to clean its act up? Somehow, I doubt it - which would be a shame, but I could hardly blame them. But it was worth the wait, even if it wasn't quite what I had expected. Anyway, despite my experience with this particular bottle, I can still heartily recommend that you give this wine a go. So if you want to try one, you can buy it for £22.99 - which is less than half the price of a white Trévallon. ;-)

Domaine de Montcalmes 2004 Coteaux du Languedoc
60% Syrah, 20% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre, aged for 2 years in a mix of 1 and 2 year-old barrels. This, on the other hand, came across as a really delicious wine from the moment I opened the bottle - an excellent example of right place, right time, right wine. If I had tasted this blind, I might well have suggested it was a rather excellent Northern Rhone Syrah, such is it's delightful perfume of red and black fruits, mineral/schiste and flowers/lilies. But then I am usually inclined to jump in with what my instincts first tell me, rather than thinking to myself "hang on a minute - what else could it be?" An initial whiff of what I thought might be brett soon subsided to reveal a hint of savoury meatiness - not just smoked bacon (a la Hermitage or Cornas) but also rare roast beef, a la Bandol, which would suggest a touch of Mourvedre. Then there is a whiff of crystallised raspberry, which manifests as a hint of sweetness and richness to the palate, courtesy of the Grenache. A herbiness, redolent of basil, oregano and spearmint, and even a hint of fresh tobacco, add further interest to what is an utterly compelling and complex wine. It also has that crucial ingredient that I crave in any wine (whether red, white or whatever) - it is refreshing, with a lovely touch of seville orange on the nose, which comes through in the delightfully citrussy acidity on the palate. There's a touch of tannin - not too much - but the balance is spot-on. So there you have it - a complete wine that I find hard to fault. And although it is wonderfully complex already, I can see it improving further for a good few years yet. Who knows, in another 10 years' time, it could be an absolute classic and the sort of wine that will one day make the world sit up and notice that the Languedoc deserves a place in the list of the world's great wine regions. I'm just glad I have another 4 or 5 bottles! (Price around £18-£20 - though currently not from me).

As a footnote, it is worth looking at a couple of previous posts on Domaine de Montcalmes (a 2004 and a 2005). And here are several posts on Chateau d'Estoublon wines - including a 2008 white. Which only goes to show (as the old adage says) that  "there are no great wines, just great bottles".
      

Good wine and good bread - what more could one ask for?

Domaine d'Estoublon 2007 Vin de Pays des Alpilles

I've been selling this wine (by which I mean this very vintage) for around a year now, and you can find it on my website, along with a completely unrelated tasting note. But I thought I'd open a bottle and see how it is developing - purely for research purposes, mind! It is a blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc, grown on the southern slopes of the Alpilles in deepest Provence. The nose is honeyed, though not buttery, with notes of super-ripe apples, candied peel, marmalade and a complex mix of spices and herbs. The palate has a slightly waxy texture, but is otherwise beautifully poised and fresh as a daisy. It is awash with flavour - "winey" rather than overtly fruity, that's for sure, but it has definite hints of apples laced with cloves and cinnamon and a marmaladey richness, offset by a core of stoney minerality and nervy acidity. Although it is very definitely Provencal/Southern Rhone in origin, this wine is free of the overt pithiness - and therefore bitterness - that I often find in white Chateauneuf, and consequently bears more than a little similarity to (say) a white Hermitage in structure........ or even a white Trévallon. I actually opened this bottle 4 days ago, and we drank most of it with home-made chicken liver parfait and sourdough bread, with a mixed salad and cherry tomatoes from my greenhouse - and it really was a delicious combination. But the last glass (drank this evening) is perhaps even better than the first. Which tells me that this wine can only get better - perhaps another 5 years or more?  £22.99.

Domaine Sol-Payré Vertigo 2009 Cotes du Roussillon

Continuing the vaguely Southern Rhone theme, this is a wine very firmly rooted in Roussillon - but with more than a nod towards the red Chateauneuf style. It is a new cuvée - a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, with perhaps just a touch of oak-ageing, but not too much - older oak, for definite, because in this wine, the fruit definitely wins the day. In fact, when I first opened the bottle (last night) it had just a bit too much Grenache intensity and rusticity for my personal taste - rich, full of grape skin and bramble fruit and a tarry quality which slightly overwhelmed. But what a difference a day makes, for it has blossomed into a wine of real elegance......... the nose offers aromas of mixed red/black fruits and garrigue herbs, polished wood, forest floor and subtle notes of eau de vie, whilst the palate is almost unrecognisable - expansive fruit flavours, silky mouthfeel, great balance and a fair amount of complexity. And (despite the 14.5% abv shown on the label) no sense of heat - just a lovely southern, spicy warmth. It provided a very decent match for tonight's Spaghetti alla Carbonara. I like it a lot and will no doubt grab a few cases when I next import form Sol-Payré, later in the year - projected price around £14. 

   

Some new wines from Provence

Well, it's been a few days since we returned from our holiday in Languedoc and I've been so busy catching-up on things that time for blogging has been short. I did sort of indicate an ntention to make plenty of posts whilst we were in France, but the best intentions sometimes fall by the wayside, especially when relaxation takes hold - after all, it was our annual holiday. I guess I could have adopted a "little and often" approach, but I am not one of these people who feel it is necessary to make daily blog posts, even if one has little to say of substance. That's what Facebook and Twitter are for.

That's not to say that I haven't been busy meeting some great people and tasting some great wines (and in some great places)! But it takes a lot of time to transform hastily scribbled notes into cohesive reading material - and rest assured, I have plenty of that to go at, and shall publish several posts over the next week or two, covering those visits. Meanwhile, whilst I was away, my Provence wines were delivered to the bond, with new vintages from 3 of the region's finest growers, and I have been busy tasting and compiling notes on some of them, over the past couple of days. They should be loaded onto the website in a few days, but here are a few notes to be going on with;

Chateau Pradeaux Rosé 2010 Bandol

55% Mourvedre and 45% Cinsault. As always with Pradeaux Rosé, this has the most exquisite, ultra-pale onion skin/blood orange colour – really beautiful to look at. It is a vin de pressurage, meaning that it is made from a direct pressing of the grapes, rather than the usual saignée (free-run juice) method. The nose has aromas of wild strawberry, redcurrant and pale peach, along with some delightful notes of rose petals, forest floor, hedgerow and garrigue - it really is an elegant, subtle, yet considerably complex wine. There's just a hint of creaminess, which also manifests itself on the palate, with a combination of delicate red fruits and citrus and a light herbiness. There's ample acidity and a mineral streak which, combined with just the right amount of grape tannin, makes for a pretty serious, yet beautifully rounded wine, which develops beautifully over a period of several hours in the decanter. This is a vintage that tends towards elegance, rather than power, yet it has a very impressive finish, with tangy, zesty, herby, lightly spicy flavours lingering long on the finish. One of the world's great rosés. 12.5% abv. Will be £17.50.

Domaine d'Estoublon 2008 Vin de Pays des Alpilles

A blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc, aged for 11 months in barrel. The nose on this wine exhibits notes of quince, apricot, peach and pink grapefruit, along with something almost evocative of red fruits, which is most unusual in a white wine. Further notes of citrus blossom and honeysuckle, soft spices, nuts and clarified butter make for a wine of quite stunning complexity. As with previous vintages, the oak-ageing is beautifully done and really quite subtle, allowing all of those wonderful "winey" aromas to sing. The palate is crammed full of flavour, with a high level of concentration and a rich, mouth-coating oiliness and nuttiness, which is balanced by wonderful orangey acidity and perhaps even a little grape/wood tannin. Once again, restrained power is the order of the day, in a wine which combines richness of flavour with supreme elegance and a gentle, spicy warmth. It is perhaps a tad richer than the 2007, but no less complex or elegant for it. The finish is as long and complex as the start and the middle, with all of those glorious, hedonistic flavours lingering for an age. Another utterly glorious white wine from this rising star of Provence. 13.4% abv. Will be £22.99.

Le Lys de Chateau Pradeaux 2006

90% Mourvedre and 10% Grenache. Although this wine is made from vines aged between 20 and 30 years old and is effectively the "second wine" of Pradeaux (the vines used for Chateau Pradeaux are 35-plus years old) it is very similar to the grand vin in both aromatic profile and structure. Iodine, polished old leather, meat and garrigue herbs are prevalent on the nose, whilst the palate is very definitely old-school Bandol - plenty of black fruit flavours, laden with herbs and spices, but with a firm tannic backbone and a tight, earthy, minerally structure. Of course, it also possesses typical southern warmth and generosity, making it really rather nice to drink already, especially with food - we paired it with some Toulouse sausages and a herby, garlicy tomato sauce, and it was a wonderful match. It is a lovely wine, and an excellent introduction to top-notch estate Bandol, at a price that won't break the bank. Will be £16.50.

Chateau d'Estoublon 2006 Les Baux de Provence

A blend of Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Mourvedre, aged for 18 months in oak barrels. A delicious combination of smoke, meat, garrigue herbs, soft spices, polished leather, red capsicum and rotting, high-toned red and black fruits fairly leap out of the glass. It really is a tremendously complex and alluring nose, which strikes a perfect balance between fruit and savoury, with a touch of florality thrown in for good measure. The palate is full of fresh red and black fruit flavours, combining all of those qualities of fruit, herbs, spices, peppery and savoury/meaty notes with tremendous concentration, fine, grippy tannins and admirable acidity - and a tremendous length of flavour. That said, this is no Parkerised monster - despite the concentration, it has plenty of subtlety, with that heightened acidity giving real lift and vitality. This is another multi-dimensional wine, from one of the great Provence vintages in recent memory, which again possesses all of the ingredients necessary for it to age gracefully for at least 5 to 10 years. 13.4% abv. Will be £19.99 - and worth every penny.

Domaine de Trévallon 2007 Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhone

A 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, grown on the north-facing slopes of the Alpilles in deepest Provence. Aged for 20 months in large oak foudres. A deepish purple, semi-transluscent core with a tiny ruby rim, this has an intensely fruity, pastilley, perfumed nose, with classic Trévallon mulberry, bramble and blackcurrant fruits comined with notes of flowers, meat, leather and citrus. As with most Trévallons from great vintages, it has immense concentration and depth of fruit, but the balance is nigh-on perfect, with juicy, citrussy acidity combining with super-ripe tannins in a wine which I find almost impossible to fault. Tasting the last dregs a few days later (this is a 3 July edit) I am struck by the sheer weight and concentration of fruit in this wine, but also the fact that it manages to remain elegant and balanced, with some lovely smoky, cedary notes lingering. But - more importantly - the fact that it smells and tastes like a classic Trévallon, even at this stage. Trévallon is never velvety or soft - it is wild, herby, ever-so-slightly spicy and full of the flavours of Provence. But this particular vintage is generous, whilst remaining tremendously focused, complex and possessed of real finesse. It is a wine with the generosity, depth of flavour and structure that marks it out as one the great Trévallons - if not the greatest - produced in the last 20 years. And whilst I have rarely - if ever - encountered a Trévallon which is so deliciously drinkable at such a young age, I have no doubt that it will also be very long-lived. Quite simply, it is a masterpiece. 14.0% abv. I only have very a small quantity of this wine, so it will be limited to 2 bottles per customer, at £43.99 - and for one of the world's great red wines, that is still a bargain.

Next up will be a feature on my recent visit to one of my very favourite Languedoc growers, Thierry Hasard of Domaine de La Marfée.

Some brilliant wines from southern France (plus a Chilean interloper)

Last Tuesday was the latest edition of our monthly tasting at Le Mistral in Nottingham and, although I find it too much of a chore (not to mention a bit too geeky) to make notes on the wines, a couple of them really stood out for me;

Domaine de Trévallon 1996 Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhone was everything that a semi-mature Trévallon should be - elements of fruit, savoury and minerality in perfect harmony, with velvety tannins and utterly mouth-watering acidity. There's no reason to doubt that this will keep going for at least a few more years but, as a relatively forward vintage, it seems to be at its peak right now. A lovely, life-affirming wine. Whilst Trévallon rarely fails to hit the spot, Mas de Daumas Gassac is a wine that has - for me, at least - provided too many disappointments. Having tasted a good few vintages of this wine, going back as far as the early 1980's, the only vintage that really set my pulse racing was the 1990, which was an absolute stunner. Most of the rest tended towards the austere, with a few of them remaining tannic monsters, even at 20 years-plus. So the sheer loveliness of Mas de Daumas Gassac 2000 Vin de Pays de l'Hérault came as a complete surprise. Those tannins were present and correct, but velvety and soft, with a tremendous depth of Cabernet fruit (it is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, plus a mix of 8 other varieties), spice, tobacco, garrigue herbs and flowers. Aimé Guibert set out with the intention of teaching the Bordelais a thing or two about making great Cabernet and - if this one is anything to go by - he has done exactly that. The fruit is rich, savoury and ripe, but elegant too - and without a hint of green (or even red) capsicum in sight. It is luscious and long, with a core of juicy acidity, and whilst it certainly has another 5 to 10 years to go to its peak, it really is lovely to drink now. It appears that Daumas Gassac have finally managed to temper those fierce tannins, and I think the wine is all the better for it. And on this showing, I will certainly be seeking a few vintages out for myself.

And here's a trio of wines which have hit the spot for me, over the last week or so..........

Domaine d'Estoublon Blanc 2006 Vin de Pays des Alpilles

This is so lovely - beautiful aromas of orange blossom, honeysuckle, nuts, citrus, tree fruits, Provencal herbs and woodsmoke. I'd swear there is even a touch of savouriness/meatiness in there, which is most unusual in a white wine, but most welcome in this particular one, for it really does add to the overall complexity. If I didn't know better, I might even call it "brettiness", but for a wine that sees no oak-aging at all (it is actually aged in those new-fangled "traditional" egg-shaped ceramic things) it is otherwise clean as a whistle. The flavours are equally lovely, with oodles of appley, lemony fruit, laced with herbs, spices (a touch of cinnamon and clove) and a creamy, almost oily texture which fills the mouth, but is countered by beautifully tangy acidity. That was a few days ago....... and drinking the last glass this evening, it is still quite fresh, whilst also having taken on more weight. Those who have been lucky enough to taste this and other vintages young will be well aware how delicious it is. But this one is getting on for 5 years old now and I think it still has lots of evolution left in it - and, rather like white Trévallon, I have a feeling it will be even more lovely at 10 years old. Shame it is my last bottle. :-(  That said, I will be taking delivery of the 2008 vintage (and some more of the 2007) within the next couple of weeks - both priced at £21.99. I can't wait!

Terrunyo El Triangulo Vineyard Block 28 Sauvignon Blanc 2006 Chile

It only says so in very small text on the back label, but this is from the large (very large) producer Concha Y Toro, albeit one of their more up-market bottlings. And it really is rather good. The vineyard is apparently just a few miles from the sea, on soil with abundant flint content - and there is certainly a flinty, smoky quality to both the nose and the palate, along with some nice notes of lemon oil and freshly cut hay. There's a touch of pea pod, a zingy lemon pithiness and a very gentle lick of oak. It is quite full-bodied and rich, with just a hint of warming alcohol, but plenty of acidity and mineral depth to keep it nicely balanced, in the style of a super-ripe Sancerre or Pouilly Fumé. I like it!

Chateau Peyros Greenwich 43N 2003 Madiran

This is the latest release of this excellent Madiran estate's top cuvée (a sample bottle, sent with my last shipment from Peyros). Although 2003 was a super-hot vintage in Languedoc and Roussillon, the effect in regions such as Madiran was to produce wines with super-ripe fruit, but also super-ripe tannins. Which is no bad thing with the Tannat grape, known for its unforgiving and sometimes rather agressive tannic structure. This estate was one of the pioneers of micro-oxygenation, which basically injects tiny bubbles of oxygen during the winemaking process, in order to soften the tannins. I don't know how much (if any) of this process was necessary in 2003, but it is a remarkably drinkable wine. The colour is not as dark as I might have expected - a transluscent deep ruby/blood red, rather than the usual opaque purple, whilst the nose offers wonderful aromas of bramble, blackcurrant leaf, orange peel, tobacco and undergrowth. There's a touch of smoky/toasty oak, but it is beautifully done and allows the fruit to shine through. And the palate, whilst showing plenty of tannic structure, is remarkably balanced, with some really succulent, tangy red and black fruit flavours and excellent acidity. In fact, if ever I were to use the word "elegant" for a Madiran from a hot vintage, then this would be it. Coming back to the nose, for a moment, there are some delightful crystsallised fruit and floral aromas peeping through, in a sort of Hermitage or Brunello sort of way - sounds a bit far fetched, but its a fact. I might even be tempted to compare and contrast it with a top-ranking classed growth Bordeaux, but that would be damning it with faint praise. Last night, it had the unenviable task of being paired with a chilli con carne (and did so remarkably well). The remainder will be paired with goose this evening - and it should be a perfect match.
      

A brilliant white wine from Provence

Domaine d'Estoublon Blanc 2006 Vin de Pays des Alpilles

This was a bottle that had been hanging around on our (largely redundant) dining table for a good few weeks, now. I sold out of the 2007 vintage of the same wine a few months back, but still have a couple of dozen of this one left. A local customer of mine had previously taken some of the '07, but decided to take a punt on the '06 when the '07 had run out. He tried a bottle and decided that he didn't like it nearly as much as the '07. Naturally, I was happy to take the remaining bottles off his hands and supply him with a substitute. Based on what the customer had said, I was minded to bin-end the last couple of cases, thinking it might need drinking quickly. But then again I was curious to see "what's not to like" about it. So I finally got around to opening a bottle on Saturday.

It is an amazingly deep gold colour for a wine of only 4 years of age, and if I didn't know this wine so well, I might even think it was going over the edge. But not a bit of it. The nose is clean as a whistle, fresh and hugely complex, and simply packed with aromas of ripe fruits - peach, apricot, apple - honeysuckle and exotic spices. Since my last bottle, notes of toffee and orange marmalade have appeared, suggesting richness, which is confirmed by the rich, mouth-filling palate, with complex flavours of candied fruits and flowers, stewed apple, mandarin and spice. And again, though made in a very slightly oxidative style (some of the blend spends 11 months on oak barrels, whilst the rest is aged in large ceramic egg-shaped vessels) it is clean, fresh and full of vitality. At the same time it is also deceptively soft, approachable and voluptuous, long in the mouth, finely balanced - and utterly delicious! In fact, consumed over 2 days, it has just got better and better. So much so that I was pretty devastated to find I had drunk it all. It really did leave me wanting more! Indeed, I think this wine will go on improving for a few years yet, like a good white Chateauneuf - or even a Trévallon white. I'm so glad I didn't bin-end it, and I will certainly be keeping at least half a dozen by for myself to enjoy over the next 5 years or more.

    

Vinisud report, part 7 - some highlights (plus a few lowlights) from our last day

Following another late night (dining with Jon and Rachel from Domaine Treloar at their rented apartment in Montpellier) Tuesday saw another relatively early start. Not too early, mind. Following a leisurely breakfast at our hotel in Marseillan, we were on the raod again by about 9.30, heading straight for another intensive day of tasting at Vinisud. By 10.15, the car parks were again filling-up fast, although we actually managed to find a parking space this time, saving us another long walk.

This being our last day at the event, I wanted to visit a few more of my own growers, as well as a few other growers whose wines I hadn't previously experienced, but that might have some interest. The beauty of Vinisud is that you don't have to go tearing about the countryside in order to try and visit a few growers. At Vinisud, it is a bit like the mountain coming to Muhammed - a significant majority of the growers, from small independent estates to the large cooperatives and negociant companies, have stands. Indeed, only three growers from my whole southern France list weren't actually there.

Anyway, here are a few thoughts and an occasional tasting note from some growers we visited on day 2 - in no particular order, and by no means a comprehensive list......

Domaine Treloar was, of course, one of my main points of call. Having been the designated driver on the previous evening, when we dined with Jon and Rachel, I didn't really get the chance to properly enjoy the wines they had laid on. We tasted through them all again on their Vinisud stand, although I didn't take any notes. Which may be remiss of me, since the whole range forms an integral part of my list, and I will be adding all of the new vintages very soon. Suffice to say that the wines were of a consistently high standard (I wouldn't have expected anything less!) and I look forward to listing them for many years to come. Jon and Rachel are a hard-working and very friendly couple, who deserve all the success that is surely coming their way - and I'm glad to be able to play my own small part in helping to promote their wines.

Rachel holds the fort, whilst Jon talks a visitor through his wines

Someone whose wines I was keen to taste again was Alain Chabanon. I used to sell a selection of his wines until a year or two back, having first met him at Vinisud in 2006. Those wines were pretty damn good, if a little expensive and a bit of a hard sell. We started with Trelans 2006, which is a blend of Chenin Blanc and Vermentino (a.k.a Rolle). It tasted quite oxidative, almost like a fino sherry. There were some interesting lemon and herb notes, but it was light and somewhat austere, to my palate at least. Rosé Tremier (2008, I think) was light-bodied and delicate, with some residual SO2 spritz. Le Petit Merle 2008 (predominantly Merlot) was light-bodied and quite fruity, but quite tannic and austere - even a touch green. Campredon 2008 is a blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache and Carignan. Lovely on the nose, but again oh-so-light, with little in the way of body or fruit. Les Boissieres 2005 (mostly Grenache) was richer, but tannic and tarry. I couldn't see where it was going to end up. Esprit de Font Caude 2005 (Mostly Syrah and Mourvedre, with a bit of Grenache) was more like it, with a lot more fruit. Still, it was so tannic, I'd say it needs 5 to 8 years to soften. Will the fruit last? Maybe, maybe not, but I won't be buying any to find out. Merle Aux Alouettes 2006 (which, as the name suggests, is predominantly Merlot) had a lot of fruit on the nose, but what there was on the palate was - yet again - totally masked by hefty tannins, which will take years to soften. Again, not for me.

I was left with the feeling that Alain Chabanon has totally changed his style of winemaking - and not for the better, in my opinion. His top wines have always been given long ageing in oak (in some cases, up to 36 months) but the results in years gone by were brilliant, complex and even "soft" wines that were approachable whilst young, even if they were built to age. Unfortunately, I can't see the current crop of wines doing the same thing. Shame.

Another important rendezvous for me was with Remy Reboul of Chateau d'Estoublon. Although I have been importing from Estoublon for a little while now, this was my first meeting with Remy. We didn't have time to talk at length, since the Estoublon stand (which they just happened to be sharing with their near neighbours Domaine de Trévallon) was extremely busy. Not surprising really, as the wines are top-notch and they had a fairly big stand, including an area laid out with some comfy chairs and tables - certainly no expense spared here! Whilst tasting through the wines, Remy asked if we would like a little food to accompany the wines. Why not, we said, thinking a few nibbles might tide us over until we went for lunch. Five minutes later, we were presented with what was pretty much a full three-course lunch of a standard which had to be tasted to be believed. I won't bore you with the details, although the coq au vin was utterly historic, with two pieces of succulent poulet laid on a bed of polenta with an amazingly rich and tasty sauce. Michelin star-standard cooking at a wine fair is not something one expects too often, but it certainly was appreciated!

Bernard compliments the chef on our delicious lunch

Although I have tasted most of the wines (and indeed sell them) it was nice to revisit the Chateau d'Estoublon Syrah 2008. A sample bottle I received a few months ago did not impress, and I gave it a rather unenthusiastic write-up in a blog entry at the time. But this one was spot on - rich but fresh, powerful but elegant, like a fine northern Rhone, but with an extra bit of southern Rhone stuffing. It may turn into something really special. It all served to confirm what I had previously suspected, which was that the sample bottle I had was faulty in some or other way. Chateau d'Estoublon is definitely an estate to watch.

Remy Reboul - winemaker at Chateau d'Estoublon

Once we had finished our lunch, Eloi Durrbach, who is something of a legend as far as I am concerned, came over to shake hands and exchange a few pleasantries. We tasted his Domaine de Trévallon red 2007, which showed all the hallmarks of yet another great wine. It was spicy and full, with oodles of garrigue herbs and poached red and black fruits, along with plenty of that juicy acidity which is a hallmark of Trévallon. At the time, I thought that it had some quite firm tannins, which would need a good few years of ageing to soften. It was only when I tasted more wines on other growers' stands that I realised that the delicious, but extremely rich and sweet dessert we had enjoyed on the Estoublon stand had made a big difference to my palate. A good few wines which I assume were actually very good actually tasted very tannic and austere after my taste buds had taken such a battering. Which leads me to suspect that the 2007 Trévallon is actually open for business and those tannins are very fine and pretty well integrated. Nevertheless, I think it will be a 15 year wine, if not 20 - and maybe even one of the great vintages.

That's it for now - in my next post, I'll mention a few more wines and growers of note from our last day, including a classic example of how to market some truly shit wines. No, I'm not cursing - they really were called "Vins de Merde"!