Rasteau blows me away

By on May 13, 2012

For the first time in several years, the Solexman didn't join the Escapade des Gourmets up in the hills behind Rasteau today. The mistral would have blown me off my feet, and I am still tottering around after surgery. But that didn't stop me from slipping in yesterday to enjoy the show they were putting on for a gaggle of journalists.

Starting at the sweet end down at the suave Ortas Co-op caveau, we were taken through the challenging task of matching chocolate with Rasteau Vin Doux Naturel, in which the fermentation is stopped before all of the sugar is converted – by the addition of alcohol. Yes, this vin muté (rough translation: fortified wine) is sweet and alcoholic: it's for sipping not gulping. As master chocolatier Laurent Lesage took us through the range of chocolates before us and as Ortas's Alexis Cornu described the wines on our tables, we realised that it was not as easy as popping the chokkie in the mouth and following it with a slurp from the nearest bottle. There was this or that vanilla, this or that fruit filling, and countless nuances due to the source of the cocoa beans. And the style and age of the wine is very important. Old VDNs that are aged in the presence of air tend to oxidise and take on strong flavours of walnut, which works differently according to the chocolate.

We all started dutifully and delicately, but we were soon just gobbling away and learning by our mistakes.

It was a good PR idea to get us gently pissed, because they then took us to  the Girasols winery to taste a wide range of Rasteau's 2010 dry red offerings, many of which were barrel samples or had been bottled recently. It helps to be in a happy frame of wine when tasting new wines, as it calls for plenty of intellectual abstraction,especially when the wine is bottle shocked.

But it's clear that 2010 is an excellent year. Quite a few wines had rough tannins that may not entirely soften with age. Others were lacking in matter and "ooomph", which is typical of shocked samples. But most had lovely fruity, spicy aromas and great acidity balance. My favourites were Domaine des Escaravailles La Ponce, Beaurenard's les Argiles Bleus, Domaine Chamfort, Domaine Martin, Coteaux des Travers, and Grand Nicolet.

To the Rastellains (as they are formally known) there is no better way to let off steam than organise a big nosh, which is what they did for us all that evening in the local hall. A table buckling under the weight of bottles and magnums set the mood for the bonhommie and generosity for which they are renowned. Didier Charavin (as well has having an ideal name, he's a talented speaker) MC'd the evening which, of course, was well punctuated by speeches by the worthies. Brilliant! With the fish we sipped the Escaravailles's Galopine 2011 (lovely stone fruit, lively acidity) and Domaine de Colliere's 2011 of 100% white grenache (he is new to whites, but this is one to watch).The reds appeared as the roast duck arrived: a terrific 2001 magnum of Coteaux des Travers (80% mourvedre grown on the stony Plan de Dieu) and a Grand Nicolet 2007 Cuvee Esseyons. This one got us chatting, because even by Rasteau's usual sunny, fruity, generous standards, this was a BIG wine. "American style", sniffed John Livingstone, and I knew what he meant. It's one of those wines you respect for doing what it wants to do, even if you wouldn't dig deep into your own pocket for a case. The opposite of the 2007 La Ponce from (again!) the Escaravailles:delicate, understated, long and elegant. Finally, a magnum of Beaurenard 2007 made the rounds; easy and a bit sweet, but terrific overall. 

Magnums of Rasteau

Rasteau facts and figures

Vineyard surface area: 1,300 hectares
Number of producers: 47, including 4 wine Co-operatives
Annual production about: 32,257 hl (3,225,700 litres) of AOC Rasteau; 1286 hl (128,600 litres) AOC VDN Rasteau.
Yield: 38 hl/ha AOC Rasteau; 30 hl/ha AOC VDN Rasteau
Sales: France 51%, Export 49% (United States, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, United Kingdom etc).
Terroir: pebbles, sand and marl in the north, quaternary terraces with large river stones (as in parts of Châteauneuf-du-Pape) in the south. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Loir – so close and so far…

By on May 2, 2012

It's less than an hour by train from Paris to the Loir (there is no "e" on the end of this one – the Loir is a tributary of the Loire, joining the Loire near Angers)  yet few tourists stop here on their way to the glistening renaissance chateaux that line the main river. 

What a shame, as the Loir, despite its proximity to the capital, is la France profonde, an overlooked valley, but with a lot to offer. The real jewels, for those  who are prepared to search, are found in the valley's Romanesque churches: sublime 12th century frescos are common.

There's also the wine, and it's terrific and affordable. The valley once had a reputation for somewhat harsh and unripe wine. No more.

On returning home after two months, I discovered several bottles sent to me by Michele Piron Soulat, who represents the Loir Valley winemakers, and immediately opened a rosé from the excellent Cave Coopérative du Vendômois. The Lieu Dit Cocagne is a fresh, fruity, easy-drinking and ample rosé in the rather modern style – i.e. a pleasure, not just something to get pissed on under the trellis in summer. It is made from Pinau d'Aunis, a variety that is limited to the area: when worked well, it gives lively, slightly peppery wines that last long on the palate.

This Co-op is a font of great value wines. Be tempted! If you are thinking of heading down to the Loire, take the TGV to Villiers (just next to the marvellous town of Vendome), fill up at the Coop and take in a few frescos before joining the hordes further south. Other wineries to watch are the Domaine Patrice Colin, Domaine de Montrieu (Emile Hérédia) and Domaine Brazilier.

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After work at Vinisud; precision from Alsace and party animals from Planet Grenache

By on February 26, 2012

Vinisud, 6PM on the first day, a long day of tastings and conferences, so I slipped away with Jacques Vivet, who has been running his wine tasting school in the centre of Paris for decades, and his son Charlie and girlfriend Ana.

In the centre of Montpellier, we dropped into a gig called Contains sulfites… mais pas trop and discovered, in this most southern of towns, some lovely wines from Alsace in the far north east of France. The whole range from the Domaine Leon Boesch, from Soultzmatt, starting with a humble Sylvaner and sipping through to two majestic Rieslings and a gewurtz, had a scary level of precision. He only told us he was biodynamic once we were half way through the flight. Obvious!

The it was back towards a club out by the airport to meet G gang, the Grenachadiers who have kept the tradition alive after the Grenache symposium down here in 2010. Trendy club, plenty of music, buffed up boys working the bar… The atmosphere was not entirely conducive to tasting fine wine, but Jerome Bressy was doing his bit by pouring his newly bottled red 2008 Rasteau Gourt de Mautens, not as expressive as when I tasted it out of the barrel a few months ago, but it's a wine for the patient. Walter McKinlay from Domaine Mourchon had magnums of their Family Reserve Grenache – fabulous now. Marcel Richaud was there with his 2008 Ebrescade, too. Top of the range stuff. Lots of seriously good grenache was sloshing around. Right at the end, I tasted Even Bakke’s Clos de Trias Pied Porcher which the big fella was pouring out of a magnum. Pure grenache from high altitude north facing slopes, only produced in hot years when full ripeness is reached, deliciously sensual as you expect from this variety, but as straight as a gun barrel.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

We finished off the evening at the Hippopotamus restaurant for steak and chips with beer as, after all that good grenache we didn’t dare to order any wine. Such is life. I'm sure there’s a message in that somewhere…

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Youngsters extracting: a terrific meeting at Vinisud

By on February 26, 2012

I was hanging around the Grains et Galets stand at Vinexpo on Wednesday, tasting with Bertrand Stehelin (see notes below) when Vasco Perdigao bounced up to say hello.

Vasco is the new owner of the Domaine Chamfort at Sablet, making Sablet, Rasteau and Vacqueyras. I told him I'd loved his Vacqueyras 2010, made from 65% grenache, 25% mourvedre and 10% syrah when I'd tasted it at the village stand. The aromas were clean and subtle, and it was ample and long with pleasant sweetness (the French would call it sucrosité, which is not so much sugary sweetness than an impression of sweetness which comes from the structure). The finish was marvellous. 

He pressed his lips together and craned his neck forward in the way they do over here. "I think I screwed that one up," he answered.
"Oh, no, it's great," Bertrand and I said in unison.
"I think I was a bit paranoid about the extraction," Vasco insisted. "I didn't go quite far enough. Maybe another day would have been better, a bit more body…"
"Oh, you youngsters," I said, looking at them both with a sigh. "You want to extract too much when you start off, then you learn how to hold back."

I should have told them the parable of the old bull. 

Anyway, it's great to know that these young talents are working so conscientiously here in the Rhone valley. 

The tasting with Bertrand Stehelin 

Bertrand knows how to hold back on the extraction. I tasted eight of his wines, all delightful, including a delicious Vin de Pays de Vaucluse, a "simple" wine from the deep soils near the Ouveze river in Sablet. At 7€, a bargain. His 2009 Gigondas is fresh and clean, not like some of the over-rich wines of that year. The 2010, taken from the vat (ie not yet bottled) is hard to fathom at this stage, but it will be excellent. Le 2010 Syrah de Penelope (still in barrels) is very syrah, with lots of violet (the flower) aromas. Then, a surprise – a Chateauneuf-du-Pape (I forgot to note the year) with his signature freshness and delicacy. Finally, he pulled out a magnum of 2005 Gigondas, bottled last month. That's right: it had spent 5 years in demi-muids (600 litre barrels) that had previously had wine in them for just a year. It is just a little on the sweet side for me at this stage, but the integration of fruit and wood is remarkable.

 

 

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Navigating Vinisud

By on February 23, 2012

I sometime wonder whether wine lovers, as they choose their bottles from the supermarket or cavist, know how much goes on in the background to get those wines on the shelves.

Somehow thousands of wine makers have to connect with just as many agents, importers, restaurateurs and direct sellers as possible. This is where the professional salons come in. They usually take place in winter when the vignerons have less to do in the vines and cellars, and they are huge affairs.

I’ve already reported on the fabulously successful Millesime Bio gig in Montpellier in January and the Salon de Vins de Loire, with its satellite events like le Renaissance de l’Appellations for biodynamic wines and La Dive Bouteille for “natural” wines.

Vinisud 2012 finished yesterday. This biennial salon showcases Mediterranean wines, taking up the entire Parc des Expositions in Montpellier for three days.

That’s the problem. For Mr VinoSolex who likes to take his time doing things, who prefers small family holdings which may not have the resources to brag about themselves, it is somewhat daunting to navigate through thousands of stalls, many of which are incorporated in mega-stands with banners, bars, video screens, guided tastings and, not infrequently, skinny tall girls handing out invitations.

The general feedback was positive, even highly positive, with lots of contacts being made. Obviously, it is too early to know whether these will come through in sales. But the atmosphere is clearly better here on the ground than the headlines about the decline of Europe would suggest.

So I picked up the pace a bit, visited my favourite vignerons from the Rhone, but also tried to pick up the latest trends from other areas. In the next day or so, I’ll report my best findings.

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Monmousseau – chenin fizz from the Loire valley

By on February 19, 2012

Another bottle arrived with the postie last week, so I tested it with friends last night.

Champagne is not the only place in France making fizz: Crémant de Bourgogne and Blanquette de Limoux are two well-known rivals. There is also the Loire, and particularly the Touraine.

Even if the chenin blanc grape goes into some very ordinary wines in the New World, in the Loire it goes into many remarkable ones. It all comes back to yield and terroir. Several Coteaux de Layon are among the world’s best sweet wines. The biodynamic maison Huet in Vouvray is just one of the estates there making wonderful dry wines, too. And, due to its high acidity, chenin is ideal for making bubbly.

This Monmousseau Cuvée J.M., at under 7€ a bottle, does not aim as high as Huet, but it is still pleasant as an aperitif: a lovely clear pale gold, with ample bubbles, and hints of honey and nuttiness on the nose. It is quite mouthfilling, too, with tingling acidity at the end. Best served quite cold – between 6 and 8 degrees.

 

Monmousseau
71 route de Vierzon
BP 25 – 41400 Montrichard+33 2 54 71 66 66
monmousseau@monmousseau.com
www.monmousseau.com

 

 

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A few favourite Organic wines from Millesime

By on February 17, 2012

Far be it for Mr VinoSolex to claim expertise as a wine taster. Leave that up to the oenologists and sommeliers of this world.

But that doesn’t stop me from liking some wines better than others, and seeking out certain qualities. Travelling around France on the Solex, I get to taste a lot. I seek out people who make balanced and tasty wines that don’t weigh me down with their power. The ideal is a wine with good ‘body’ (neither flabby nor skeletal), with clean fruitiness and intriguing aromas behind that, plenty of nuances in the mouth and a clean fresh finish. Just like this Leoville Las Cases 1982 I was fortunate enough to taste last night thanks to the generousity of a good friend, my mate Pierre.

That’s a mythical wine. Coming back down to Earth level, here now are a few delicious wines tasted at the recent Millesime Bio Salon in Montpellier.

Domaine St Esteve d’Uchaux
Rouge 2010. Although the Massif d’Uchaux is not actually a village, in 2005 it was promoted to the ‘communal’ Cotes du Rhone village category. The wines of the Domaine St Estephe d’Uchaux show that this confidence was warranted. Even its entry level red, from grenache and syrah vines of only 12 to 15 years old, has a sensuous attack which tightens delightfully, an attribute of the sun of the climate and the acidity which is typical of this millésime. With aromas of dark berry fruit and a touch of liquorice, this wine accompanies grilled meat.

Domaine Chaume-Arnaud, La Cadène Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages Blanc

With an intriguing, peachy nose, it gains its opulence from the late-picked Marsanne which make up a half of the mix. Viognier, the other half here, tends to be a bit flabby in the south. However, when it is picked early, as it was here, it adds the delightful crispness that we all seek in a white wine. The floral nose suggests orange zest and grapefruit. Ideal with grilled fish.
Valerie & Philippe Chaume-Arnaud, Vinsobres

Guillemot-Michel Quintaine 2010

The village of Quintaine in the appellation of Viré Clessé in the Mâconnais is less well known than other areas of Burgundy, but is worth discovering, as vignerons here are making great strides with organic farming in this limestone terroir. This estate makes only one cuvée, a fabulously fresh chardonnay with a hint of that variety’s trademark peachiness, together with citrus and even pineapple. The leitmotif here is cleanliness and precision. A wine as delightful as its makers! Ideal to accompany a high-quality fish meal.
Marc & Pierrette Guillemot, Quintaine, Burgundy

 

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A good millesime in the Organic World

By on February 17, 2012

If all of the recent gloom and doom has been getting you down, you could either swallow your pills or go to the annual Millesime Bio salon in Montpellier. It’s too late this year, but the ambiance should be just as good next January, the 20th anniversary of the event.

It’s the only international salon dedicated to organic wine (oops, to wine derived from grapes grown organically – more on that later). Like great wine, this gig improves with age.

There’s an energy here, as palpable as the feeling in the streets of many Asian towns. Even though the people attracted to organics love to take their time to chat about the big issues, it’s all rather speedy, with deals in the making.

The sole American representative, Katrina Frey of the Frey Vineyard in Mendocino county in California was ‘pleasantly surprised by the number of serious buyers.’ She said that if only 10% of the contacts come good, it will have been worth coming over. Everyone had the same story.

Success. Remember that?

The main lesson I took back from the salon is the web-like nature of the industry, the way so many small interests meet up directly to taste, chat and buy. This is not a top-down affair, dominated by squeezers, the small-eyed fellows in suits with blank faces and minds like spreadsheets, grinding away at prices. This sense of democracy is reflected in the layout of the salon, with all vignerons getting equal treatment. Regardless of their size and the depth of their pockets, they get the same table, glasses and spittoons.

The industry is still under construction. It reminds me of those exciting times in human history, such as the medieval church-building period, when people were in the throes of building something together, before they knew how to do it and ran rules around themselves. We are pretty clear now what organic and biodynamic farming means. But what is an organic wine? In Europe we can only say that it is ‘made from organically grown grapes’. This raises the issue of sulphur and other additives. Soon we are likely to have another category: organic wine (full stop), which contains no or very few additives, especially sulphur. These wines, already on the market, are called ‘natural’ over here, and most of what I have tasted so far has been frankly awful, with aromas (especially at the end) reminiscent of damp cellars.

So, two last bits of good news. The construction phase of organic wine will last for some time yet, there is so much still to discover. And there were several good natural wines there. I’ll do a list of my favourites soon.

In the meantime, a few faces are worth a thousand words…

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Feasting like a Roman – part 2

By on February 17, 2012

Following up on my last blog about the feasting in Jardins de Saint Benoît…

As if the afternoon’s nosh wasn’t enough to keep us rotund for weeks, the 3-starred Michelin chef Gilles Goujon threw us a feast that evening that I will never forget.

Monsieur Carrere and his veal

If I had been smart enough to seek out the evening’s menu, I would have grazed at the start. Perhaps I had been destabilised by the Taittinger that was liberally handed around. But who could have held back when they brought out oysters, a selection of foie gras (including one almost raw, with wine reduction), lobster pie, seafood risotto, scallops la plancha and various types of ravioli stuffed with seafood and truffles? In honour of Monsieur Carrère (see the last story), I tucked into a good piece of his veal before discovering that they were also wheeling out Angus steaks, carré de toro (fighting bull), boar and wild hare among many other delights. Unable to do the honours to that vegetarian’s nightmare, I also had to pass on the table groaning with dozens of perfectly ripened cheeses.

Keep away from the deserts

But I’m a slut for a good dessert, and had now discovered the menu which revealed babas, macaroons, nougat and chocolate in all of its forms. These wonders were set out on tables in a large room upstairs, overlooked by a nervous and persistent guard who shooed us off as soon as we approached. We had to wait for the concert to end, he said.

It sounded pretty grim next door and closer inspection confirmed one of those electric piano, um-pah-pah bass and brass bands that seem so popular down here in the south. The set was being driven by girls in very short skirts. It was a gig of such refreshing vulgarity that I was immediately riveted, especially when they managed to make Whitney Houston sound worse than the original. This takes enormous talent, I’m sure you agree, but they did it with aplomb.

South France at its best

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Feasting like a Roman

By on February 16, 2012

When Gilles Goujon, the three Michelin starred chef at the restaurant L’Auberge du Vieux Puits, celebrated a significant birthday with dozens of other M-stars recently at the Jardins de Saint Benoît, the resort’s owner Miguel Espada invited a small gaggle of journalists along too.

What happens when leading chefs cook for each other and their families and close friends? And when top wineries from all over France, and one from Spain, do their bit by turning up with some rather special bottles?

Well, I now know what Rome was like.

Vegetarian Hell

The “simple” buffet lunch we were offered was a feast of fresh oysters, foie gras, charcuterie and various types of slabs of roasted meat as thick as bricks and tender enough to eat with a spoon. A delightful chap called Monsieur Bizouerne turned up with a milk-fed lamb which he roasted on a spit powered by a windshield wiper motor rigged to an upturned old bicycle, the rear wheel and sprockets of which geared it down.

Monsieur Bizouerne with his home made spit

At 3PM we ventured upstairs to sing for our supper by participating in what might be called the Judgement of Saint Benoît, a blind tasting of a range of top Bordeaux against some local offerings.

From the first drop we knew that they were throwing some special booze in our direction. Gault et Millau’s Pierre Guigui raced through his 20 samples, then smacked his lips. “Bloody hell!” was his only comment.

 

 

The main man Giles Goujon and the challenge

Given the context, it was no surprise that the local wines shone through. The Bordeaux weren’t bad either, especially the Lafite,Haut-Brion, Mouton Rothschild andTroplong-Mondot. All the wines were from 2008, except a 2007 Baron d’Arques Limoux from the Rothchilds.

Surprisingly, the Mas Julien 2008 Terraces de Larzac did not come out in the top 10. This superb wine was my fourth favourite.

On my way back to the action through the drizzle after a recuperative snooze, I bumped into a fellow called Jean-Michel Carrère, who was cooking three enormous legs of veal on a four-metre spit. They had started the five fires with vine trunks, but were now throwing on hunks of oak. “The vine wood is so full of treatment, we don’t like to cook with that any more,” he said.

Hmm, that’s worth thinking about.

So much for the afternoon. I’ll cover the evening’s entertainment in a later post.

 

Here, in order, are the top 10 wines of the Saint Benoît judgement

Domaine de Montcalmès Terrasses du Larzac
Domaine de la Grange des Pères VDP de l’Hérault
Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 1er Grand Cru Classé
Domaine Roc des Anges cuvée Carignan de 1903 VDP Pyrénées Orientales
Domaine Gauby cuvée Muntada Côte du Roussillon villages
Château Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan 1er Grand Cru Classé
Château Mouton Rothschild Pauillac 1er Grand Cru Classé
Château Phélan Ségur Saint Estèphe
Sainte Cécile du Parc cuvée Sonatina Pézenas
Baron’arques Limoux

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