Rosemary George Recommends...
Monday, July 18, 2011 at 10:31PM
Wine News
with regular updates on value and quality wines
Recommended by Rosemary George MW
The Master of Wine from London who is a frequent visitor to her house in Herault
Read her COUP DE COEURS below -
You can also follow her @ http://tastelanguedoc.blogspot.com/
This is THE book on wines in the South of France
The Wines of the South of France:
From Banyuls to St. Raphael by Rosemary George
A comprehensive guide to all the wines of the Midi, from Banyuls, next to Spain through to the Italian border
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Domaine de Monplézy, 2009 Plaisirs, Pézenas – 7.00€
Smart new tasting caveaux seem to be popping up all around Pézenas. Another is at Domaine de Monplézy, where Anne Sutra de Germa runs the family estate, that came from her grandfather. The estate is well sign posted on the road between Pézenas and Roujan, with the distinctive hoopoe, which Anne has on her labels. She has 20 hectares of vines, five in the Côtes de Thongue and the rest in the recently created cru of Pézenas, that is part of the Coteaux du Languedoc.
I have always particularly enjoyed Anne’s red Plaisirs, and this 2009 is no exception. It is a blend of Carignan, Grenache, Cinsaut and Syrah. Medium colour, with ripe spice and fresh fruit on the nose. Some black fruit on the palate, balanced with a tannic streak with an edge of acidity. Fresh and youthful, with some lovely fruit. Lit really loves up to his name, sheer pleasure in the glass.
Domaine de Monplézy,
Chemin mère des fontaines
Pézenas 34120
Tel : 04 67 98 27 81
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PRIEURE DE ST. JEAN DE BEBIAN 2009 La Chapelle de Bébian blanc – 13.00€
St. Jean de Bébian was one of the pioneering estates of the Languedoc. Its initial reputation was created in the 1980s by a maverick winemaker, Alain Roux, who planted all thirteen grape varieties of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, despite the fact that most of them were not allowed in the appellation of Coteaux du Languedoc.
His reason was that the soil at Bébian is the same galets roulées of Châteauneuf. Then the estate was owned by Chantal Lecouty, and her husband Jean-Claude Le Brun, for a number of years, and then in 2008 sold to Russians. Meanwhile the talented Australian winemaker, Karen Turner, has made the wine at Bébian since 2004.
Chapelle de Bébian is the lighter wine for earlier drinking, as opposed to the more serious Prieuré de St. Jean. It is a blend of 80% Grenache Blanc, 10% Roussanne and 10% Clairette. The Grenache is fermented in vat and the other two varieties in old wood and all are kept on their lees for six months to give extra weight and flavour. For Karen the Clairette gives acidity; Roussanne fruit and the Grenache weight and richness, and that is what you have in the wine, a lovely balance of weight, fruit and acidity. There is white blossom on the palate, with a fresh finish that is both stylish and elegant.
Prieure de St. Jean de Bébian,
Route de Nizas,
Pézenas 34120
Tel : 04 67 98 13 60
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NOTRE DAME DE MOUGERES, 2010 LE Pèlerin blanc, Vin de Pays de Caux – 4.00€
As the name implies, this is an ecclesiastical property so that the vineyards belong to the sisters of the Chartreuse, while the wine estate is run by Nicolas de St. Exupéry, whose family also own Domaine Pech Céleyran in La Clape. There are family connections with Toulouse Lautrec and with Antoine de St. Exupéry, the author of Le Petit Prince.
There are two qualities of wine, Pèlerin and Pérennité, as well as some single varietals. I particularly liked Le Pèlerin blanc, a blend of Sauvignon and Vermentino. There is some pithy Sauvignon fruit on the nose, and even more on the palate, though it is slightly tempered by the Vermentino. A touch of residual sugar on the finish made me wonder if there might have been a drop of Muscat in the blend as well, but I was told not.
They too have a smart new tasting area and shop, in an old converted tractor shed, and as well as wine, you can buy delicious local honeys and various other tastes of the region. And the church that was built in 1794 is open to visitors – it has lovely simple lines in cool grey stone, and the sisters sing Vespers, that anyone may attend, usually about 5.15 most afternoons.
Notre Dame de Mougères,
34720 Caux
04 67 9840 01
www.chartreuse-de-mougeres.com
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SEIGNEURIE DE PEYRAT, Tradition blanc. 6.80€
This historic property belongs to the Viennet family, and Cécile Viennet has just taken over responsibility for the winemaking, with 2010 her first vintage. The range of wines has been revamped, with introducing three qualities for both white and red, Classique, Tradition and Prestige. In addition they make what they called the Baraguette range, of cheaper, more accessible wines.
I was really taken by the marked improvement in the white wines and I think the Tradition is my favourite, but I would be very happy to drink either of the others! Tradition is a blend of Chardonnay and Viognier, a small part of which has spent time in wood. The nose is lightly buttery and rounded, and on the palate there is a touch of wood to give more weight and mouth feel, but it is not obviously oaky. There is also hint of peachiness from the Viognier, with a fresh finish. They now have a small sales and tasting area at the entrance to the property.
Seigneurie de Peyrat,
Route de Roujan,
Pézenas 34120
Tel 04 67 24 95 72
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DOMAINE DE NIZAS, 2007 Muscat Doux, Pays d’Oc – 11.30€ for a 50 cl. Bottle
Traditionally Muscat in the Languedoc is used for the various vin doux naturels, such Muscat de Frontignan, Muscat de St. Jean de Minervois and so on. The wines are fortified so that the sweetness in the wine comes from the unfermented sugar in the grape juice. This process can sometimes make for rather heavy flavours and consequently there is a growing trend for sweet wines made from overripe grapes that are left on the vines for several days, if not weeks, after the main harvest, in a process called passerillage, so that the sugar in the grapes concentrates.
This Muscat Doux has a heady 204 gms/l of residual sugar, but it does not taste cloying. It has a lovely rich grapey sweetness, characteristic of Muscat, with a fresh note of acidity on the finish. Just the thing to go with a tarte aux pommes.
Domaine de Nizas,
Hameau de Sallèles,
Caux 34720
Tel O4 67 90 17 92
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MAS BELLES EAUX 2010 Grenache Noir, Pays d’Oc – 10.00€
A magical moment this summer was sitting outside under the venerable evergreen oak trees at Domaine Belles Eaux on a balmy evening, enjoying a selection of their wines and some delicious tapas. One of the wines we drank was the 2010 Grenache Noir. I often associate Grenache Noir with ripe liqueur cherry fruit, and this was no exception. Grenache Noir can be a wonderfully rich warming winter wine, or you can serve it slightly chilled so that it is fresh and fruity – indeed you could say the Midi’s answer to Beaujolais. This is fresh and easy, with a touch of tannin. Although it has spent four months in barrel, the oak is nicely integrated so that you cannot taste it.
This estate belongs to the large insurance group AXA, who have invested a considerable amount of money, not only in the cellars and vineyards, but also in turning an old orangerie into a tasting caveau, so it is well worth a visit.
Mas Belles Eaux,
Caux 34720 - in fact it is off the road between Roujan and Pézenas
Tel: 04 67 09 30 96
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2010 La Muse, Coteaux du Languedoc Blanc – 6.00€
The Neffiès co-op has had a hard time since the dreadful hail storm the week before the harvest in 2008 and has subsequently joined up with the Alignan co-op, to become Les Vignerons d’Alignan du Vent – Neffiès.
However the tasting caveau is still open in Neffiès, as well as one in Alignan. They make a very sound range of wines, probably some of the best from the cooperatives around Pézenas.
La Muse is a blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Clairette that have been fermented in barrel and aged in wood for a while. There is quite a bit of oak on the nose, but it is very nicely integrated and balanced so that you have some white blossom fruit as well. The palate is nicely rounded, with some rounded fruit, making an appealing mouthful.
Les Vignerons d’Alignan du Vent- Neffiès
27 rue de la Guissaume, 34290 Alignan du Vent – 04 67 24 91 31
28 avenue de la Gare, 34320 Neffiès – 04 67 24 61 98
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2010 Vermentino, Pays d’Oc, Domaine St Hilaire – 5.60€
Vermentino is the same grape variety as Rolle, but somehow the Italian name, Vermentino sounds more refreshing and exciting, not to mention delicious. And Domaine St. Hilaire, outside Montagnac, produces one of my favourite Vermentino of the Languedoc. The 2010 is fresh and pithy, with some lovely herbal fruit. It makes a great aperitif, or would go well with a light fishy starter They are also still selling the 2009 vintage, and the comparison is fascinating as the 2009 is riper and fuller, and more rounded on the palate. Anne and Jonathan actually prefer their 2009 to their 2010 at the moment, while I like the 2010 best. It’s all a matter of taste, and the 2009 would go better with a more substantial fish dish.
Domaine St. Hilaire,
Montagnac 34530
Tel: 04 67 24 00 08
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2010 L’Ampiérie, Vin de la Grange – 6.00€
Roujan has a new wine. 2010 is the very first vintage of l’Ampiérie, made by Eric Morot in his small cellar in the centre of the village, almost opposite the tourist office. It is a blend of Syrah and Mourvèdre, fermented by carbonic maceration, a technique which really enhances the fruit in the grapes. The colour is deep and the nose rich and spicy with a rounded palate, with ripe fruit. Very appealing and easy to drink.
Eric’s very first vintage was 2009. He took the courageous decision to make his own wine, rather than send his grape to the Neffiès coop, after the dreadful hail damage the week before the vintage in 2008.
Eric Morot
Le Vin de la Grange
8 rue de la Serre, Roujan 34320
Tel : 04 67 24 87 96
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TURN WINE INTO WATER.......
Domaine Montazellis – their Chardonnay was a Coup de Coeur earlier this summer – has a BIG problem.
Their 30 metre deep well has dried up, and you cannot make wine without water. They think the cause of the problem is their neighbour’s new well, that reaches 108 metres, and which has affected their water supply. The mairie in Alignan says it can’t help; neither can the pompiers.
They have quite simply been told that they will have to dig their own much deeper well – 130 metres should do it, as they are on a hill. And that of course costs money.
However, they do have wine to sell – and in order to encourage sales, have come up with a mixed case of six bottles for 45€ You will get two bottles of Cuvée Etienne, an oaked Syrah; two bottles of their delicious Chardonnay; a bottle of Merlot and a bottle of unoaked Syrah.
If you don’t know the wines of Montazellis, they are worth discovering – but the sad thing is that there will be no 2011 vintage. Without water, there can be no wine, and so they have had to sell all their grapes to the village cooperative.
Nova and Dhanya Collette
Domaine de Montazellis
Alignan du Vent 34290
Tel : 04 67 24 64 27 http://www.montazellis.com/vineyard.html
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VILLA DONDONA , 2010 Coteaux du Languedoc blanc, Cuvée Espérel – 11.00€
This year an English woman won the white wine trophy in the annual Concours des Vins de la Vallée de l’Herault, which covers wine growers in the Hérault valley, taking in Montpeyroux and Aniane. Jo Lynch and her husband, Andre Suquet, making a convincing range of red wines at Villa Dondona in Montpeyroux, but 2010 was their first vintage of white wine, so their success was more exciting. Cuvée Espérel is a blend of Vermentino, Roussanne, Grenache blanc and Marsanne – there is no oak, just lovely delicate subtle fruit, white blossom, with a fresh sappy note on the finish and an intriguing complexity. I wonder how this will age, but there is no doubt that it is drinking beautifully now.
Villa Dondona
Le Barry,
Montpeyroux 34150
Tel 06 09 18 43 46
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DOMAINE TURNER-PAGEOT, 2010 Le Blanc – 11.00€
This white wine comes from one of the most exciting estates in Gabian, a marriage of Australia – Karen Turner – and France - Emmanuel Pageot. Karen is also responsible for the wines at the Prieuré de St. Jean de Bébian. And where does Australia meet France, but in Alsace chez Hugel. Le Blanc is a blend of 80% Roussanne and 20% Marsanne, fermented in old oak barrels and also some stainless steel, using natural yeast and no temperature control. It is wine making at its simplest. The flavours are firm and nutty, with a streak of tannin and some structure, and a lovely refreshing sapidity on the finish. It is drinking well now but would also develop in bottle.
Domaine Turner–Pageot
3 avenue de la Gare
Gabian 34320
04 67 00 14 33
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DOMAINE DES TRINITES, 2010 Pays d’Oc Roussanne – 5.25€
Simon Coulshaw has been experimenting with his Roussanne; last year he gave it quite a lot of lees stirring; this year it is more restrained in style, and none the worse for that. It has a y rounded, understated nose, with some lovely white blossom fruit on the palate, with good texture and balancing acidity. A very satisfying wine and great value for money.
Domaine des Trinités,
6 chemin de l’Aire,
34320 Roquessels
Tel : 0467 90 23 25
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ALLEGRIA, 2008 Tribu d’A, Pezenas – 9.00 €
You may have noticed an elegant new cellar on the road between Neffiès and Fontès. This is Allegria, the result of a partnership between a French couple Ghislain and Delphine d’Aboville, and one of Argentina’s most talented winemakers, Roberto de la Moto, who is acting as their consultant. Their first vintage was in 2008 and there is no doubt that with this Tribu d’A they have got off to a very good start. The blend is 70% Syrah with 30% Mourvèdre, and a third of the wine was aged in barriques. The oak is still present and needs to tone down a little, but the palate also has some lovely fruit, with fresh cherry peppery notes, and a youthful tannic structure. They welcome visitors and have a more pro-active approach to wine tourism than many cellars.
Allegria,
Fontarèche,
Caux 34720
06 25 93 08 08
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DOMAINE ALAIN CHABANON, Coteaux du Languedoc, Rosé Trémier – 9.00€
The name is a play on word ; the French for a hollyhock is a rose trémière.
This lovely rosé is a blend of 42% Mourvèdre, which is pressed after one night on the skins, and 48% Carignan, which is pressed immediately, as well as 10% Grenache, which is also given some skin contact before pressing.
This is a food rosé. The colour is quite deep, with quite a rounded, dry nose, with fresh acidity on the palate and some herbal notes and quite a long finish. Alain suggests that the acidity will soften and the palate fill out, so that you could just as happily drink it next summer.
Domaine Alain Chabanon,
Chemin de St. Etienne,
34150 Lagamas
Tel : 04 67 5784 64
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MAS CHAMPART, 2009 St. Chinian, Côte d’Arbo – 7.70€
Mathieu and Isabelle Champart at Mas Champart outside the town of St. Chinian make an impressive range of wines. This is their entry level, a blend of Syrah, Grenache Noir, Carigan and a little Mourvèdre, and aged in a steel tank for several months. The nose is fresh with some red fruit, and on the palate there is more fresh fruit and some pepper and spice. It is youthful but already ready for drinking. And it is named after the previous owner of the vineyards.
Mas Champart,
Bramefan,
Route de Villepassans,
34320 St/ Chinian.
Tel : 04 67 38 20 09
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Villa Tempora 2009 Un Temps pour Elle. 11.80€
I love it when I discover a new estate. Villa Tempora’s first vintage was only in 2008 and their white 2009 is absolutely delicious. With a play on words, it is called Un Temps pour Elle and is made from Bourboulenc, with just a touch of Marsanne. The appellation is simple Languedoc. This is a serious white, aged in barrels, all old, with lees stirring for 14 months. The wine is still young, so there is a touch of oak, but with some lovely texture and a satisfying mouth feel, with hints of fennel and herbs, and also a firm streak of minerality. Expensive yes, but worth every centime, and very rewarding.
Villa Tempora,
6 chemin de la Faissine
34120 Pézenas
04 67 35 25 38
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MAS DE CYNANQUE, 2010 Rosé, Fleur de Cynanque – 5.50€
Xavier de Franssu at Mas de Cynanque is one of the rising stars of St. Chinian. He makes some lovely red wines, but it is the season for rosé. Two thirds of the cuvée comes from Cinsaut, which is simply pressed to extract minimum colour, with the rest from Grenache Noir and Carignan which are macerated for a short time in the vat. The colour is quite pale, and pretty, as a rosé should be. The palate is fresh and crisp, with dry raspberry fruit and certain weight, so it would work well as a food rosé as well as an aperitif.
Mas de Cynanque,
Route d’Assignan, - in other words, on the D178 between Villepassans and the junction with the D36.
34310 Cruzy.
04 67 25 01 34
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Domaine les Quatre Amours, 2009 Coteaux du Languedoc, Cuvée Louis - 15€
This is the wine that won the top prize at this year’s Concours des Vins de la Vallée de l’Hérault.
I was one of the judges for the competition so I think the least I can do is share my enthusiasm and make it one of my coups de coeur. It is a blend of 75% Syrah and 25% Grenache Noir; the Syrah is fermented by carbonic maceration, a technique that can really enhance the fruit, and is then aged in barrel, whereas the Grenache is kept in a vat for fifteen months.
This is Languedoc sunshine in a glass, with the scents of the herbs of the garrigues, and some lovely spicy fruit on the palate. Although quite young, it is drinking deliciously already. And if you are wondering about the name, France and Michel Ciohan-Cuny have four children - Louis is one of their children, who each have a cuvée named after them - and are the fourth generation of the family to make wine, but only the first to put it in bottle, beginning as recently as 2007.
Domaine les Quatre Amours,
34230 Bélarga.
04 67 24 60 89
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DOMAINE LA MADURA, 2010 Classic blanc, Vin de France – 8.40€
Cyril Bourgne worked in Bordeaux for Château Fieuzal which produces both red and white wine, so he understands Sauvignon blanc and has a fine mastery of the flavours. Good Sauvignon, the French rather than New Zealand version, should always have some firm minerality on nose and palate, and that is just what this wine has. It has been vinified and aged in vat, but kept on the lees to add extra flavour and weight. And the palate finishes with a lovely freshness and is beautifully balanced. The wine comes from St. Chinian, but Sauvignon is not allowed in the appellation, and Cyril preferred to ignore the bureaucracy of the vins de pays, and simply call it Vin de France.
Domaine la Madura,
12 rue de la Digue,
St. Chinian 34360
04 67 38 17 85
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Domaine de Montazellis 2008 Chardonnay, Côtes de Thongue 8.00€
I am a Chablis girl, so I like my Chardonnay crisp and mineral and tend to find the Chardonnays of the Languedoc a bit too soft and flabby for my liking, but every now and again, it is good to have a prejudice overturned – and that is just what happened last week, with Domaine Montazellis’s 2008 Chardonnay. It is lightly buttery, rounded with good acidity and a lovely harmonious balance. Dhanya Collette explained that he had fermented 20% of the wine in new oak, which has filled it out nicely without making it too heavy.
I am full of admiration for Nova and Dhanya, an Anglo-French couple who, without experience of the wine world, apart from drinking it, gave up their life in London to settle in the Languedoc and resurrect an old wine estate. They deserve to go far, so do go and try their wine.
Domaine de Montazellis,
Les Montarel,
34290 Alignan-du-Vent
04 67 24 64 27
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DOMAINE LA SARABANDE, Vin de Pays d’Oc, 2010 Cuvée Misterioso – 8.50€
Domaine de Sarabande is a new estate in the appellation of Faugères, with a tiny cellar on the outskirts of Laurens. There are a host of young estates in Faugères, with many newcomers, not only from France but other parts of the world. Sarabande is a marriage of Australia and Ireland. Paul and Isla met in New Zealand. And 2009 was their first vintage in the Languedoc.
I tasted the Misterioso from vat, but it was about to be bottled, and it has some lovely fruit, with fresh ripe perfumed flavours and the spice of the schist soil of Faugères. Production is tiny, and they have sold out of all of their 2009, so do go and buy some 2010 before that has all gone too.
Domaine la Sarabande
14, ancienne route nationale
Laurens 34480
Tel : 09 63 68 22 68 www.sarabandewines.com
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TERRES FAMLET, 2010 CINSAUT VIN DE France – 4.20€
Yves Falmet has one of the most dramatic vineyards of St. Chinian, a wonderful north-facing slope outside the village of Creissan and he makes a range of finely crafted wines. I was particularly struck by the fresh savoury fruit of his Cinsaut. As a single variety, it cannot be St. Chinian and Yves could not be bothered with registering it as a vin de pays, hence its humble designation of Vin de France. But it is none the worse for that. The wine does not see a stave of oak, and it has some lovely fresh fruit, with a streak of tannin and a lift of acidity on the finish. Perfect for summer drinking, especially if you serve it slightly chilled.
As Yves is a one man band, with very little help, he is reluctant to spend lots of time offering tastings in his cellar, so it is best to buy his wine at the Espace Vin in St. Chinian. This is a great wine shop and well worth a visit for the eclectic collection of bottles from the region.
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DOMAINE LA SARABANDE, Vin de Pays d’Oc, 2010 Cuvée Misterioso – 8.50€
Domaine de Sarabande is a new estate in the appellation of Faugères, with a tiny cellar on the outskirts of Laurens. There are a host of young estates in Faugères, with many newcomers, not only from France but other parts of the world. Sarabande is a marriage of Australia and Ireland. Paul and Isla met in New Zealand. And 2009 was their first vintage in the Languedoc.
I tasted the Misterioso from vat, but it was about to be bottled, and it has some lovely fruit, with fresh ripe perfumed flavours and the spice of the schist soil of Faugères. Production is tiny, and they have sold out of all of their 2009, so do go and buy some 2010 before that has all gone too.
Domaine la Sarabande
14, ancienne route nationale
Laurens 34480
Tel : 09 63 68 22 68
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DOMAINE D’AUPILHAC, LE CARIGNAN, VIN DE PAYS DU MONT BAUDILE – 14.40€
Carignan is enjoying somthing of a renaissance these days, with people realising just how good Carignan can be, when it is made properly – when it comes from old vines, with low yields.
Sylvain Fadat has long been an enthusiast for Carignan, ever since his first vintage in 1989. At the time he had very few vines, so he couldn’t afford to replant with anything else, and he kept his Carignan, even though everyone said: ça ne vaut rien.
His 2009 Le Carignan is delicious. It is aged in foudres, so large oak, rather than small barrels. It has a lovely brambly nose, with a rounded palate, some tannin and a spicey note on the finish, and proves just how delicious good Carignan can be.
Domaine d’Aupilhac
27 rue du Plô
Montpeyroux 34150
04 67 96 61 19
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MAS CAL DEMOURA, 2008 Paroles de Pierres, vin de table de France – 18.00€
This is yet another example of how the white wines of the Languedoc have improved over the last few years. Mas Cal Demoura is one of the leading estates of Jonquières and indeed the Terrasses du Larzac, and represents a career change of Isabelle and Vincent Goumard. He has developed into a meticulous and thoughtful winemaker. His wines are expensive, but for a treat, they are well worth it. Paroles de Pierres comes mainly from Chenin Blanc, a grape variety more commonly found in the Loire valley, blended with the Petit Manseng of Jurançon as well as some Grenache Blanc and Roussanne. Half the wine is fermented in wood and half in vat. The taste is lightly nutty, quite rounded with some intriguing flavours originating from such an original blend. It finishes with a refreshing note of acidity.
Mas Cal Demoura
34725 Jonquières
Tel: 04 67 44 70 82
www.caldemoura.com
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CHATEAU DE STONY, 2009 Fleur de Muscat, Pays d’Oc – 7.80€
Château de Stony is an old family estate, mainly known for its sweet Muscat de Frontignan. However Frédéric Nodet has been gradually extending his repertoire, making red and rosé, as well as variations on Muscat.
I particularly enjoyed what he calls his Fleur de Muscat; the wine has a potential alcohol of 15°, but he stops the fermentation to leave 50 gms/l of residual sugar, so that the wine is lightly sweet, and there is none of the added alcohol of a traditional Muscat de Frontignan.
This is delicate, fresh and honeyed with good balancing acidity. It may not be sweet enough to accompany a dessert, but it makes a delicious glass instead of pudding. 
Château de Stony,
La Peyrade,
Frontignan.
04 67 18 80 30
chateaustony@orange.fr
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2007 Château de Flaugergues, Coteaux du Languedoc 9.00€
The château de Flaugergues is a magnificent building situated on the edge of the urban sprawl of Montpellier. You sense that they are fighting a loosing battle with the encroaching city. But it is well worth a journey, not only for the chateau itself, but also for the wines and the restaurant. Flaugergues belongs to the de Colbert family who are the descendants of Louis XIV’s minister and was built at the end of the 17th century.
2007 Château de Flaugergues is a blend of Grenache Noir, Syrah and Mourvèdre. It has a deep colour, with some subtle spice on the nose and rounded body and weight on the palate, with some attractive spicy fruit. Unusually for the Midi, Pierre de Colbert favours screwcaps and has been using them since 2003. And at the other end of the scale, his Cuvée de l’Oncle Charles makes a perfect picnic wine.
Château de Flaugergues,
1744 Avenue Albert Einstein,
34000 Montpellier
Tel : 04 67 65 51 72
www.flaugergues.com
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Domaine de La Coste-Moynier, Cuvée Prestige – 5.90€
The village of St. Christol was recognised as a terroir of the appellation of the Coteaux du Languedoc when the appellation was created in 1985. In reality there are very few wine growers in the village, apart from the coop, and Luc Moynier has been maintaining the viticultural reputation of St. Christol almost single-handedly for a number of years. He makes a variety of wines, both appellation and varietal vins de pays. I particularly like his Coteaux du Languedoc, Cuvée Prestige, an appealing blend of Mourvèdre and Grenache Noir, with some ripe spicy fruit, balanced by quite a firm finish. Wonderfully easy drinking.
Domaine de la Coste-Moynier
34400 St. Christol
04 67 86 02 10
luc.moynier @wanadoo.fr
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CLOS DU SERRES, 2009 Le Clos – 8.00€
This estate in St. Jean de la Blaquière changed hand relatively recently and has taken on a new lease of life in the hands of Sébastien Fillon, who make finely crafted elegant wines. Le Clos is their entry level wine, based on Cinsaut and Oeillade, with Grenache and Syrah. It has some lovely perfumed fruit, but with that edge of freshness and acidity that you get from the vineyards of the Terrasses du Larzac. The tannins are supple and there is an attractive mineral note as well as perfumed red fruit.
Clos du Serres
Rue de la Fontaine – a narrow back street, so do ring first, as it is not easy to find.
St. Jean de la Blaquière 34700
Tel : 04 86 17 23 86
contact@leclosduserres.fr
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MAS DE CYNANQUE, 2008 St. Chinian, Fleur de Cynanque rouge – 7.00€
Mas de Cynanque is one of the newer estates of St. Chinian, set up by Violaine and Xavir de Franssu on the route d’Assignan outside the village of Cruzy. Fleur de Cynanque is their entry level red wine, based on Carignan, with 20% Grenache Noir and 10% Syrah. It is everything that a good St. Chinian should be, with some firm leathery notes on the nose and some lovely southern spice on the palate, with ripe fruit and warm finish. Just the thing for a cold winter’s day. 
Mas de Cynanque
Route d’Assignan,
Cruzy 34310
Tel : 04 67 25 01 34
www.masdecynanque.com
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CHATEAU DE L’ENGARRAN, Caprice de l’Engarran rouge 2008
Vin issu de raisins surmûris
21.00€ for a 50 cl. bottle
The château de l’Engarran is a beautiful property on the western edge of Montpellier, within the area of St. Georges d’Orques. It is well worth a visit when the gardens are open for the journées de la patrimoine. And with this wine I am thinking Christmas indulgence, a red wine that will go with chocolate puddings, or even Christmas pudding, if you are that way inclined. It is made from overripe Grenache Noir, grapes that have been left on the vine until they are ripe and concentrated. It is not a vin doux naturel, with added alcohol, like Rivesaltes or Maury, so lighter and fresher, but with rich chocolate notes on the nose, with more spice on the palate, and some refreshing acidity and a touch of tannin. The alcohol level is 16.5º
Château de l’Engarran
34880 Lavérune
Tel: 04 67 47 00 02
www.chateau-engarran.com
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DOMAINE PERDIGUIER, 2008 CUVEE EN AUGER RED, Vin de Pays des Coteaux d’Ensérune - 9.00€
Château Perdiguier is an imposing property outside the village of Maraussan, which still retains the huge cellar with the enormous wooden casks, traditional to Languedoc wine estates. These days the casks are for show, rather than use, and they prefer to age their wine in small barrels, as in Bordeaux. If you prefer the flavours of Bordeaux, rather than the warmth of the Languedoc, Perdiguier is the place to go. Cuvée en Auger is their top red, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon with15% Merlot, aged in barriques for 12 months. This is the next best thing to Bordeaux out of the Languedoc, with some lovely cedary fruit. It is still very young, and if the 2004 is anything to go by, will have a long life ahead of it. The basic red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, 50% of each, at 6.00€ is also well worth trying, with smoky cedary fruit and a tannic streak. And in case you are wondering why I refer to both château and domaine, a château is not allowed to produce a vin de pays – even if there is the most magnificent château. Don’t ask why; blame French wine bureaucracy!
Château de Perdiguier
34370 Maraussan
Tel: 04 67 90 06 84
www.domaineperdiguier.com
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DOMAINE DE L’HORTUS, 2008 Bergerie de l’Hortus, Classique Rouge – 9.10€
Domaine de l’Hortus was one of the pioneering estates of the Pic St. Loup. Back in 1980s, when Jean Orliac was beginning to set up his own estate – he saw his future vineyard site while rock climbing on the sheer face of the Montagne de l’Hortus – the village coop of St. Mathieu de Tréviers dominated the area. These days it is one of the most exciting parts of the whole Languedoc, with a growing number of independent producers. However l’Hortus still remains one of my favourites.
Bergerie de l’Hortus is the unoaked cuvée of the range – as opposed to the Grande Cuvée. This is predominantly Syrah, 70%, blended with some Grenache Noir and Mourvèdre. It has a fresh peppery nose, with rounded red fruit, with a supple tannic backbone. There is a white Bergerie de l’Hortus, from an intriguing blend of Roussanne, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache Gris and Chardonnay, with some lovely peachy fruit. Also well worth trying, and for the same price. 
Domaine de l’Hortus
Mas Rigard,
Valflaunès 34270
04 67 55 31 20
www.vignobles-orliac.com
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Domaine les Filles de Septembre
2007 Cuvée Delphine de St. André, Côtes de Thongue – 7.00€
Why the Filles de Septembre? For the simple reason that Françoise and Roland have daughters born in September. And this cuvée is named after one of them. It is a blend of Syrah with 20% Carignan. The Carignan is made by carbonic maceration to bring out the fruit in the grapes, and the wine is aged in barrel for twelve months. There are some attractive peppery notes on the nose and palate, with a hint of oak underneath the fruit, with a firm finish. It is drinking deliciously now, with a winter-warming daube, but will also develop with bottle age.
Domaine les Filles de Septembre, 30 avenue Guynemer, Abeilhan
Tel : 04 67 39 01 65
les-filles-de-septembre@club-internet.fr
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2009 Château Pégairolles de l’Escalette – 4.85€
The wine coop in the village of Pégairolles must be the smallest in the whole of the Languedoc, with just 45 members cultivating 75 hectares of vineyards below the pass of Escalette. These are the vineyards you can see from the A75 above Lodève. The main grape variety is Syrah, with some Carignan and Grenache Noir. The wine is fresh and peppery on both nose and palate, with medium body. The Syrah gives a perfumed note, with the herbs of the garrigues and there is some acidity as well as tannin, for Pégairolles is one of the cooler areas of the Languedoc.
Cave Cooperative de Pégairolles – on the edge of the village
Tel: 04 67 44 09 93
Open during office hours – 8 -12 and 14 – 17.30
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DOMAINE BELLES PIERRES, 2009 Cuvée Mosaïque blanc – 5.00€
Damien Coste at Domaine Belles Pierres outside the village of Murviel-les-Montpellier has made white wine his speciality, in a region that is much better known for its red wine. He has a veritable mixture of white grapes in his vineyard, including Roussanne, Vermentino, Marsanne, not to mention Gros and Petit Manseng, to name but a few. Cuvée Mosaïque, named for the mosaic found in the Roman oppidum nearby, consists mainly of Sauvignon, with some Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Muscat à petits grains. It has a delicate perfumed nose, with hints of peachy fruit and good acidity. The Muscat gives it a lift of flavour on the finish and the Grenache blanc fills out the palate and the result is a deliciously intriguing white wine with lots of nuances of flavour.
Domaine Belles Pierres,
Route de Bel Air – D102,
34570 Murviel-les-Montpellier
Tel : 04 67 47 30 43
www.domainebellespierres.com
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DOMAINE DE FABREGOUS, 2008 Cuvée du Jardin de Grégoire. 7.00€
Despite the storms this week, the weather is still warm enough for light easy reds, rather than block-busting winter warmers, and for that Le Jardin de Grégoire fits the bill perfectly. It is a blend of 60% Oeillade which is related to Cinsaut, and often used for rosé, but can also make deliciously perfumed reds. The other 40% is made up of Syrah, Carignan and Grenache Noir, which provide a bit more weight. And the wine is redolent of the garrigues of the Languedoc, with lovely perfumed fruit, and a fresh finish. Domaine de Fabregous is just outside Soubès, within the up-and-coming appellation of the Terrasses du Larzac, and so has some of the most northern coolest vineyards of the Hérault, as well as a magnificent capitelle.
Mas Fabregous,
1772 chemin d’Aubaygues, - sign posted on the right as you come into Soubès from the A75
34700 Soubès
Tel: 04 67 44 31 75
masfabregous@free.fr
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VIN DE LA GRANGE, L’AMBRIN 2009 – 6.00€
Roujan has not been known for its wine, but maybe things will change, as there is now an independent wine producer in the village, Eric Morot. He made his very first wine in 2009, L’Ambrin, named after his two children, Marin and Ambre. The wine is a blend of Syrah and Grenache, aged in vat. At the moment, the nose has a bit of bottle stink when it is first opened, so you need to put in a carafe and let it breathe. The palate has some lovely, fresh young fruit, and a touch of pepper. Another barbecue wine. Getting your first sales can be hard for new wine growers, so do go and buy some, as he deserves encouragement.
Eric Morot,
8 rue de la Serre
34320 Roujan
04 67 24 87 96
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2009 RIGOLETTO, VIN DE PAYS DES COTEAUX DU SALAGOU – 5.60€
DOMAINE DES TREMIERES
It’s too hot for heavy reds at this time of the year, but there are moments when nothing but a red will do. At the Aniane Salon at the end of July, I found quite a few light young reds, which provided an appealing contrast to some of the over-oaked reds that some of the wine growers were showing. One of the most refreshing reds was Rigoletto from Domaine des Tremières outside Nébian. I asked Mme. Rouquette the obvious question. Yes, she does enjoy opera. Rigoletto is a blend of Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinsaut and Grenache, aged for a few months in vat. It is redolent of young, fresh red fruits, with lovely cherry notes and minimum tannin. Just the thing for a summer barbecue.
Domaine des Tremières,
Nébian 3480
06 16 79 30 28
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DOMAINE DE LA CLAPIERE, 2009 JALADE ROSE, VINS DE PAYS D’OC – 4.50€
I make no apology for recommending yet another rosé. With this wonderful sunshine, it is rosé season, and it goes so well with all the summer dishes, salade niçoise, melon au jambon, and even barbecued meat.
Domaine de la Clapière was bought by Sophie and Xavier Palatsi four years ago and they have beautifully restored the property and developed a serious range of wines, of which I liked the rosé best at a recent tasting. It is mainly Cinsaut, with a touch of Syrah, Carignan and also Cabernet Sauvignon. The colour is a delicate orange pink, and the fruit is ripe and rounded, and very refreshing and satisfying.
Domaine de la Clapière, Montagnac.
www.laclapiere.com
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DOMAINE TERRES EN COULEURS 2009 VINS DE PAYS D’OC ROSE – 5.00€
I came across the wines of Domaine Terres en Couleurs at the sweet onion festival at Lézignan la Cèbe. For some reason the wine proved rather more interesting than the lone stall of onions. Patrick and Nathalie Goma’s rosé is made from Cinsaut and the related grape variety, Oeillade. Unusually for a rosé, a small part of the wine is aged in wood, which adds a little more weight and texture to the palate. This is a pale orange pink in colour, with a delicate nose, and some ripe raspberry fruit and a nicely harmonious finish, and very satisfying. More of a food rosé, than an aperitif.
Domaine Terres en Couleurs,
Route de Nizas,
Pezenas.
04 67 01 21 47
www.terresencouleurs.fr – the website give you the cellar opening hours, as well as a map.
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2009 Rosé, Les Fleurs Sauvages. Coteaux du Languedoc, Mas Gabriel. 6.00€
Summer has come, at last and with a vengeance, and my thoughts turn to rosé, to go accompany all those delicious summer dishes, salade niçoise and melon au jambon and even barbecued meat. Rosé is remarkably versatile, but some are more versatile than others. Some are perfect for an aperitif, where others are more adaptable and have enough weight and body to sustain a meal. Take the 2009 Les Fleurs Sauvages from Mas Gabriel, which has a light orange pink colour – colour is one of the most difficult things to get right with a rosé – and this works beautifully. It looks wonderfully enticing and not too garish. And the palate is beautifully rounded, with some strawberry fruit and refreshing acidity, but no hard edges. It is a blend from 60 year old Carignan and Cinsaut and is both elegant and mouthfilling, so that it works well as an aperitif and carries on through the meal. Peter and Deborah Core have only made just 1000 bottles of it. .
Mas Gabriel. Caux
Tel: 04 67 31 20 95
www.mas-gabriel.co.uk
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2006 Seigneurie de Peyrat, Pinot Noir, Vin de Pays d’Oc – 6.50€
Pinot Noir is a fiendishly difficult grape variety to produce in the Midi, as it tends to prefer cooler climes. However, there are exceptions to every rule, and one of the most successful Pinot Noir from the Hérault comes from the historic estate of the Seigneurie de Peyrat near Pézenas. Their 2006 Pinot Noir has lovely fresh raspberry fruit. It is quite light with some acidity and a touch of tannin, with some very appealing fruit. It would make an ideal summer red, providing uncomplicated drinking, especially if served slightly chilled.
Seigneurie de Peyrat
Route de Roujan, Pézenas 34200
Tel : 04 67 24 94 96
www.seigneuriedepeyrat.com
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2007 Mas des Chimères, Coteaux du Salagou, Cuvée L’Hérétique - 7.50€
Why the heretic ? Quite simply, because the wine is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, which are the classic varieties of Bordeaux, rather than the Languedoc. Though with pedantic attention to detail, I should mention that there is also just 4% Syrah, which of course is a more southern variety. It is a vin de pays, as Caberent Sauvignon and Merlot do not feature in the appellations of the south, and comes from vineyards outside the village of Octon, in the dramatic landscape of the Lac de Salagou. So this is the wine for anyone who is missing the taste of claret, with some lovely blackcurrant fruit, balanced by the ripeness of the south and a good streak of tannin.
Mas des Chimères was the pioneering estate of Octon, with an exciting range of innovative wines, both white and red, made by Guilhem Dardé, who sports quite the best RAF moustache on the French side of the Channel. There is a small tasting caveau just off the village square.
Mas des Chimères,
Octon, 34800
04 67 96 22 70
mas.des.chimeres@wanadoo.fr
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DOMAINE DE CANTEPERDRIX - Viognier Tradition, Vin de Pays de Cassan – 8.50€
Verena Wyss is a cheerful Swiss lady who makes wine outside Gabian at Domaine Canteperdrix. It’s a lovely spot and worth the detour, along the road to Pouzolles, and then take a right turn soon after the defunct coop of Gabian. Verena makes some lovely wines, a Roussanne, a couple of Bordeaux blend , including her elegant Bel Canto, and a delicious Viognier. Her 2008 Viognier Tradition is drinking beautifully at the moment. It is quite golden in colour, with peachy fruit on the nose and palate. Peaches and apricots are for me the benchmark flavours of Viognier. And this has some ripe rounded fruit, with fresh acidity.
Domaine de Canteperdrix
34320 Gabian
04 67 24 77 63
www.canteperdrix.com
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2005 VENDANGE D’AUTOMNE, VIN DE PAYS D’OC Château de la Peyrade – 8.00€
So many of the dessert wines of the Hérault are fortified wines based on Muscat, so it is refreshing to find one that does not depend on added alcohol for the sweetness. This does come from Muscat, but late-picked Muscat that has been left on the vines for a further six weeks, so that the grapes have turned all shriveled and raisined, what the French call passerillé.
It is quite golden in colour, with hints of barley sugar on the nose, and some lovely honeyed flavours, but it is not as luscious as traditional Muscat de Frontignan. It would go beautifully with a fruit tart, apple or strawberry.
Château de la Peyrade is one of the leading estates of Muscat de Frontignan and situated on the large roundabout at the entrance to Sète. There is a welcoming tasting caveau and shop which sells not only the wines of Château de la Peyrade, but also a good range of wines from all over the Languedoc, as well as other traditional foods, tapenades, honey and so on.
Château de la Peyrade,
34110 Frontignan
04 67 48 61 19
www. chateaulapeyrade.com
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2009 Languedoc Rosé, Domaine de Nizas – 8.00€
With such wonderful spring sunshine, my thoughts turn to rosé. The new vintage of Domaine de Nizas is quite delicious. For a start it looks so appealing, with a pretty pink colour, which simply demands to be sipped on a sunny day. The flavour is ripe and rounded and beautifully creamy, with some balancing acidity. The palate has lovely weight and mouth feel.
Making good rosé is tricky. You need to get the colour right. For this wine the grapes are mostly pressed immediately and the juice left to macerate for anything from six to twelve hours. At Nizas they are adamant that rosé should not be a by-product of their red wine; they choose grapes from lighter soils; pick them a little earlier than for red wine and allow themselves a slightly larger yield. Nor should a rosé be too alcoholic.
Domaine de Nizas,
Hameau de Sallèles,
34720 Caux
04 67 90 17 92
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PEOPLES CHOICE
91 tasters - drawn from the trade and the general public, judged a range of wines recently at the agricultural college in Gignac
In near silence 120 reds, 40 whites and 41 Roses (up 16% this year) were looked at, smelt and sipped to award Gold, Silver and Bronze medals - as Mr Blair might have said "The peoples choice".
The winners are announced later in the month - meanwhile hats off to the organisers of this most professional event - albeit mainly for amateurs!
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Faugeres also have a keen eye for marketing and brought together many of the growers from the schiste to meet growers with similar soils in Spain and Switzerland. An interesting idea celebrating the terroir and a very difficult soil to work with.
The range of wines is superb but WoW could not detect a common schist note in the wines - some excellent and some less so - but no sense of a flinty hard taste.
You can compare your palate in Sete and Beziers when Faugeres goes on an "Operation seduction" in the two towns from the 5th to 12th June
Info - www.faugeres.com
More on the website about the 6th of June vineyard walk - "Fleur de vigne" or on the 11th July when there will be a day of wine dedicated to St Jean (Last year 1,000 glasses were drunk - just tasting of course!
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Domaine Sainte Rose- Authentic, Hand-Crafted, Family Made Wines. 
Domaine Sainte Rose is an exceptional viticultural estate situated in the Languedoc region of southern France. The Domaine is owned by Charles and Ruth Simpson, a British couple who left their respective international careers to pursue their mutual dream to establish a boutique vineyard and winery of their own. Since purchasing the Domaine in 2002 the Simpson's have created a successful range of high quality wines that are marketed in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, the United States, Canada, Holland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Poland and Switzerland to date.
The Simpson's have a very specific quality-orientated strategy. Their improvements in the farming of the vineyards combined with significant investment in state-of-the-art winemaking equipment and strict hygiene standards in the winery has enabled them to achieve their goal of creating small quantities of authentic, hand-crafted, family-made wines of distinction
Charles Simpson
Tel: +33 (0) 467 39 07 54
E-Mail: charles@sainterose.com
Web: www.sainterose.com
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Domaine le Comte des Floris, 2008 Six Rats Noirs – 7.50€
Daniel le Comte des Floris did not have a particularly good vintage in 2008; his Syrah got hailed; his Grenache Noir produced virtually nothing and his Carignan was overrun by vers de la grappe. Nor did he pick at the right time.
So instead of the usual three wines, one from each of the different soils in his vineyard, he made just one wine, a blend of all three grape varieties and soils, called les Six Rats Noirs. And it is absolutely delicious, with some dry spicy fruit on the nose and lovely ripe fruit on the palate, with an attractive mineral edge and a touch of tannin. It has spent twelve months in old barrels.
As well as running a successful wine estate,
Daniel is also part owner of the cheerful wine bar in the cours Jean Jaurès in the centre of Pézenas.
It is well worth a visit for the selection of local wines, and accompanying tapas - his cellars are in the back streets of Caux
domaine.floris@gmail.com
http://www.domainelecontedesfloris.com/en/
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DOMAINE CLAVEL, LE MAS, GRES DE MONTPELLIER – 5.60€
Grès de Montpellier is one of the newer sub-regions or terroirs of the Coteaux du Languedoc, covering an area around Montpellier, incorporating various longer-standing areas, such as Méjanelle and St. Drézery and including vineyards almost in the suburbs and close to the airport. One of the leading estates of the area is Domaine Clavel, which was set up by Pierre Clavel, whose father, Jean, was one of the pioneers of the Coteaux du Languedoc when it was a new appellation in the 1980s.
Pierre is based outside the village of Assas, close to the vineyards of Pic St. Loup and makes a delicious range of wines, a white and several reds, of which one of my favourite is his simplest wine, Le Mas. It is a blend of Syrah, Grenache Noir, Carignan and Cinsaut. He is aiming for ripe juicy fruit, and that is just what you get, lovely ripe spices with a fresh finish. It’s sheer pleasure in the glass, friendly and undemanding.
Domaine Clavel, Assas 34820
Tel: 04 99 62 06 13
info@vins-clavel.fr
www.vins-clavel.fr
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CHATEAU de LASCAUX 2008 Coteaux du Languedoc blanc. 7.00€
Château de Lascaux is one of the leading estates of the Pic St. Loup, but as Pic St. Loup can only be red or pink, the white wine is a more humble Coteaux du Languedoc, and a delicious blend of Roussanne and Marsanne, with a touch of Viognier. This is a shining example of how much white wine has improved in the Languedoc. The flavours are fresh, with good acidity, a lovely mouth feel and texture. Everything is nicely balanced, and leaves you wanting a second glass, or indeed bottle!
The Pic St. Loup is a stunning region to visit, with the dramatic pointed Pic opposite the Montagne de l’Hortus, making for a distinctive skyline. Jean-Benoit Cavalier’s cellars are in the little village of Vacquières.
Château de Lascaux, Place de l’Eglise, 34270 Vacquières
Tel : 04 67 59 00 08
www.chateau-lascaux.com
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2007 Château la Dournie, St. Chinian - 6.80€
St. Chinian is one of my favourite appellations of the Languedoc. The wines are wonderfully appealing and spicy, and I always enjoy the Sunday market. Château la Dournie is a substantial property on the edge of the town, with a park of mature trees; it has belonged the Etienne family since the mid-19th century. The present incumbent, Véronique Etienne, produces a delicious range of St. Chinian and vins de pays. My favourite is her simple entry level St. Chinian, a blend mainly of Syrah with some Grenache and Carignan, aged in vat. The fruit is opulently spicy, with supple tannins on the palate, to balance the warmth and richness. This is sunshine in a glass – what more do you want on a grey January day?
Château la Dournie, 34360 St. Chinian
Tel 04 67 38 19 43
Château.ladournie@wanadoo.fr
www.chateauladournie.com
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DOMAINE DE PERDIGUIER 2007 CUVEE EN AUGER ROUGE, VIN DE PAYS DES COTEAUX D’ENSERUNES – 9.00€
The Château de Perdiguier is a rather imposing building outside Maraussan. The cellars too are imposing, lined with the huge foudres that were traditional to the Midi. These days they are more for show, and very impressive they are too.
This is a blend of 85 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 15 per cent Merlot, aged in barriques for 12 months. The result is delicious, with dry cassis on the nose and palate, a streak of tannin and some elegant fruit. This is the nearest that the Midi comes to Bordeaux in flavour. And the wine will develop with bottle age.
Tel: 04 67 90 37 44
www.domaineperdiguier.com
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DOMAINE DU MAS ROUGE at Mireval
2006 Muscat de Mireval – 10€
This comes from one of the few independent wine growers of Muscat de Mireval, a little known appellation for sweet Muscat, which tends to lie in the shadow of Frontignan. This is fresh, ripe and grapey, really grapey so that it is redolent of the grape variety itself, unlike most other wines. There is plenty of sweet honey, balanced with an elegant finish. You could drink it on its own or it makes a refreshing dessert wine with a fruit pudding.
Domaine du Mas Rouge
30 Chemin de la poule d’eau,
34110 Vic la Gardiole
Tel : 04 67 51 66 85
www.domainedumasrouge.com
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2007 Château de Flaugergues, Cuvée les Comtes, Coteaux du Languedoc, la Méjanelle.
The Château de Flaugergues is an old estate, and now in the suburbs of Montpellier, with Pierre de Colbert the tenth generation there. An ancestor was Louis XIV’s minister. The late 17th century château is classed as a monument historique and open to the public, as is the tasting caveau.
2007 Cuvée des Comtes is predominantly Grenache Noir, with 15 per cent each of Mourvèdre and Syrah, aged in vat. The nose is a little dumb, but the palate has some lovely ripe, rounded spicy fruit, with a sufficient hint of tannin. It is eminently drinkable, or gouleyant as our French neighbours would say – and just the thing for a cold winter’s day.
Château de Flaugergues, 1744 avenue Albert Einstein. 34000 Montpellier
Tel : 04 99 52 66 37
www.flaugergues.com
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2007 L’Infidèle, Terrasses du Larzac from MAS CAL DEMOURA 13€.
Mas Cal Demoura is one of a group of estates outside the village of Jonquières, which are creating a reputation as part of the Terrasses de Larzac. Vincent and Isabelle Goumard bought the already established property and made their first wine in 2004. It was a brilliant start and with his 2007 vintage, Vincent has done even better.
This is a blend of all five of the key red varieties of the Languedoc, with Syrah, Grenache, Noir, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsaut, discreetly aged in barrel. There is a youthful freshness about the wine, typical of the Terrasses du Larzac, with some lovely spicy mineral notes on the palate, combined with rounded ripe fruit and some leathery hints. Like all good bottles, it leaves you wanting more.
Route de St. André,
Jonquières 34 725
04 67 44 70 82
www.caldemoura.com
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2007 LE JOLY ROUGE, COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC – 5€
Domaine Virgile Joly, St Saturnin
This is Virgile’s entry level wine; he makes other more serious reds and also whites, but sheer drinking pleasure, this is hard to beat, especially when served slightly chilled. It is a blend of Grenache Noir, Cinsaut and Syrah, with some fresh spiciness and leathery notes and some soft tannins on the palate. He will shortly be moving on to the 2008 vintage.
Virgile has developed his own estate gradually since his first vintage in 2000. He has a small cellar in the main square in St. Saturnin, between the mairie and the church, but as that has become too small, he had acquired larger premises outside the village of Arboras. He is also the subject of Patrick Moon’s entertaining book, Virgile’s Vineyard, which relates his very first vintage, back in 2000.
Tel 04 67 44 52 21 –it’s best to ring first.
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2006 COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC, TERRA SOLIS, DOMAINE DES GRECAUX – 11.00€
New estates around Montpeyroux have proliferated in the last ten years or so. Alain Caujolle made his first wine in 1998, and now produces three qualities of red wine. Terra Solis is his simplest cuvée, a blend of 85 per cent Grenache Noir, with some Carignan, and aged in vat rather than barrel. He has given up using oak barrels, as he finds that they do not add anything to his wine. This has some fresh fruit, with intriguing leathery notes and some dry spiciness. There is a touch of acidity, as well as some tannins and a lovely elegant finish.
Domaine des Grécaux,
4 avenue du Monument
St. Jean-de-Fos 34150
Tel : 04 67 57 38 83 – ring first.
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2008 Cuvée Prestige, Picpoul de Pinet, La Cave de l’Ormarine at Pinet 5.10€
Another Picpoul de Pinet has caught my attention after a cellar visit to the cooperative at Pinet. It is responsible for nearly half the production of this tiny enclave of white wine in the sea of red of the Coteaux du Languedoc, and it serves its appellation very well. I was amazed how much variety of flavour you can extract from what can be a fairly neutral grape variety. Carte Noire is the wine you come across most often, but much better, and not much more expensive, is their Cuvée Prestige. They explained the vinification technique; they use the lees of the fermentation, which are filtered and then fermented slowly, and this gives a wine with a much richer flavour and more depth, but always with that salty, sappy taste of Picpoul, that goes so well with an oyster.
They have a welcoming tasting room and shop, where you can taste the entire range before buying a bottle.
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2007 VIEUX CARIGNAN, VIN DE PAYS DE CAUX, DOMAINE DE NIZAS – 11.80€
Carignan is one of those grape varieties that has been much decried, but is now enjoying something of a renaissance, and rightly so. Old Carignan vines are now treasured for the quality of their wine. They are also wonderful to look at, with their thick gnarled trunks, standing alone, without any supporting wires, with an awesome venerability about them. Domaine de Nizas, situated between Caux and Nizas, have a plot that was planted in 1948.
Their Vieux Carignan has some wonderful peppery cherry spice, with some leathery notes on the palate. There is an appealing elegant rusticity about this wine. And for those interested in the vinification process, it is mainly by carbonic maceration, a technique which extracts the best of the fruit from the Carignan, and then a small amount made with a traditional fermentation is added to the blend. And I think the resulting wine is delicious, and it goes extremely well with our village butcher’s sausages!
Domaine de Nizas, in the hamlet of Sallèles , off the road between Caux and Nizas
Tel: 04 67 90 17 92
Open weekdays 9h-17h,
www.domainedenizas.com
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MAS CAL DEMOURA, 2008 Paroles de Pierres, vin de table de France – 18.00€
This is yet another example of how the white wines of the Languedoc have improved over the last few years. Mas Cal Demoura is one of the leading estates of Jonquières and indeed the Terrasses du Larzac, and represents a career change of Isabelle and Vincent Goumard. He has developed into a meticulous and thoughtful winemaker. His wines are expensive, but for a treat, they are well worth it. Paroles de Pierres comes mainly from Chenin Blanc, a grape variety more commonly found in the Loire valley, blended with the Petit Manseng of Jurançon as well as some Grenache Blanc and Roussanne. Half the wine is fermented in wood and half in vat. The taste is lightly nutty, quite rounded with some intriguing flavours originating from such an original blend. It finishes with a refreshing note of acidity.
Mas Cal Demoura
34725 Jonquières
Tel: 04 67 44 70 82
www.caldemoura.com
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Rosemary George MW is the author of The definitive book on the wines of the South of France or our region .... available on Amazon 
You can keep uptodate with Rosemary on her blog spot @
www.tastelanguedoc.blogspot.com
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CHATEAU DE STONY, 2009 Fleur de Muscat, Pays d’Oc – 7.80€
Château de Stony is an old family estate, mainly known for its sweet Muscat de Frontignan. However Frédéric Nodet has been gradually extending his repertoire, making red and rosé, as well as variations on Muscat. I particularly enjoyed what he calls his Fleur de Muscat; the wine has a potential alcohol of 15°, but he stops the fermentation to leave 50 gms/l of residual sugar, so that the wine is lightly sweet, and there is none of the added alcohol of a traditional Muscat de Frontignan. This is delicate, fresh and honeyed with good balancing acidity. It may not be sweet enough to accompany a dessert, but it makes a delicious glass instead of pudding.
Château de Stony,
La Peyrade,
Frontignan.
04 67 18 80 30
chateaustony@orange.fr
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2007 Château de Flaugergues, Coteaux du Languedoc 9.00€
The château de Flaugergues is a magnificent building situated on the edge of the urban sprawl of Montpellier. You sense that they are fighting a loosing battle with the encroaching city. But it is well worth a journey, not only for the chateau itself, but also for the wines and the restaurant. Flaugergues belongs to the de Colbert family who are the descendants of Louis XIV’s minister and was built at the end of the 17th century.
2007 Château de Flaugergues is a blend of Grenache Noir, Syrah and Mourvèdre. It has a deep colour, with some subtle spice on the nose and rounded body and weight on the palate, with some attractive spicy fruit. Unusually for the Midi, Pierre de Colbert favours screwcaps and has been using them since 2003. And at the other end of the scale, his Cuvée de l’Oncle Charles makes a perfect picnic wine.
Château de Flaugergues,
1744 Avenue Albert Einstein,
34000 Montpellier
Tel : 04 67 65 51 72
www.flaugergues.com
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Domaine de La Coste-Moynier, Cuvée Prestige – 5.90€
The village of St. Christol was recognised as a terroir of the appellation of the Coteaux du Languedoc when the appellation was created in 1985. In reality there are very few wine growers in the village, apart from the coop, and Luc Moynier has been maintaining the viticultural reputation of St. Christol almost single-handedly for a number of years. He makes a variety of wines, both appellation and varietal vins de pays. I particularly like his Coteaux du Languedoc, Cuvée Prestige, an appealing blend of Mourvèdre and Grenache Noir, with some ripe spicy fruit, balanced by quite a firm finish. Wonderfully easy drinking.
Domaine de la Coste-Moynier
34400 St. Christol
04 67 86 02 10
luc.moynier @wanadoo.fr
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CLOS DU SERRES, 2009 Le Clos – 8.00€
This estate in St. Jean de la Blaquière changed hand relatively recently and has taken on a new lease of life in the hands of Sébastien Fillon, who make finely crafted elegant wines. Le Clos is their entry level wine, based on Cinsaut and Oeillade, with Grenache and Syrah. It has some lovely perfumed fruit, but with that edge of freshness and acidity that you get from the vineyards of the Terrasses du Larzac. The tannins are supple and there is an attractive mineral note as well as perfumed red fruit.
Clos du Serres
Rue de la Fontaine – a narrow back street, so do ring first, as it is not easy to find.
St. Jean de la Blaquière 34700
Tel : 04 86 17 23 86
contact@leclosduserres.fr
MAS DE CYNANQUE, 2008 St. Chinian, Fleur de Cynanque rouge – 7.00€
Mas de Cynanque is one of the newer estates of St. Chinian, set up by Violaine and Xavir de Franssu on the route d’Assignan outside the village of Cruzy. Fleur de Cynanque is their entry level red wine, based on Carignan, with 20% Grenache Noir and 10% Syrah. It is everything that a good St. Chinian should be, with some firm leathery notes on the nose and some lovely southern spice on the palate, with ripe fruit and warm finish. Just the thing for a cold winter’s day.
Mas de Cynanque
Route d’Assignan,
Cruzy 34310
Tel : 04 67 25 01 34
www.masdecynanque.com
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CHATEAU DE L’ENGARRAN, Caprice de l’Engarran rouge 2008
Vin issu de raisins surmûris
21.00€ for a 50 cl. bottle
The château de l’Engarran is a beautiful property on the western edge of Montpellier, within the area of St. Georges d’Orques. It is well worth a visit when the gardens are open for the journées de la patrimoine. And with this wine I am thinking Christmas indulgence, a red wine that will go with chocolate puddings, or even Christmas pudding, if you are that way inclined. It is made from overripe Grenache Noir, grapes that have been left on the vine until they are ripe and concentrated. It is not a vin doux naturel, with added alcohol, like Rivesaltes or Maury, so lighter and fresher, but with rich chocolate notes on the nose, with more spice on the palate, and some refreshing acidity and a touch of tannin. The alcohol level is 16.5º
Château de l’Engarran
34880 Lavérune
Tel: 04 67 47 00 02
www.chateau-engarran.com
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DOMAINE PERDIGUIER, 2008 CUVEE EN AUGER RED, Vin de Pays des Coteaux d’Ensérune - 9.00€
Château Perdiguier is an imposing property outside the village of Maraussan, which still retains the huge cellar with the enormous wooden casks, traditional to Languedoc wine estates. These days the casks are for show, rather than use, and they prefer to age their wine in small barrels, as in Bordeaux. If you prefer the flavours of Bordeaux, rather than the warmth of the Languedoc, Perdiguier is the place to go. Cuvée en Auger is their top red, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon with15% Merlot, aged in barriques for 12 months. This is the next best thing to Bordeaux out of the Languedoc, with some lovely cedary fruit. It is still very young, and if the 2004 is anything to go by, will have a long life ahead of it. The basic red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, 50% of each, at 6.00€ is also well worth trying, with smoky cedary fruit and a tannic streak. And in case you are wondering why I refer to both château and domaine, a château is not allowed to produce a vin de pays – even if there is the most magnificent château. Don’t ask why; blame French wine bureaucracy!
Château de Perdiguier
34370 Maraussan
Tel: 04 67 90 06 84
www.domaineperdiguier.com
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DOMAINE DE L’HORTUS, 2008 Bergerie de l’Hortus, Classique Rouge – 9.10€
Domaine de l’Hortus was one of the pioneering estates of the Pic St. Loup. Back in 1980s, when Jean Orliac was beginning to set up his own estate – he saw his future vineyard site while rock climbing on the sheer face of the Montagne de l’Hortus – the village coop of St. Mathieu de Tréviers dominated the area. These days it is one of the most exciting parts of the whole Languedoc, with a growing number of independent producers. However l’Hortus still remains one of my favourites.
Bergerie de l’Hortus is the unoaked cuvée of the range – as opposed to the Grande Cuvée. This is predominantly Syrah, 70%, blended with some Grenache Noir and Mourvèdre. It has a fresh peppery nose, with rounded red fruit, with a supple tannic backbone. There is a white Bergerie de l’Hortus, from an intriguing blend of Roussanne, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache Gris and Chardonnay, with some lovely peachy fruit. Also well worth trying, and for the same price.
Domaine de l’Hortus
Mas Rigard,
Valflaunès 34270
04 67 55 31 20
www.vignobles-orliac.com
Domaine les Filles de Septembre
2007 Cuvée Delphine de St. André, Côtes de Thongue – 7.00€
Why the Filles de Septembre? For the simple reason that Françoise and Roland have daughters born in September. And this cuvée is named after one of them. It is a blend of Syrah with 20% Carignan. The Carignan is made by carbonic maceration to bring out the fruit in the grapes, and the wine is aged in barrel for twelve months. There are some attractive peppery notes on the nose and palate, with a hint of oak underneath the fruit, with a firm finish. It is drinking deliciously now, with a winter-warming daube, but will also develop with bottle age.
Domaine les Filles de Septembre, 30 avenue Guynemer, Abeilhan
Tel : 04 67 39 01 65
les-filles-de-septembre@club-internet.fr
2009 Château Pégairolles de l’Escalette – 4.85€
The wine coop in the village of Pégairolles must be the smallest in the whole of the Languedoc, with just 45 members cultivating 75 hectares of vineyards below the pass of Escalette. These are the vineyards you can see from the A75 above Lodève. The main grape variety is Syrah, with some Carignan and Grenache Noir. The wine is fresh and peppery on both nose and palate, with medium body. The Syrah gives a perfumed note, with the herbs of the garrigues and there is some acidity as well as tannin, for Pégairolles is one of the cooler areas of the Languedoc.
Cave Cooperative de Pégairolles – on the edge of the village
Tel: 04 67 44 09 93
Open during office hours – 8 -12 and 14 – 17.30
DOMAINE BELLES PIERRES, 2009 Cuvée Mosaïque blanc – 5.00€
Damien Coste at Domaine Belles Pierres outside the village of Murviel-les-Montpellier has made white wine his speciality, in a region that is much better known for its red wine. He has a veritable mixture of white grapes in his vineyard, including Roussanne, Vermentino, Marsanne, not to mention Gros and Petit Manseng, to name but a few. Cuvée Mosaïque, named for the mosaic found in the Roman oppidum nearby, consists mainly of Sauvignon, with some Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Muscat à petits grains. It has a delicate perfumed nose, with hints of peachy fruit and good acidity. The Muscat gives it a lift of flavour on the finish and the Grenache blanc fills out the palate and the result is a deliciously intriguing white wine with lots of nuances of flavour.
Domaine Belles Pierres,
Route de Bel Air – D102,
34570 Murviel-les-Montpellier
Tel : 04 67 47 30 43
www.domainebellespierres.com
DOMAINE DE FABREGOUS, 2008 Cuvée du Jardin de Grégoire. 7.00€
Despite the storms this week, the weather is still warm enough for light easy reds, rather than block-busting winter warmers, and for that Le Jardin de Grégoire fits the bill perfectly. It is a blend of 60% Oeillade which is related to Cinsaut, and often used for rosé, but can also make deliciously perfumed reds. The other 40% is made up of Syrah, Carignan and Grenache Noir, which provide a bit more weight. And the wine is redolent of the garrigues of the Languedoc, with lovely perfumed fruit, and a fresh finish. Domaine de Fabregous is just outside Soubès, within the up-and-coming appellation of the Terrasses du Larzac, and so has some of the most northern coolest vineyards of the Hérault, as well as a magnificent capitelle.
Mas Fabregous,
1772 chemin d’Aubaygues, - sign posted on the right as you come into Soubès from the A75
34700 Soubès
Tel: 04 67 44 31 75
masfabregous@free.fr
VIN DE LA GRANGE, L’AMBRIN 2009 – 6.00€
Roujan has not been known for its wine, but maybe things will change, as there is now an independent wine producer in the village, Eric Morot. He made his very first wine in 2009, L’Ambrin, named after his two children, Marin and Ambre. The wine is a blend of Syrah and Grenache, aged in vat. At the moment, the nose has a bit of bottle stink when it is first opened, so you need to put in a carafe and let it breathe. The palate has some lovely, fresh young fruit, and a touch of pepper. Another barbecue wine. Getting your first sales can be hard for new wine growers, so do go and buy some, as he deserves encouragement.
Eric Morot,
8 rue de la Serre
34320 Roujan
04 67 24 87 96
2009 RIGOLETTO, VIN DE PAYS DES COTEAUX DU SALAGOU – 5.60€
DOMAINE DES TREMIERES
It’s too hot for heavy reds at this time of the year, but there are moments when nothing but a red will do. At the Aniane Salon at the end of July, I found quite a few light young reds, which provided an appealing contrast to some of the over-oaked reds that some of the wine growers were showing. One of the most refreshing reds was Rigoletto from Domaine des Tremières outside Nébian. I asked Mme. Rouquette the obvious question. Yes, she does enjoy opera. Rigoletto is a blend of Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinsaut and Grenache, aged for a few months in vat. It is redolent of young, fresh red fruits, with lovely cherry notes and minimum tannin. Just the thing for a summer barbecue.
Domaine des Tremières,
Nébian 3480
06 16 79 30 28
DOMAINE DE LA CLAPIERE, 2009 JALADE ROSE, VINS DE PAYS D’OC – 4.50€
I make no apology for recommending yet another rosé. With this wonderful sunshine, it is rosé season, and it goes so well with all the summer dishes, salade niçoise, melon au jambon, and even barbecued meat.
Domaine de la Clapière was bought by Sophie and Xavier Palatsi four years ago and they have beautifully restored the property and developed a serious range of wines, of which I liked the rosé best at a recent tasting. It is mainly Cinsaut, with a touch of Syrah, Carignan and also Cabernet Sauvignon. The colour is a delicate orange pink, and the fruit is ripe and rounded, and very refreshing and satisfying.
Domaine de la Clapière, Montagnac.
www.laclapiere.com
DOMAINE TERRES EN COULEURS 2009 VINS DE PAYS D’OC ROSE – 5.00€
I came across the wines of Domaine Terres en Couleurs at the sweet onion festival at Lézignan la Cèbe. For some reason the wine proved rather more interesting than the lone stall of onions. Patrick and Nathalie Goma’s rosé is made from Cinsaut and the related grape variety, Oeillade. Unusually for a rosé, a small part of the wine is aged in wood, which adds a little more weight and texture to the palate. This is a pale orange pink in colour, with a delicate nose, and some ripe raspberry fruit and a nicely harmonious finish, and very satisfying. More of a food rosé, than an aperitif.
Domaine Terres en Couleurs,
Route de Nizas,
Pezenas.
04 67 01 21 47
www.terresencouleurs.fr – the website give you the cellar opening hours, as well as a map.
2009 Rosé, Les Fleurs Sauvages. Coteaux du Languedoc, Mas Gabriel. 6.00€
Summer has come, at last and with a vengeance, and my thoughts turn to rosé, to go accompany all those delicious summer dishes, salade niçoise and melon au jambon and even barbecued meat. Rosé is remarkably versatile, but some are more versatile than others. Some are perfect for an aperitif, where others are more adaptable and have enough weight and body to sustain a meal. Take the 2009 Les Fleurs Sauvages from Mas Gabriel, which has a light orange pink colour – colour is one of the most difficult things to get right with a rosé – and this works beautifully. It looks wonderfully enticing and not too garish. And the palate is beautifully rounded, with some strawberry fruit and refreshing acidity, but no hard edges. It is a blend from 60 year old Carignan and Cinsaut and is both elegant and mouthfilling, so that it works well as an aperitif and carries on through the meal. Peter and Deborah Core have only made just 1000 bottles of it. .
Mas Gabriel. Caux
Tel: 04 67 31 20 95
www.mas-gabriel.co.uk
2006 Seigneurie de Peyrat, Pinot Noir, Vin de Pays d’Oc – 6.50€
Pinot Noir is a fiendishly difficult grape variety to produce in the Midi, as it tends to prefer cooler climes. However, there are exceptions to every rule, and one of the most successful Pinot Noir from the Hérault comes from the historic estate of the Seigneurie de Peyrat near Pézenas. Their 2006 Pinot Noir has lovely fresh raspberry fruit. It is quite light with some acidity and a touch of tannin, with some very appealing fruit. It would make an ideal summer red, providing uncomplicated drinking, especially if served slightly chilled.
Seigneurie de Peyrat
Route de Roujan, Pézenas 34200
Tel : 04 67 24 94 96
www.seigneuriedepeyrat.com
2007 Mas des Chimères, Coteaux du Salagou, Cuvée L’Hérétique - 7.50€
Why the heretic ? Quite simply, because the wine is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, which are the classic varieties of Bordeaux, rather than the Languedoc. Though with pedantic attention to detail, I should mention that there is also just 4% Syrah, which of course is a more southern variety. It is a vin de pays, as Caberent Sauvignon and Merlot do not feature in the appellations of the south, and comes from vineyards outside the village of Octon, in the dramatic landscape of the Lac de Salagou. So this is the wine for anyone who is missing the taste of claret, with some lovely blackcurrant fruit, balanced by the ripeness of the south and a good streak of tannin.
Mas des Chimères was the pioneering estate of Octon, with an exciting range of innovative wines, both white and red, made by Guilhem Dardé, who sports quite the best RAF moustache on the French side of the Channel. There is a small tasting caveau just off the village square.
Mas des Chimères,
Octon, 34800
04 67 96 22 70
mas.des.chimeres@wanadoo.fr
DOMAINE DE CANTEPERDRIX - Viognier Tradition, Vin de Pays de Cassan – 8.50€
Verena Wyss is a cheerful Swiss lady who makes wine outside Gabian at Domaine Canteperdrix. It’s a lovely spot and worth the detour, along the road to Pouzolles, and then take a right turn soon after the defunct coop of Gabian. Verena makes some lovely wines, a Roussanne, a couple of Bordeaux blend , including her elegant Bel Canto, and a delicious Viognier. Her 2008 Viognier Tradition is drinking beautifully at the moment. It is quite golden in colour, with peachy fruit on the nose and palate. Peaches and apricots are for me the benchmark flavours of Viognier. And this has some ripe rounded fruit, with fresh acidity.
Domaine de Canteperdrix
34320 Gabian
04 67 24 77 63
www.canteperdrix.com
2005 VENDANGE D’AUTOMNE, VIN DE PAYS D’OC Château de la Peyrade – 8.00€
So many of the dessert wines of the Hérault are fortified wines based on Muscat, so it is refreshing to find one that does not depend on added alcohol for the sweetness. This does come from Muscat, but late-picked Muscat that has been left on the vines for a further six weeks, so that the grapes have turned all shriveled and raisined, what the French call passerillé.
It is quite golden in colour, with hints of barley sugar on the nose, and some lovely honeyed flavours, but it is not as luscious as traditional Muscat de Frontignan. It would go beautifully with a fruit tart, apple or strawberry.
Château de la Peyrade is one of the leading estates of Muscat de Frontignan and situated on the large roundabout at the entrance to Sète. There is a welcoming tasting caveau and shop which sells not only the wines of Château de la Peyrade, but also a good range of wines from all over the Languedoc, as well as other traditional foods, tapenades, honey and so on.
Château de la Peyrade,
34110 Frontignan
04 67 48 61 19
www. chateaulapeyrade.com
2009 Languedoc Rosé, Domaine de Nizas – 8.00€
With such wonderful spring sunshine, my thoughts turn to rosé. The new vintage of Domaine de Nizas is quite delicious. For a start it looks so appealing, with a pretty pink colour, which simply demands to be sipped on a sunny day. The flavour is ripe and rounded and beautifully creamy, with some balancing acidity. The palate has lovely weight and mouth feel.
Making good rosé is tricky. You need to get the colour right. For this wine the grapes are mostly pressed immediately and the juice left to macerate for anything from six to twelve hours. At Nizas they are adamant that rosé should not be a by-product of their red wine; they choose grapes from lighter soils; pick them a little earlier than for red wine and allow themselves a slightly larger yield. Nor should a rosé be too alcoholic.
Domaine de Nizas,
Hameau de Sallèles,
34720 Caux
04 67 90 17 92
www.domainedenizas.com
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Domaine Sainte Rose- Authentic, Hand-Crafted, Family Made Wines. 
Domaine Sainte Rose is an exceptional viticultural estate situated in the Languedoc region of southern France. The Domaine is owned by Charles and Ruth Simpson, a British couple who left their respective international careers to pursue their mutual dream to establish a boutique vineyard and winery of their own. Since purchasing the Domaine in 2002 the Simpson's have created a successful range of high quality wines that are marketed in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, the United States, Canada, Holland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Poland and Switzerland to date.
The Simpson's have a very specific quality-orientated strategy. Their improvements in the farming of the vineyards combined with significant investment in state-of-the-art winemaking equipment and strict hygiene standards in the winery has enabled them to achieve their goal of creating small quantities of authentic, hand-crafted, family-made wines of distinction
Charles Simpson
Tel: +33 (0) 467 39 07 54
E-Mail: charles@sainterose.com
Web: www.sainterose.com
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Domaine le Comte des Floris, 2008 Six Rats Noirs – 7.50€
Daniel le Comte des Floris did not have a particularly good vintage in 2008; his Syrah got hailed; his Grenache Noir produced virtually nothing and his Carignan was overrun by vers de la grappe. Nor did he pick at the right time. So instead of the usual three wines, one from each of the different soils in his vineyard, he made just one wine, a blend of all three grape varieties and soils, called les Six Rats Noirs. And it is absolutely delicious, with some dry spicy fruit on the nose and lovely ripe fruit on the palate, with an attractive mineral edge and a touch of tannin. It has spent twelve months in old barrels.
As well as running a successful wine estate, Daniel is also part owner of the cheerful wine bar in the cours Jean Jaurès (ROBIN – I HAVE REMEMBERED THE NAME OF THE ST REET CORRECTLY??? PLEASE ALTER IF NECESSARY. THANKS.) in the centre of Pézenas. It is well worth a visit for the selection of local wines, and accompanying tapas. And his cellars are in the back streets of Caux
domaine.floris@gmail.com
www.domainelecomtedesfloris.com
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COUP DE COEUR
DOMAINE CLAVEL, LE MAS, GRES DE MONTPELLIER – 5.60€
Grès de Montpellier is one of the newer sub-regions or terroirs of the Coteaux du Languedoc, covering an area around Montpellier, incorporating various longer-standing areas, such as Méjanelle and St. Drézery and including vineyards almost in the suburbs and close to the airport. One of the leading estates of the area is Domaine Clavel, which was set up by Pierre Clavel, whose father, Jean, was one of the pioneers of the Coteaux du Languedoc when it was a new appellation in the 1980s.
Pierre is based outside the village of Assas, close to the vineyards of Pic St. Loup and makes a delicious range of wines, a white and several reds, of which one of my favourite is his simplest wine, Le Mas. It is a blend of Syrah, Grenache Noir, Carignan and Cinsaut. He is aiming for ripe juicy fruit, and that is just what you get, lovely ripe spices with a fresh finish. It’s sheer pleasure in the glass, friendly and undemanding.
Domaine Clavel, Assas 34820
Tel: 04 99 62 06 13
info@vins-clavel.fr
www.vins-clavel.fr
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CHAEAU de LASCAUX 2008 Coteaux du Languedoc blanc. 7.00€
Château de Lascaux is one of the leading estates of the Pic St. Loup, but as Pic St. Loup can only be red or pink, the white wine is a more humble Coteaux du Languedoc, and a delicious blend of Roussanne and Marsanne, with a touch of Viognier. This is a shining example of how much white wine has improved in the Languedoc. The flavours are fresh, with good acidity, a lovely mouth feel and texture. Everything is nicely balanced, and leaves you wanting a second glass, or indeed bottle!
The Pic St. Loup is a stunning region to visit, with the dramatic pointed Pic opposite the Montagne de l’Hortus, making for a distinctive skyline. Jean-Benoit Cavalier’s cellars are in the little village of Vacquières.
Château de Lascaux, Place de l’Eglise, 34270 Vacquières
Tel : 04 67 59 00 08
www.chateau-lascaux.com
COUP DE COEUR – 2007 Château la Dournie, St. Chinian - 6.80€
St. Chinian is one of my favourite appellations of the Languedoc. The wines are wonderfully appealing and spicy, and I always enjoy the Sunday market. Château la Dournie is a substantial property on the edge of the town, with a park of mature trees; it has belonged the Etienne family since the mid-19th century. The present incumbent, Véronique Etienne, produces a delicious range of St. Chinian and vins de pays. My favourite is her simple entry level St. Chinian, a blend mainly of Syrah with some Grenache and Carignan, aged in vat. The fruit is opulently spicy, with supple tannins on the palate, to balance the warmth and richness. This is sunshine in a glass – what more do you want on a grey January day?
Château la Dournie, 34360 St. Chinian
Tel 04 67 38 19 43
Château.ladournie@wanadoo.fr
www.chateauladournie.com
DOMAINE DE PERDIGUIER 2007 CUVEE EN AUGER ROUGE, VIN DE PAYS DES COTEAUX D’ENSERUNES – 9.00€
The Château de Perdiguier is a rather imposing building outside Maraussan. The cellars too are imposing, lined with the huge foudres that were traditional to the Midi. These days they are more for show, and very impressive they are too.
This is a blend of 85 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 15 per cent Merlot, aged in barriques for 12 months. The result is delicious, with dry cassis on the nose and palate, a streak of tannin and some elegant fruit. This is the nearest that the Midi comes to Bordeaux in flavour. And the wine will develop with bottle age.
Tel: 04 67 90 37 44
www.domaineperdiguier.com
KIWIS SEE RED OVER FRENCH WINE LABEL
(Richard Pohle/The Times)
The label does specify that the wine is made in France, but in much smaller type than the Kiwi Cuvee logo 
Try to name your sparkling wine "Champagne" or your locally made round of cheese Brie de Meaux and before you say "Bollinger" the French legal system will have torn you to pieces.
Now, in an Antipodean twist on the French system of Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) that protects food and drink by geographic indicators, an Australian tribunal has blocked a French winemaker's attempt to register a name that gave the impression its wine was from New Zealand.
The Antipodeans saw red when the winemaker Lacheteau, which is based in the Loire Valley, labelled its sauvignon blanc "Kiwi Cuvee", an apparent attempt at the sort of wit that sees Australia and New Zealand give their wines such names as Mad Fish and Kite Runner to widen their customer base.
The wine is sold under the Kiwi Cuvee label in Europe and in supermarkets in the UK. But when the French winemaker attempted to register the name in Australia, the New Zealand Winegrowers successfully opposed it, arguing that the description was likely to lead customers to believe the wine came from New Zealand.
In fact about the only thing Kiwi about the wine is the label, which is made in New Zealand, by the New Zealand winemaker Rhyan Wardmann. The label does specify that the wine is made in France, but in much smaller type than the Kiwi Cuvee logo on the bottle.
Philip Gregan, president of the New Zealand Winegrowers, told The Times: "The term 'Kiwi' has a very strong association with New Zealand and our view is that it should be reserved for New Zealand wines."
He added that "the thought had occurred to us" that if the situation was reversed, the French would have had no hesitation in stopping a Kiwi winemaker from implying its wine was made in France.
France has always been aggressive about protecting its gastronomic and wine heritage. Any sparkling wine made by the champagne method must be labelled Methode Champenoise rather than champagne, and more than 300 other wines are also protected under the AOC scheme, including chablis and bordeaux. In addition, 161 French foods have been awarded European Union "signature foods" recognition, which gives them officially protected status. The UK list of EU-protected foods includes Cornish clotted cream, Whitstable oysters and Stilton cheese.
But what is good for the force-fed goose does not seem to be good for an Antipodean gander, at least not in French eyes. Lacheteau aruged that the word "Kiwi" was not a colloquialism for the origin for the wine, but the New Zealand Winegrowers accused them of deliberately emulating a New Zealand product.
In its statement to the tribunal, the organisation said: "Sauvignon blanc is the archetypal New Zealand wine variety and screw-cap bottles such as (Lacheteau) uses, while being the preferred choice for New Zealand wines, are anathema to traditional French winemakers."
In his ruling, the trademarks hearing officer Terry Williams said that the name would cause confusion in Australia, especially to the more discerning customer who would be more likely to ask for a wine by reference to a place of origin but could misunderstand the wine's name "on wine lists in restaurants and bars".
"Customers in such places might ask for wine by variety, for example a Clare riesling or, less formally, a Kiwi sav blanc," Mr Williams said.
Mr Gregan said it was a "delicious irony" that the greatest winemakers in the world were attempting to capitalise on the popularity of New Zealand sauvignon blancs by trying to disguise their wine as something other than French.
"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," he told The Times. "We have no doubt that they were capitalising on New Zealand's reputation as a producer of great sauvignon blanc.
"It's an incredible irony that one of their winemakers is trying to pass itself off as a New Zealand wine. It's quite a delicious one, really."
DOMAINE DU MAS ROUGE at Mireval
2006 Muscat de Mireval – 10€
This comes from one of the few independent wine growers of Muscat de Mireval, a little known appellation for sweet Muscat, which tends to lie in the shadow of Frontignan. This is fresh, ripe and grapey, really grapey so that it is redolent of the grape variety itself, unlike most other wines. There is plenty of sweet honey, balanced with an elegant finish. You could drink it on its own or it makes a refreshing dessert wine with a fruit pudding.
Domaine du Mas Rouge
30 Chemin de la poule d’eau,
34110 Vic la Gardiole
Tel : 04 67 51 66 85
www.domainedumasrouge.com
2007 Château de Flaugergues, Cuvée les Comtes, Coteaux du Languedoc, la Méjanelle.
The Château de Flaugergues is an old estate, and now in the suburbs of Montpellier, with Pierre de Colbert the tenth generation there. An ancestor was Louis XIV’s minister. The late 17th century château is classed as a monument historique and open to the public, as is the tasting caveau.
2007 Cuvée des Comtes is predominantly Grenache Noir, with 15 per cent each of Mourvèdre and Syrah, aged in vat. The nose is a little dumb, but the palate has some lovely ripe, rounded spicy fruit, with a sufficient hint of tannin. It is eminently drinkable, or gouleyant as our French neighbours would say – and just the thing for a cold winter’s day.
Château de Flaugergues, 1744 avenue Albert Einstein. 34000 Montpellier
Tel : 04 99 52 66 37
www.flaugergues.com
2007 L’Infidèle, Terrasses du Larzac from MAS CAL DEMOURA 13€.
Mas Cal Demoura is one of a group of estates outside the village of Jonquières, which are creating a reputation as part of the Terrasses de Larzac. Vincent and Isabelle Goumard bought the already established property and made their first wine in 2004. It was a brilliant start and with his 2007 vintage, Vincent has done even better.
This is a blend of all five of the key red varieties of the Languedoc, with Syrah, Grenache, Noir, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsaut, discreetly aged in barrel. There is a youthful freshness about the wine, typical of the Terrasses du Larzac, with some lovely spicy mineral notes on the palate, combined with rounded ripe fruit and some leathery hints. Like all good bottles, it leaves you wanting more.
Route de St. André,
Jonquières 34 725
04 67 44 70 82
www.caldemoura.com
2007 LE JOLY ROUGE, COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC – 5€
Domaine Virgile Joly, St Saturnin
This is Virgile’s entry level wine; he makes other more serious reds and also whites, but sheer drinking pleasure, this is hard to beat, especially when served slightly chilled. It is a blend of Grenache Noir, Cinsaut and Syrah, with some fresh spiciness and leathery notes and some soft tannins on the palate. He will shortly be moving on to the 2008 vintage.
Virgile has developed his own estate gradually since his first vintage in 2000. He has a small cellar in the main square in St. Saturnin, between the mairie and the church, but as that has become too small, he had acquired larger premises outside the village of Arboras. He is also the subject of Patrick Moon’s entertaining book, Virgile’s Vineyard, which relates his very first vintage, back in 2000.
Tel 04 67 44 52 21 –it’s best to ring first.
2006 COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC, TERRA SOLIS, DOMAINE DES GRECAUX – 11.00€
New estates around Montpeyroux have proliferated in the last ten years or so. Alain Caujolle made his first wine in 1998, and now produces three qualities of red wine. Terra Solis is his simplest cuvée, a blend of 85 per cent Grenache Noir, with some Carignan, and aged in vat rather than barrel. He has given up using oak barrels, as he finds that they do not add anything to his wine. This has some fresh fruit, with intriguing leathery notes and some dry spiciness. There is a touch of acidity, as well as some tannins and a lovely elegant finish.
Domaine des Grécaux,
4 avenue du Monument
St. Jean-de-Fos 34150
Tel : 04 67 57 38 83 – ring first.
LOCAL WINE WIN AWARDS
English doctor wins French wine medal: pas mal pour un anglais
For three days a week he is a GP tending the sick in his adopted village in the South of France.
But Graeme Angus, an Englishman from Seaham, County Durham, devotes the rest of his working week to fulfilling a dream he first had over 20 years ago as a pharmacy student in Leicester - producing high-quality wines from his own vineyard.
Now his efforts have been recognised in the world's biggest competition for wine-producers.
The 43-year-old has won a gold medal for one of his reds in the 2009 International Wine Challenge, which claims to be the world's most rigorously judged wine competition, with up to six rounds of blind tasting.
The competition, which was launched in Britain 26 years ago but is judged by more than 370 connoisseurs from all over the world, saw Mr Angus's Grenache Shiraz triumph over more than 1,000 other wines in the Languedoc-Roussillon category
His success is all the more remarkable since he and his wife Alice sold their first wine only three years ago and he combines his wine-growing with part-time work as a doctor in the village of Nébian, 20 minutes drive from their home, a farmhouse in the village of Octon. In what is arguably an even greater accolade, some of his French patients have congratulated "l'Anglais" on his award and are enquiring enthusiastically about his next vintage.
"Most people are very complimentary," said Mr Angus, originally from Seaham in County Durham. "The French are proud of their wine culture, and some are a bit surprised that an Englishman can produce good wines, but on the whole people are positive."
Mr Angus's interest in wine began when he was a pharmacy student at Leicester University and took a job in a wine cellar. It developed into a passion after he gave up working as a pharmacist and trained to be a doctor.
After seven years working as a haematologist in London hospitals, he decided to turn his love of wine into a career. In 1999, aged 33, he gave up medicine and went to Australia with Alice - an English agricultural economist who was brought up in France and whom he had met just two months earlier - to study wine-making.
He took his new skills to France, where his English in-laws had lived since 1976, and worked at a wine-maker's before deciding to set up his own business in 2003.
The start-up costs were huge, so to pay the bills he resumed his medical career. Today he makes two vin de pays d'oc organic wines, the Grenache Shiraz and a "pure " Syrah.
He produces 6-8,000 bottles a year which he sells to shops, restaurants and a growing number of people who have heard about the wines and drop past to buy at the door.
Some French people do find it a bit hard to accept that an Englishman has beaten French producers to an award," added Mrs Angus, who was born in London and moved to France with her parents when she was seven. "A lot of them thought he was an eccentric Englishman who wanted to make wine as a hobby and were convinced it would taste pretty disgusting. But they are fine about it once they actually taste it."
The couple, who have two young children, produced their first grapes in 2004 and their wine went on sale in 2006. The business has grown rapidly at a time when many other vineyards are suffering.
Mr Angus says he is proud to be an Englishman producing good wines in France. He describes his organic wine as "chunky, fruity, concentrated and aromatic".
The competition judges were more effusive, describing the 9 Euros-a-bottle wine as "very exciting...with lots of raspberry, white pepper and spice flavours and elegant structure with floral but fine tannins".
His Grenache Shiraz 2007 vintage won one of 39 gold medals awarded in the Languedoc Roussillon red wine category.
This year more than 9,500 wines entered the competition from a record 41 countries and 304 won gold medals, a 13 per cent rise on last year.
A spokesman for the Challenge said: "It's a great achievement to win a gold medal because the competition is tough and the judges are very strict. To do it as an Englishman in France is highly impressive."
Mr Angus is determined to build on his success. He is planning to switch his wines from vins de pays d'oc to the higher quality category of appellation d'origine controle(acute)e and aims to have his wines on sale in the UK next year.
Even the French media have expressed slightly reluctant admiration for his wine-making skills. "Pas mal pour un anglais,"said maville.com, a news website for the Montpellier region - "Not bad for an Englishman."
WINE NEWS Local winemakers win one of only 3 GOLD Awards in London
Domaine la Colombette wins a gold medal to the Wine Innovation Award. Only 3 gold medal for the world for their low alcohol (9%) wine PLUME. 
For full information go to www.wineinnovation.co.uk .
Visit and try it for yourself
Domaine la Colombette Ancienne route de Bédarieux
(opposite second - Northern turn - to Boujan)
Off Béziers - Bédarieux road
T: +33 (0)4 67 31 05 53
www.lacolombette.fr
~~~
2008 Cuvée Prestige, Picpoul de Pinet, La Cave de l’Ormarine at Pinet 5.10€
Another Picpoul de Pinet has caught my attention after a cellar visit to the cooperative at Pinet. It is responsible for nearly half the production of this tiny enclave of white wine in the sea of red of the Coteaux du Languedoc, and it serves its appellation very well. I was amazed how much variety of flavour you can extract from what can be a fairly neutral grape variety. Carte Noire is the wine you come across most often, but much better, and not much more expensive, is their Cuvée Prestige. They explained the vinification technique; they use the lees of the fermentation, which are filtered and then fermented slowly, and this gives a wine with a much richer flavour and more depth, but always with that salty, sappy taste of Picpoul, that goes so well with an oyster.
They have a welcoming tasting room and shop, where you can taste the entire range before buying a bottle.
2007 VIEUX CARIGNAN, VIN DE PAYS DE CAUX, DOMAINE DE NIZAS – 11.80€
Carignan is one of those grape varieties that has been much decried, but is now enjoying something of a renaissance, and rightly so. Old Carignan vines are now treasured for the quality of their wine. They are also wonderful to look at, with their thick gnarled trunks, standing alone, without any supporting wires, with an awesome venerability about them. Domaine de Nizas, situated between Caux and Nizas, have a plot that was planted in 1948.
Their Vieux Carignan has some wonderful peppery cherry spice, with some leathery notes on the palate. There is an appealing elegant rusticity about this wine. And for those interested in the vinification process, it is mainly by carbonic maceration, a technique which extracts the best of the fruit from the Carignan, and then a small amount made with a traditional fermentation is added to the blend. And I think the resulting wine is delicious, and it goes extremely well with our village butcher’s sausages!
Domaine de Nizas, in the hamlet of Sallèles , off the road between Caux and Nizas
Tel: 04 67 90 17 92
Open weekdays 9h-17h,
www.domainedenizas.com
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