Clairet | amarchinthevines

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It was good to be able to attend a local tasting after being in NE England for so long, I’m afraid they are rare in my home region. Christine Cannac runs a wine bar, which offers good food too, in Bédarieux. These sort of caves/restos are to be found all over France and are my favourite eating places of my time in France. Places such as Christine’s, Cave St Martin (Roquebrun), Pas Comme Les Autres (Béziers) and Picamandil (Puissalicon) offer good wines with quality food in the Languedoc. Not to mention Verre Volé and Cave Insolite in Paris, Aux Crieurs in Troyes and the peerless Papilles Insolites in Pau. Highly recommended.

Christine organised a dégustation of some of her producers as she regularly does. There were 9 winemakers present and they offered a high standard of wine.

Domaine Léonine (Roussillon) had some very good red wines with my favourite the Bottle Neck, a full, complex combination of Grenache and Syrah with plenty of fruit and power.

Bernard talking with my friend Vincent

Domaine Plageoles (Gaillac) is a domaine rightly renowned for its quality, pioneering work and championing of local and old grape varieties. Bernard Plageoles was present and it was good to chat with him. The Mauzac Nature 16 seems richer than usual and truly delicious. However, his Contre Pied 16, made from Duras was my highlight. Made to be drunk young it is refreshing, light, fruity with typicity of the grape and its dusty aromas.

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Domaine Mosse (Anjou) offered bright, clear Chenin wines. The highlight was the Rouchefert with round, full apple and honey notes, a wine which will develop for many years.

Yannick Pelletier (St Chinian) is a regular on these pages. His wines are always good, often excellent with concentrated fruits, local character and very drinkable. As so often Engoulevent was my favourite, classic St Chinian notes of dark fruit and lovely depth.

Mas D’Agalis (Hérault) is a long term favourite too, Lionel Maurel offered Yo No Puedo, perhaps his most famous wine. Largely Carignan but with Syrah,Grenache and Cinsault it is classic Languedoc and the 2016 has really come together from when I tasted it in Montpellier in January.

Domaine Yoyo (Roussillon) with yields of less than 10hl/ha in places has serious wines and features one of my favourite grapes, Grenache Gris. However, it is made into a light and darker red by maceration on skins. Both are very good but the lighter La Vierge Rouge is a favourite, lots of red fruits with power and a refreshing finish.

Léonine (left), Foulards Rouges served by Laurence Manya Krief who makes Yoyo wines

Les Foulards Rouges (Roussillon) is another well known producer. I really like Glaneurs, pure Grenache with dark, complex fruits and a clean, refreshing finish.

Justifiably proud Vincent

Domaine De Pélissols (Bédarieux), the local boy done good. Vincent Bonnal has really upped his game and these were very good wines. I liked everything, would happily drink his Luna Novela red at any time. However, star was the clairet style rosé. 36 hours maceration gives the Grenache (and tiny amount of Syrah) time to extract a deep colour with a depth of flavour to match. Lots and lots of fruit, not many wines will be more suited to the Languedoc summer, a real success.

Champagne Jacques Lassaigne (Montgueux near Troyes). I first tasted Lassaigne champagnes at the aforementioned Aux Crieurs in Troyes and have sought them out since. Pure Chardonnay they are wines of pure fruit, concentration, complexity and sunshine in a glass. Jacques was present and I loved his Blanc De Blancs from 10 parcels, La Colline with added complexity from the barrel ageing and the blend of 2010, 2011 and 2012. Star though was the vintage 2008. Such power, fruit; pleasure for the palate and mind. I have been lucky enough to enjoy some fantastic champagnes this year and these rank as high as any.

So, a small friendly tasting with a lovely mussel brasucade to add to the pleasure. If you are in the Bédarieux area seek out Chai Christine Cannac.

Vionnet (RAW link)

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I had heard good reports about Karim Vionnet’s wines and I enjoyed the lighter non-oaked versions in particular. Du Beur Dans Les PInards 2015 had well balanced fruit and depth, very good Beaujolais. The light, straightforward Chiroubles ‘Vin De KaV’ 2015 would please anyone, though added sulfites seemed unnecessary.

Riberach (RAW link)

The Roussillon is home to many excellent winemakers and I had seen some rave reviews about Riberach so it was good to taste their wines at last. Riberach is a collection of grower, winemakers and others with 20ha of vines certified by Ecocert. I liked the wines in general especially the white wines. Hypothèse Rouge 2011 had good fruit and mineral mouthfeel but top for me was the Hypothèse Blanc 2014. The red is based on Carignan Noir, the white on Carignan Gris – a Carignan whitewash for me.

Château Massereau (RAW link)

The highlights of the Montpellier tastings in January included Chateau Meylet from St. Émilion and, perhaps, Bordeaux based wines are making a comeback in my affections as Chateau Massereau based in Barsac was a favourite here. Certainly the Sauternes wines were a real delight (La Pachère lighter than Cuvée M) but the reds were the core wines, I liked them all but especially the Cuvée Socrate 2009, picked early for freshness which shone in the glass. A word too for a really good Clairet 2015, weightier than a rosé with 48 hours of skin contact, fruity, light and delicious.

Gut Oggau (RAW link)

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Another Austrian producer makes my list, it really is a source of some of the best wines at present. I presume Eduard Tscheppe is somehow related to the excellent Andreas whose wines I have praised so often on here. Together with his partner Stephanie they make very attractive and drinkable wines. So popular that they ran out of wine early on the Sunday so I made a bee line for them on Monday morning. The Theodora (weiss) 2015 was very mineral but plenty of fruit too, complex and good. my other favourite was Emmeram 2015 made from Gewurztraminer, not everybody’s favourite grape but this was long, fruity, exotic and just a touch of residual sugar to add a pleasurable finish.

Meinklang (RAW link)

Tasting with my good friend David Crossley

More from Austria and amongst the best of its producers, another to run out of wine early. Delicious Foam White 2015, a petnat with superb freshness and depth after 15 months on lees. Graupert Pinot Gris 2015 had chewy fruit (2 weeks on skins) and a lovely clean finish. The two Konkret wines (raised in concrete eggs) were particularly good, proof that ageing wines in this style does work well. The white had lovely peachy aromas and long fruit, the red was clear, direct and long. The Zweigelt 2015 was a highlight, beautiful precise fruit and a mineral, clean finish. I should also praise the delicious Foam Cider.

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So much did I like the wines and cider from Meinklang that I immediately ordered some.

Batic (RAW link)

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I tried wines from quite a few East European producers and was a bit disappointed by them. However, Batic, a Slovenian producer, was outstanding. A lovely 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon but the real star was Angel 2011 a blend of 7 varieties complanted in the vineyard, 31 days on skins and 4 years in barrel. How does that make such a light, fruity, pleasurable wine? I don’t know but it was a terrific wine.

I Mandorli (RAW link)

Excellent Italian wine based on Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Freshness was the hallmark of the wines. Particular favourites were Vigna Alla Sughera Rosso 2013, lovely sharp cherry flavours. The Vigna Al Mare 2013 had real Cabernet profiles of blackcurrant. Vino Rosso Base 2014 was a light blend of the 2 grapes and very drinkable.

Conclusions

A very good tasting offering the opportunity to taste wines from many countries. Natural wines are on the up, producers emerging not just in the traditional hotspots of France and Italy. One well-known wine writer recently suggested in a description of one wine that natural wine is a fashion. Apparently she is unaware that they have been made for almost 40 years, they are no fad. More producers, more customers, more restaurants – the demand for natural grows every month.

I remain unconvinced by amphorae, some producers are mastering the technique but there is a lot of clumsy, inexperienced use at present. Concrete eggs on the other hand do seem to be more sympathetic to the wine.

Most producers at RAW were certified organic or biodynamic. It is important that consumers should be confident that their wine is really natural. The wine described by the critic was made SO2 free but not organic, to my mind (and in RAW’s charter) that would not be a natural wine. I also did wonder why some producers continue to feel the need to add sulfites to the wine.

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Natural wines are here to stay, they will hopefully become known as simply very good wines. The wines described in the last 3 articles should help to provide many examples of such very good wines. And that is without covering the wines of such illuminati as Cornelissen, Gravner and Texier.