Bruno Lafon in Magellas was more circumspect, saying that it is difficult to have an opinion about the vintage. Ripe spicy red fruit on the nose, and quite sweet ripe fruit on the palate, with a streak of tannin and a fresh finish. Copyright text 2016 by Taste du Languedoc Wine Tours. The wine region of Languedoc-Roussillon is recognized by the French system as AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, Appellation of Controlled Origin), however most of the wine produced in this region belongs to the Vin de Pays category, of which are being defined more than 60 denominations. The Mourvèdre will have spent six months in an amphora. I quizzed Rolland about changes he has made. The oak will tone down with some bottle development. Kept in vat. Taste test: Languedoc red. Deep colour with firm youthful peppery fruit on the nose. From the rugged, sunlit slopes of southern France, these Languedoc wines by Laurent Miquel are guaranteed to bring a little sunshine into the chilliest of winter days. All fermented and kept in stainless steel vats. He is a qualified oenologist and was director of the cooperative in the Hérault village of Gabian for a number of years and then set up his own négociant business, Millésime Sud. LANGUEDOC VINEYARD TOURS, WINE TASTINGS. Bruno enthused about 2016; it has the richness of 2017, but the balance of 2014. Copyright text 2016 by Taste du Languedoc Wine Tours. Lightly floral with a hint of peach. A flock of sheep spend February to April into vineyards. Quite rounded with some depth, some weight and some complexity. Good young colour. Deep colour. There are the occasional examples, but at one time it was a grape variety that was not permitted in the region, only in Alsace. The wine was fresh and youthful with a little body. Golden colour, with ripe, peachy fruit on the nose. They are not too far from the sea at Valmagne, so he does get the sea influence in his vineyards, with a temperate climate. 2018 Le Soif des Hommes, Château Montana, Côtes Catalanes - 9.00€. Their next project is a new cellar, outside Roquessels. A richer nose. Most wine producers in this region produce blends, as opposed to single varietal wines. He would love to plant olive trees in their place. He does not want things to become repetitive, and is clearly enjoying himself. Languedoc-Roussillon wine, including the vin de pays labeled Vin de Pays d'Oc, is produced in southern France. It is something that the Languedoc has to overcome. He explained that he had spent 30 years selling Speedo swimwear and then it was time for a change. Roger Jeanjean – and No, he is not related to the Jeanjean family who are one of the largest producers of the Languedoc – has had a varied wine trade career. 2018 103 Carignan Vieilles Vignes, IGP St Guilhem-le-Désert - 9.00€. I had tasted Roger Jeanjean’s wines a while ago, in fact a number of years ago, at a wine fair in London, but had never managed to visit his estate, and then suddenly, out of the blue in the summer, an email arrived, asking if I would like to try his wines  again. I am looking forward to tasting some during my next stay in the Languedoc. He bottles with the waning moon, when the wine is less disturbed. Elegant red fruit and spice. Learn more about everything to do with Languedoc wine. We talked about the two key preparations, namely 500-P which is based on cow dung matured in a cow horn buried in the ground, and sprayed twice a year in the vineyard. 2016 Turenne, Grés de Montpellier - 16.00€. Michel gave us some figures - an average of 12-14,000€ per hectare, and even as low as 7000€ if the vines require a lot of work, with many missing, as opposed to 40,000€ in the Terrasses du Larzac. Buying grapes gives them flexibility. Youthful with plenty of potential. The next treat of the day was a vertical tasting of Domaine de Magellan Blanc. Very nicely balanced, with an underlying ripeness. A blend of Syrah, Carignan and Grenache Noir. Still very youthful. This apparently is a small estate based in Cabrerolles, run by a Parisian who has retired to the Languedoc. Zu den bekanntesten gehören Carbades, Corbieres, Costieres de Nimes, Cotes de la Malepere, Cotes de Languedoc, Fitou, Limoux … Aged in barrels of three or four wines for 12 months. You really had to wait for the right moment for each parcel. Cardinal Pierre de Bonzi was governor of the Languedoc under Louis XIV and Valmagne was his main place of residence; he turned the abbey into a home. Some leathery notes, and the intriguing nuances of a maturing wine. Some mineral stony notes. But then the balance between aroma, acidity and freshness is superb, for both red and white wines. Domaine de Roquemale in the Grés de Montpellier. No oak. Attractive herbal notes on the nose and a firm palate with fresh acidity, and what the French would call a joli amertume. November 2020 oder solange der Vorrat reicht. Good colour. or nuggets, just what the Languedoc does best. And on the palate, rounded, ripe and mouth filling, with some acidity and a hint of tannin. A blend of 40% Syrah and 30% each of Grenache and Mourvèdre, aged in medium toasted barrels for 12 months, and then finished off in an egg shaped Flextank, which is made of neutral plastic, which allows for the same level of oxygenation as a barrel, but without any oak effect. Ripe cassis fruit on the nose and palate, with a tannic streak on the finish. With more than 30 years of experience in the world of wine there are few people better equipped to lead private and group visits to vineyards and wineries in the Languedoc. The vineyards are being converted to organic viticulture and eventually will become biodynamic. A pale pink orange colour. My husband, our two year old and I all loaded up into Matt's van where he began explaining the history of wine in the region. A blend of 50% Grenache Blanc and 50% Marsanne. Medium weight with a firm finish. Elegant finish, what the French call a, A blend of 80% Roussanne and 20% Grenache, fermented in vat with a little, for fruit, and then blend the two. We talked about the mortality rate of Syrah with vines of 20 years old dying before their time. It should age well. Very elegant fruit on the nose, with a tannic streak. And I also reserve the right occasionally to extend this blog beyond the confines of the Languedoc, into Provence and Corsica and maybe even further afield. Aged in Burgundian pièces, but Bruno is considering demi-muids, and even small 20 hectolitres foudres. Simon Coulshaw at Domaine des Trinités summed it up; “Low yields but very good quality”. This wine will complement spicy dishes, curries and smoked meats. They do make a red Vitrail sur l’Abbaye, but the 2018 was sold out and they had only bottled the 2019 the previous day. From large production wineries, to a tiny one in a rural mountain town, all were fabulous and gave us an excellent introduction to wine tasting in the region. There is more Grenache and Carignan than Syrah in the blend. Last year he bought a demi-muid. They had finished picking, and the wines had mostly finished fermenting, but were still. Medium colour; fresh cherry nose, from the Grenache, with some firm tannins from the Carignan. The area has around 700,000 acres under vines … A blend of 90% Mourvèdre with 10% Syrah. Angebote gültig bis zum 29. Rain in spring made for mildew. Suzanne de Nicolaÿ was his granddaughter, who married the Marquis de Nicolaÿ. And business is thriving. Some reductive notes so quite a tight nose and palate, with some elegant fruit. High summer did of course warm up and was dry as usual, but the August nights were quite fresh, giving a day/night difference of over 10°C, which is great for the ripening of the grapes and flavour development. However, that was not borne out by anyone I talked to; low quantity but good quality was how they summed it up in a nutshell. With some of the most beautiful vineyard landscapes, wine tastings and tours are a fantastic experience for all. Part of the. Separated by the Canal du Midi and the River Aude, face à face,  watching each others viniferous progressions, Here in the Languedoc we are going through a pretty confused period ! There is some richer, deeper and more fertile soil, which provides the grapes for their entry level wine, Vitrail sur l’Abbaye. A little colour. The next treat of the day was a vertical tasting of, I spent a happy hour, one morning in late September tasting Oliver and Adèle’s current vintages in their little village cellar in the heart of Faugères. A little malo, but not 100%. ‘The climate was with us’. Bruno has planted more white varieties, Grenache Gris, and a little Grenache Blanc, Vermentino and Piquepoul. Sandstone makes for less powerful Syrah. He wanted to, and had hoped to buy an existing estate in Gabian, but the owner changed his mind. All their cuvée names have a link with their time in South America. 2018 Domaine Monthelys, Languedoc - 11.00€ A blend of 50% Grenache Blanc and 50% Marsanne. No great heatwave, and only one day, August 1, However, there is no doubt that Simon is happy about the quality, quantity is. The best wine domaines to visit. and on the palate rounded ripe fruit, with some depth. Pinterest. Mainly Syrah, grown in a vineyard at around 250 - 300 metres, with some Grenache and Carignan, kept in vat, while the small amount of pressed juice is put in an old barrel, to round it out with some micro-oxygenation. Deep colour. Golden colour, with ripe, peachy fruit on the nose. Kept in vat. Internationally acclaimed winemaker, Jean-Claude Mas, has blended the best grape varieties of the Languedoc to create this intensely flavoured wine. Concrete vats are so good for both fermentation and élevage. His amphorae are sandstone, and made in Bordeaux; which he prefers to amphorae from terracotta, which is much more porous. Twitter. For the wine making, he thought, less extractions. People point to the unusually wet spring, the unusually dry, hot summer. Languedoc, in the south of France, is the type of wine country that’s an obvious sell, the perfect backdrop to play with your senses. We rate four of the finest reds sun-scorched Languedoc has to offer. Medium colour. This is the one of the most popular wines from Languedoc. then We then repaired to the Auberge de l’Abbaye for a very convivial lunch. It was nicely elegant, again with fresh fruit. With the sweetness, the palate loses the obvious peachiness of the Viognier and is simply ripe and rounded, with some lovely honeyed notes and a fresh finish. Indeed, many is the times that I have lamented a delicious wine made by somebody who clearly has no idea how to sell it. For lunch he stopped along a river where he set up a fabulous lunch for the 3 of us. Thank you! They are not too far from the sea at Valmagne, so he does get the sea influence in his vineyards, with a temperate climate. The year was characterised by its very wet spring, followed by a dry summer. This apparently is a small estate based in Cabrerolles, run by a Parisian who has retired to the Languedoc. Official figures say a large harvest in Languedoc Roussillon - 13 million hectolitres and 7% up on last year. 2015 - Rounded and concentrated, rich and rounded, with some balancing acidity. Quite a firm nose and palate, with some fruit underneath, but the oak is still quite dominant. They are not sure that they have got it right yet; they are wondering about giving up on oak, and maybe trying a terracotta amphora. 2018 was Roland’s first complete vintage at Valmagne when he worked the whole annual cycle. Blended in December and then bottled 12 months later. Here we have strayed into Roussillon to the village of Banyuls-les-Aspres. A richer nose. From vines planted in 1950. I thought there might have been a hint of oak, but no. They still have a few years to go! Quite a long finish. Roland admitted to an enthusiasm for Burgundy, and Puligny Montrachet in particular. A fellow MW's experiences in the Languedoc, Everything you need to know about the Languedoc, including my monthly coups de coeur, For customised wine courses specialising in the Languedoc, conducted by an English MW. You can taste it simply grilled accompagnied with a full bodied Pic Saint-Loup with soft tannins. You must keep your connection with your vines; he knows all his vines; you simply have to spend time in the vineyards. 2016 was a very hot year, with some drought and a small yield. The summer temperatures were quite warm but thankfully without the extremes of 2019. His yields are down on last year. The Carignan gives freshness, with red fruit and tight tannins, and a ripe finish. However, Bruno would like to find some Cinsault vines to buy. Next came a blend of Syrah, Cinsault and Grenache, from grapes bought from M. Couderc, which they harvest themselves, thus controlling the harvest date. It should develop with some bottle age. Well-made. My favourite of the three Terrasses du Larzac. Ideal weather! We went to three wineries-all very different. Destemmed Carignan, vinified in an egg. Part of the cuvée is in barrel and Bruno also has some Grenache Gris and Piquepoul in barrel. A blend of Syrah and Carignan, a little élevage in barrel. Simon stops treating six weeks before the harvest, so mid-July when the weather was heavy and humid and consequently the Grenache suffered. The wines of Languedoc-Roussillon are a patchwork quilt of … Medium colour. Vinified by carbonic maceration, taking the CO2 from a fermenting vat to put it in an empty vat, and then adding whole bunches for a maceration that lasts about three weeks. Supple tannins, a rounded finish, and still very young. The quality is very promising, with very healthy grapes, benefitting from cool nights, making for refined tannins and flavours. Es liegt in dem Gebiet der Gemeinde Saint Quentin-de- Baron im Entre-Deux-Mers Gebiet. The taste of Languedoc rosé. Black fruit and well integrated tannins. First, we tasted a few 2020s, my first of the year. He talked about the innocence of inexperience. Vin de Pays was introduced to improve the quality of what was then the mass of 'vins ordinaries'. It doesn’t taste as though it has 14° alcohol. As Adèle put it, they have put their winter coats on, in other words, an insulating cover. Two new plots of vines pick up the names of the new generation, L’Enclos de Ninon, after Ninon, Roland’s daughter, and Le Petit Moine for Oliver, his nephew, whose father is English and very aptly with the surname of Monk. Elegant red fruit. Cabernet, Merlot, Mourvedre, Grenache, and Syrah are some of the most important red grapes in the region. Our selection of winegrowers are all family driven vineyards, whom we have meet and engaged with over time. At Mas Lou they started on 7th September, a little earlier than usual, and had finished by 18th. I’ve heard the same complaint from others... but then again, there are some who had a bumper year, even in Limoux. Fresh peppery fruit on the palate. Quite simply, it is without doubt the most exciting and innovative wine region of France. A blend of a high amount of Grenache grown on sandstone, with some Carignan and a little Syrah. 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