Pacherenc du Vic Bilh and Fronton wines in the UK

As a fan of SW France, its wines and its food it is always good to have some of your favourite wines featured by an independent UK wine merchant – Leon Stolarski Fine Wines has selected 2 lesser-known wines from domaines I have worked with before. Laplace is one of the biggest and most respected winemakers in SW France, and interestingly Leon Stolarski has selected the dry version of Pacherenc – the sweeter and often dessert version os more often seen locally – so chack that you are buying the “Sec”.

The wines from Fronton (southwest of Montauban) tended in the past to be rather light, but well-suited to the more famous rosé from Fronton (or the Cotes du Frontonnais as it used to be known.) However Chateau Bouissel completely changed my view of Fronton wines and manage top produce some seriously good wines.

We have recently added a couple of cracking wines to our South-West France selection. Firstly, we have the refreshing yet considerably complex Pierre Laplace Cuvée Frédéric Laplace Pacherenc du Vic Bilh Sec. O.K, so the name is a bit of a mouthful – but so is the wine! The length of my tasting note will give you an indication of my enthusiasm for this wine and I highly recommend it for those who are looking for unusual and exciting new wines. And at £10.50, it provides excellent value for money for such a complex wine.

Secondly, we have Chateau Bouissel Classic Fronton, which is a truly delicious “drink me now” red from this relatively unknown appellation. Made from 50% Negrette, 25% Syrah, 20% Cabernets Sauvigon and Franc and 5% Cot (Malbec), it will appeal to those who like big, bold, juicy, drinkable young reds. And it is a fantastic bargain at just £7.49. If only Bordeaux (and to a lesser extent Cahors and Madiran) could produce such juicy, fruity, delicious wines at this price level!.

I fully endorse Leon Stolarski’s final comments on wines from SW France – but then I admit I am biased!

In fact, the more we discover about the wines of South-West France, the more we realise that there are so many “undiscovered” gems, from light, minerally, complex dry whites, through fruity yet robust reds, to fully-fledged sweet whites to rival the worlds finest.

LSF has put together a specially priced South-West France Case, covering the range of wines from this wonderful (and geographically very scattered) region, including the new wines detailed above. This 12-bottle case is offered at the special price of £110.82, a saving of £10 on the normal individual bottle prices.
See Leon Stolarski Fine Wines

Tel/fax; 00 44 (0)115 952 9387
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http://www.lsfinewines.co.uk