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Les Clos Perdus is a small winery founded by an unlikely combination of an Australian dancer and a Wiltshire farmer. Paul Old and Hugo Stewart estabished the vineyard in the village of Peyriac de Mer (34 Herault, Languedoc–Roussillon).
The name Les Clos Perdus (Lost Vineyards) reflects the discovery of select parcels of old vines, scattered throughout the hillsides.
Many of the small vineyards had been disregarded by larger producers because of their isolation, their low cropping potential and their inability to be machine worked.
The selection of grape varieties on particular soils, in differing locations gives the wine the complexities we are looking for.
Our aim is to produce distinctive well balanced wines of the highest quality.
The wines produced are within the Corbieres appellation from various blends of Mourvédre, Carignan and Grenache and sometimes Syrah - big rich wines which retail from £8.00 a bottle upwards. They are clearly getting it right, with their wines featured on the wine lists of restaurants such as Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, Club Gascon and Tate Britain.
Les Clos Perdus will be at the Bristol Wine and Food Fair 11-13 July 2008
Deep in deepest southern France the wine cooperative of Mont Tauch is in the heart of the Fitou and southern Corbieres appellations - this is not, rugged country which can produce excellent rich reds, and some surprisingly fresh white wines. You have to take a detour off the main autoroutes and explore narrow country lanes to reach them, but the effort is well worthwhile. The scenery is impressive and the wines have never disappointed.
In many ways Mont Tauch is the antithesis of what we usually look for in a wine producer - firstly it is a co-operative, which can be very variable in ethos and quality; and secondly it is a big, and too often size can undermine quality and distinctiveness in the quest for more commercial (i.e. bland unoffensive) wines.
However Mont Tauch will open its new visitor centre in Languedoc at the end of July 2008. The centre, located at the winery in Tuchan (11 Aude, Languedoc) and
aims to educate visitors about the cooperative and its wines, as well as about the surrounding Fitou appellation.
Visitors will be able to learn about a range of themes, including the diversity of vineyards and village life; soils and grape varieties; vinification; and sustainable agriculture and environment. Tutored tastings in both French and English will teach visitors about the cooperative’s range of wines, and tours of the winery and vineyards will also be available later in the year.
The centre includes a shop, which will sell up to 96 different wines made by the Mont Tauch cooperative, including rare vintages, premium products, vins doux naturels and bag-in-box wines. In addition, visitors will be able to purchase local produce and will have access to tourist information on the surrounding Fitou appellation.
Katie Jones, UK Sales & Marketing Director at Mont Tauch, comments, “We decided to build a visitor centre and offer tours and tastings as wine tourism is something that we feel is very important and works well in other countries, but France has so far lagged behind. We think the new centre and shop will be a great way to attract more visitors to Mont Tauch and to introduce them to our wines and the unique way of life at the cooperative.”
Mont Tauch also has a good informative website about the wines and the region - see www.mont-tauch.com
In the UK numerous merchants stock these wines - e.g.Majestic Wine, who offer Fitou AC Les Hauts de Montluzy from £4.49 and the Fitou AC L’Exception from £9.99.“This characterful Fitou reveals rich, warming textures. Its lushness and power demands hearty food. ‘a powerful and seductive red with lovely fruit. Gutsy, well-balanced and complex.’ (Steve Pryer, ES Magazine) ‘A serious demonstration of Haut-Fitou’s potential.’ (Joanna Simon, The Sunday Times)”
Another very good co-operative in the region is at Embres-et-Castelmaure - about 12 miles south - making some expcetionally good Corbières AC wines - see MORE . In the area you can also explore the Cathar castles at Peyrepertouse and Queribus.
| April 24, 2008 | to | April 27, 2008 |
Amongst the wealth of good organic produce at the London Real Food Festival (24-27 April 08) several French wine producers will be in attendance offering tastings of their organic wines.
This includes Domaines Schlumberger from Alsace,the Irish-owned Chateau Haut Garrigue (or Wild Earth Vineyards) from Bergerac (South West France) and from the Languedoc Les Clos Perdus.
Les Clos Perdus is a small winery founded by Paul Old and Hugo Stewart based in the village of Peyriac de Mer (11 Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon) in the Languedoc region of the South of France.
The name Les Clos Perdus (Lost Vineyards) reflects our discovery of select parcels of old vines, scattered throughout the hillsides. Many of our small vineyards had been disregarded by larger producers because of their isolation, their low cropping potential and their inability to be machine worked.
The selection of grape varieties on particular soils, in differing locations gives the wine the complexities we are looking for.
Our aim is to produce distinctive well balanced wines of the highest quality.
They certainly seem to have hit the mark with recommendations from the likes of Jancis Robinson and listing at Gordon Ramsay at Claridges and the Club Gascon in London.
Interestingly they also list a rare white wine made from the Terret grape - (although currently sold out)
For more info on Les Clos Perdus see www.lesclosperdus.com
For more info on the Real Food Festival see www.realfoodfestival.co.uk/
The Corbières region is remembered for the Crusades against the Cathar heretics. The ruins of castles which rose to dizzying heights can still be seen on the crests of this mountainous region - Aguilar, Queribus, Peyrepertuse etc. Lagrasse and Fontfroide abbeys attest to the period when the monks first cleared the land to plant vines.
Corbières wines have traditionally been very “rustic”, but in recent years the wines from the defined “Terroirs”, such as the Montagne d’Alaric and Durban are elegant and smooth, retaining good spicy fruit from the Syrah and Grenache. Corbières lies to the south of the Minervois and the Toulouse to Narbonne autoroute.
Castelmaure is a very small, and quite isolated village high in the Corbiéres hills close to the border with Roussillon and Fitou. It is not easy to find - several kilometres up a winding side road, which must be a challenge for the lorry drivers. The village (Embres et Castelmaure) is small and feels a little as though it is in a time warp - but carefully maintained and friendly.
The landscape is rugged and dramatic, with few other crops able to survive on the rocky terrain. But this ruggedness produces wines of great concentration, full of mineral extracts, but it demands great skill to produce wines which balance the sheer power of the grape with roundness and finesse. In general terms we avoid co-operatives, but this “cave” has developed and maintains a reputation for quality and distinctiveness which few individual growers can aspire to. This is achieved by having a good winemaker, who insists on the highest quality of grapes. and strict quality control in the wine cellar - despite its age!
Le Corbières AC, Cave de Castelmaure - Elegant, spicy, full-bodied and smooth southern red - a very successful blend of rustic strength and real finesse - made from Carignan (50%), Grenache (30%), Syrah(15%), Cinsault(5%)
Corbières AC Grande Cuvée SCV Castelmaure- Wonderfully rich, oak-aged red with huge fruit and great complexity - really big in the mouth with smooth tannins, ripe fruits, toasty and spicy - needs rich food such as Cassoulet - Grenache(45%), Syrah(45%), Carignan(10%)
Corbières AC Le Blanc - SCV Castelmaure- Remarkably fresh dry white with lots of crisp apple and citrus fruit - Grenache Blanc(90%), Maccabeu(10%)
Address: Castelmaure CSV, Embres et Castelmaure, 11000 (Aude) - see map
UPDATE - Oddbins now stocks a cuvée La Chapelle, Corbières AC from Castelmaure:-
“Corbières accounts for a large portion of the western Languedoc, and with its chaotic mountainous terrain, produces some very good value wines that seem to ooze fruit and spice. This bottle from the quality co-op based in the village of Embres-et-Castelmaure, is Carignan-dominated and ready to drink now.
Tasting Notes : A dark and fruity nose of blackcurrant precedes a palate of spicy bramble, plum and cassis flavours, all wrapped up in a soft, silky mouth feel.
Producer : Cave de Embres-et-Castelmaure
Method of Production : The grapes were sourced from 30 to 60 year old vines, with each of the varieties vinified separately. The Syrah was destemmed, crushed and fermented, whilst the rest was kept as whole berries and carbonically macerated. Fermentation occurred in concrete vats for around five days (at up to 30°C), after which the wines were pressed from the skins, blended together and returned to vats to marry and mature for six months. The wine was fined with egg white, filtered then bottled.”
£5.99 or £4.79 if you buy 6 or more (product code: 69596)
