A relatively new producers' organisation, established in 2011,
which was presenting
wines from two domaines: Château Aiguilloux in the
Corbières and the Domaine des Pradels Quartironi in St
Chinian.
- 2014 Château Aiguilloux
Complicité Rosé, Corbières
70% cinsault; 15% mourvedre; 15% syrah
Delightful nose of an old-fashioned sweet shop. Lovely freshness in the
mouth. A very slight hint of sweetness make it very drinkable. 88/100
- 2013 Château Aiguilloux Fantaisie, IGP
Pays d'Oc
80% grenache; 20% syrah.
Attractive, simple, direct nose with fresh black fruit.
Light, fresh and tasty. Good balance. Good, easy drinking. 87/100
- 2013 Château Aiguilloux Aventure, AC
Corbières
50% carignan; 25% grenache; 20% syrah; 5% mourvedre.
An attractive nose with black and red fruits, and some herbal spice.
Lovely, velvety, rounded palate. Very attractive indeed. 88/100
- 2012 Château Aiguilloux Cuvée
Anne-Georges, AC Corbières-Boutenac
50% carignan; 30% syrah; 20% grenache
Black fruits and fresh sawn timber on the nose.
Very attractive palate. Velvety, rich, plush, with loads of fruit - but
nicely refined fruit. Very good indeed. 91/100
- 2012 Château Aiguilloux Cuvée
des Trois Seigneurs, AC Saint Chinian
65% carignan; 25% grenache; 10% syrah
A rather simple nose with some black fruit character. Very good,
rounded, open palate. Bright, fresh middle. More tannins and acidity
towards the finish. 86/100
- 2013 Domaine des Pradels Quartironi Saint-Chinian
Blanc
60% grenache blanc; 40% roussanne
Very pleasant nose, with some good character. Nice, clean, refreshing
palate. There's a bit of richness behind too. A good wine. 86/100
- 2013 Domaine des Pradels Quartironi, Chateau
Quartironi de Lars Haut Coup de Foudres, AC Saint-Chinian
50% syrah; 30% grenache; 10% mourvedre; 10% carignan
An attractive nose with plush black fruits. Nicely distinguished
palate. Pretty impressive. Really good mouthfeel and very good
character. 89/100
- 2011 Domaine des Pradels Quartironi,
Château Quartironi de Lars La Cuvée Campanil, AC Saint-Chinian
55% syrah; 45% grenache. Aged in demi-muid.
There's some oak immediately evident on the nose. There's also a bit of
stink and some big black fruits.
A smooth, velvety mouthfeel. Very attractive wine. 88/100
- 2009 Domaine des Pradels Quartironi,
Château Quartironi de Lars La Cuvée Haut Priou, AC
Saint-Chinian
55% syrah; 45% mourvedre
Attractive nose. Quite tight, closely knitted black fruit.
Good, open palate. Fairly hefty tannins on the finish. Impressive in
its own way, but for me made in too much of a look-at-me-I'm-impressive
style. Might come round with time, but I'm not sure. 87/100
- 2013 Domaine des Pradels Quartironi, Aux Vieux
Gobelets, AC
Saint-Chinian
65% carignan; 30% grenache; 15% syrah
Bright, attractive nose with very precise, focused black fruits.
Good palate. Some smoky tobacco and black fruits in the mouth. 87/100
Château Belvize
Château Belvize is a 30 hectare estate, established
in 2000, located in
the Aude region, between the villages of Bize and Mailhac.
Wines are certified organic.
- 2014 Château Belvize Minervois
Cuvée Classique
A blend of marsanne and bourboulenc.
An interesting nose with vanilla and mirabelles. Good palate. Nicely
rounded and integrated. 87/100
- 2013 Château Belvize Minervois Blanc
Cuvée des Oliviers
A blend of marsanne and vermentino.
An attractive nose, if a bit undistinguished.
Good round palate. Nicely done. But nothing remarkable. 86/100
- 2012 Château Belvize Minervois
Cuvée des Oliviers
A blend of syrah and grenache.
Precise, clean black fruit without particular distinction on the nose.
Rounded, rich, mouth-coating palate. Has a touch of elegance and a hint
of greenness which lifts it beyond ordinary. 87/100
- 2013 Château Belvize Minervois
Cuvée des Oliviers
A blend of syrah & grenache noir.
A big characterful nose with black fruit and green (bell) peppers.
Smooth, easy, silky palate. Rather rustic tannins on the finish. 86/100
- 2012 Château Belvize Minervois
Cuvée Spéciale Panama
(The owner's wife is from Panama, hence the name of this blend of syrah
and grenache.)
A big nose, with plenty of oak evident.
Equally big on the palate too. Full of ripe fruit and freshly sawn
timber. A bit overblown, unless you like this sort of thing. 86/100
Château des Coccinelles
Château des Coccinelles, established in 1908, is
located between the two most famous bridges in the south of France: the
bridge at Avignon and the UNESCO world heritage site of the Pont du
Gard.
- 2013 Château des Coccinelles Syrah
Coccinelles, IGP Pays d'Oc
Very focused black fruit on the nose.
A very nice, straightforward syrah. Uncomplicated. Unchallenging. Just
drink, with pleasure. 87/100
- 2013 Château des Coccinelles Merlot
Coccinelles, IGP Pays d'Oc
Slightly rubbery black fruit on the nose.
A decent, simple, easy merlot. Not bad structure. 85/100
- 2014 Château des Coccinelles
Côtes du Rhône Blanc
Good restraint and elegance on the nose, with lemony citrus hints and
buttery pastry.
Elegant, fresh palate. Very pleasant indeed. Good length. 90/100
- 2014 Domaine des Coccinelles Côtes du
Rhône Rosé
A blend of syrah and cinsault.
Attractive bright red and black fruits on the nose. Some cherries too.
Lovely soft, easy drinking. Very open and expressive. Very easy, but
with good character. 88/100
- 2014 Château des Coccinelles
Côtes du Rhône - France, Rhône,
Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône
A straightforward nose. Good, open palate. Not a great deal of
character. 84/100
- 2013 Château des Coccinelles
Côtes du Rhône Elytres - France,
Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du
Rhône
A blend of syrah and grenache noir. Elytres is the French for ladybird
wings (coccinelles are ladybirds).
A much bigger, more powerful nose than the straight Côtes du
Rhône. Very full nose.
Full, rich, velvety palate. A huge step up from the straight
Côtes du Rhône. Rich and full, but also very
elegant. 89/100
- 2013 Château des Coccinelles
Côtes du Rhône Villages Signargues -
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du
Rhône Villages Signargues
A slight nose with very restrained black fruit. Silky, fresh, balanced
palate. But overall feels simpler than same producer's wines from the
main Côtes du Rhône appellation. 86/100
- 2014 Domaine Saint Honorat Côtes du
Rhône Blanc
Very big, expressive nose: nutty, fresh minerality with white flowers.
Very nicely made: an interesting wine packed with character. 89/100
- 2013 Domaine Saint Honorat Côtes du
Rhône Rouge
Attractive, bright nose. Very attractive palate. Nothing exceptional -
just a wine not to worry about and just drink. Unchallengingly good.
86/100
Domaine de la Cendrillon
Domaine de la Cendrillon started producing wine in the middle
of the 18th Century when the property was acquired by the Joyeux family
in 1750. It is located at the foot of the Fontfroide hills in
the Corbières, in the small village of Ornaisons between
Narbonne and Carcassonne.
- 2014 Domaine de la Cendrillon IGP Pays d'Oc
Atypique - France, Languedoc Roussillon, IGP Pays d'Oc
40% marselan; 35% merlot; 14% grenache; 10% syrah. Which doesn't add up
to 100%, so either one of those numbers is out or there's 1% of
something else.
Very attractive nose.
Lovely fresh fruit on the palate. Nice elegance. Spicy note on the
finish. 87/100
- 2012 Domaine de la Cendrillon Corbières
Classique - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc,
Corbières
40% syrah; 30% grenache; 30% carignan.
You get a bit of immediate grenache stink on the nose, along with some
round, ripe, ripe black fruit.
Very good palate. Fresh, but with some depth and complexity. Nicely
rounded and balanced. Soft tannins. 87/100
- 2011 Domaine de la Cendrillon Corbières
Inédite - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc,
Corbières
Very elegant nose. Black fruit still but balanced with some
torrefaction notes.
Very smooth, silky palate. Very elegant. No woodiness. Very impressive.
91/100
- 2011 Domaine de la Cendrillon Corbières
No 1 - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc,
Corbières
60% mourvedre; 30% syrah; 10% grenache from very old vines. Aged for
two years in small foudres.
Very elegant nose, tending towards slightness.
Quite concentrated, but still fresh and light, yet also with good
structure. 89/100
Domaine de Vénus
The Domaine de Vénus was founded in 2003 by a group
of 10 close friends passionate about wine. Their aim was to create an
exceptional domain on the Fenouillèdes terroir.
- 2013 Domaine de Venus Vin de Pays Rouge, IGP
Côtes Catalanes
95% carignan; 5% syrah.
There's a slight murkiness to the black fruits forward nose.
Good, easy table wine. Would make a good restaurant/bar house wine by
the glass. 85/100
- 2012 Domaine de Venus IGP Côtes
Catalanes blanc, L'Effrontée
60% maccabeu; 30% grenache gris; 10% grenache blanc
A curious nose: a bit spirity and extracted. Nice palate, though. Very
characterful. Pleasant drinking. 85/100
- 2010 Domaine de Venus Côtes du
Roussillon Tentations
60% grenache; 25% syrah; 15% carignan
Immediately a big, full nose, feeling very expressive.
Good structure, without being overly tannic. It has a nice spicy bite.
Works very well. 88/100
- 2010 Domaine de Venus Côtes du
Roussillon Villages Passions
Deep black fruits on the nose - very rich. Gorgeous silky palate - a
nice weighty silk. Lovely balance and elegance. Good depth. Nice wine.
89/100
Domaine Pech de Lune
Domaine Pech de Lune, established in 2006, is based in the
small village of Villespassans in the Hérault, some 30km
west of Béziers. One of the smallest producers at
this tasting, with just 9 hectares of vineyards. No chemicals are used,
and the grapes are harvested by hand.
- 2013 Domaine Pech de Lune Saint-Chinian Mare
Nectaris
60% syrah; 25% grenache; 15% carignan
Very deep black fruits on the nose, with a hint of stink.
Pleasant. Rather separate tannins. 84/100
- 2012 Domaine Pech de Lune Saint-Chinian L'espace
d'un moment
70% syrah; 30% grenache
A more rustic nose than the Domaine's Equinoxe from the same year. A
simpler, more basic wine. Nothing wrong with it and perfectly
drinkable. Just no particular interest. 85/100
- 2012 Domaine Pech de Lune Saint-Chinian
Équinoxe
40% syrah; 30% grenache; 30% carignan
Very attractive nose - nice herbal lift to black fruits. Lovely ripe
fruit on the palate. Very balanced. Nice depth. Not earth-shattering,
but very good drinking. 87/100
Esporzhian
Esporzhian provides sales and marketing services to individual
wine-growers and to cooperatives. They are responsible for
creating the "So Bio So French" brand - an organic brand of wines
primarily from the the south of France. It is this range that
were on show today. Unfortunately, I didn't take photos of
the back labels, so am not sure whether individual producers are
identified, or whether it all works on a cooperative-style basis.
- 2013 Esporzhian Chenin Blanc IGP Haute
Vallée de l'Aude So Bio So French
Big, rather extracted nose. Lemony, with hints of wet dog.
Very pleasant palate. Good weight in the mouth. Good balance. Lots of
character. 87/100
- 2013 Esporzhian Limoux So Bio So French
55% chardonnay; 30% chenin blanc; 15% mauzac
Bright, fresh stone fruit nose.
Lemony attack. Nice creamy middle and finish. Very attractive. 89/100
- 2014 Esporzhian IGP Haute Vallée de
l'Aude So Bio So French Rosé
A medium salmon pink. Lovely fresh strawberry nose. Bright, sweet
strawberry fruit on the palate. A touch of hard acid on the finish.
85/100
- 2013 Esporzhian Pinot Noir IGP Haute
Vallée de l'Aude So Bio So French
Attractive PN nose, which feels a bit new world with some beetroot and
smokiness. Lovely, fresh, young PN. A touch of greenness on the finish.
86/100
- 2013 Esporzhian IGP Haute Vallée de
l'Aude So Bio So French
30% merlot; 40% cabernet franc; 30% syrah.
Rather stinky-drains nose with some rubbery notes.
Undistinguished, and there's a touch of drains on the palate too. 81/100
- 2013 Esporzhian Limoux So Bio So French
40% merlot; 30% syrah; 30% cabernet franc.
An unexciting nose. Very straightforward.
A good, simple Limoux. 84/100
Hecht & Bannier
Founded in 2002 by Gregory Hecht and Francois Bannier, Hecht
& Bannier is a boutique negociant based in Aix en Provence.
- NV Hecht & Bannier Crémant de
Limoux Brut Réserve
A slightish nose with hints of black fruit and of stone fruit and peach
kernels. A good, clean palate. Fairly straightforward, but good. 85/100
- NV Hecht & Bannier Crémant de
Limoux Brut Réserve Rosé
A blend of chardonnay, chenin blanc, mauzac and pinot noir.
Attractive nose with blackcurrant and blackcurrant leaf, and some
nuttiness.
Good palate. Crisp and minerally. 86/100
- 2014 Hecht & Bannier Languedoc Blanc
A blend of piquepoul blanc, roussanne and grenache blanc.
Big, bright, fresh, attractive nose - a very interesting nose.
Minerally, light stone fruit and marine air.
Fresh, crisp palate. Easy, but with a nice character too. Rather good.
The roussanne character comes through well. 89/100
- 2014 Hecht & Bannier Languedoc
Rosé
A blend of syrah, cinsault and grenache noir.
Mid salmon pink colour.
Slight nose.
Slight strawberry fruit. A bit hard.
Not a lot to recommend it. 82/100
- 2014 Hecht & Bannier Languedoc Rouge
Syrah-grenache-carignan
Really nice black fruits nose. Nice and integrated.
Round and full palate. Full of lovely fruit character. Very interesting
and characterful. 89/100
- 2012 Hecht & Bannier Faugères
Syrah-mourvedre-carignan
Big black fruits on the nose - very masculine. Some bloodiness too.
Very smooth & elegant on the palate, yet also very rich.
Chocolate and coffee notes come to the fore on the finish. 86/100
- 2011 Hecht & Bannier Saint-Chinian
Syrah-grenache-mourvedre
Meaty, yet elegant nose: nicely integrated. There's also a very floral
perfume to it too.
Very pleasant palate: refined and interesting. Good concentration of
ripe fruit and also a bit of fresh greenness. 89/100
- 2011 Hecht & Bannier Côtes du
Roussillon Villages
Grenache-syrah-mourvedre
Quite restrained, juicy black fruit on the nose.
Silky texture. Elegant. Ripe fruit, yet elegant. 88/100
- 2010 Hecht & Bannier Maury
Perfumed black fruits on the nose. This is a rather good, very
attractive rich, sweet vin doux naturel. Chocolatey, blackberry,
tarragon/anise notes.
Quite precise & focused on the palate, though a bit spirity on
the finish. But that's in check. Very long. 89/100
- 2013 Hecht & Bannier Minervois
A blend of syrah, grenache and carignan, aged for one year in a mix of
demi-muid, foudres and fûts.
Great nose - fruit tempered by judicious oak.
Lovely palate - velvety with lots of black fruit and a hint of
chocolate. 88/100
Les Domaines Paul Mas
In the 15 years since it was established in 2000, the Domaines
Paul Mas has become a big player, with a mind-boggling range of labels,
including own-label wines for many UK high street outlets: for example,
they are responsible for the Arrogant Frog label. Jean Claude
Mas is the owner and winemaker, and his name appeared on all the
bottles on show today.
In all they have 10 estates, covering 550 hectares of
vineyards and 40 varieties, spread across the Languedoc.
These were the least interesting wines on show today, and I
couldn't summon up the enthusiasm to return to taste their reds.
- 2014 Les Domaines Paul Mas Vermentino Jean Claude
Mas, IGP Pays d'Oc
Virtually no nose.
Light & fresh. OK. Any character only comes through on the
finish. 83/100
- 2014 Les Domaines Paul Mas Chardonnay Jean Claude
Mas, IGP Pays d'Oc
Fresh, remarkably green chardonnay nose. Light and easy. Innocuous.
83/100
- 2014 Les Domaines Paul Mas Jean Claude Mas
Piquepoul Frisant Blanc de Blancs, IGP Pays d'Oc
55% piquepoul blanc; 45% chardonnay
No nose.
Light, fresh palate. More pétillant than sparkling.
Innocuous. 83/100
- 2014 Les Domaines Paul Mas Jean Claude Mas Blanc
Elégance, IGP Pays d'Oc
A blend of grenache blanc, vermentino, chardonnay and sauvignon.
A rather slight nose.
Not bad on the palate. Good finish.
It's an interesting blend making a decent wine. It would make a good
house wine in a bistro/café. 85/100
Rocca Maura
The Rocca Maura cooperative is located on the right bank of
the River Rhône in the eponymous Roquemaure. It was
founded in 1922 and brings together some 50 winemakers and 370 hectares
of vineyards from the villages of Roquemaure, Montfaucon, Pujaut,
Sauveterre, Saint Génies de Comolas, Tavel, Saint Laurent
des Arbres, Saint Victor La Coste and Lirac.
- 2014 Rocca Maura Chardonnay IGP Gard
A big, open, fresh chardonnay nose with very good fruit. But a rather
slight palate, with notable acidity on the finish. 85/100
- 2014 Rocca Maura Grenache Blanc IGP Gard
Attractive nose. Buttery, herby, melony.
Very attractive palate. Fairly full with good depth and a pleasing
creaminess. 89/100
- 2014 Rocca Maura Viognier IGP Gard
Lovely, bright, subtle viognier nose.
Very good palate. Light, clean, bright flavours. It's only a fairly
simple, straightforward viognier, but a very good example. 88/100
- 2014 Rocca Maura IGP Gard Effet Mer Rosé
A very, very pale pink.
Light strawbery-peach fruit on the nose.
Nicely rounded, easy and in its own style. Very feminine.
Drink in the garden in the sun. By the gallon. 87/100
- 2014 Rocca Maura IGP Gard Rosé Rocca
Maura
80% grenache noir; 20% cinsault
A very pale pink. Bright and floral nose with some perfume.
Light and fresh on the palate. Easy. Good character though. Not just
simplicity. Very pleasing. 87/100
- 2014 Rocca Maura IGP Gard Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon
50:50 merlot:cabernet sauvignon.
A rather straightforward, uncomplicated cabernet sauvignon dominated
nose.
Good, round palate. Well made. Uncomplicated, easy drinking. Very good.
87/100
- 2014 Rocca Maura IGP Gard Effet Mer Rouge
Not listed on Rocca Maura's website, which only has a rosé
Effet
Mer. But this was definitely red, a blend of marselan, grenache and
carignan.
An attractive nose with black and red fruit. Very attractive with lots
of interest.
Very good palate. Full of layers of interesting flavours. A slight hint
of bubblegum on the finish. Lovely wine. 89/100