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The Domaine la Fourmone and its sister vineyard l’Oustau Fauquet produce top quality Vacquyras AC, Gigondas AC and Côtes du Rhône wines -
More info about the domaine
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Cabardès AC is a small, lesser-known Languedoc Appellation, north west of Carcassonne (11 Aude, Languedoc). Only upgraded to AOC in 1999, it is the only appellation which marries the Atlantic/Bordeaux grape varietals with those from the Languedoc/Mediterranean.
Hence at least 40% of the blend must be of Merlot or Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon, and a minimum of a further 40% from Syrah or Grenache - with the balance up to 20% being from the Cot (Auxerrois or Malbec) or Fer Servadou (also known as Braucol in Gaillac and Pinenc in Madiran!). This does at least provide some meaningful distinction in style from the rest of the Languedoc Appellations - I admit to struggling to differentiate between many Minervois, Corbières or Coteaux du Languedoc wines, as good as they can be.
UK merchant Wine Discoveries stocks the wines of Chateau de Pennautier including the 2004 Cabardes ” a plummy, elegant wine with surprising depth of flavour and a good length”.
Chateau de Pennautier (Pennautier, 11 Aude, Languedoc) itself looks to be well worth a visit - not only tastings but also a wine bar and restaurant. It all looks very polished - and although I can sneer at the marketing emphasis of new world wineries, it is good to see that some French vineyards are trying hard to make your visit a more memorable and enjoyable experience than standingaround in a draughty cellar adorned with rusty old tools and ancient barrels (or being shown still more stainless steel vats). To do this without turning it into some sort of vinous theme park with kitsch souvenirs or heavy sales patter needs some style, which is what the French can do when they want.
Importantly though, the wine has to be good! For a location map see map
Check out a good selection of Languedoc, Rhone, Loire and other wines at Wine Discoveries
John & Carolyn Scallon offer comfortable Bed & Breakfast (Chambre d’Hote) accommodation in Burgundy either for stop-overs en route south or for short or longer stays. At Sens-sur-Seille (71 Saone-et-Loire, Bourgogne).
This would be an opportunity to explore some of the lesser known parts of Burgundy with the additional bonus of experienced advice from your English hosts who can help you plan your itinerary to get the best from your day - and recommend vineyards and restaurants.
Just 90 minutes from Geneva or Lyon airports this area abounds with small villages, individual cuisine and lots and lots of really fine wines.
“We’re biased. We live in a small village in the extreme east of Burgundy, right on the border with the Jura Department and we love it here” say John & Carolyn Scallon at www.bandb-burgundy.com who offer excellent accommodation (4 individually decorated bedrooms with en-suite facilities) in the heart of south Burgundy at Sens-sur-Seille (71 Saone-et-Loire, Burgundy) east of Chalon-sur-Saone (see map)
For more info and for suggestions on visiting the vineyards of Burgundy see www.frenchduck.co.uk
Chateau d’Aydie and the Laplace family are widely regarded as one of the foremost quality producers of Madiran. Frédéric Laplace was recognised as one of the pioneer winemakers - first to bottle Madiran wines and to sell them under his own name when the appellation was created in 1948 - when there was just 50 hectares of vineyard under production, compared to the 1650 hectares which now produce Madiran wines.
The whole venture is very much a family affair - the three grandsons and granddaughter of Frédéric run the estate between them - Francois in charge of the business side; Jean-Luc is in charge of wine-making; Bernard manages the vines; and Marie presides over the office, whilst their father Pierre is in semi-retirement but still very much involved.
In his new book “The New France: A Complete Guide to Contemporary French Wine (Mitchell Beazley Wine Guides)
It is always a sure sign of excellent wines when the top restaurants in the region include them on the wine list.
Madiran has been in the headlines recently due to a new book by Richard Corder “The Wine Diet
We imported 2 superb Madirans from Chateau d’Aydie and a couple of excellent Vins de Pays. The key difference between the Madirans is the percentage of the Tannat grape used.
The top cuvée is the Chateau d’Aydie - made from 100% Tannat grapes - a “grand vin” - greater power and energy with considerable fruit character (blackberries and blackcurrants), with hints of mushroom and tobacco. Aged in new oak for 12 months. (The 2001 vintage was recommended in the Guide Hachette des Vins 2003. “..intense and complex nose…fruit, menthol and woodsmoke..well balanced flavours mingled with vanilla and toast.“)
The next cuvée is Madiran AC Odé d’Aydie where the proportion of the Tannat grape is 80%. The Odé d’Aydie is made from top quality vines and aged partly in new oak barrels and partly in large oak vats. This produces a “sweeter” and richer wine than more basic Madirans, with suggestions of plums and tobacco. (Recommended in the Guide Hachette des Vins 2002. “”elegant in its deep, bright blackness, the Odé d’Aydie leaves in its trail intensely smoky aromas, fragrances of vanilla and menthol, notes of balsam…full-bodied, velvety and structured.”)
The Vins de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne carry the label “Aramis” indicative of their origin in 3 Musketeers country, and are excellent quality easy-drinking wines.
See map
Cotes du Marmandais, 47 Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine (see map)
The Cotes du Marmandais is one of a number of small appellations south of Bergerac and east of Bordeaux, which major on the Bordeaux grape varieties, and which tend to be dominated by large co-operatives.
Whilst historically co-operatives have not always produced the best of wines, the situation is a little different where the co-op is the dominant producer, as here in Marmande. As such the co-op becomes the guardian of the appellation’s reputation and has a vested interest in producing good signature wines as well as bulk plonk. The Caves du Marmandais at Cocumont is one such example.
The appellation is based around the town of Marmande between Agen and Bordeaux on the Garonne (and A62 autoroute). Marmande is probably better known for its large “beef” tomatoes, but it does also produce some very decent wines, albeit not particularly distinctive.
Originally there were 2 co-ops, Cocumont and Beaupuy, one based on the south (or left) bank of the Garonne, the other on the north (right) bank. These merged a few years ago in the Cave du Marmandais.
The red and rose wines are based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot to a maximum of 75% of the blend. The balance must be made up with the local variety of Abouriou or Fer, or alternatively Gamay or Syrah. For white wines: Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle, Ugni Blanc.
From the Co-op there is a wide range of good value wines - the best in our opinion being the Tap de Perbos - an oak-aged red with real finesse and power. Rick Stein in Rick Stein’s French Odyssey
There are some independent producers who are gaining a decent reputation - e.g. Chateau de Beaulieu at Saint-Sauveur de Meilhan - see www.chateaudebeaulieu.net - available from www.southdownscellars.co.uk
A name gaining a great reputation and reviews from Jancis Robinson and others is Elian da Ros/Clos Baquey at Cocumont - stocked by Adnams (always a good indicator).
For more info on the Cave du Marmandais see www.origine-marmandais.fr
Domaine Berthomieu is a small domaine (26 hectares) in the village of Viella, in the north of the Madiran appellation. The domaine has been in the family since 1850 and Didier Barré is the 6th generation to own and run the domaine. Didier is a real enthusiast, passionate about his wines and respectful of the traditional character of the wine. We are proud to feature his wines which offer tremendous character and style, some of the best in the appellation.
The domaine has two different plots - one on a pebbly, clay plateau to the west of the village facing south towards the Pyrenees, and the other a gravelly slope facing south east to the east of the village.
Many of the vines on the estate are between 40 and 100 years old. These older vines yield fewer grapes, but their long roots will extract more mineral character and trace elements.
The domaine also produces some fine white wines - Pacherenc du Vic Bilh AC - sweet and dry. Both wines are made from very old vines (over 50 years old) and are delicately oaked, using local grape varieties such as Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng and Petit Courbu.
Madiran AC Domaine Berthoumieu Cuvée Charles de Batz
GOLD MEDAL + TANNAT TROPHY + GREAT VALUE AWARD in the INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE 2004.
Madiran can be a bit tough when young, but this top cuvée made from older vines (more than 50 years old) with 90% Tannat and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in new oak barrels is rich and smooth - with tannins which are gentle and generous. Intensely inky black colour, fat and generous tannins, spicy with hints of elderberry, plums and cocoa and tobacco.
“In this Tannat-dominated blend, the typically chunky tannins are interwoven with flavours and scents of black damsons, flowers, blueberries and creosote! Round, textured and concentrated with a long finish”. Don’t be put off by the “creosote” mention - it is the pure fruit concentration and mellow tannins which make this a real blockbuster, and although it is clearly a “BIG” wine, it is gentle with your mouth and tastebuds.
And to top it all - this wine also gets a GOOD VALUE RED award.
Charles de Batz was the real soldier who was immortalised as d’Artagnan - one of the Three Musketeers of Alexandre Dumas’ novels. This area was the home of the musketeers under the reign of Louis XIV.
Region: Rhône Valley
Appellation: Gigondas AC
Producer: Domaine la Fourmone
Grapes: Grenache
2 principal cuvées produced - Cuvée Traditionelle and the Cuvée Cigaloun both very rich and high in alcohol. Wonderfully spicy overtones, with the Cigaloun balancing the spice with really good fruit.
From selected plots, velvet colour, spicy nose,grilled aromas, palate delight.
… When it nears the lavender she stops singing.
“Canto ! Canto ! Cigaloun !” says the poet quietly at it becomes his friend…
The epic story of the Côtes de Saint-Mont vineyards began in the fourth century BC, when the first plants were imported by the Greeks. It is thus one of the oldest vineyards in France. Then one witnessed an important development from 1050 with the founding of the Saint-Mont Abbey by Benedictine monks. The monks were particularly interested by an area already colonised by the vine. The ‘crus’ developed and these ‘fine wines from Gascony’ were exported to the United Kingdom as early as the 14th century. Today the appellation Côtes de Saint-Mont stretches over 49 villages in the Gers. Wines are considered as ‘discovery wines’ or ‘terroir wines’ and are experiencing a promising revival. As far back as the 11th Century
the arrival of Benedictine monks (from the Abbey de Marcillac in Burgundy) helped to improve the wines of the area, and being on one of the roads to Santiago de Compostella they quickly acquired a reputation
In the heart of Gascony (Gascogne) the landscape is of gently rolling hills with good soil and exposure to the sun. The climate is gentle and ideal for maturing grapes in late season.
VDQS is the abbreviation for VIN DÉLIMITÉ DE QUALITÉ SUPERIEURE - a classification which is slightly more generous than full Appellation Controllée (AC) status. As such it is a guarantee that the wines come from a small specific geographical area, and must contain certain minimum percentages of specified grape varieties (usually traditional to the area), and hence conform broadly to a particular style, However, there is more flexibility for the winemaker in yields and the addition of other grape varieties in the blend. We like to think of them mainly as Very Delicious Quaffing Selections, but are also capable of producing some really fine and serious wines. This is another example of the French classification system becoming less relevant, as all three wines which we stock from the Côtes de St Mont are much better than many other wines we have tasted which are classified as “Appellation Controllée!
PRODUCTEURS PLAIMONT. We generally prefer to work with smaller individual domaines, but the Plaimont co-operative is streets ahead of other co-ops - producing excellent and distinctive wines of consistent quality at keen prices. It has had the benefit of good management and leadership, which has ensured that, unlike many co-operatives, it does not work at the comfort level of the weakest members. Instead it has been visionary and innovative, and most importantly places the highest emphasis on wine quality.