Ah the Languedoc. Sun. Beautiful countryside. Great people. And VINEYARDS. VINEYARDS. VINEYARDS. VINEYARDS. Everywhere you look there are vines! This region in the south west of France produces a lot of wine. I’d be the first to admit that not all of it is great. But in my opinion it is one of the most exciting wine regions in the world.
So what makes it so special. Well for a kick-off it’s got a great climate with plenty of sun. It’s got a huge diversity of soils and terroirs meaning that a huge variety of wine styles can be made. But above all, it’s the people. There’s a real spirit here of individuality. As Virgile Joly explained to us, in Bordeaux, the style is well defined and there is not much room for creativity. Whereas in the Languedoc it’s all up for grabs (those weren’t his exact words but I’m sure he won’t mind me paraphrasing).
There’s a spirit of rebellion here. One winemaker in Minervois (whose name I should probably not reveal) proudly showed us his 100% Syrah. “Oh, I didn’t think you were allowed to make 100% Syrahs in Minervois”, I said. “You’re not”, he replied with a cheeky glint in his eye.
So, what were the most memorable wines we discovered on our trip? The wines that will forever remind us of this trip.
Mas des Dames ‘La Diva’ 2011
Mas Des Dames
Our trip to Mas des Dames was probably the highlight of our trip. It’s always fun getting involved at vineyards so when owner Lidewij asked if we wanted to help sort Grenache Blanc grapes as they came in, we jumped at the chance. It was a very easy job though, to be honest. The fruit was so healthy there was hardly anything to pick out. The vineyard is made up of several small plots of vines, some old, some new. Each has a different aspect and soil, helping to give the wines real depth and complexity. ‘La Diva’ is Lidewij’s top wine and is aged in ridiculously expensive barrels. She openly admits she didn’t think about how she was going to factor the cost of the barrels into the price of the wine but she’d been dreaming about them and one day treated herself. Probably not what I would spend €1,500 a piece on, but then I’m not a winemaker. Anyway, I digress. The 2011 was a tank sample that is just about to be bottled and is an exceptionally exciting wine experience. There’s lots of bright fruit and well integrated spicy oak. I don’t know how else to describe it, it is just gorgeous. The 2009 was also excellent – a bit more floral I thought.
Ancienne Mercerie ‘Couture’ Faugeres 2010
We stumbled on Ancienne Mercerie by accident whilst on an evening stroll on our first night in Autignac. We had a brief chat with Francois who was busily preparing for harvest and arranged to go back for a tasting the next day. The highlight of the tasting was their ‘Couture’ 2010. It’s a wine of real concentration and structure. Intense dark fruit with sweet spices like nutmeg. Very elegant. A great wine. I thought the label looked familiar and Nathalie mentioned in passing that it had been featured recently in Decanter. What I found when I got home and checked the July edition was that she had modestly neglected to mention they scored it 95 points!
Chateau des Estanilles ‘Clos du Fou’ Faugeres
Clos du fou
Other vignerons called Michel Louison mad (‘fou’ in French) for planting Syrah vines on the top of a steep hill (left) on the outskirts of the village of Lentheric. It’s impossible to grow grapes on such a slope, they said (Possibly. And if they did, it was probably in French). But in true underdog spirit he was right to try because they now produce fruit of exceptional quality and intensity. The label claims there is some Grenache in the blend to keep the appellation happy, but it’s clear that this is is all about the Syrah. There’s plenty of dark fruit and plenty of spice. Some floral notes showing through too. And it’s LONG. Real concentration. Mmmmm getting thirsty writing this!
Clos du Gravillas ‘Cote Obscur’ 2010
Clos du Gravillas
Gravillas are one of our favourite producers and they make some great wines so it was a real treat to meet John & Nicole and visit their vineyards. Their bright white rocky ‘soil’ (if you can use such a word to describe it) looks like the surface of the moon. Hence the moon logos that adorn their wines. This wine was produced from the old Carignan vines that normally make their top of the line ‘Lo Vielh’, but for some reason in 2010 the fruit tasted completely different. They decided that it was so different they would have to come up with a new name for it and settled on ‘Cote Obscur’ which means the dark side. Now I know people (myself included) often say a wine has “intense aromas of blackcurrants”, but I vow NEVER to use that phrase again after smelling this wine. It could literally have been a glass of blackcurrant juice. So well-defined. So intense. Again, not my favourite wine of theirs, but certainly the most memorable.
Chateau de la Mirande ‘Cuvee Marie-Laure’ Picpoul de Pinet 2012
This was the first time I have ever had an oaked Picpoul de Pinet. I associate Picpoul with being tangy, light and refreshing and I was a little apprehensive whether a heavy dose of oak would work. But it was surprisingly good. Perhaps a little over oaked, but the tangy, racy Picpoul handled it well. Not the best wine we had on the trip but certainly one I will remember!
Virgile Joly ‘Virgile’ Blanc 2005
Virgile Joly
Virgile Joly is one of the leading young winemakers in the Languedoc and it was great to meet him at his small tasting room in the sleepy village of St Saturnin de Lucian. He worked abroad as a ‘flying winemaker’ before returning to France to pursue his dreams of owning his own vineyard, throwing away his winemaking recipe book and letting the grapes speak for themselves. Starting with just one hectare in 2000, he has gradually acquired several more plots of vines and now has 15 hectares, which he farms organically. He produces some really excellent entry and mid-level wines but his top of the line Virgile 2005 white was the most memorable wine of the tasting. It is 100% Grenache Blanc but is made in a slightly oxidative style so it’s got a deliciously nutty quality, a bit like a Jura Vin Jaune or a Fino Sherry. Surprisingly for a wine that’s 8 years old it’s got real freshness. Lots of marzipan and almond aromas. Probably not something I would drink a lot of, but very interesting and certainly memorable.
I feel privileged to have met so many amazing people and tasted so many great wines in just 4 days. Just need to start planning the next trip now!
Vino Vero 