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Biodynamic wine comes to the fore (or Four!) in September with a new series on making wine biodynamically in southern France.
A biodynamic wine is essentially an organic wine, avoiding pesticides and fertilisers in the vineyard and (as far as possible) any artifical chemicals in the winemaking process. But there is also an added “cosmic” dimension which determines key stages in the winemaking process from vine to bottle which are influenced by the phases of the moon and alignment of the planets.
Other examples of Biodynamic vineyards are Domaine Leflaive and Domaine Leroy in Burgundy, Domaine Huet in Vouvray and Coulée de Serrant in the small Loire appellation of Savennieres.
Few are convinced that this approach is more than just a little bizarre, or that it produces distinctly better wines, although each of the established vineyards listed do have an excellent reputation.
Channel 4 will be showing a 6-part series about an Englishman’s quest to create a biodynamic wine in the Roussillon in the south of France starting on 4 September 2008 with Chateau Monty
Top wine critic and author, Monty Waldin, has decided to put his money where his opinionated mouth is and pack it all in to make wine biodynamically in rural France. He has just over a year to turn 5.4 acres into top selling organic wine. Renovating an old cabin on his vineyard so he can babysit his vines 24/7, his only company will be his donkey and occasionally his high maintenance girlfriend Silvana when she jets in from Italy. Regarded by peers as a bit loopy because of his views about Biodynamics, and even as the enfant terrible of the wine world (he’s upset the establishment for his harsh criticisms of the wine industry), Monty’s nonetheless forged a successful career and written several award-winning books…But now he’s abandoning life behind the laptop for a new one making his own wine in the French Pyrenees.
As always there is a book to accompany the series - Chateau Monty
If you want to know more about Biodynamic wines, here is our list of suggested reading:-
Nicolas Joly (owner of Coulée de Serrant) - Biodynamic Wine, Demystified
Monty Waldin (of Chateau Monty) - Biodynamic Wines
George Andrews and Nicolas Joly’s Wine from Sky to Earth: Growing & Appreciating Biodynamic Wine
Wendy E Cook’s The Biodynamic Food and Cookbook: Real Nutrition That Doesn’t Cost the Earth
UPDATE:-
Jamie Goode, writing in the Sunday Express (17 Aug 08) adds: Think of biodynamic wines as “supercharged version of organic,” he says. Work in the vineyard is fitted in around the alignment of the moon and the planets, and growers claim it has improved the quality of their wine. Some of his recommendations include:-
• 2006 Chapoutier Organic Côtes du Rhône, France (£7.99, Waitrose)
• 2005 Bertie Collection Syrah, Minervois, France (£7.99, Oddbins)
• 2004 Didier Barral Faugeres “Jadis”, France (£17.30, Les Caves de Pyrene)
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!
| June 27, 2008 |
The Fête des Vins (wine festival) takes place in the Place de la Republique in Perpignan (66 Pyrenees-Orientales) on 27 June 2008, where more than 50 local winegrowers from the Rousillon region will present their wines. The wines include Cotes du Roussillon AC, Maury AC, Banyuls, Fitou AC and Muscat de Rivesaltes and Collioure AC.
Tours and tastings are also being organised in vineyards from the end of June until the beginning of September, plus a tasting over the same period in the Palais des Rois de Majorque in Perpignan.
For more information, please contact: apvr@vins-du-roussillon.com or +33 4 68 51 59 99 or see www.vinsduroussillon.com
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
A delightful surprise at the end of a long, hot tasting trip, when we thought we’d found enough new wines for the list.
Set in the hinterland of the Languedoc, north west of Nimes and in the shadow of the Cevennes mountains, this was a stretch of the South we had not traversed before - gently rolling landscape, a little wild with patches of moorland, interspersed with vineyards. Puechredon is in reality a small hamlet surrounded by vines, now run by the energetic Cyril Cuche.
There is little evidence of gleaming stainless steel here, with wines being vinified and matured in old-fashioned cement vats, lined with enamel or resin. Recently oak barrels have been introduced for maturing some of the special cuvées. It all had a slightly rustic feel - until we tasted the wines..
With just one exception (the Sauvignon Blanc 2000) the wines were well-made, full of wonderful fruit, and clearly made with tremendous skill. The “terroir” seems to provide more mineral extract and fruit concenttration than the land nearer to the coast. The landscape around the domaine offers a variety of soils and aspects, so that Cyril can select the most appropriate plot for each grape variety.
There is a charming tasting room (caveau) on the ground floor of the main house, which offers a fine welcome to visitors to the domaine.
See map location of Domaine de Puechredon
Cyril Cuche at Domaine de PuechredonCyril Cuche, winemaker
Amongst the wines we can recommend:-
Contact: Domaine de Puechredon, 30610 Puechredon, France
Tel: +33 (0)4.66.77.38.02 Fax: +33 (0) 4.66.77.43.33
Wines not available in the UK as far as I know.
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.
Jancis Robinson in the Financial Times (12 May 08) talks about the growing number of Brits who have followed their dream and bought a vineyard in France.
It is hardly surprising then that a substantial proportion of the hundreds of thousands of Brits who own French property have been tempted by the apparently bucolic life of a vigneron……
Are there any French winemakers left down there?
I asked Walter McKinlay, whose Domaine de Mourchon southern Rhône wines are some of the most successful from a British domaine, whether his Domaine de Mourchon wines were financially viable. He frowned. “Just about,” he said cautiously, then smiled. “But it’s a lovely lifestyle though.”
My own observation would be that it can be incredibly hard work and despite the attractions of the climate, landscape and the French way of life, it can also be very stressful. And as with all winemakers, a bad harvest, particularly in the early years can be devastating.
So, here’s our list of British vineyard owners (and 1 Irish couple) - that we are aware of (not an exhaustive list I am sure). Visits can be much more informative if the language is no barrier:-
Domaine de Laroux - Cotes de Gascogne, Armagnac (32 Gers, Midi-Pyrenees) - Nick and Karen Kitchener
Chateau Haut Garrigue - Bergerac, Saussignac AC (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine) - Sean and Caroline Feely (the Irish couple running an organic vineyard also known as Wild Earth Vineyards)
Domaine de Fontenay - Cote Roannaise AC (42 Loire, Rhone-Alpes) - Simon and Isabelle Hawkins
Chateau Richard - Bergerac, Saussignac AC (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine) - Richard Doughty
Domaine de Merchien - Coteaux du Quercy and beer! (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees - David & Sarah Meakin
Clos d’Yvigne - Cotes de Bergeac, Saussignac AC (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine) - Patricia Atkinson
Chateau des Milles Anges - Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Cadillac AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Heather van Ekris
Chateau Lezongars - Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Philip and Sarah Iles
Chateau Teyssier - Saint Emilion Grand Cru AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Jonathan and Lyn Maltus
Chateau de Sours - Bordeaux AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Esme & Sara Johnson
Domaine Gourdon - Cotes de Duras AC (47 Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine) - John Coulthard
Domaine du Grand Mayne - Cotes de Duras AC (47 Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine) - Andrew Gordon
Domaine de Begude - Limoux AC (11 Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon) - Catherine and James Kinglake
Domaine de Mourchon - Cotes du Rhone Seguret AC (84 Vaucluse, Provence) - Walter McKinley
Maison des Bulliats - Regnie AC Beaujolais (69 Rhone, Rhone-Alpes) - Fred and Helen Lockwood
Chateau Méaume - Bordeaux Superieure AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Alan and Sue Johnson-Hill
Domaine a Sauvageonne - Coteaux du Languedoc AC, Vin de Pays d’Oc (34 Herault, Languedoc - Roussillon) - Gavin Crisfield
Domaine Sainte Rose - Vin de Pays d’Oc (34 Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon) - Charles and Ruth Simpson
Chateau Bauduc - Bordeaux AC (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) - Gavin and Angela Quinney
Domaine Sainte Croix - Corbieres AC (11 Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon) - Jon & Elizabeth Bowen
Chateau Monplaisir - Bergerac AC (24 Dordogne, Aquitaine) - David and Helen Baxter
We keep coming across gites and Bed & Breakfast (Chambres d’Hote) on vineyards in France, but there are obviously some domaines that also offer camping, whether canvas or motorhome.
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 has just introduced a new section on their website entitle “Something Different”.
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.“
| 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/
