Languedoc-Roussillon

The 2013 Pic Saint Loup Coste d’Aleyrac is a blend of Syrah (50%) - Grenache (40%) - Carignan (10%), kept for 12 months in concrete tank. Spice, dried mushrooms, red currants, white pepper are just some of the notes here, and on the palate it is medium-bodied, softly-textured and plummy, with easy-going character and refreshing finish. Enjoy it now and until 2017, pair with grilled sausages with mashed potato, poultry in a cream sauce, or charcuterie.

Domaine Felines was bought by the Jourdan family in 1983. It is situated at Mèze, near the “Bassin de Thau” in the Languedoc. There are 40 hectares of vines and the Jourdans immediately began a replanting programme. Picpoul de Pinet was first produced at the domaine in 1992 and is a fascinating wine. Picpoul is an old-fashioned southern grape, which has long been due a comeback. It produces fresh, dry, whites with hints of citrus fruits, pears and fennel, buttressed by a crisp backbone of acidity.

This shows a rich, inviting nose of green apple, nettle and a delicate minerality, topped off with a just a hint of sea breeze. Fresh and generously fruity on the palate, the green apple persists with accompanying notes of pear, grass and citrus. Very clean and fresh, the finish is very moreish and would be the perfect accompaniment to a plate of oysters.

Rene’s offering form the South of France is fresh and perfumed much like his white Rhônes. The nose is generous and fleshy with stone fruit intertwined with floral perfume and a touch of talk on the finish. The palate reveals more ripe fruit with flavours of quince, green apple, bitter almond and the finish reveals a delicate salinity owed to a dash of Rolle (Vermentino) which is added to this blend of Grenache Blanc and Viognier. Ideal with a plate of prawns or a tuna salad.
Oliver Barton - Wine Buyer

The Puig-Parah family has made a name for holding the most extraordinary collection of old Rivesaltes Vins Doux Naturells wines imaginable - dating back to the 19th Century, some in bottle, some in vat and some still in cask. This one is a dry white wine.

Full-flavored, pink-colored rosé with layers of strawberry and cherry fruit. An exuberantly fruity, seductive style of rosé.

This rosé is not one to readily comply with the routine requirements of AOC Collioure Rosé; its colour lacking the requisite brightness and the application of oak being conducive to interest and complexity but not, apparently, to the constraints of bureaucracy.

When first poured there was a distinctly oxidative quality to the nose, not obtrusive but certainly attention-grabbing when tasted alongside a range of more orthodox wines. Don’t be put off by this, this is a serious wine and requires a little time to show its true colours. Revisited it showed an intensity of wild strawberry fruit alongside the savoury garrigue-esque notes of rosemary and thyme, and ¬retains some of the initial oxidative element in an undercurrent of hazelnut. This is well suited as a food wine and would partner well with delicate red meat dishes such as a rare-roast rack of lamb or, dare I say it, the annual visitation of roast turkey.

Grenache, Carignan and Syrah. They have moved to direct pressing to get a lighter Rosé but one that they believe expresses the ‘terroir’ and enables a fresher more vibrant style of Rosé. Raspberries, fresh almonds and citrus minerality. Refreshing with restrained fruit concentration. Fermented in used barriques and aged for 8 months.
Fiona Hayes - Buyer

The Serrat vineyard was planted with both Grenache Gris and Blanc in 1959. This is a traditional oxidative style of Rivesaltes, with old gold colouring and aromas of Oxford marmalade, cloves and dried flowers. The grapes were picked in the middle of October and allowed to macerate on their skins over-night; the warm dry weather in the late summer of 2000 is translated poetically into the glass with gentle sweetness and intimations of balneal summers. Perfect with foie gras, blue cheeses and similar healthy options.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)

Aged in demi-muids and barrel for 10 months, this is the first vintage of élevage in the new cave. The nose is layered with cassis, black fruit, cherry and garrigue notes with a pleasant violet perfume. There is a purity of fruit on the palate with layers of spice and thyme; vibrant acidity with a mineral core; grippy tannins and a savoury freshness on the finish. This is a stunner – the best vintage I have tasted from the domaine. Drink now to 2018. By some distance the most fashionable of the “new” AOCs in the Languedoc, Les Terrasses du Larzac is an incredibly exciting domaine. It benefits from altitude, a richly diverse soil structure and significant day-to-night temperature variations, all three of which point towards quality and complexity. If these vines were once “forgotten” they certainly will not be so for long.

Domaine d'Aupilhac is an acclaimed organic property located in the enclave of Montpeyroux, 36 kilometres to the north of Montpellier and its inspirational chef de cave Sylvain Fadat is acknowledged as one of the most respected and capable winemakers in the Languedoc. The Cocalières vineyard is located on the site of a prehistoric lake and the soil is shared between petrified volcanic emissions, limestone and basalt.

Aged for 20 months in barrique, the wine is then given time in the winery to settle and harmonise. The 2012 has a rich purple colour and a distinctive nose which marries forest floor, black cherry and hints of peat. The terroir is elegantly expressed in other words, and the gentle hint of sweetness on the finish provides perfect foil for the flavours of sloe, cassis and pepper on the mid-palate. Excellent with game.

A fantastic and acclaimed organic property located in the enclave of Montpeyroux, 36 km to the north of Montpellier. From North West facing vineyards at an altitude of 350 metres, this is a blend of equal shares of Marsanne, Rolle, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc. Vinified and aged in cask and third-fill barrique, then aged for ten months, this is an eloquent and extremely complex testament to the quality of top Languedoc wines.

With grapefruit, quince, dried fruit and white pepper on the nose, the palate is transformed into a honied labyrinth of flavour, its citric and mineral undercurrent in a perfect and poised counterpoint.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)

Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre share the honours in this outstanding and very well named wine. After twelve months in barrel (some 225 litres, some 400 litres) the aromatics are wonderfully seductive, the oak in no way influencing a hymn to Mediterranean sunshine; blackberry, sloe and cherry, with a sprig of rosemary. The palate is equally poised, its tannins reassuringly fine and its fruit fulsome but far from overbearing. The Mourvèdre adds a spicy kick, grounding the higher notes of the Syrah but in no way compromising the pleasure principle. Drink now to 2018.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer
The dramatic cliff of the famous eponymous “Pic”, located in the foothills of the Cévennes, provides a fitting backdrop to Domaine de l’Hortus, where wines are crafted under the tutelage of paterfamilias Jean Orliac, one of the most honest, likeable and talented winemakers one could hope to meet.

The flagship Vin Doux Natural is made from old Grenache which was planted in 1945. The vines were brought over from Châteauneuf -du-Pape and picked at low yields of 15 hl/ha. A mere 10 days of maceration has left a wine of great purity and cleanly defined flavours, with Residual Sugar of 85 g/l. The gentle fortification was followed by four weeks of anaerobic post-fermentation maceration.

In youth the wine boasts red and black cherry notes with hints of chocolate. With time notes of dried fruit, prune and mocha will come to the fore. Delicious, with very finely integrated and therefore unobtrusive sweetness.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)

The wine is an attractive garnet red with purple highlights. The intense and delicate nose reveals luscious ripe fruit aromas mingled with succulent milk chocolate and liquorice notes.

The supple and smooth attack shows mature, elegant, well-rounded tannins, while the packed and elegant mid-palate expands on red fruit flavours accompanied by notes of toast, leaving an impression of succulence and fullness. Distinguished, the very long finish lingers on elegant fruit.

Winemaker Olivier Jullien first started making wine in the Languedoc in the early 1980s when much of the Languedoc was known for producing commercial wine. Arriving after such a great vintage as 2010, the 2011 was always destined to suffer by comparison. Olivier was keen to stress that he was not planning to make a “petit frère”, but rather to work hard to create a wine with its own personality, one that truly reflects the vintage.

Located to the northeast of Montpellier, the modish Terrasses du Larzac produce this Southern Rhône blend. Comprising Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan, the wine is full-bodied and rich. This is a heady wine with rich fruit backed by firm tannins and a full-bodied structure. It will pair well with big, rich dishes.
The 2011 Coteaux du Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac shows fine form, with ample black and purple fruits, searing minerality, and a tight, compact feel that just begs for additional cellar time. Full-bodied, beautifully concentrated and with polished, yet present tannin, it should be at its best from 2016-2026.

Established in 1985 and covering 15 hectares around the village of Jonquieres, north of Montpellier and in the Terrasses du Larzac region, Mas Jullien is run by the passionate Olivier Jullien, who was one of the early pioneers of the region to push for quality.

Farming all organically, he uses varying degrees of whole clusters during fermentation, vinifies each variety separately and utilizes primarily larger format barrels for aging. The entire lineup is stacked with quality and the wines show distinct, individual personalities. Moving to the reds, Jullien does two cuvees, the Terrasses du Larzac release which is a blend of Carignan, Mourvedre and Syrah, and cuvee Carlan, which is mostly Grenache, with smaller parts Carignan, Cinsault and Syrah.
94/100 Jeb Dunnuck eRobertParker.com #212 Apr 2014

A blend of Syrah and Carignan, black olive, pepper and bramble fruits play on the nose. Spice and garrigue add complexity on the palate. The firm, fine-grained tannins are well integrated, with juicy fruit density and a mineral backbone. Delicious.

This spends the same amount of time in oak as the Côté Mer (one year), but the fruit comes from higher-altitude vineyards (450 metres above sea-level) and older vineyards further inland where soils are shallower and rockier. There is no Syrah in this blend, the 60 percent Carignan made up with a blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Counoise. Only one other estate has Counoise planted and, although it was acquired by the Parcé family, they intend to keep it as they feel it contributes to the aromatics and colour of the wine.

Darker fruits of blackcurrant, cherry, plum and savoury spice play alongside herbal and garrigue notes, adding layers of complexity. Firm, grainy tannins and a vibrant acidity add to the structure. A real expression of the terroir and region come through in this cuvée.

Le Clos is made up of 60 year-old vines, the make-up being 40% Carignan, 40% Mourvedre and 20% Syrah. The grapes are grown on distinctive blue marl soil, apparently very similar to the soils at Pétrus, whatever significance one may wish to attach to that association.

23 months of barrel fermentation, no bad thing given the reputation of the leading duo of grapes, has yielded a dense and brooding wine, saturnine in outlook, yet, for the patient, not lacking a sweeter more accommodating core that will reveal itself over the medium term.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer 

This wine comes from a Lieu-dit with vines planted in 1938 at 350 metres. Mainly Carignan but some Grenache features in the blend. The slope doesn’t see too much direct sunlight, which keeps the purity of fruit and freshness in the wine. Wonderful notes of thyme and rosemary with some liquorice and red cherry notes. Fine grained tannins with a lively freshness that balances the concentrated body. Extraordinary length.
Fiona Hayes - Buyer

First planted by the Romans, these beautiful vineyards share the terrain with the Roquefort-producing sheep and the wild savagery of the garrigue. The “domaine” consists of a stone barn, its location almost exactly halfway between the two great properties of Grange des Pères and Mas de Daumas Gassac.

Syrah dominates the blend once again in 2011, with Grenache and Mourvèdre lending support. The 2011 vintage is an attractive, forward, somewhat underappreciated vintage (by all but the growers and select cognoscenti!); all positive when one reflects upon the sheer inscrutable power of La Peira in “big” vintages. Elegance is all here, with cassis and plum fruit evocative of Médoc class and a spicy, gently peppery finish rendering suitable homage to the Mediterranean.

After the indulgent and unabashed praise for the stupendous 2007, Messrs Dougan and Depierre must have been a little anxious about the 2008, perceived as a weaker vintage although, to be fair, anxiety does not seem to come naturally to them. And of course, there would have been little need for it with this extremely impressive sequel. Dominated by 70% Grenache, with the balance made up of a Syrah and a truly stupendous Mourvèdre the wine combines the power and elegant freshness which so distinguished its immediate forebear. A pot pourri of dark ripe fruit is harnessed by very fine tannnins and clean, mineral acidity. Licorice and bitter chocolate, courtesy of the Mourvèdre, add even greater complexity to an already rather distinguished beast.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer, January 2011)

Puig offers an oxidized, non-vintage Rancio Sec rendered from Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris, and based on a solera about whose age he would only say “the mother is very, very ancient,” which at this address rather lets one’s imagination run wild. A nutty, smoky, pungent Olorosa-like nose ushers in a silken-textured palate informed by toasted nuts, citrus oils, fruit skin tartness, and cyanic fruit kernel bitterness. This is both rich and bright, offering a fascinating interplay of flavors, albeit a rather austere finish that displays slight heat from its 15% alcohol. (I tasted several old soleras from cask to which Puig refers as “rancio moelleux” – although that term is not legally recognised – but found them less harmonious or intriguing than this wine.)
David Schildknecht - The Wine Advocate #183, June 2009

1956 Rivesaltes Ambre delivers a blast of high-toned dried and distilled pit fruits allied to smoldering smokiness that made my nasal hairs stand to attention. Behind that come flooding creme caramel, date, sultana, and espresso roast, which then inform a palate of persistently high-toned inner-mouth volatility and brightness, but at the same time textural creaminess such as I don't usually find in an ancient Rivesaltes. This should have fascinating applications at table though, of course, it will perform superbly solo as well. And you don't need to worry about this wine falling apart for months after you open it - or for many years in your cellar (provided the cork holds up).

If fame depended solely on quality, Jean-Hubert Verdaguer ought to be famous for his trove of ancient Rivesaltes. His younger Rivesaltes can be outstanding, too (see for example the 1996 about which I wrote in issue 184) - I just don't happen to have tasted any new examples of those in the past three years. Nor - on the basis of recent experience (though I have still not visited him) - ought Verdaguer's dry wines to be overlooked, either.
93/100 David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com #195 Jun 2011 

The top wine from one of the great Estates in the Languedoc, La Peira En Damaisela is now up there with the more established names such as Grange des Peres and Mas de Daumas and, in the view of many, is even better.

Here the blend is 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache; both have been picked at extraordinarily low yields of 7.5 hl/ha and the result is , unsurprisingly extremely concentrated. Cassis, black cherry even macerated prune, then undergrowth, spice and black pepper; the wine is young of course, yet already boasts an ethereal elegance which is characteristic of the greatest wines in the warmer climates and which is extremely difficult to achieve with such incalculable poise.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)

Domaine D'Aupilhac is an acclaimed organic property located in the enclave of Montpeyroux, 36 km to the north of Montpellier and its inspirational chef de cave Sylvan Fadat is one of the most respected and capable winemakers in the Languedoc.

This particular vineyard is, it seems, located on the site of a prehistoric lake and the soil shared between petrified volcanic emissions, limestone and basalt.

The assemblage has been aged for 20 months in barrique and then given time in the winery to settle and harmonise. The 2010 has leather and licorice on the nose, a hint of soisbois perhaps, then a rich and very complete palate, with blackberry and cassis, a lick of pepper and softly acquiescent tannins. Highly recommended with duck breast and figs or pigeon and ceps.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer 

The Peira white is an enticing blend of Viognier and Roussanne, two of the most potentially rich and aromatically explosive grapes in the canon. The risk, therefore, is of too much of a good thing, and it is therefore to the great credit of Messrs Dougan and Depierre that they do not over egg the proverbial and turn this into a pudding wine. They achieve this by allowing the deep limestone terroir full expression and by not stirring the lees during the elevage of this barrel-fermented cuvée.

The result entices, for sure, with aromatics of honeysuckle and spring flowers and a seductive palate which is dominated by notes of poached pear, soft tangerine and zesty spice.
Simon Field MW – Wine Buyer

BBR were amongst the fist to ‘recognise’ the full magnificent potential of the Terrasses du Larzac, the evocatively named, geologically impressive enclave situated just to the north-east of Montpellier

Mas Julien’s 15 hectares were developed by Olivier Julien in 1985 and are located in Jonquières amidst the rocky terraces of a plateau (if that doesn’t sound too contradictory). The terroir is divided between the argilo and the calcaire (clay and the limestone); the wines themselves come from Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan, vinified by parcel and aged for around 18 months in demi–muid.

The 2008 is impressive, especially given the tricky nature of the vintage; the wine is aromatically persuasive and then, en bouche, silky and powerful, with rich spicy notes, plenty of garrigue-influenced charm and a pleasing purity.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)