amarchinthevines

In a horse race (or any other race for that matter) as the start falls behind you need to get into a prime position. Not too fast or you’ll use up all your energy before the finish. Not too slow so that if things go wrong you’re caught out and in no place to achieve what you want.

That’s how it has felt as the first week drew on at Jeff Coutelou’s this year. The Syrah grape is a fundamental part of the domaine. It is grown in four different vineyards and is used to make pure Syrah wines, such as legendary La Vigne Haute, or for blending into wines such as Classe and Le Vin Des Amis. It also matures relatively early and has formed the bulk of this week’s picks.

The grapes from Peilhan were suffering as I described in an earlier post but since then we have sorted several tonnes of lovely, fresh but ripe grapes in good condition. The sorting table has been mainly a question of sifting out snails, sticking to grapes for any water they can get, earwigs and dried leaves. The vibrating table means that the snails shells rattle and it easy to pick them out whilst it lets the smaller leaves, peduncles and any grit drop through the grilles. We remove larger detritus and any bunches affected by grape moths or oidium. The Syrah from La Garrigue was in very nice condition, Jeff even teased about making La Vigne Haute, I’ll try not to get too excited just yet.

Jeff decided on Thursday to pick some Cinsault which was a little underripe and only around 9% alcohol potential. Why? It will be used to balance some of the riper and higher alcohol yields such as some of the Syrah, adding freshness and energy as well as lowering that alcohol level. It’s decisions like these which mean that Jeff has put us in that pole position going into the second week. The base is there and now we can add the grapes to make very good wines.

White grapes were not ignored, I described the Muscat in the last post and since then the Clairette and Macabeu from Sainte Suzanne has been harvested too. This is a young plantation still, only four or five years old and the heat has got to it a bit. Macabeu had a downy underside on its leaves to help dissipate heat but even that has found 2024 a wee bit much. Nonetheless, early picking and direct pressing means that we have nice, fresh white wine in the tanks, just not enough of it really, the effects of the summer.

On touring the vineyard of Segrairals Jeff felt it was necessary to bring in the rest of the Cinsault, just a couple of days after the previous pick. In those two days there had been great changes, amazingly. The grapes were fuller and riper but they were threatening to go over the top just as quickly. Cinsault has very thin skins and full grapes which provide a rich target for grape worms, wasps and other insects and if they get to work then spoiled grapes in a bunch can turn the rest to vinegar. So, Saturday afternoon brought a lot of Cinsault, its size and generosity means that the big bunches soon fill the cases and we were working flat out sorting to get rid of any potential problems. Again, having that in tank to use for the cuvée 5SO or for blending to add lightness and fruitiness, means that Jeff has greater options in the coming days.

Saturday, in particular, was full on and the temperature hasn’t dropped below 30c any day this week. Sunday, and a day of rest, is a welcome break and chance for Jeff to look at the analyses and make his choices for what comes next. Back to the race analogy, the pace has been rapid but steady and we are placed well to go on and finish the race with energy and success. Problems and decisions remain, there is a threat of rain this week and the machinery has felt the pace of work and given a few headaches and lessons in French swear words with occasional breakdowns.

On to the prize!

Eleven years of coming to vendanges (minus covid year), my tenth experience. Is there anything new to say? Well, yes, of course. Each vintage is different, the weather, the new plantings and the people. Jeff Coutelou is the central figure and around him there come and go people from all over the world, each bringing new eyes, new stories and they become an extension of the Coutelou family. There are quite a few who have gone on to make their own wines, some who move into different aspects of the wine world and others who simply put it down to experience.

When I tell people that I do wine harvest each year the most common response is that it must be lovely, how romantic the idea is. They obviously don’t recognise the brutally hard work which harvest brings, the aches, pains and cuts which follow and the heat! It has been a hot start to the ’24 harvest, every day well into the 30s centigrade. I drank many litres of water yesterday (August 28th) and still felt parched. Clothing covered in dirt, grape juice, sweat and blood are a commonality between many of us. As I have reached 65 years of age I am starting to feel such days take their toll so have taken today to recover from yesterday’s sweltering conditions and hard work, but I shall be doing six of the first seven days of vendanges.

After so many harvests it has got to the point where Jeff and I reminisce about past experiences, how we had to work differently, problems that arose in the past and which recur – shall we do the same thing this time? Something which did come back was the sorting table which broke down twice last year and had to be replaced. It is high tech, vibrating to winnow the loose debris from the bunches together with insects and snails and it makes sorting bunches a lot more straightforward. Hopefully it will continue to work for the whole season in 2024.

Tuesday was, as many first days have been, a day for Syrah. The grapes from Sainte Suzanne vineyard were somewhat lacking in juice because of this year’s drought. Healthy bunches but small grapes and Jeff felt they would be best vinified in whole bunches to bring out the fruitiness of the grapes. Normally we have sorted such grapes by hand straight from case at the top of the fermentation tank. However, Jeff decided to hang on to the original sorting table and so this was used inside the cellar to make it a more comfortable and efficient operation. Joining me at the table were Tys, a Dutchman who lives in the Auvergne and is considering winemaking for his future. He was there for just one day. Alongside him was Bart Johnston, an Australian, the fourth in my time with Jeff. From Sydney originally Bart now lives and works in Tasmania, running a wine operation as well as making his own wines under the L’Appel label. He was all set to come and do harvest with Jeff in 2020 but, for obvious reasons, that had to be postponed. His experience will be a big help to Jeff this year.

In the afternoon the pickers moved to the large Segrairals vineyard and its Syrah. As I mentioned last time this vineyard has suffered less from the heat and drought than the other side of the village so the grapes were bigger and juicier than those in the morning and by balancing them out Jeff hopes for a good base of Syrah wine, probably for blending into classic cuvées such Le Vin des Amis. The team of Moroccan pickers returned and were joined by Flora, Jeff’s niece. Dario, an Italian who has been working in Puimisson since March after coming for harvest last year forms another experienced hand. Linus, from Sweden is here for the harvest, he works in the wine business there and is looking for more experience of real winemaking. Gilles, as ever, ferries the grapes to and fro and keeps Jeff up to date with how the picking is going.

Day 2 brought a change of personnel. Another familiar face returned for a day. By coincidence the person who replaced Bart in 2020 was Louis from Narbonne and he ended up working for Jeff for a year or so. As it happened I had seen him at Jeff’s in April and it was good to catch up. He and Linus did half a day each of sorting and picking. The morning brought white grapes. Muscat À Petits Grains from Peilhan was collected and pressed directly into tank.

Back to red grapes and Grenache from Sainte Suzanne which, as I wrote last time, had fared much better than the Syrah. Good, healthy and full bunches meant a lot of work and, hopefully, a fuller tank than the Syrah from there which Jeff had estimated to be about half the usual yield. It was a sapping, hot afternoon and I must admit, a tiring one but it was good to have had a successful day.

Compare these two pictures to see how much sorting the grapes has become more mechanised and efficient.

It’s that time of year. the harvest is just around the corner. We’ll be starting next Monday at Jeff Coutelou’s domaine. I’ll be here for some but not all of the vendanges as I have a lot of travelling coming up and a much busier time here on the blog lies ahead. I shall be updating about the harvest whilst I’m here and with reports passed on to me when I return to the UK.

It’s been an ‘interesting’ year here weather-wise in the Languedoc. When I was here in April it was grey, damp and colder than average. Since then though the region has a long period of hot weather, it was still 38c when I arrived a week ago and that was cooler than the previous fortnight. I toured the vines and talked with Jeff who was rather downbeat about the vintage.

Mildew, the powdery version, has been prevalent from Spring onwards, the humidity and warmth setting it off. There is downy mildew, oidium, too. The vines look parched, the grapes struggling to swell because of the dry summer. A couple of storms last week offered a brief respite, sadly no more rain is forecast. It reaches a point where you just have to harvest as the vines are struggling and their long term health needs to be protected.

There was also a lot of evidence of the difficult Spring with coulure. This is caused by strong winds damaging the flowers and buds at that time, which was exactly what conditions were like when I was there in April. The result is bunches with a lot of gaps.

Jeff was clear that not all vineyards were equally effected. Peilhan, to the West, has suffered most whilst Segrairals, to the Eastern side of Puimisson, has done much better. There will be good grapes and good wines from 2024.

There were also a couple of other observations I thought to pass on. One vineyard area which was in good condition in Peilhan was the new plantation of Spanish grapes such as Parellada, Malvesia de Sitges and Macabeu. I assumed that they must have been irrigated as they are in their first year, they were a lush green in colour and looked strong, holding their branches out wide. Jeff corrected me though, they were watered on planting and then once in their early weeks but not since then. In vineyards such as La Garrigue and Sainte Suzanne it was also noteworthy that Grenache, (Spanish origins) was also doing well compared to most. Similarly, the Xarel-lo, now 2 years old, was looking strong with good, full bunches. Perhaps the deliberate policy of Jeff in moving towards grape varieties more adapted to hot and dry conditions is already proving a wise one?

Visiting the cellars on the 20th Jeff had emptied all the main concrete tanks and they were being cleaned thoroughly. The harvesting machinery is also being prepared, checked and cleaned. Lots of hard work to get things ready. there will be plenty of triage for me to do next week but fingers crossed for a successful harvest despite the worst nature can throw at it.

One last oddity. In the midst of the good looking Grenache vines of La Garrigue, one vine has mutated to offer Grenache Gris instead.

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.