ROBERSON PRESENTS: LEGENDS OF SOUTHERN FRANCE

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24th 2009 WAW Page 53 Map 10 France Regional

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7 Ajaccio

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International boundary Département boundary Chief town of département VDQS Centre of VDQS AC not mapped elsewhere Centre of AC area Champagne (pp.78–81) Loire Valley (pp.118–25) Burgundy (pp.54–77) Jura and Savoie (pp.150–51) Rhône (pp.130–39) Southwest (pp.112–14) Dordogne (p.115) LEGENDS OF Bordeaux (pp.82–111) SOUTHERN Languedoc-Roussillon (pp.140–45) FRANCE Provence (pp.146–48) THE REGION Alsace (pp.126–29) Corsica (p.149) Other traditional vine-growing areas

Proportional symbols Area of per département in thousands of hectares (no figure given if area <1000 hectares)

For many years the southern regions of Provence, Languedoc and the Roussillon were home to a great deal of France’s ‘wine lake’, making wine that nobody wanted to drink, let alone part with their hard earned1:3,625,000 francs for. The last decadeKm 0 has seen50 all of that100 change, and150 Km what was once the land of plonk is now one of the mostMiles 0 exciting regions50 in the world of wine,100 Miles with innovative vignerons producing both artisanal limited production cuvées and branded of vastly improved quality. The array of styles from this fascinating region offers wonderful diversity for the enthusi- ast - from dry and mineral white wines through crisp rosés to deep, structured red wines and on to unctuous sweet and fortified wines.

As Mediterrainian France continues to be discovered in terms of where the best terroir is located and which varieties are best suited to the various sub-regions, many areas that were previously considered good only for mass produced wine are being re-discovered. Perhaps the best example of this is an area called Terrases du Larzac which is approx 30 mins drive to the north-west of Montpellier. For many years the vines in and around the villages of Jonquieres, Montpeyroux and St Saturnin were cropped very high and sold off in bulk, but winemakers like Olivier Jullien (not to mention the great Daumas Gassac down the road in Aniane) have been instrumental in taking quality sky high. This prime land is starting to rise in value and the burgeoning number of top-drawer estates from the area is testament to what Andrew Jefford calls the “great- est vineyard land in the south of France”. The region now has its own appellation and with producers like La Peira springing up every other , it is definately a case of ‘watch this space’. LEGENDS OF SOUTHERN FRANCE THE DOMAINES ROUSSILLON

CLOT DE L’OUM DOMAINE GAUBY This 18ha estate is run by Eric Monné, who has owned the vari- Since starting in 1985, Domaine Gauby has expanded from the ous parcels of land (33 in total) since the mid ‘90s although he original 5ha to over 40ha. This, not to mention the acclaim and bottled his first vintage under the Clot de l’Oum label in 2001. success that the estate has attracted, is thanks to the drive and The delay in getting started may have had something to do with ambition of Gerard Gauby. the fact that he spends his weeks working at the EU patent of- Gerard Gauby is heralded as the ‘King of Roussillon’ and it is fice in the Hague! hard to argue with the idea that he has been an inspiration to Nevertheless, along with his wife Leia, Eric has quickly gained an entire generation of winemakers in this rocky south-west an enviable reputation for the spectacular wines being pro- corner of France. Never one to rest on his considerable laurels, duced from vines in the highly rated communes of Caramany in recent years the critics have become even more effusive in and Maury. their praise. Gerard has striven to make his wines more elegant The Clot de l’Oum estate is planted to , (Gris and has lowered alcohol levels across his range. and Noir) and . Blessed with old vines and wonderful In addition to leading the way in terms of quality wines in the terroir, the wines are some of the most intense you are likely Roussillon, Gauby is also one of the leading practicioners of to find, with wonderful precision and minerality on the palate. biodynamics. It is a mammoth task applying these ideals to the 150(!) or so parcels of land that he owns, but the results are Tonight we will be tasting their top cuvée, ‘Numero Uno’, from some of the most expressive and terroir driven wines in the the 2006 vintage. It is a blend of 80% Syrah / 20% Carignan world. aged for around 16 months in new oak, before being bottled unfiltered. Tonight we will be tasting Gerard’s flagship wine ‘Muntada’ from 2003, made predominently from Carignan and Grenache (40/30) with the balance from Mourvedre and Syrah. LEGENDS OF SOUTHERN FRANCE THE DOMAINES

WAW Page 146-7 Map 54 Provence

Sisteron Villars- sur-Var Var N202

Sigale Roquestéron Briançonnet Esteron Bonson Esteron N202 ALPES la Roquette- Thorenc sur-Var Gréolières Tourrette- up Courségoules Sisteron Lo Levens le Logis- Carros 854 du-Pin Mérindol Sisteron San Remo DOMAINE DE TREVALLON V Trigance y Lauris Aiguines e b N85 A51 r tu MARITIMES St-Roman-de-Bellet do Ar la Trinité Cadenet n Escragnolles la Bastide The Durrbach family had bought the Trevallon estate back in the la Tour Gourdon Vence Monte- Ve Lac du Eze d‘Aigues Mirabeau Vinon- rd V A8 Carlo o a n Ste-Croix A Comps- sur-Verdon St-Paul r ‘60s as a holiday retreat, but it wasn’t until Eloi (the son) planted the rt le Bar- Villefranche- Cazan St-Julien ub sur-Artuby St-Vallier- ce y Mons sur-Loup Cagnes- sur-Mer Pertuis n de-Thiey Nice first vines in 1973 that Domaine de Trevallon was born, with the first N7 ra St-Paul- sur-Mer Du lès-Durance St-Laurent- Grasse Villeneuve- commercial vintage being released in 1977. A51 Peyrolles- Loubet N98 du-Var N96 Seillans en-Provence Montmeyan Valbonne St-Canadet la Verdière Aups Mouans- Originally, the (north-facing) were planted to Grenache, Meyrargues Fayence Sartoux B Siagne St-Cannat Rians re N85 Mougins Venelles sq Châteaudouble N7 Syrah and Mourvedre but after a few years of struggling to ripen his Esparron ue Callas Pégomas Lignane N96 Tavernes Villecroze St-Paul- Lac de Antibes les Annelles A8 le Cannet N St-Cassien grapes properly, Eloi decided to plant Cabernet Sauvignon. Today it Eguilles Vauvenargues les Quatre en-Forêt Barjols a Figanières Mandelieu- Juan- A8 r Chemins N7 Salernes t is the blend of Cabernet and Syrah (50/50) that makes the estate’s Aix-en- ta gne u Draguignan re la-Napoule les-Pins Mon b nd Provence oi re y E Bagnols- n -Vict a Cannes Ste Brue-Auriac Flayosc en-Forêt r red wine, with a white wine also being made from Marsanne and Puyloubier Cotignac y N7 la Napoule le Tholonet Entrecasteaux e Pourrières R Île Ste-Marguerite Châteauneuf- Théoule- Palette Trans-en-Provence 618 Rousanne. Rognac le-Rouge Arc Châteauvert el sur-Mer Ollières Montfort- Lorgues la Motte ter A51 Meyreuil Rousset N7 Correns sur-Argens ‘Es Bras e l Miramar Eloi’s father René was a renowned artist in his day (and a close A8 Arge s Puget- d Vitrolles n sif Gardanne Pourcieux St-Maximin- Carcès VAR les Arcs N7 sur-Argens as Peynier A8 le Muy M le Trayas Cabriès la-Ste-Baume y Taradeau A N98 friend of Delauney and Picasso among others) and as he grew old Bouc- am le Thoronet r N96 A52 Trets ar ge les-Pennes- Bel-Air le Val C Vidauban Fréjus Cabasse Roquebrune- ns Eloi decided to use the Trevallon label as a lasting memorial to his A7 Mirabeau sur-Argens Agay Touvres A8 St- Septèmes- Mimet dad. Before René died in 2000, Eloi gave him 50 posters on which e Raphaël les-Vallons St-Zacharie Brignoles N7 ill N560 Rougiers la Celle le Cannet- A s le Rove Auriol le St-Aygulf Département boundary heused only crayons and his inspiration to design what have be- A55 Flassans- Luc des-Maures Besse- e sur-Issole r Bandol come some of the most iconic label images in the world. Roquevaire ume la Roquebrussanne sur-Issole la Basse les Issambres Ste-Ba Forcalqueiret Verrerie Plan-de-la-Tour u Rade de Allauch de la a Val d’Esquières Les Baux-de-Provence ssif Issole Marseille Ma Gonfaron la Nartelle Pignans N97 la Garde- M Marseille Aubagne Gémenos Néoules Carnoules les Mayons Freinet Bellet Tonight we will be tasting the 2000 Domaine de Trevallon, aged for 2 A50 Cuges- Signes A57 Ste-Maxime Puget-Ville s years in new oak barrels. la Penne- N8 les-Pins e Grimaud Beauvallon Cassis sur-Huveaune Roquefort- le Camp Méounes- Capelude d Roquefort lès-Montrieux Cogolin St-Tropez Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence la-Bédoule N8 Belgentier Cuers Collobrières G f Gassin Coteaux Varois Cassis a N97 i Ceyreste p Pierrefeu- s e s la Cadière le Castellet a du-Var a u les Campaux la Croix- Côtes du Luberon “My wines have a lot of personality because I have a lot of personality” A50 d’Azur M Ramatuelle le Beausset la Môle Valmer says Robert Creus, the owner and winemaker at Terre Inconnue in Solliès- Camp-Long Valcros N98 Môle Côtes de Provence St-Cyr- Ste-Anne d’Evenos Pont la Ciotat Bormes- Cavalaire- St Series, which is half way between Montpellier and Marseille. sur-Mer Evenos la Valette- la Crau les-Mimosas sur-Mer Ollioules du-Var la Londe-les-Maures le Rayol- Côtes de Provence-Fréjus This is truly a boutique, small production winery. So small in fact Bandol A50 Mauvanne le Lavandou Canadel-sur-Mer A57 Hyères N 148 la Garde A570 Paris Côtes de Provence-Ste-Victoire that his wines are not available anywhere in the UK and almost im- Sanary les Salins le Pradet sur-Mer la Seyne- Toulon d’Hyères Palette possible to find outside of Southern France. That hasn’t stopped Six-Fours- sur-Mer les-Plages St-Mandrier- CH DE SELLE Notable producer the word getting out however, and the growing reputation of the sur-Mer Giens Area mapped at larger scale Rhône 148 wines that hail from this ‘terre inconnue’ (unknown land) is inspite of 1:625,000 Îles d’Hyères Île du on page shown Km 0 5 10 15 Km Levant the fact they can only be labelled as ‘Vin de Table’. Marseille Porquerolles Miles 0 5 10 Miles Île de Île de Port-Cros Creus is a chemist by trade, but as his hobby begins to garner in- Porquerolles creasing praise for the distinctive and individual wines that he pro- duces the demand for them will continue to far oitstrip the supply. TERRE INCONNUE

His top wine is made from Grenache and called ‘Los Abuelos’. We will be tasting the 2003 this evening. LEGENDS OF SOUTHERN FRANCE THE DOMAINES PRIEURÉ DE SAINT-JEAN DE BÉBIAN Not many winemaking estates can boast history like that of Prieuré de St-Jean de Bébian. It began life as a monestry back in the early 11th centruy and the monks eventually decided to plant vines and begin making wine there in 1152. During the modern era the estate had fell into serious disre- pair before it was taken over by a chap called Maurice Roux. Maurice replanted the vineyards and begin to improve the win- emaking before it was bought by Chantal Lecouty and Jean- Claude Le Brun (former editors of the Revue de Vin de France) in 1994. Even more recently it has been purchased by a Rus- sian oligarch and investment in the property has continued.

Tonight we will taste the 2001, which is made from equal parts Syrah and Grenache (40/40) and the rest Mourvedre.

PEYRE ROSE When Marlene Soria bought the vineyards that make up the Peyre Rose domaine back in 1990 she was a self confessed amateur when it came to winemaking. Her first vintage, 1991, was met with astonishment and critical acclaim that was made all the more amazing by the fact that she was forced to vinify the wines with almost medievil equipment! Despite the buzz that Soria was creating just out- side Pezenas, she was having great difficulty selling her wines. These early sales problems have led to a policy of releasing the wines late - usually 4 years after the vintage. The winery was completed in 1996 and the reputa- tion of Peyre Rose has continued to rise (as have the LANGUEDOC prices) ever since. Three wines are produced: the ‘Clos des Cistes’ (85% Syrah / 15% Grenache) and ‘Clos Syrah Léone’ (90% Syrah / 10% Mourvedre) are the wines that have made the estate famous, but there is also the ‘Cuvée Rafael’ which is designed for earlier consumption.

The 1998s were described in the Wine Advocate as “two of the most complex and distinctive wines ever produced in the Languedoc” and tonight we will be tasting the Clos Syrah Leone. LEGENDS OF SOUTHERN FRANCE THE DOMAINES

LANGUEDOC

MAS JULLIEN

Olivier Jullien comes from a winemaking family. His father had been making wine and selling it to the local cooperative for many years before Olivier decided it was time to break out on his own and demon- strate just how special the terroir around Jonquieres could be. He established his own domaine in 1985, with 15ha of vineyards on two soil types - clay and calcaire. Since then, his mantra of low yields, minimal intervention and commitment to expressing terroir has in- spired a generation of Languedocian winemakers and even his father! After witnessing his son’s success, Jullien Snr decided to stop selling in bulk and so began Mas Cal Demoura, now another highly respected domaine. Jullien’s vines are located around the village of Jonquieres in the heart of the Terrases du Larzac, a name that was orginally coined by Jullien himself and an area that is seen by many as being the most exciting and relatively unheralded terroir in France.

Tonight we will be tasting the flagship estate wine from the excellent 2001 vintage. The blend is Syrah, Carignan, and Mourvedre, with a touch of Grenache, and it is aged in 500l demi-muids rather than small barriques. LA PÈIRA EN DAMAISÈLA

When it comes to new kids on the block, it doesn’t get much newer that La Pèira en Damaisèla. The domaine began life in 2004 and is owned by ex-dj/composer Rob Dougan, whose work includes the score to the film the Matrix. He employed young winemaker Jeremie Depierre and enlisted the help of famed consultant Claude Gros - the results thus far have been staggering and there is not a critic in sight that is not clamouring to bestow massive scores on all of the domaine’s wines. After vinifying the first couple of in a makeshift winery on the road to Aniane, the last set of wines were produced in a brand new facility built on the land next to one of their two vineyard plots. The name is occitane, the old language of the Languedoc, and means ‘The stone with its best face forward’. The best face of the domaine is undoubtedly their top cuvée ‘La Pèira’, which is predominently Syrah with a touch of Grenache. The blend is aged for 24 months in new oak barrels and we will be tasting the 2006 tonight. LEGENDS OF SOUTHERN FRANCE THE DOMAINES

LANGUEDOC

MAS DE DAUMAS GASSAC DOMAINE DE LA GRANGE DES PERES This iconic estate is the flag bearer for the Vins de Pays move- The stretch of land between the towns of Aniane and Gignac ment, and an inspiration for winemakers in unsung wine regions is not just home to the Mas de Daumas Gassac. Next door to around the world. that world renowned estate is the smaller, yet even more highly Aime Guibert was a highly successful leather-goods merchant rated (by many conoisseurs of the Languedoc) Domaine de la from the town of Millau who was looking for a family estate half Grange des Peres. way between there and Montpellier, where his wife lectured at Owner Laurent Vaillé is undoubtedly one of France and the the university. In the 1970 they fell in love with (and bought) the world’s star winemakers, who has been crafting spectacular Mas de Daumas Gassac. wines ever since he burst on to the scene with his first vintage in Guibert was close friends with the legendary Prof. Henri Enjal- 1992. Back then the vines were very young, but Laurent insisted bert, an enologie and soil expert from Bordeaux. After he came that as long as young vines were pruned hard and yields kept down to visit the estate he was amazed at the quality of the very low (and his yields are tiny), they could produce fantastic terroir and implored his friend to plant vines there. fruit. Despite this running counter to the idea of the older the Guibert did, focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon (because he loved better, the results speak for themselves. God only knows what the wines of Bordeaux) but planting a variety of other grapes hights the wines will get to once the vines are of venerable age there too. The first vintage to be released commercially was the and the yields begin to control themselves. 1978 and after many years of struggle trying to get the recogni- tion their wine deserved, the Guibert eventually succeeded in There are only two wines made at the estate - the red is made establishing the original icon of southern France. from roughly equal parts of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvedre (tonight we will taste th ‘99) and the white from Rou- Tonight we will taste the estate red from the superb ‘95 vintage, sanne and Chardonnay (we will taste the ‘98). and the white from ‘96.