Over in Alsace, the Hugel family are producing a daily video diary of the 2009 harvest, so that you can see the process and get some insight into the 2009 vintage potential. Hugel is one of the top names in Alsace and produce some really excellent wines. So far everything is looking very promising with ideal conditions for autumn weather and the condition of the vines – see http://blog.hugel.com/en/harvest/

Some of Hugel’s range can be found in the UK at Adnams and other independent wine merchants.

Alsace on the eastern border with Germany is a surprising region – sheltered from oceanic influence by the Vosges mountains, the Alsace wine region enjoys some of the lowest rainfall in France (just 400-500mm or 16-20 inches per year) and is blessed with a semi-continental climate—sunny, warm and dry. The key varietals – Gewurztraminer and  Riesling produced here can be extraordinarily intense and elegant, and despite the Germanic shape of the bottle (and often the labels too) the wines are dry (unless they are late harvest versions) – for more info on Alsace wines see www.vinsalsace.com/

There’s something very complete about our annual offer of wines from the Languedoc and Roussillon: with whites, rosés and reds, and wonderful fortified wines, the Vins Doux Naturels which are such a speciality of the region, there should be something for all tastes. Secondly, there are wines for every budget; at every level we believe these wines continue to offer terrific interest and value for money, at a time when finding such within the euro zone has become harder than ever. That’s why we continue to promote and recommend the wines of Languedoc-Roussillon with such enthusiasm. Now the region has really got its act together too, coming up with a unified marketing strategy under the jolly banner of “Sud de France”, and the creation of a new all-embracing Languedoc appellation, which stretches across the whole arc from east of Montpellier down to Perpignan.

The tastings are in Hampshire and London

Hampshire: 7th May 2009, 6.00-8.30 pm
TerraVina, 174 Woodlands Road, Woodlands, Netley Marsh, New Forest, Nr Southampton, SO40 7GL

London: 21st May 2009, 6.00-8.30 pm
Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon, 6 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0PD

For more info see Stone, Vine and Sun
No.13 Humphrey Farms, Hazeley Road, Twyford, Winchester SO21 1QA
Tel: 01962 712351 Fax: 01962 717545
Email: sales@stonevine.co.uk

So you could try something a little different for your festive fizz. 10% off a mixed case of sparkling wines,

The other half of the business specialises in gourmet foods from SW France and beyond, including duck and goose products such as confit, rillettes, patés, cassoulet and soups, jams, bottled fruit, tapenade and anchoiades and even snails!

Devigne Wines and Confit Direct

Michael & Patricia Robertson, PO Box 13748, North Berwick
EH39 9AA

Tel: 01620 890860 Fax: 05600 756287

2005 Laurent Mousset Entraygues et du Fel’ (£9.10) Like the wines of Marcillac, the dominant variety here is Fer Servadou although Laurent Mousset chooses to add some Cabernet Franc for a bit of added weight and texture.  It is a wine typical of the reds from the southwest corner which we love so dearly.  The red fruit is bright and zippy and although there is some rustic grip (these are not slick, glossy wines), they are essentially light and fairly soft.  These are wines to refresh body and soul and indeed, they used to be drunk instead of water (which sounds like a recipe for a far more entertaining day than those we spend sipping piously on Evian).   Although there is fabulous earth and stone flavours underlying the red cherry and raspberry fruit, this is not a wine to be studied with reverence, rather knocked back with gusto.

2006 Domaine du Cros Marcillac ‘Lo Sang del Pais’ (£8.75) Marcillac is rarely seen outside its own little part of SW France between Rodez and the beginnings of the Auvergne. It’s not because the wines can’t be good, but there’s just so little to go round – only eight independent winemakers exist and the number can’t expand because all the best sites (particularly the incredibly steep south-facing slopes with their dramatic terracotta coloured soil) are already taken.  It’s the combination of soil and the mansois grape that gives Marcillac it’s particular taste, a sort of wild, vibrant, leafy, raspberry and bramble fruit that’s fresh and moreish.

Philippe Teulier makes two styles of wine, his basic, traditional style (which this is) and a oaked version from older vines.  While we love both, the purity of the gamey fruit in this swung it for us on this occasion

South London’s Green & Blue won Independent Wine Merchant of the Year in the Under 12 staff category. The judges praised the tiny two-shop chain run by former Conran sommelier Kate Thal, for its attention to detail, noting the fact that ’staff will even print out a tasting note’ if the wine is for a gift!

Green & Blue Lordship Lane, 38 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich London SE22 8HJ T: 0208 693 9250 F: 0208 693 9260

Green & Blue Clapham, 20 – 26 Bedford Road, Clapham. London SW4 7HJ   T: 0207 498 9648 F: 0207 498 9649

Website: http://www.greenandbluewines.com

If you are ever lucky enough to get to the Aveyron, we can recommend some excellent cottages to rent owned by a couple of Californians – see wwww.frenchduck.com

The port cities of Bordeaux and Bristol both played a distinguished role in the history of the wine trade, such that even in the 13th century more than 85 per cent of all imported wine came from South West France and as much as 3,000 tons (750,000 gallons) was being landed in Bristol.
The trade with Bordeaux fluctuated, dependent on our relationship with France (war, peace, occupation) but key names in the UK wine trade were established in Bristol, such as Harveys and Averys. Both Bristol and Bordeaux have the advantaghe that navigable rivers reach right into the heart of the city. In Bordeaux the “Quai des Chartrons” on the Garonne river front. In 2007 the cities of Bristol and Bordeaux celebrated the 60th Anniversary of their twinning.

Sadly little there remains little of that trade physically – no cargo ships leave the Chartrons quayside, and in Bristol only Averys of the long-established merchants remains in the city centre.
However, all that could change with a shipping company (CTMV – Compagnie de Transport Maritime a Voile) starting to use sailing ships to transport wine from Bordeaux, initially to Ireland, but later to Bristol. Initial consignments are of Languedoc wines, which are initially transported by barge on the Canal du Midi to Bordeaux and then loaded onto the sailing ship Belem for the 4-5 day crossing to Ireland. This trip with a load of 60,000 bottles will save over 18,000 lbs of carbon emissions – so a veritable eco-friendly wine.

UPDATE

The Telegraph (25 July 2008) has a report on the same company bringing a “Green Energy” wine to Ireland:-

The first commercial cargo of wine shipped from France by sail since the late 1800s arrived in Ireland on Friday aboard a British schooner, with almost zero petrol costs and carbon emissions.
Some 30,000 bottles of “green energy” wine, arrived in Dublin aboard the 108-year old Kathleen and May – the last wooden hull three-masted topsail schooner in existence – after leaving Brest a week ago with a stop at Penzance.

Each bottle carried has saved 4.9 oz of carbon dioxide emissions compared with a regular shipment. The wines come with the label: “Carried by sailing ship, a better deal for the planet.”

Furthermore the return trip is planned to be with an equivalent cargo of crushed glass for re-making into wine bottles back in France – sounds clever to me!

Joanna Simon in the Sunday Times (1 June 2008) helpfully provides an explanation of the appellation rules for the Cotes du Rhone, which produces such a wealth of good wines, but where the nomenclature can confuse rather than illuminate. You can find a cheap basic Cotes du Rhone for well under £5.00 but get something really special for £10 and over – but the label will often not enlighten you. Furthermore the region is split into two – North and South, which are quite different in style – the north (which is home to Hermitage, St Joseph etc) is more dominated by Syrah, whereas the south (the larger and better known region) tends to be more dominated by blends of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault.

So, let us begin with Côtes du Rhône. This is the basic AOC and the largest – a status reflected in low prices. The difference comes when the word Villages is added, as in Côtes du Rhône-Villages. It signifies superior land and stricter production rules, and it shows in the quality.

The next step up is to the 20 communes allowed to append their own name, for example, Côtes du Rhône-Villages Séguret, or Cairanne or Rasteau. These can be great value. Finally, over time, four villages – Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Beaumes de Venise and Vinsobres – have been promoted to AOC in their own right, and so have dropped the Côtes du Rhône moniker entirely.

In essence the better wines are made on the higher ground on the sides of the valley, which is where the “villages” and individual appellations are located. Here the soil drains better, there is more breeze to mitigate against the blistering heat which the region can experience.

Amongst our recommendations would be
Any of the wines of E Guigal, real Rhone specialist negociants – e.g. Cotes du Rhone AC from Majestic Wines

Domaine du Vieux Chene where the Bouche family contradict my claim that the best wines come from the sides of the valley – these are superb organic wines from Camaret near Orange (84 Vaucluse, Provence). Justerini & Brooks stock their wines in the UK – try the Cuvée des Capucins (A 90% Grenache 10% Syrah cuvée, really lively red and black forest bery fruits, warm generous and juicy with a lovely bitter sweet touch. Delicious.) £7.55 a bottle

Domaine de Mourchon at Seguret, run by Scot Andrew McKinlay, who has established an awesome reputation for himself in the appellation – try the Tradition 2006 from The Big Red Wine Company – “an enticing freshness with good upfront fruit and great texture and length. Lighter than the 2005 and, as such, more approachable in its youth with lovely sweet cherry fruit (more noticeably red fruit in character when tasted alongside the 2005) and good mouthfeel. A decent tannic structure to give the wine a real lift. Very friendly wine.” £8.95

when the sound of clashing metal boules will ring out from Queen Square as the teams from local businesses and restaurants compete for the prestigious trophies. Great Western Wine is a founder sponsor and will be out in full force, entering a team on each day and cheering on the competition – let’s cross our fingers for fine weather!

For information on how you can play, sponsor or attend the Boules please contact Simon Harrison at email address:  boules@porticodesigns.com

Great Western Wine has an extensive list of wines from around the world, with some excellent selections from France – such as Cahors AC Chateau de Cedre, Madiran Domaine Capmartin; a good selection from the Languedoc e.g. Mas du Soleilla, Coteaux du Languedoc la Clape AC – carefully selected from small independent growers.

Great Western Wine, The Wine Warehouse, Wells Road, Bath, BA2 3AP Tel: 01225 322810 Email: edm@greatwesternwine.co.uk

One such is Chateau de Pennautier in the Cabardes appellation (11 Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon) north west of Carcassonne. (see map). We have mentioned this chateau before, partly because its wines are a crossover between the Mediterranean and Languedoc to the east and the Atlantic and South West to the west and also because unusually for a domaine in one of the lesser known appellations, it has really worked on making a visit to the vineyard an all-round experience – rather more than a dank cellar with old vineyard tools and some stainless steel tanks.

They offer a wine bar/restaurant/shop as well as a cellar (not dank!) and now offer a campsite and mobile homes to let as well.

The wines are pretty good too – Majestic Wine (amongst others) stocks the red Château de Pennautier 2006 Cabardès AC, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah and Grenache – a true south/southwest blend.

“Aromas of fresh raspberries and mulberries follow through to a firm, tannic palate, showing the Cabardès appellation at its best.” £5.99

See our customised map of the Aude département.

Majestic Wine

It’s a frequent frustration that some of our most interesting wines are the hardest to sell, simply because customers don’t instantly recognise them on the stack. For that reason I have instigated a new feature on the site in which we’ll feature interesting or new wines which might struggle to push up through all the well known names also featured on our site.

I applaud the intention, as it always disappointed me that too often customers would choose the wines they knew rather than venture into something new or different. But then I suppose we all do that from time to time, but with such a wealth of wines to choose from in the UK, you may be missing something really good.

Included in the list are some wines which are definitely not as well known as they should be, including Picpoul de Pinet from the Languedoc:“Made on the Mediterranean coast close to the ‘oyster’ town of Sète, Picpoul might have been (probably was) designed as the perfect foil for seafood. It is crisp and fresh, with the same prickle of acidity that characterizes Muscadet, but has an added dimension with just the merest hint of tropical fruit. Always bottled in tall green flutes, it should be served young and cold. Don’t drink it on a wet Wednesday in February, but if the sun shines this is the perfect choice.”
Bourgeuil from the Loire Valley: “Wines made from the Cabernet Franc grape can give rasping, green-flavoured, charmless wines. This however is the reverse – the very warm 2003 has softened any hard edges to give a lovely, balanced wine. Its 12.5% alcohol is low by modern standards, and the tannins have an attractive tealeaf character which is great with food. I would like to cellar this for a few years and watch it evolve.”
And a Rousanne from the Cotes de Thongue also in the Languedoc and made by Domaine Sainte Rose: “The rather bland packaging masks a high quality, interesting wine, which instantly wins over all who taste it. On the nose there is a rich, creamy complexity whilst the palate is buoyed by luxurious, peachy fruit and fresh acidity. Not all wines made by expat winemakers are special, but this is! It would be a great alternative to chardonnay, having the weight and feel of an expensive white burgundy.“

The Telegraph (11 April 08) recommends some places to eat authentic French cuisine in the UK – the above description is about a new eatery in London’s Park Lane called Bord’eaux (which translates as “waterside”)
A meal at a decent French restaurant in the UK might just provide a cheaper alternative to a trip to France this year, bearing in mind the disastrous Euro exchange rate (currently £1=€1.20 at the Post Office).

The Cafe du Port in Bordeaux is on the right bank of the river and overlooks the port area with impressive views of the sweeping curve of the Garonne and Napoleon’s stone bridge (Pont de Pierre). Fish is their speciality.

Another option in Bordeaux is la Tupina “authentic southwest” in rue porte de la Monnaie (see map) which was recommended by Rick Stein in his Rick Stein’s French Odyssey series series and Voted 2^nd Best Bistrot in the world by the New York Herald Tribune!

See our customised Google Map of Bordeaux

Other recommendations from the Telegraph article for eating French in the UK:-
The Great House, Market Place, Lavenham in Suffolk – an attractive small medieval village in the middlle of East Anglia- “A striking medieval English building houses a romantic room serving classic Gallic cuisine. Try the hearty pavé of beef in a rich red-wine sauce with beef marrow”

French Living in Nottingham, which also featured in our article on where to eat Cassoulet. This endearing rustic bistro is decked out with checked tablecloths and serves onglet à l’échalote, using a typically French cut of beef with a sauce of shallots and veal stock, sautéed potatoes and seasoned vegetables

Restaurant Bosquet in Kenilworth,Warwickshire which focuses on the gastronomy of SW France The chef Bernard Lignier’s south-western French roots add character to this little restaurant in a terrace. Much of the menu has modern touches, but the starter of quail with Puy lentils and foie gras could not be more classically French. Their wine list features a good selection of the wines of Southwest France – Madiran, Cahors and Jurancon.

Mention sweet red wine and a lot of people would be fetching their coats, but fortified vins de liqueur, made in a similar way to port, are very popular in France.

And although Maydie may sound a bit ominous translated into English, it certainly has a more than lively personality.

It’s produced by the Laplace family from Tannat grapes at Château d’Aydie in the Madiran region in the south-west of France.

Leave this fascinating wine in a glass for a few moments and the powerful scents begin to waft around the room: blackberry, licorice, menthol, elderberry.

It’s thick, densely dark purple and you might expect a correspondingly muscular flavour, so that the sweetness comes almost as a surprise – damsons and baked plum crumble disarmingly balancing the obvious sturdy tannin structure and high alcohol (17 per cent).

The thick-skinned Tannat grapes are also high in polyphenols, powerful antioxidants which are claimed to be good for your heart.

Maydie is available from The Wine Society for £10.95 per 50cl bottle (see www.thewinesociety.com). A similar idea based on the Malbec grape in Cahors is made by Chateau de Chambert called Rogomme, available from HG Wines in London.

For more info on Chateau d’Aydie and Madiran wines see www.frenchduck.com

Waitrose

As well as our usual French favourites, the showcase will also see the launch of four new wines to the range, including the delightful Taittinger Rose NV and the excellent value Domaine des Eyssards Bergerac Rouge.

Unusually for a major supermarket (and greatly to be welcomed) Waitrose will be featuring 13 specially sourced small parcel wines from a wide range of less well-known appellations such as:

Quincy (crisp Sauvignon Blancs from the Loire), Provence and Lirac (Southern Rhone) and the wonderfully unusual Pierre Boniface Domaine des Rocailles Apremont de Savoie 2007 and La Bastide Blanche Bandol (rich Mourvedre red from east of Marseille).

Waitrose Wine Direct

There’s 15% off bookings for any of the “Sweet French Cottages” in the Aveyron (Midi Pyrenees) if you book by 15 April 08  – see www.frenchduck.co.uk

Brittany Ferries has a number of offers including 10% off 2008 Self-catering holidays booked by 15th March 08 – see www.brittany-ferries.co.uk

SpeedFerries is offering 20% off all 2008 bookings for a limited period – including their already low price multi-trip tickets – see www.speedferries.com

Waitrose has £10 off and free delivery on selected mixed cases of Classic French wines until 5 March 08 – see www.frenchduck.com

This offer is available to French Duck readers by quoting code WINE77 at the checkout.

Whilst I tend to prefer to support small independent wine merchants, Waitrose’ selections are often excellent, always reliable and generally good value.

This is a good selection of wines from all the main classic wine regions of France including reds from Beaujolais, Cahors, Fitou, Bordeaux, Cotes du Rhone (Chapoutier) and a red Burgundy.

For the whites there is a Macon Lugny, Saumur, Bordeaux, Touraine Sauvignon and Chablis.

The offer means that a case of 12 bottles is just £55.00 including free UK delivery – i.e under £5.00 a bottle. And if you prefer only reds or only whites, you can have that for the same price (2 bottles of each). But this offer is only available with thediscount voucher code above and until 5 March 2008!

See Watirose online

Mas de Martin, Coteaux du Languedoc AC
Here Christian Mocci makes some excellent and very drinkable wines which he blesses with mythical names – Ultreia and Cincarca. These are really well-structured blends of Syrah and Grenache (plus Mourvedre for the Ultreia) but with juicy red fruits predominating. Regrettably not available in the UK as yet, but hopefully someone will start importing them, especially as they have won two “Coups de Coeur” in the Guide Hachette and a bronze in the Decanter World Wine Awards 2007. See www.premiumwanadoo.com/masdemartin The Domaine also offers self-catering accommodation – see www.frenchduck.co.uk

Domaine de Cauhapé. Jurancon AC and Jurancon Sec AC
I am a great fan of good Jurancon wines from the foothills of the Pyrenees. These idiosyncratic wines are primarily based on Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng and Petit Courbu, and range from steely dry (Sec) through to gloriously rich dessert wines. Domaine de Cauhapé produces some of the very best, and this year Henri Ramonteau, the owner was present to show his stylish wines. I personally prefer the dry wines, although I will confess that his dessert cuvee Quintessence du Petit Manseng is a really exceptional wine.
Of the dry whites I like them all for the wonderful combination of crisp, delicate acidity with exotic fruit flavours. Even the names of his cuvées are enticing – Chant des Vignes (song of the vines), Ballet d’Octobre and Symphonie de Novembre (from the late harvesting), la Canopée: “The aroma has a rare complexity, combining hazelnuts and quince paste with smoky notes and mineral characters. The palate is extremely aromatic – an explosion of fruits and spices.” For more on the Domaine see www.cauhape.com. UK stockists for Domaine de Cauhapé include Arthur Rackham

Domaine Octavie, Touraine and Touraine Sauvignon AC
An old favourite, but I was really impressed with even their basic cuvée of Touraine Sauvignon 2006 – good clean crisp, fragrant Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire – and at just €5.00 at the stand and vineyard this is incredible value – and such nice people. For more info see www.frenchduck.co.uk
Available in the UK from Eton Vintners and others

Chateau Ricardelle, Coteaux du Languedoc, la Clape AC Back to the Languedoc for the other star of my tasting – the Cuvée Closablières from this fine vineyard near the coast near Narbonne. “La Clape” is a rocky outcrop between Narbonne and the Mediterranean and this slope on the North East side of the outcrop is able to produce wines of great intensity probably due to low rainfall and cooling sea breezes. This wine is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan aged in oak for 12 months.
This wine is stocked by Pic Wines
This chateau also offers self-catering accommodation amongst the vines! For more info see www.frenchduck.co.uk

Overall I still think that the Languedoc continues to improve in terms of quality and value for money – by contrast the Rhône wines were a little disappointing – a personal view based only on a fairly random selection of wines available in Lille.

They have a decent selection of French wines including Pic St Loup AC from the Languedoc, Louis Jadot wines from Burgundy, Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais and a good selection of Champagnes – and with that sort of discount the prices have to be pretty unbeatable.

All you have to do is to click on the voucher image above and print off your copy today! Then present it at any participating Thresher Group store between 29th November and 9th December 2007 to receive your 40% discount!.

CLICK HERE FOR THRESHERS 40% VOUCHER

Beaujolais, however, is starting to fight back. For the first time this year a substantial amount of a Beaujolais Nouveau rosé will be sold. There is also a significant drive to improve quality.

“We were carried away with the euphoria,” said Dominique Piron, a wine producer and trader at Morgon, in the northern part of the beautiful Beaujolais hills, just north west of Lyons. “The more mass-produced forms of Beaujolais Nouveau were sometimes, frankly, bad and damaged the image not only of Nouveau but of all types of Beaujolais.

“Worse than that, the fad for Nouveau meant that even the better forms of Beaujolais, the ten ‘crus’ such as Morgon, Fleurie, Chiroubles, were made in the light, ‘nouveau’ style, without the richness and subtlety that good Beaujolais should always have.

Beaujolais Nouveau rosé is not something I have tried, but given the rise in popularity and availability of rosé wines on the shelves then a rosé may be a more attractive option – I shall obviously have to experiment!

Nick Dobson Wines still has some traditional Beaujolais Nouveau and Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau available if you are quick – plus he has written about his trip to the region last week – see www.nickdobsonwines.co.uk

Yapp Brothers Ltd, The Old Brewery, Mere, Wiltshire BA12 6DY

2005 Rive Haute Reserve Pacherenc 13.5%vol, France (£8.99 per 50cl; Playford Ros 01845 526777, Coe Vintners 020 8551 4966, Wheeler Cellars 01206 713560).Pacherenc du Vic-Bihl is the white wine AOC from Madiran in south-west France. Made from Gros and Petit Manseng, Petit Courbu and Arrufiac picked between St Martin’s Day (Nov 4) and St Albert’s Day (Nov 15), this has hints of lemon and apricot. Great with fruit tart.

This comes from the Plaimont Co-operative, who also produce another superb Pacherenc – Cuvée St Albert.- for more see www.plaimont.com
Other French wines on the list included a Jurancon from the Southwest, a Barsac from Bordeaux and a demi-sec Champagne from Pol Roger!

Johnathan Ray makes the point that we too often pigeonhole such wines as “dessert” or “pudding” wines, when there are ocassions when they can be a perfect compliment to other foods.

“Pan-fried foie gras, simple pâté de foie or even smoked fish at the start of a meal can work beautifully with a sticky. I once enjoyed a fine German Beerenauslese with a main course of roast wild boar.”

• 2005 Beaujolais AC, E Loron et Fils ( £5.95) from my favourite old-fashioned wine merchant – Tanners >
• 2004 Côtes du Rhône Villages AC (£4.50) from Waitrose – “Fresh, ripe and very juicy. This is a vibrant, youthful wine bursting with cherry and raspberry flavours. It’s quite flexible – being light enough as a summer drink or an accompaniment to a winter stew”. Waitrose
• Côtes de St Mont VDQS Château de Sabazan ( £12.99) – “Wines from the Madiran region, in the south-west of France, received a thunderbolt of publicity earlier in the year when Professor Roger Corder published research that showed they were quite possibly the healthiest wines on earth. This is a rich, roasted, firm wine with an appealing smoothness that belies its complexity – a class act.” The Wine Society

Touraine Sauvignon AC, Domaine Octavie (£4.66) – a wine which we used to import for Allez Vins! “A little gem from one of the best estates in the Touraine. It has plenty of the gooseberry and mineral fruit that you’d hope to find in decent Sancerre.” Wines of the World (more on Domaine Octavie)

• Saussignac AC Clos d’Yvigne (£21.00) – by Patricia Atkinson (author of The Ripening Sun: One Woman and the Creation of a Vineyard) in Bergerac “A real gem. Full, rich, creamy and packed with honey, peach and apricot flavours.” Andrew Chapman Fine Wines

One of the best names in Alsace is Hugel et Fils, and to get winelovers involved with the harvest their website is running a daily diary of this year’s harvest in the form of a blog. This will give readers an opportunity to ask questions and make comments in a very interactive way.

Our 2007 harvest will begin on Monday 10 September and we have just posted our first comments on-line. These will be regularly updated and can be accessed directly at http://blog.hugel.com/en/

Hecules Wine Warehouse in Sandwich, Kent stocks some of the Hugel wines in the UK/

The French Paradox in South-West France is based on a unique combination of terroir, growing practices and grape varieties. In concrete terms:
• a growing process, described in the winegrower’s production specifications set up some 30 years ago – disbudding, leaf plucking, yield control through cluster thinning, health status control, etc. -, which enables the grapes to reach perfect maturity,
• “privileged” grapes: the grapes growing in the Pyrenean area have the advantage of late bud break and flowering. They are thus protected from bad weather in Spring, frost and poor berry set, and enjoy cool nights and sunny days during late Summer, which gives rise to the particular maturity that is specific to the region. Grape harvesting is left until late in September,
• in-depth knowledge of plot soils.

Also associated are traditional winemaking methods:
• beginning of vinification through slow fermentation, which promotes extraction during the non-alcoholic phase (pre-fermentation maceration under controlled temperature),
• traditional vinification with temperature control and long maceration,
• maturation on lees with controlled aeration (such wines require much oxygen).

The current techniques respect and reinforce these principles of traditional winemaking.

Within the framework of his work, Professor Roger Corder has analysed many wines from around the world. The results are to be found in his book The Wine Diet.

Among the wines analysed in this region, the following have been awarded an “excellent standard” rating:
• St-Mont, Château de Sabazan, Château de St-Go, Château du Bascou, Le Faîte.
• The Plaimont producers’ Madiran Plénitude
• Madiran Château de Crouseilles and Château d’Arricau-Bordes from the Crouseilles wine co-operative.

 Dr Roger Corder has a new book coming out in September 2007 – The Red Wine Diet

Plaimont wines in the UK are stocked by (amongst others) the Wine Society – the Chateau de Sabazan Cotes de St Mont VDQS has been a favourite of mine – a good oaked tannat red, but with a touch more fruit than many Madirans “A gorgeous ripe tasting red from Gascony” (£9.50)

On 1st September 2007 the venue is Domaine Berthet-Rayne at Cairanne (84 Vaucluse, Provence) one of the named Cotes du Rhone Villages. In the UK the Sussex Wine Company stocks this wine “Berthet Rayne’s Cairanne is a rich spicy traditional blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre with much of the fruit coming from very old vines indeed.”

In October the venue is Visan one of the lesser-known village appellations to the north of Cairanne. Great Western Wine stocks Domaine de la Guitrady, Cotes du  Rhone Villages Visan AC – “The promising inky black colour is the introduction to a stunning bouquet of black fruits, violets and hickory. Rich and velvet smooth on the palate with complex layers of peppery flavours”

November the venue is back in Cairanne at Domaine Brusset – a domaine which receives high praise from Andrew Jefford’s The New France: A Complete Guide to Contemporary French Wine (Mitchell Beazley Wine Guides)

For dates see www.frenchduck.co.ukand details of the venues and artists see www.jazzdanslesvignes.com

More than 115 different nationalities will harvest the future 2007 Beaujolais vintage by hand* across the 22,000 ha of vineyards in the region. Although 85% of the pickers are French, the remaining 15% are a truly international group, with workers coming from Turkey, Poland, China, Russia, Albania, Brazil, Kazakhstan and Australia.
47% are under 25, 37% are women, and 90% are lodged and fed by the winegrowers, carrying on a tradition that has been in place for centuries. On average, one grape picker harvests 500kg of grapes per day.

Beaujolais is the only French vineyard (together with Champagne) where hand-picking is the general rule. Beaujolais wines are made from the Gamay grape. Although best known for Beaujolais Nouveau, the region also produces more serious and elegant wines from the various “cru” villages such as Fleurie, Moulin a Vent, Cote de Brouilly.

Recommended producers include Paul Beaudet and Pierre Ferraud.. Nick Dobson stocks a good range of Beaujolais wines in the UK.

For more info on Beaujolais wines see http://www.beaujolais.com

The harvest should take place between mid-August and the first week of September. The vegetative cycle appears earlier than normal. Flowering took place without problems over a longer period than usual in most of the areas of the vineyard. Some minor coulure (non-setting of the fruit) has been noticed and a strong Mistral wind damaged some plots in June and July. General parasitic pressure has remained low despite some isolated problems. Mildew and oïdium have been controlled. Overall the state of the vineyard is good.

Provence is probably best known for its Rpsé wines, but you really should try out some excellent and surprisingly full-bodied red and white wines from the Côtes de Provence, Les Baux de Provence, and Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence. For more info see www.vinsdeprovence.com

Majestic Wine Warehouses have a good offer on Rosé wines at 20% off if you buy 2 or more – e.g. Château Saint Roch-les-Vignes 2006, Rosé de Provence (£4.79 with discount) “A delicious rosé showing soft spice and attractive fruit.” or Château Pigoudet La Chapelle Rosé 2006, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence (£6.39 with discount) “The colour of bright pink petals, the nose boasts red apples and ripe cherries. Fresh and elegant, this aromatic rosé lingers on a beautiful finish. Enjoy with Salad Niçoise. “
If you’re in Provence try any of the wines from Mas Sainte Berthe at Les Baux de Provence.

This is the second time in less than 10 years that such an early harvest has happened in this region, the previous occasion being on 3 August 1999, one day later than this year. A mild spring and a rainy month of May accelerated the maturing process. According to first indications, Muscat 2007 shows an equivalent of 12% alcohol content with a sweet and aromatic nature. Producers have commented that this will allow them to make a fairly fresh white wine this year.

Rivesaltes signature wine is the Muscat de Rivesaltes AC, a Vin Doux Naturel (sweet dessert wine made by stopping the conversion of some of the sugars into alcohol by adding spirit alcohol to stop fermentation), which can be delightfully fragrant and perfumed oozing the grapey taste of the Muscat à Petit Grains grape (literally small grapes). Avoid cheaper versions though, which can be over-syrupy to my taste.

Also be careful not to confuse the Muscat de Rivesaltes AC with Rivesaltes AC which can be quite different. Muscat de Rivesaltes AC can only be made as a sweet white wine from Muscat à Petit Grains and/or Muscat d’Alexandria grapes.
Rovesaltes AC can be made from a wider variety of grapes – hence producing a wider range of styles: Grenache Blanc, Grenache Noir, Grenache Gris, Maccabeo, Malvoisie,and the two Muscats – producing wines varying in colour from pale yellow to deep gold, and from pale rosé to chocolate or crimson.

One of the best producers is Domaine CAZES, who also produce Côtes de Roussillon and Vin de Pays d’Oc wines – see www.cazes-rivesaltes.com
Winestore.co.uk in Perthshire stock Muscat de Rivesaltes AC from Domaine Cazes.
Individual Wines in Oxford stock a Rivesaltes AC from Domaine Cazes “100% Grenache Blanc sourced from 50 to 55 year old vines that produce a miserly 20hl/ha. Traditional addition of grape spirit at the beginning of fermentation to increase alcohol and maintain natural sugars, then the wine is matured for 22 years in seasoned oak casks. Only 1000 cases made annually.” (£22.90 a bottle)

For more news on Muscat wines and the Muscats du Monde competition see www.spittoon.biz

Our tastes in wine tend to be quite individual, and I always seek out those wines which stand out from the bland, branded crowd so often presented on supermarket shelves.

Hence my eyes sparkle a little when I find a wine merchant stocking something really interesting and different – one such recent discovery being Martlet Wines – as they stock one of my more obscure favourites:-

DOMAINE DES HUARDS, Cour-Cheverny AC Cuvée Francois 1er 2002, Romorantin £ 8.25 The little known Romorantin grape is now exclusive to Cour-Cheverny. A favourite of Leonardo de Vinci, it produces a very individual wine. Dry with subtle fruits and a slightly “sherried” flavour.

This was one of the wines we imported at ALLEZ VINS! from Michel Gendrier at Cheverny (41 Loir-et-Cher, Centre) near Blois on the Loire. Made from old vine Romorantin grapes this is very dry and aromatic – and perhaps a bit of an acquired taste. Michel does also produce more approachable whites – such as the Cheverny AC Blanc, a delightful blend of Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Small quantities, and small demand – few customers had ever heard of it, so most sales were at tastings where it was either raved about or dismissed depending on your palate.

So good to find another adventurous wine merchant – Martlet Wines also stocks a range of other top notch French wines – such as the wines of Mas de la Serranne in the Languedoc.

For more on Domaine des Huards see http://www.frenchduck.co.uk/huards.html

Burgundy can be a bit confusing, especially when you get beyond the classic (and expensive) prime appellations of the Cote d’Or. Chablis is part of Burgundy to the north, but there is some debate about whether Beaujolais is part of the region to the south. In between are the sub-appellations of the Maconnais and Challonais, which are very much part of Burgundy but produce more affordable wines.

The key characteristics of most Burgundy wines is the predominance of Pinot Noir for red wines and Chardonnay for whites – although less noble grape varieties such as Aligoté do appear.

To confuse things further wines previously known as Macon-Clessé  and Macon-Viré AC have been combined into a new appellation called Viré-Clessé – being the two villages around which the vineyards are spread. The other famous wine from the region is the Pouilly-Fuissé (not to be confused with Pouilly-Fumé, a Loire Sauvignon.)

Hence I was interested to find the Andrew Chapman at Surf4Wine is now stocking a

Viré-Clessé AC  – made from selected parcels of Chardonnay grapes from various producers whose vines range from 15 to 50 years old. – Paul Boutinot Viré-Clessé AC, Reserve Personnelle 2004 (Burgundy) – it is usually a good sign when Surf4Wine stocks something French, as the list is dominated by many superb New World styles:

An oaky chardonnay – but so different in style to the overly-rich and fruity New World styles. This has a concentration of flavour and complexity that came as a delicious surprise. Indeed the oak is evident on the palate but the range of flavours, shere finesse adn style combine in to a delicious wine. Tangerine and orange feature along with a streak of citrus acidity, full buttery mouth-feel and a good long length.

This wine is available from Andrew Chapman at Surf4Wine (£7.25)

For more info on the appellation see http://www.vire-clesse.com/

Although it has been around for many years, health fanatics only now seem to have discovered the “Brut Zero” or “Brut Nature” or “Non-Dosé” versions of Champagne, as opposed to the more familar Brut or Demi-Sec.

Technically “Brut” in French means raw or crude, but in Champagne terms it is taken to refer to Champagnes with only a little added sugar. In its natural state Champagne is a dry acidic wine which can mask an otherwise highish level of residual sweetness – as much as 3 teaspoons of added sugar making a glass of Champagne come in at up to 89 calories per glass. Part of the process after fermentation both to top up the bottle and to determine the final level of sweetness is the addition of a sweet syrup (the “dosage” or “Liqueur d’expedition”) which can transform the wine into something more medium or sweet.

The terms can be a little confusing, as in ascending order of sweetness the classification is as follows: Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry,Sec, Demi-Sec, Rich or Doux. Non-Dosé hence refers to a wine where no sugar is added.

Apparently demand for this “diet champagne” is booming

- as if any one needs an excuse to drink Champagne!

Champagne Tarlant produces a “Zéro” made from the 3 classic Champagne grapes of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, but with part of the blend being fermented in new oak to add richness and harmony.

I admit to having been a little snooty about Tariquet – I am generally somewhat suspicious and dismissive of big wine companies (with a few honourable exceptions), prefering the more romantic concept of small independent wine makers and their families crafting their wines with great care and personal attention to every stage from grape to bottle. And Tariquet is BIG – the largest independent vineyard in France based in Eauze (32 Gers, Midi-Pyrenees).

My other prejudice arose from tasting one of their hallmarked wines – an oaked white called “les 4″, an oaked blend which I felt was too “New World” with too much oak dominating the freshness and fruitiness of the wine.

So prompted by Andrew’s posting I revisited some of the Tariquet wines – and was pleasantly impressed with the quality – the Tariquet Rosé (a blend of merlot, syrah and the local tannat) was particularly impressive – the syrah adding real depth of flavour making it an excellent summer wine but equally well-capable of providing an excellent companion for roast lamb.

Maïté Dubuc-Grassa and her brother Yves Grassa (Winemaker of the year IWC 1987) have in their twenty years of activity become leading French wine makers: they grow 900 hectares (2224 acres) of vines (making them the largest independent vineyard in France) which produce 7 million bottles of wine to be sold in more than 45 countries around the world.

The Famille Grassa signature style relies on the winemaker capturing the first aromas of the grape, a process which involves meticulous care at every stage. Using state-of-the-art technology and facilities (Tariquet owns the largest pressing room in Europe), Yves Grassa has created a fine, unique and fruity style of wine that bears the Tariquet signature and corresponds perfectly to the taste of today’s consumer.

In the UK Advintage Wines stocks wines from Tariquet including the Rosé at £5,00 per bottle (“The palate shows a lovely combination of wild raspberry and flowers, but full-bodied at the same time. Excellent with tapas, summer dishes, Italian food as well as spicy dishes”(

For more info see www.tariquet.com/
Advintage Wines