The Beautiful South Provence - Languedoc - Roussillon We will be holding two tastings of a selection of wines from this list, with the support of the Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon, as follows: Hampshire: London: Tuesday 21st April, 6.00pm to 8.30pm Thursday 14th May, 6.00pm to 8.30pm At the shop in Twyford Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon, 6 Please let us know if you would like to attend, Cavendish Square, London W1G 0PD and bring guests. Cost £10.00 per head. Please let us know at 01962 712351 or [email protected] if you would like to attend. This list is all about the French shores of the Mediterranean: it begins and ends with domaines whose vines The Beautiful South overlook the sea, from Ribotte at Le Castellet above Bandol, east of Provence - Languedoc - Roussillon Marseille, to Traginer with vines on the steep slopes above Collioure, just a few miles from the Spanish border. In between on this huge arc are several other growers in this list whose vineyards lie within sight of the Med: Creyssels on the gently shelving vineyards of Picpoul by the Bassin de Thau; Domaine du Météore, with amazing panoramas from high schistous plots at Cabrerolles; and Château des Karantes on the limestone outcrop of La Clape. As usual we open with a wide selection of well-priced (if awkwardly branded) IGPs before we move on to one of the best selections in the country of the appellations of the south of France - the Beautiful South indeed. New to the Beautiful South list this year are: • The two estates we work with in Provence, Ribotte in Bandol, and Les Quatre Tours just north of Aix-en-Provence • Mas d’Amile - stunning reds from the excellent terroir of Montpeyroux • ...and we return to shipping terrific red Collioures and delectable Banyuls from Jean-François Deu at Domaine du Traginer What’s exciting about this arc is that it effectively supplies almost everything one might need to drink: high-quality sparkling wine from Limoux; dry whites from the crisp and bright to oaked and complex; arguably the best rosés in the world at every price level; reds from the simply fruity to dense and ageworthy fine wine; and fortified sweet wines, the famed Vin Doux Naturels of the Roussillon. And all at fair prices - so fill your boots. Simon Taylor - March 2015 BS315 Med Reds Mixed Cases (Six reds) £101.90 All of the cases below are discounted by 10% against the bottle 2013 Domaine La Croix Belle, Caringole Rouge (p.4) prices in the list - we do this to encourage you to try new wines. 2013 Preignes, Grains du Cabernet Franc, IGP Pays d’Oc (p.4) 2013 Mas des Brouses, Chasseur des Brousses, IGP Pays d’Oc (p.7) BS115 The Beautiful South 2013 Château La Grave, Minervois Rouge, Tristan et Julien (p.9) (4 whites, 1 rosé and 7 reds) £102.50 2012 Grand Arc, Corbières Rouge, Reserve Grand Arc (p.10) One bottle of each of the twelve wines listed below. 2013 Domaine Fontanel, Côtes du Roussillon Rouge (p.10) 2014 Preignes Le Vieux, Reserve Blanc, BS415 L-R Terroirs IGP Coteaux du Libron (p.3) 2013 Les Quatre Tours, Classique Blanc, (Three whites and three reds) £128.00 Coteaux d’Aix en Provence (p.5) 2013 Domaine du Météore, Faugères Blanc, Les Léonides (p.8) 2013 Domaine Belles Pierres, Languedoc, 2014 Domaine du Grand Arc, Corbières Blanc, Les Clauzes de Jo Blanc (p.7) Veillée Equinoxe (p.10) 2014 Creyssels, Languedoc, Picpoul de Pinet (p.8) 2013 Domaine Fontanel, Côtes du Roussillon Blanc (p.10) 2014 Château La Grave, Minervois Rosé, Expression (p.9) 2012 Coteaux du Languedoc, St. Georges d’Orques, 2013 Les Vignerons Réunis, Carignan Vieilles Vignes, Les Clauzes de Jo Rouge (p.7) IGP Pays d’Hérault (p.4) 2013 Mas d’Amile, Languedoc-Montpeyroux (p.8) 2013 Les Hauts de Median, Petit Verdot (p.4) 2011 Domaine du Grand Arc, Corbières Rouge, 2013 Mas des Brousses, Chasseur des Brousses, Cuvée de Quarante (p.10) IGP Pays d’Oc (p.7) 2010 Domaine du Météore, Faugères Rouge, Les Orionides (p.9) BS515 Wild and Wondrous Case 2013 Château La Grave, Minervois Rouge, Tristan et Julien (p.9) (One sparkling wine, two whites and three reds) £137.00 2012 Grand Arc, Corbières Rouge, Reserve Grand Arc (p.10) 2012 Domaine Fontanel, Côtes du Roussillon Rouge (p.10) NV Domaine Laurens, Blanquette de Limoux Brut, Le Moulin (p.9) The following mixed cases include two bottles of each of the six 2013 Domaine Begude, Le Secret du Sud Gewurztraminer (p.3) wines listed, with a discount of at least 10% 2012 Domaine Depeyre, Symphonie, IGP Côtes Catalanes (p.11) 2012 Mas d’Amile, Vieux Carignan (p.8) BS215 Southern Sampler 2012 Domaine du Météore, Faugères Rouge, Les Léonides (p.9) (Three whites and three reds) £86.75 2012 Domaine Fontanel, Maury Sec (p.11) 2014 Preignes Le Vieux, Reserve Blanc, IGP Coteaux du Libron (p.3) BS615 Arc of Appellations 2014 Domaine La Croix Belle, Caringole Blanc, (Six reds) £157.50 IGP Côtes de Thongue (p.3) 2011 Les Quatre Tours, Prestige Rouge, 2014 Creyssels, Languedoc, Picpoul de Pinet (p.8) Coteaux d’Aix en Provence (p.5) 2013 Les Vignerons Réunis, Carignan Vieilles Vignes, 2012 Mas des Brousses, Coteaux du Languedoc, IGP Pays d’Hérault (p.4) Terrasses du Larzac (p.7) 2012 Comtesse de Marion, Merlot, IGP Pays d’Oc (p.4) 2013 Les Hauts de Median, Petit Verdot (p.4) 2010 Domaine du Météore, Faugères Rouge, Les Orionides (p.9) 2011 Domaine du Grand Arc, Corbières Rouge, Sol Majeure (p.10) 2011 Domaine Fontanel, Côtes du Roussillon Villages, Tautavel, Cistes (p.11) 2012 Traginer, Collioure Rouge (p.11) 2 Indication Géographique Protégée The Europe wide initiative to rename Vin de Pays as Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP) is now implemented in the Languedoc. Whilst appellation wines tend to be blends of approved, traditional local grape varieties (such as Grenache Noir, Syrah and Carignan) IGPs are often bottlings of single varieties, from Chardonnay, Viognier and Vermentino to Merlot, Carignan, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Secondly, they can be blends which include non-local varieties: such as the Merlot included in the Chasseur des Brousses; or Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay appearing in whites. Third, they may be very confusingly labelled, as growers can name their wines in any one of three ways: from either a very narrowly defined local IGP; or IGP of their local department; or IGP Pays d’Oc, wine from anywhere in a huge region. So the Preignes Le Vieux Reserve Blanc from near Vias, could be labelled either as it is, IGP Coteaux de Libran; or IGP de l’Hérault; or IGP Pays d’Oc (and it is likely to become Coteaux du Béziers!). There’s no logic: just because a wine is labelled IGP Pays d’Oc, it doesn’t have to be a big brand blended from all over the south as it could be from a single tiny vineyard. In this section we list wines from growers where we buy solely IGPs, so here is a varied selection from the extended Vic family, along with Domaine La Croix Belle and Englishman James Kinglake at Begude in Limoux. We have several IGPs from our suppliers of appellation wines and these feature later under the individual domaines. 2012 Domaine Begude, Chardonnay, Amélie, White IGP Pays d’Oc, 12.5% [Screwcap] Bottle £8.95 Case £102.03 Code BEG112 2014 Mas du Canal, Blanc, IGP Pays d’Oc, 12.5% Begude’s unoaked, organically certified Chardonnay comes from [Screwcap] highish vineyards in Limoux, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, Bottle £6.95 Case £79.23 Code VIC714 cooled by breezes. Its freshness, easy ripeness and charm make Based on Vermentino with Chardonnay and spiced by other this an excellent all-rounder. Tangerine nose with a hint of white varieties. Citrus and lightly floral aroma. Fresh, easy drinking flowers. Crisply green-fruited, apple and lime, but also nicely mouthful showing stone fruit and melon with zesty acidity. rounded. (The 10% of Chenin Blanc brings a little weight). The Now-2016 2014 vintage follows. Drink this year 2014 La Petite Source, Le Clos, Viognier, 2014 Preignes Le Vieux, Reserve Blanc, IGP Pays d’Oc, 13% [Screwcap] IGP Coteaux du Libron, 12.5% Bottle £9.50 Case £108.30 Code VIC614 Bottle £7.50 Case £85.50 Code PRF814 A fresh unoaked style of Viognier. Floral aromas, evocative of The Reserve white is really worth trading up to; a poised and Mediterranean blossom. Fresh and lively, with citrussy fruit and versatile wine again based on Vermentino, with other varieties a pretty peach and apricot element. A fine aperitif, or enjoy with including a dash of aromatic Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc. Soft prawns or scallops. Now-2016 fruit and almond aromas lead to a well focused lemony palate, finishing savoury and dry. Now-2016 2014 Domaine La Croix Belle, Le Champ des Lys, 2014 Domaine La Croix Belle, Caringole Blanc, IGP Côtes de Thongue, 12.5% IGP Côtes de Thongue, 12.5% Bottle £9.75 Case £111.15 Code CRO714 Bottle £8.50 Case £96.90 Code CRO814 From 50% Viognier with 20% Grenache Blanc and Chardonnay and 10% Sauvignon, with a small proportion fermented in Chardonnay lifted by zippy Sauvignon Blanc, this blend makes barrel. Very aromatic, showing stone fruit and limey zip. That perfect sense in the warm south. Scent of table grapes and little element of barrel ageing lends it a toasty note, almost a elderflower.