Strands sometimes come together. At Bons Vivants I met a Danish woman talking to Jeff Coutelou who is writing a thesis on natural wine, climate change and the environment. She had been told by many vignerons to talk to Jeff as he is so knowledgeable about vines, plants and the environment in general. She arranged to visit Puimisson on the 23rd, a week after the tour I featured in my last post. We were also welcoming Louis, from Narbonne, who has worked with Jeff many times at vendanges and, indeed, for extended periods. It turned out that he too is writing a thesis on natural wine as part of his studies for the University of Paris. So, a combination of my last few posts and coincidences galore led to another tour of the vineyards. At this time of year it is interesting to see how quickly the vines change, so were things so different in just a week?

As I said in the last post Jeff had held a gathering of fellow winemakers on the 18th and it was a cold day with a small fall of hail as we sat in the garden. One of the consequences had been that some of the newly budded vines were grilled by frost. Vines develop a contre-bourgeon after frost or hail damage, a kind of second attempt so they will grow through the season (unless more frost damage occurs) but grown vines will not bear so much fruit. Obviously, new vines won’t develop grapes but it was interesting to see how rapidly they responded to the damage.

In Rome vineyard the development of the buds and flowers was plain to see on the Cinsault vines.

On the tour some interesting points emerged. For example, Jeff explained how some of the grape varieties such as Macabeu are better adapted for coping with heat than others. The back of their leaves has a rougher, waxy surface protecting themselves better than the thinner leaves of other varieties.

A visit to the Flower Power vineyard also revealed an interesting contrast. This was planted ten years ago and it is fair to say that it has proved to be a disappointment after early promise. In 2016 I spent a whole day in this vineyard picking snails off the young vines, but, like the proverbial painting of the Forth Bridge, it was a job without an end. The snails returned that year and devoured much of the plants and they have never really recovered from that. The 2015 Flower Power wine was excellent, recognised by La Revue du Vin de France even, and widely available. However, since then the vines have produced such small quantities of grapes that they have had to be assembled with grapes from other vineyards. The vines themselves remain short though they have grown in the last couple of years.

Over the unpaved road is a vineyard planted by a conventionally farming producer two years ago. The vines there are much taller than the ten year old Flower Power vines. They are also very spindly and lack substance, fed by irrigation and fertilisers. They will make grapes for wine this year and probably be grubbed up within ten years, qualifying for subsidies! Now, you could argue that they will be have been more successful than the Flower Power vines but at what cost. For example the soils are bare and every time it rains the topsoils are washed away. This post from 2014 illustrates the point clearly.

Meanwhile, the water level in the marne created by Jeff to help animals was getting low. There were tadpoles and animal tracks showing it was doing its job but rain was needed here just like the rest of the vineyards. Happily, shortly after we left the Languedoc to return to the UK, heavy rains arrived for a few days and Jeff tells me that the vines are thriving though the water table is still very low beneath the surface.

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After the journey down western France it was time to return to the beloved Languedoc. It had been a few years since we were there in Springtime but, with the added pull of Bons Vivants, it was time to return. This is so often the nicest season in the area, flowers blooming before the summer heat makes them wilt, birds everywhere and the sunshine to warm you up without being too hot. In the vineyards too the end of April sees the budding and flowering of the vines, a renewal of hope for the vintage ahead. Well, that was the plan.

Unfortunately, we arrived for a fortnight of cool weather with a chilling Tramontane blowing for ten days. Indeed Jeff told me that the Spring so far had been cool, other than a few days, and as a result, the vines were a bit behind. Budding was taking place but it was still too early for flowering, delayed by the cool weather. On the Thursday when some of Jeff’s friends came to share lunch and wines we actually sat through a shower of very small hail, fortunately not enough to cause any damage for Jeff. Elsewhere in France and Italy vignerons were less fortunate. Hail and frost hit widespread areas from Alsace and the Moselle to Sicily via Burgundy (especially Chablis) and Beaujolais. Many winemakers will have lost much of their 2024 crop before it has even flowered. Yes, the vines will carry out a secondary budding but that is never the same as the first in quality or quantity.

As climate change unravels our ecosystems it is becoming an almost annual story. Vines bud and flower sooner (despite the Languedoc’s story this year) and are therefore more vulnerable to Spring frosts. The famous Saints de Glace (the saints days which traditionally mark the end of frost risk) took place on the 11th to 13th of May this year so April budding and flowering is exposed to that risk. Sadly, that risk became all too real again.

For Jeff, however, the main problem on my first visit to the vines on April 17th was the lack of rain. Again. Another feature of climate chaos, drought has been affecting the Roussillon and a band of the Languedoc between the coast and hills. When talking to friends, like Olivier Andrieu in Faugères, they were happy with this Spring, rain had fallen and all was set fair. A dozen kilometres south though and the rain had not fallen on Puimisson, 25mm up to that date at Jeff’s.

Jeff and I toured the vines and all was looking well at first sight. Vines were small still, not as tall as I recalled at this time of year but growing steadily. Jeff told me though that the vines were using their reserves of water already. New plantations such as the Parellada in Peilhan and Syrah of La Garrigue were requiring plenty of watering to survive their first few months. The reservoir in Peilhan, designed for animals to drink, was very low in water. It was however, attracting animals, birds and was full of tadpoles and froglets, a true oasis in a very dry landscape.

As a result of all this Jeff had not ploughed this Spring, just a light raking. He did not want to turn over the soils and expose any dampness buried in the soils. It is ten years since he ploughed Rome vineyard and the vines there looked well. The soils there are also full of mycorrhizae. These fungal threads carry all sorts of benefits to and from the vines and other plants building a whole network of energy, information and life. It is an area of study which is only really starting to be understood, we are scratching the surface literally and metaphorically. Such study will inform Jeff and others about their practices in the vineyards, there are already many who have abandoned ploughing altogether such as the aforementioned Andrieu family at Clos Fantine.

Back in the cellars Jeff, niece Flora and others have been busy bottling some of the 2022 and 23 wines and on the 17th Flora was labelling some of them for orders to the USA with a new machine to make the job easier. Another change was the van. The little Renault Kangoo had been working for 30 years and as this video shows it had certainly given its all! Now Gilles and others can travel in relative comfort.

So, that was the scene on the 17th of April. Have things changed? I’ll update next time.

After going Ouest we headed back to the Hérault for an event called Bons Vivants. One of the driving forces behind the event is Fred Lamboeuf of Picamandil in the village where I have enjoyed many a meal and bought many a bottle. Jeff Coutelou is based in the next village and he, together with many natural wine producers, were present on April 20th, spread around the village and its château. The event was very well attended and lived up to all expectations with excellent wines, lively animations and good food provision.

It was a good opportunity to catch up with friends, old and new. Jeff held a get together of vignerons earlier in the week, some new to me, and I was able to enjoy more of their wines at Bons Vivants. There are too many wines to describe in detail so here are my favourite wines.

Pierre et L’Étoile is the domaine of Pierre Regnault based in Assignan. After early vintages Pierre realised that sulfur and sulfites were causing him personal discomfort and illness. At the same time he decided to reduce the power and alcohol content of his wines as well as remove chemical treatments in the vineyards. The wines also changed to monocépage and it was his Carignan, Maelstrom 2022, which I liked most, full of fruit but also length and freshness, so much so that I bought some.

La Quinte is the project of Matthieu Schutzger and Pierrick Lieber, two young Alsatian winemakers who have established themselves in Aigues-Vives, not far from Pierre’s domaine. Named after the space between music notes these two also have a distillery and use plants for medicinal use on their vines. Bottled in Alsace flutes as a nod to their heritage I enjoyed their Syrah, Octave (musical influences abound) but most of all their white wine La Dorée 22. Made from Grenache Blanc grapes not picked until December 15th (Alsace influence?) and given 3 days on skins the wine was fruity with a hint of late harvest sweetness but essentially dry and a note of oxidation added more complexity. Very promising.

I have known Yannick Pelletier for many years now and he is one of the nicest people in wine, quietly spoken, polite and always welcoming. I have also enjoyed many of his wines over the years, he doesn’t rush them and they show pure fruit and Yannick’s skill in the cellar. I was unaware of his Beaujolais roots but I can recognise that influence in the wines. His rosé, José 21, is direct pressed Grenache and Mourvèdre, and full of bright red fruit flavours, still fresh despite the age. The interestingly named Volatil 22 is his Cinsault, such a friendly grape with summery, fresh fruit (there were no hints of volatility either!).

I have also been fortunate to know Sybil Baldassare and Alex Durand for a long time now. They are a Faugères based couple and each has their own domaine. Sybil’s La Graine Sauvage has garnered much justified praise and is the only all white wine domaine in the appellation. A trained oenologist, Sybil eschews any additions to the grape juice and her wines are pure and clean. On this occasion it was a new wine, À Léon, which I found exciting. Named in honour of their new son it is a blend of Vermentino, Roussanne and Marsanne grapes given a few days maceration to produce a skin contact wine with texture but plenty of clean, white fruit. Lovely and my joint highest rated wine of the day. Alex’s Peira Levada domaine concentrates on red wines, for now, and bring plenty of Faugères character with red fruits and structure from the schist and marble soils. The labels are always fascinating but the wines speak for themselves. Favourite on the day was Velvet Underschiste (brilliant name and label) made with Grenache and Syrah grapes fermented with additional dry skins. There’s power, big fruit and a lovely freshness. I Found A Reason to buy some.*

It was good to catch up with Olivier Andrieu of Clos Fantine, one of my favourite winemaking families whose Faugères vineyards are stunningly beautiful and unploughed for the last ten years. I was very taken by a new cuvée, Fantasque, made with hand pressed Grenache and Syrah to which a little Muscat is added afterwards adding grapey notes and lifting the wine’s aromatics and flavours. However, the standout wine was certainly Tradition 2016. We’d had Tradition 20 which is always so classically Faugères and Languedoc but the extra ageing of the 2016 showed how pure, natural wine can benefit from time in bottle. Deep, red and black fruits from Syrah, Carignan and Grenache but with complexity, length and still feeling youthful. Joint top rated wine of the day.

Another old friend was present, Simon Bertshinger of Mas Sibert, whom I had not seen for way too long. Simon and his wife, Sara, were the subject of one of my first producer profiles back in 2015 and I have bought their wines since then. Another Faugères producer, based in Fos, Simon and Sara have unusual grape varieties for the area such as Petit Verdot and Merlot as well as more typical Syrah etc. Two wines from 2019 were my favourites, Armélot (Merlot and Petit Verdot) full of restrained fruit and complexity and Soléno with more red fruit notes from Syrah as well as Merlot and Petit Verdot too. The wines need time to mature to reach their peak but are worth the wait. I was saddened to hear from Simon that they are likely to be giving up their domaine, worried about the effects of climate change and how it affects the wines they want to make. Whatever the future brings, I wish them well and buy their wines while you can!

The final two wines I want to highlight both came from producers who I had not met until Jeff’s gathering two days previously. One of the best things about the natural wine world is how producers help out and encourage each other. Jeff’s former career as a teacher, nurturing young talent is well known with a number of winemakers citing his support and influence. One of those is certainly Gaëlle Steunou based in the village of Vailhan, between Pézenas and Bédarieux. Her domaine is Grain D’L based on old vine Carignan, Noir and Blanc, Grenache and Aramon. I liked all her wines but the one I bought was the Carignan Noir 2020, the final one of the trio garnering my highest ranking of the day. Given 3 to 5 weeks on skins, the individual small tanks are given 10 to 24 months to mature before being assembled. Full, bright dark fruits and very long on the palate it is an excellent Carignan, such a cornerstone grape of the area. This is Gaëlle’s biggest production but there are only 2000 bottles. She and her wife are gradually forging a domaine to follow, its punny name reflecting female skills and the wines reflecting a skilful winemaker.

Ian Lu became a winemaker after moving to the Lamalou area, west of Bédarieux with his wife. His passion is plants and, influenced by neighbours Wim Wagemans (Le Bouc A 3 Pattes) and Axel Prufer (Les Temps des Cerises) , he decided to try winemaking. I had enjoyed Ian’s wine at Jeff’s and was pleased to try more here. Glou Glou 22 was a very good example of fruity Grenache, pleasurable and serious. Marguerite et Coccinelle 22 was my favourite though with red fruit notes, light with 12%alc and real freshness. Delicious, another purchase and a lovely label too. I certainly will be following Ian’s career at Auprès De Mon Cep and urge you to do so too.

Congratulations to Fred and everyone associated with organising Bons Vivants, one of the better tastings I have attended and highlighting the talents of local winemakers from the area around Puissalicon and the Hérault. It was good to see many attendees who would not usually be natural wine consumers, I am sure many will have been convinced with so many top wines on show. Sales were brisk at Fred’s pop up shop (see below). There were plenty of other producers I’d have liked to visit but time is sadly limited. To next year and more good living.

*(sorry about that Velvet Underground song reference)

4. South West

From Bordeaux down through Les Landes to St. Jean De Luz right next to the Spanish border. It is such a beautiful town that when we visited briefly a few years ago whilst staying in Biarritz we vowed to return. Having spent 4 days there I’d still happily return soon. From there we moved on the Béarn in the foothills of the Pyrenees to stay with a great friend, Vincent, who worked with Jeff as a teacher and is a frequent visitor and worker in Puimisson. I’d happily say that Jurançon’s dry wines are amongst my favourite white wines of all, alongside German Riesling and Burgundy, the fresh citrus streak of acidity supported by rich white fruits and a remote hint of honeyed sweetness.

This was more of a holiday than wine trip but whilst in the area it’s always good to try new wines from the region. I was helped a lot in St. Jean De Luz by the very good wine shop, Cave Notre Selection who pointed me towards good producers of the local Txakoli from just across the border such as Zudugarai, Izagirre and Gorrondona. traditionally Txakoli was made with unripe grapes and its spritzy acidity is refreshing in the heat of the Basque coastal area. However, modern producers such as these are attempting to add complexity with different grapes to the traditional Hondarrabi (Petit Courbu) and by making wines on lees, in barrels etc. I tried several examples and whilst I liked the modern styles I do have a fondness for the traditional uncompromising, low alcohol, spritzy versions too. There is a lot of information about Txakoli here.

Irouléguy is a wine region of the South West which has started to make some waves in recent times. It is inland from St. Jean in the foothills of the Pyrenees, north of Pamplona. The most famous producer is certainly Ilarria whose wines I have tasted before and very much enjoyed, particularly the white with its Petit Manseng and Petit Courbu similar to nearby Jurançon. However, the Ilarria wines carry a premium, a good 10 euros more than most other wines of the region. Notre Sélection pointed me to a new producer working organically with minimal sulfites, Goienetxea. The domaine was selling its grapes to other producers but made its own first wines in 2021 and it was one of those which I bought, Xingolei. Made from the difficult Tannat, famous in nearby Madiran and, more so, Uruguay these days, and, yes, here we go again, Cabernet Franc. Tannat is notoriously tannic and tough and the helpful young woman in the shop advised me to carafe the wine or put it away for a few years. And then still carafe! I did try a little from an open bottle and it was big, bold and powerful but there was plummy fruit showing through but it would definitely need help to show fully at this stage. One to watch.

It was a little disappointing that many of the bars and cafés offered me wines from all over France rather than their local region, especially given the evident pride in the Basque language and culture. Areas such as Madiran and Pacherenc du Vic Bilh were unseen, a real shame. Another trip is needed. One very good wine bar on the Ciboure side of the river was Maitenia, good Txakoli from Izagirre and well priced wines of interest from elsewhere, more of which in a future post.

I wrote about Jurançon in a previous post. As I said I love the white wines from this area and producers like Montesquiou, Larredya, Cauhapé and Lafitte are frequent purchases. I also enjoyed the wines from de Souch at the recent Dynamic Wines tasting. The Béarn is a beautiful region with its views of the snow capped Pyrenees, green hills, small villages and, fascinatingly, huge churches such as that in Monein, one of the wine centres. Many of the vines are trained on large wooden frames which piqued my interest. Presumably this helps to raise the grapes towards the sun in quite steep valleys.

Natural wines are making an impact in the region, for example. Montesquiou has switched to less and less use of sulfites and often eschews them altogether. Vincent recommended the wines of Domaine Lajibe, I shall look out for them. Vincent is also enthusiastic about a new producer, Vincent Glaizes of Les âmes heureuses à Monein, his first bottles will be coming out soon.

Two wines I can recommend were enjoyed in the excellent Ekaitza restaurant. Firstly a straightforward, enjoyable sweet / moelleux Jurançon called Plaisir d’Automne 21 from Le Clos Benguères but particularly the 2009 Cuvée Marie from Charles Hours. This domaine has rather slipped from its peak but this older bottle, in magnum, was beautiful and at its peak with mouthfilling yellow fruit flavours, fresh acidity underneath and great length. Magnums are becoming increasingly in demand in top restaurants and this showcased the reason why, ageing more gently than traditional 75cl. bottles.

I love the wines of this region for their diversity, unusual grapes and curiosity. I would love to return and do a wine exploration in depth, à la prochaine!

3. Bordeaux – La Cité du Vin?

It had been thirty years since I last visited what is probably the most famous wine centre in the world. During that time Bordeaux has been rather eclipsed by Burgundy in terms of most sought after wines but it remains the home of celebrated chateaux whose bottles carry huge price tags. It is also fair to say that in the last 15 years or so Bordeaux has fallen out of fashion with those of us who enjoy natural wines and alternative grape varieties to Cabernet and Merlot in particular. Nonetheless I still enjoy Bordeaux wines and a few days in the city and Médoc provided an opportunity to explore a much changed city and wine heartland with its dramatic and legendary chateaux.

In recent times I have enjoyed Bordeaux wines from the likes of Chateau Le Puy and Ormiale at the Dynamic Wines event and Le Puy’s Emilien 2020 was my wine of the year for 2023. So, it is fair to say that the region’s wines have been steadily working themselves back in to my affections. I had no appointments with winegrowers, the trip to Bordeaux was more about enjoying the city itself. However, in the course of the five days I did enjoy some local wines in restaurants and wine bars.

One wine which was certainly an unexpected pleasure was of all things a rosé Crémant de Bordeaux called Célène Cuvée Royale, a blend of Cabernet Franc (the grape which is following me everywhere this year) and Merlot though some sites say there is some Muscadelle too. Made in the Entre-Deux-Mers this was a very refreshing glass with plenty of red fruit aromas and flavours, ideal after a long walk on a warm day. Crémant de Bordeaux does seem to be having its moment, with some good bottles around. This was enjoyed at the École du Vin right opposite the Tourist Information and Grand Théâtre in the centre of Bordeaux, a lovely building with stained glass windows and various wines and tasting plates on offer. I also enjoyed a glass of red from Cadillac, south east of the city, called Originel from Chateau Ste. Cathérine. I was told the wine was made naturally though I can’t find any evidence online of this but it was very pleasing with ripe Merlot and Cabernet Franc (!) fruit, fresh and lengthy in the mouth. What these wines showed was that there is a lot of unsung, good quality wine at reasonable prices from the area.

I chatted with a couple of wine professionals during my stay and the topic of organics came up. Both said that there are many producers now working to organic and biodynamic principles but not being certified. The main reason for this, they suggested, was the wet weather in this region so close to the Atlantic Ocean. In a wet Spring many wanted the option to be able to spray whatever they deemed necessary to combat mildew and other problems. I understand that, obviously not ideal from my point of view, but they have to safeguard their income. I was also told that there are some chateaux owned by older generations who have transferred the running of their property to younger vignerons who tend to have more sympathy for organic practices. Indeed I even found some natural wines!

One example is this bottle which I found in a wine shop in Margaux (a village without much else in it). Made at Ch. Haut-Bages Libéral, a Fifth Growth classed Grand Cru, Ceres is organic and made without sulfites by the Lurtons who also own biodynamic estates such as Ch. Ferrière. I have yet to open the bottle and will report back but it was good to see major producers embracing modern, responsible ways of winemaking.

La Cité Du Vin opened in 2016 and provided plenty of information and fun for a full half day. It is very modern in its use of interactive displays, film and digital activities. There were video interviews with winemakers around the world set on displays about their terroir, rooms showing items on the history of wine, the winemaker’s year and how wine is made. A sensory section showed how wine aromas can be identified and matched, how senses affect mood and wine tasting.

It was all designed for a more general audience but there were plenty of nuggets of information to keep me happy too. I would also commend their wine shop, which had wines from all corners of the world, you don’t see many Japanese, Mexican or Indian wines in most shops but they were available here and the prices of wines I recognised were all fair. The brasserie provided a good lunch, the restaurant is supposed to be very good. Well worth a visit.

A trip to Bordeaux would also not be complete without a visit to the vineyards. I have visited St. Émilion a number of times and it is a lovely village but this time I wanted to tour the Médoc, the left bank. I had done so once many years ago but it’s always fun to see the famous chateaux with names which are so familiar from when I was first learning about wine. I drove around but the tourist information office can easily organise tours in groups of various sizes and there were plenty of private companies in evidence too. I would advise to reserve a tour if that is the way you are going, the tourist information visits were well booked up and this was in April. I would also reserve any visits to a chateau that you may wish to enjoy. I found it frustrating that many places advertised as open (even on the door) were not at all. There have been improvements in oenotourism in the Médoc but there is some way to go still.

It was noticeable that the main châteaux had large teams of workers out in the vineyards, in common with my visit to Burgundy last year. The high prices means bigger teams can be afforded which they hope will bring better wines. As with the Loire the common practice was double Guyot vine pruning and to leave a grass covering. With such wet soils it was difficult to really examine the famous soils and the gravelly soil from the proximity to river and sea.

Why do I go on about grass covering etc? Well, have a look at the next photo taken back in the Languedoc where I type this. This is a typical scene of vineyards with most cover taken away by herbicides etc. Here the philosophy is to maximise the yield not the quality, the co-op pays by tonnage. That’s why people like Jeff Coutelou are fighting to maintain flora and fauna in a sea of barren soils. And why it is good to see on the Médoc, where not all are rich, that they put their vineyard soils first. This photo was taken on a windy day with a lot of the topsoil just blowing about, the grass prevents such erosion as well as maintaining better drainage.

The other local wine of note that I tasted (I did try some others but nothing too remarkable) was a white wine and that fits a pattern of Bordeaux Blancs that I have enjoyed in recent times. Chateau Peybonhomme-les-Tours 21 is equal parts Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon and there is a lovely freshness from the Sauvignon alongside a richness from the Sémillon, it really is a marriage from heaven. Excellent bottle.

I scratched the surface of the region with my visit in wine terms and I don’t even pretend that this article casts much light on the wines themselves. However, it was interesting to see how white, rosé and Crémant wines are reaching new heights and that, though rooted in history, winemaking is starting to change, led by successful châteaux like Pontet Canet. The city itself has been modernised beautifully, lovely for walking around, served by an excellent tram system and with so much to see. I would definitely recommend a visit whether you’re a Bordeaux wine fan or not.

2. Anjou – Domaine Aux Moines

This was a visit I very much wanted to make. In March when I attended tastings in London we went to Noble Rot on Lamb’s Conduit Street and had an excellent meal accompanied by a wine which I predicted might well turn out to be my wine of the year selection. That bottle was 2021 Domaine Aux Moines. Full of Chenin character; clean with fresh apple and white fruits, the slightest hint of honey but finishing with a lick of acidity to refresh the mouth and leave you wanting to start all over again. I must admit that whilst I knew that Domaine Aux Moines was a neighbour of renowned biodynamic pioneer Nicolas Joly I knew very little else about this Savennières producer. However, Jeff Coutelou got in touch to say how much he too loved this wine which I didn’t even know was natural.

It was a joy, therefore, when I heard that Tessa Laroche would be around for us to visit. The roads around Savennières were affected by the heavy rains and we got there early just in case. A walk around the vineyards revealed just how wet they were underfoot whilst the vines were budding beautifully. As I wrote in my last piece Tessa told me that she couldn’t get any machinery into the vineyards at all, she is trusting in nature to see that they remain in good health.

It is a beautiful estate with a lovely private garden full of roses and peonies and a small clos of vines. There are 12 hectares of Chenin Blanc vines in total but just two wines are made. The grapes from the 2 hectares of young vines (under 10 years old) go into Le Berceau des Fées. Tessa started to produce this in 2013 and the idea was to make a sappy wine for drinking early. For a number of years she then started to add the first and last pressed juice of the main wine to add complexity but in 2023 she decided to go back to her original plan and Le Berceau will only be made from the young vines.

The other vines produce Domaine Aux Moines. The juice is aged in foudres after pressing and then transferred to five stainless steel tanks for assembling before going into barrels to complete their preparation. The cellar is beautiful and work is being done to bring tasting rooms and storage rooms up to date with some beautiful vintage tiles and materials but also very modern technology such as humidity and temperature controls.

Tessa exudes joie de vivre and her enthusiasm and love for her domaine and wines shone out. There is such an obvious connection between great wines and the people who make them, a symbiosis, the wines benefit from the people and the people benefit from the wines. She began the tasting with the current bottles on sale, 2022 Berceau des Fées and 2021 Domaine Aux Moines, the one I loved in Noble Rot. The BdF was very enjoyable, lighter than the main cuvée certainly but round and rich Chenin, pears and some weight. Domaine Aux Moines was just as I recalled, lovely.

Tessa then took us into the cellars. She explained that 23 had been a difficult year as I wrote in my previous post. The vendanges were hit by rain, wind and cold after a bright start, much of the generous crop had to be left on the ground, dispiriting after a lot of promise earlier in the year. Tessa was full of praise for her team for sticking to the discipline of strict quality selection and for keeping up their morale. Much of that she credited to Élise, the young woman who is opening a pizzeria with her Chilean partner whom we had met at Domaine Mosse. It’s a small world.

The 23 Berceau des Fées was much more direct than the 22, lighter but drier and fresher. This was the result of the change in policy Tessa had outlined. I actually preferred this to the 22 despite the vintage suggesting it should be the other way round. The 23 Domaine Aux Moines was maturing in another room where it spends a year in foudre. The row of foudres was impressive and we tasted from a couple of them, one from the start of the harvest, one from later. The early picks were in the middle two foudres in the photo, they tasted very much in line with the 21, concentrated Chenin with its fruit, acidity and slight touch of sweetness. The outer two foudres had the later picked juice and, surprise, I actually preferred it. More concentration still, more directness and less rich. Tessa agreed (she is very polite after all) and credited that to the picking team. Despite having to leave so much fruit on the ground the quantities for 23 were similar to 22 because of the abundant early season.

The 2022 Domaine Aux Moines came from what Tessa believes is her best vintage so far, surpassing even the 2019. Everything went well in the year, the fruit was ripe, fresh and clean. The first and last pressed juice went to Berceau des Fées and the rest was in five stainless steel tanks. We tasted three to see how they differed after the first assemblage from barrel. There were indeed subtle variations, for example one had a more obvious oak influence than the others. Tessa intended to blend these tanks together this week, a job she likes to do on her own with no interruptions. She feels this helps her learn about the wine, be closer to it and assemble the best possible wine. She thinks she will produce it with no sulfites added, as was the case in 2020, a sign of her confidence in the wine. With the whole domaine depending on just two wines she has to be sure that they are absolutely right, if there is any doubt she will add minimal sulfites.

I have been very fortunate to visit many excellent winemakers and taste great wines with them. This was definitely amongst my favourite visits of all. Tessa is such a fun personality but also has a great knowledge which she loves to pass on. Her wines are complex, delicious and as good as any white wines that I know. Merci Tessa.

3. Basket Press

From the capital of England to the capital of Scotland for tasting number three. My very good friend David Crossley invited me up to share a tasting together courtesy of Basket Press, specialists in Central and Eastern European wines and ciders. The tasting took place at Spry on Haddington Place opposite the celebrated Valvona and Crolla and, on a sunny Spring morning, I met David outside. Together with a dozen or so wine professionals we were led through an impressive range of bottles by Jiří, whose knowledge and enthusiasm were inspiring. Thank you for sharing your expertise Jiří.

David has become something of an expert in the wines of central Europe and his excellent writing had inspired me to want to explore more for myself. I will be giving generalised impressions of this most enjoyable event and my favourite wines but I urge you to click on the following link to read David’s more thorough and knowledgeable analysis of the wines and drinks shared that morning.

Let me start with the unusual, a drinking vinegar and a cider made from frozen apples, both new to me and both made in the Bohemian Highlands of Czechia by Utopia. The vinegar had some fruit, even with the trend for kimchi and pickles I doubt I’d drink it but it was very tasty for dressings etc. The cider was a revelation, the ice had removed water to leave more sweetness and there was a lovely, intense apple hit followed by a balancing streak of acidity, very nice.

PetNats are starting to fall out of fashion at the moment but the two on show here were definitely proof that the style has a future. I enjoyed the Slovenian Izi 22 from Štekar but the star was undoubtedly Petr Koráb‘s Dark Horse Pet Nat 22 from South Moravia. Made from Traminer and Welschriesling kept on skins for a year and then blended with hybrid grape Hibernal and Blaufränkisch which gave it the bright, cherry red colour. It had bright aromas of red fruits and these carried into the flavour with a long, clean finish and a nice bitter twist on the finish. One of the best PetNats I can recall, a star wine.

The whites were good, I liked the typicity of some of the wines such as the very good Silvaner from Max Sein, Les Autochtones 20, and Sauvignon Blanc 22 from Mira Nestarecová were both very good examples of those grapes but much more. The Silvaner is grown on limestone based on seashells and there was a freshness and purity of fruit along with a slight orange colour and texture from a short skin contact, best of both worlds. Mira proved she is an excellent winemaker in her own right, not just the wife of Milan Nestarec. Her Sauvignon Blanc was another with partial maceration but the varietal character was clear and refreshing.

The most interesting white for me was Dva Duby‘s Divide 19. Made from 30% Müller Thurgau with the rest from Frühroter Veltliner, a white grape with red/pink skins rather like Pinot Gris. This gave the wine a pinkish tinge and the wine had definite saline notes (influence of the volcanic soils?) and unusual white fruit flavours like bruised apples with some cherry. I wasn’t sure I loved it but it was unique. My favourite white wine was Zdeněk Vykoukal‘s Neuberger 21, like the Dva Duby from South Moravia. Neuberger is usually to be found in Austria and is noted for its susceptibility to botrytis because of its tight bunches. Indeed, this example had 30% botrytised grapes aged in acacia barrels for 12 months then steel for another 6 months after a full day on skins. Such daring winemaking paid off handsomely, the wine was clean with white fruits and then its golden colour was matched by a hint of honey sweetness and beeswax notes. It reminded me of a very good Chenin Blanc from the Loire but stands on its own. Lovely.

From the wines tasted it was clear that skin contact is a widespread practice in the region and skilfully done at that, adding good complexity to white wines. There were four orange / amber wines on show and my standout was again from Petr Koráb, Ambero 22 made from Welschriesling, Veltliner and Traminer aged in a ceramic vessel for a year and then blended with 30% Hibernal. The wine is deep amber colour and the skin contact added a grippy texture which boosted the lovely fresh citrus (David described it as clementine). The ceramic vessel means there is little oxygen contact and the wine stays vibrant and zesty.

The best was still to come, the red wines. Pinot Noir showed up well with some pure examples notably from Jaroslav Springer and Mira Nestarecová again. As David notes Jiří stated that he thinks Springer is making the best Pinot Noir in the whole of central Europe not just Czechia. Pinot Noir Vintage Selection 20 had clear red fruit aromatics with strawberry flavours and good freshness, hard not to compare with very good Burgundy. Mira’s Pinot Noir was a bonus wine shown by Jiří, some carbonic maceration had extracted a bitter note but it was another very nice Pinot. Incidentally, her Cabernet Franc had green pepper and spice notes, another example of grape typicity.

My favourite wine of the tasting was Zdeněk Vykoukal‘s Cabernet Moravia 21. This grape is a cross between Cabernet Franc and Zweigelt, both grapes giving freshness and that was the hallmark here. The colour was pure ruby and there were plummy aromas with deep red fruits and a toffee like finish, the slightest note of sweetness. Grown on limestone the grapes are aged in oak for 10 months and then steel for 6 more. It is precise winemaking delivering a bottle which drew appreciative remarks and noises all round.

My main takeaways from this excellent tasting:

• Interesting grapes – from classical interpretations of grapes such as Pinot Noir to hybrid and crossed breeding
• Pruning – Mira Nestarecová’s very good wines originate from unpruned vines, an emerging practice and one to follow
• Skin contact – commonly used, well practised and effective in adding complexity
• Vykoukal – my favourite white and red wines were made by this producer, I need to order some!  
• Moravia – David has been highlighting this region for a long time, he was absolutely right. These were top quality wines featuring exciting and experimental winemaking.

Bravo Basket press for your work in bringing them to the UK.

2. Vinateros

The second tasting in London which I attended was named Vinateros, a gathering of Spanish producers organised by a number of importers such as Caves De Pyrène, Modal Wines and Vine Trail. I have bought wines from all of those companies and can recommend them all. There were producers from all over Spain, producers who make wine with different philosophies and types of wine, from sparkling to fortified wines. The event at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Lindley Hall in Westminster attracted large crowds including noted wine writers such as Jamie Goode and Margaret Rand. I cannot claim to know Spanish wines that well but in recent years I have been able to taste a good number and mentioned in a previous post that it is one of the most exciting wine countries at present due to a new generation of producers willing to experiment, many looking to organic, biodynamic and natural methods. That is not to say that more conventional producers are not upping their game, there were some nice examples of such wines here.

I managed to get round 21 of the 93 producers, some tables were crowded and so I couldn’t get to producers such as Envinate for example. There were lots of very good wines, some interesting conversations and confirmation of my statement about Spain. I have selected a few of my favourite wines and apologise to those I have omitted.

I am going to start with my favourite producer on the day. There were probably better individual wines but for the range of wines there were none I enjoyed more than Entre Vinyes. Maria and Pep started their venture in 2010 in the Foix Natural Park in Catalonia. They found some 80 year old abandoned vines and have worked tirelessly to bring them back to life using organic practices. They are passionate about their project and the vitality shows through in the wines. Some of those wines are named Oniric which means dream, reflecting their vision for their work. I liked all of their wines for the freshness and flavour, from PetNat rosé to white and orange wines (named Brisat in local dialect). They use barrels, concrete eggs and stainless steel for raising their wines and even produce some PetNat in cans. Using local varieties such as Xarel-lo, Vermell and Paralleda as well as Muscat and others, the enthusiasm and story of Maria and Pep convinced me to buy some of their wines from Modal and it was a good decision.

One of the most exciting wine regions of Spain in recent years has been along the Atlantic coast and Galicia. I tasted a number of wines from producers here and these were my favourites. Zarate‘s wines based on Albarino grapes were fresh, zippy and fruity, I liked them all though my favourite was the premium El Palomar 21, fermented in barrel and left on lees for a year which gave greater depth to the flavours. The Godello grape brought lovely fresh creaminess from high altitude vines in Dominio do Bibei‘s Lapena 19.

Of the Galician producers my favourite on the day was Fedellos in the Ribeira Sacra area north of Portugal. Conosbrancos 22 is a field blend of white grapes with lovely salinity. The reds were consistently drinkable, I enjoyed the field blend Lomba dos Ares 21 with a good balance of fruit and power and also Eixe 19 made from Merenzoo, Albarello and Negreda grapes (all new to me), the red fruits were full and singing.

I have previously enjoyed wines from Veronica Ortega and it was good to meet her and taste more of her vibrant wines from Bierzo in the north west of the Castilla y Leon region. I liked the red Mencia grape based wines for their cherry fruits such as the pale coloured Cobrana 21 which is blended with white grapes like Palomino and the spicy Roc 20. My favourite though was the white wine La Llorona 21 made with vibrant Godello grapes grown in sandy soils, full of white fruit flavours and saline character. A quick word too for Barco del Corneta in the same region with good concentration from their gobelet trained vines, such as the eponymous white Barco del Corneta 21 from Verdejo grapes.

The Ribeira del Duero reds of Goyo Garcia were extremely impressive, made in white, sandy soils and with no added SO². Deep, powerful, fruity, with extremely well judged balance, the Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) grapes are allowed to express themselves beautifully by very skilled winemaker Goyo Garcia Viadero. He works in vineyards with extreme temperatures which can vary enormously within one day and sells many of his grapes but his own wines should not be underestimated. I liked them all though the lighter Los Quemados 20 was very much to my taste.

Catalunya has been the region I have got to know best and as well as Entre Vinyes I was very taken by the Priorat wines of Clos I Terrasses and Nin-Ortiz. I most enjoyed the Laurel 21 of Clos I Terrasses with its upfront red fruits from Garnacha, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon and the Mas d’En Cocador Nit de Nin 19 of Nin-Ortiz with well blanced fruit and power from Carinena, Garnacha and Garnacha Peluda grapes (it is very expensive though). Priorat producer Terroir Al Limit also showed some good wines especially Pedra de Guix 21 a white wine made from Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo and Pedro Ximenez grapes all vinified separately but blended into a full, fruity sand fresh wine. Sadly I forgot to take a photo of another expensive wine.

Finally I enjoyed the sherry wines of Primitivo Collantes from the lesser known southern area of the sherry region. The family have been producing wines for 130 years and they were very refreshing and fine. I liked the Fossi Amontillado NV with characteristic nuttiness from Palomiino grapes which spend 5 years in the solera system and 8 years maturing. My other favourite was Moscatel NV made from Moscatel grapes matured for 2 years in steel, the wine was sweet but fresh and clean, very well made.

A busy, well organised event with lots of eye opening wines for me with my lack of knowledge of many Spanish wines. There were areas I still found difficult, Rioja and some of the bigger red wines for example. However, I found so many good wines and enjoyed the sheer variety of what was on offer. A week later I attended another tasting (part three of this series). When asked to recommend one producer a wine bar owner said Entre Vinyes, nice to hear confirmation of my choice from Vinateros.