‘30 Great Wines From The Languedoc Roussillon’ Tasting La Peira Tops The Languedoc In Neal Martin’S Wine Advocate Notes
1. ‘30 Great Wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon’
tasting: La Peira tops the Languedoc in Neal Martin’s
Wine Advocate & The Wine Gang’s notes
Vendanges 2009 : After our first year of the wines being available. Further Harvest 2009 photos on
Flickr
‘30 Great Wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon, The Experts’
Choice’
In September of this year, Sud de France, the promotional body for the
Languedoc-Roussillon held a tasting dubbed ‘30 Great Wines from the
Languedoc-Roussillon, The Experts’ Choice’ at their London Cavendish
Square branch – one of their worldwide Maisons de la Région.
Seeing off some tough competition, (Daumas Gassac, Grange de Peres, Mas
Jullien, Peyre Rose, Château de la Négly) the La Peira 2006 was judged best
red for both the Terrasses du Larzac and Coteaux du Languedoc
appellations in both Neal Martin’s (Wine Advocate) and The Wine Gang’s
notes from the tasting.
While The Wine Gang (Tim Atkin, Anthony Rose, Joanna Simon, Olly Smith
and Tom Cannavan) seemed to be more positive overall in their
assessments (in comparison to Neal Martin), the tasting provided a rare
opportunity for UK tasters to try a wide variety of domaines from the
region, and in some cases the chance to sample some (not so easy to
find!) older vintages.
A selection (for the two appellations) from their tasting notes below.
5. was sold this year to the Russian tycoon with a porn star name, Dmitriy
Pumpyanski. It is unquestionably a sexy wine, with its aromatic notes of
fennel and anis, a fine, intensely flavoured and concentrated blend of black
fruit flavours and garrigue herb, its silky tannins finely balanced by fresh
acidity. The Wine Gang – www.thewinegang.com
Domaine Peyre Rose Clos des Cistes 1993 92/100
While Domaine Peyre Rose’s more farmyardy, younger 1998 Clos Syrah
Leone showed less well at this tasting, this red from former estate agent
Marlène Soria is remarkable for its age. With its smoky, evolved, slightly
earthy undertones, the fruit is sweet and cherryish, the tannins silky
smooth and although it’s slightly drying now, there’s enough complexity of
evolved flavour here to make this a really intriguing red. The Wine Gang –
www.thewinegang.com
Domaine de la Grange des Pères Rouge 2004 92/100
To call Laurent Vaillé a star of the Languedoc is almost an understatement
such has been his contribution to the more elegant side of Languedoc’s
reds since he started up on virgin territory in 1982, a stone’s throw from
Mas de Daumas Gassac, no doubt much to Aimé Guibert’s irritation. This
blend has a lovely raspberryish fragrance and juicy soft summer pudding
fruits in abundance, its elegant, almost Pinot Noir-like silkiness suffused
with spice and a lovely clarity of fruit quality. The Wine Gang –
www.thewinegang.com
Mas de l’Ecriture L’Ecriture 2001 92/100
Made by the meticulous Pascal Fulla, from a blend of Grenache, Syrah,
Carignan and Cinsault, each variety vinified separately, and often also aged
in different types of oak, this is a still youthful blend despite its age,
showing aromatic bright cherry and smoky bacon oak spice, juicy ripe
cherry and mulberry fruit with supple textured tannins and deceptive
concentration because of the elegant overall balance. The Wine Gang –
www.thewinegang.com
Domaine de Montcalmès Montcalmès 2004 91/100
Frédéric Portalié, who worked at Les Granges des Pères, and it shows, is a
winemaker who strives above all for elegance and this wine is a classic
example, almost a Pinot Noir in the Languedoc with its fragrant cherryish
perfume and the voluptuous curves of its supple sweet cherry and
strawberry fruit, finely balanced by fresh acidity, showing the hand of a
truly gifted winemaker. Not for fans of Parker-esque reds. The Wine Gang –
www.thewinegang.com
6. Domaine St Daumary L’Asphodèle 2007 90/100
Dark in colour, this richly fruited Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre blend
from Julien Chapel, in transition to organic viticulture near Pic Saint Loup, is
made in the modern style, showing nicely polished vanillin oak with dark
mulberry and blackberry fruit richness, powerful alcohol and a firm
backbone of tannins. The Wine Gang – www.thewinegang.com
Domaine Alain Chabanon L’Esprit de Font Caude 2003 89/100
There’s no doubt that Alain Chabanon is one of the Languedoc’s star
winemakers, and this blend from his 20 hectares of vines near
Montpeyroux with its kirsch cherry aromas and voluptuous sweet cherry
and strawberry fruit, mineral fresh finish and nicely polished with a thin
veneer of oak shows why. With its firm, dry tannins, a product of the
scorching heat of the 2003 vintage, it needs food. The Wine Gang –
www.thewinegang.com
Clos Marie Métairies du Clos 2006 89/100
There’s a strong, pungently oak side to the aromas of this well-made Pic St
Loup red from Christophe Peyrus and Françoise Julien, whose family used to
send the grapes to the local co-op. Biodynamic since 1992, it’s a source of
excellent reds like this blend made in a modern style, with plenty of oaky
maraschino cherry fruit sweetness, power and concentration, if a tad on the
oaky side and chunky on the finish. The Wine Gang –
www.thewinegang.com
Château de la Negly La Falaise 2006 87/100
This is a pleasingly approachable red from Négly , which also produces
some very expensive, low-yielding reds from its clifftop vineyards near la
Clape; this one may not have quite the stuffing of its grander counterparts
but with its garrigue notes and supple, spicy fruit plus a twist of bittersweet
chocolate, it finishes with nice fresh and juicy acidity. The Wine Gang –
www.thewinegang.com
Dry Whites
Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc 2008 92/100
This Languedoc blend from the renowned Aimé Guibert, a man never slow
to blow his own trumpet, is an exceptionally good dry white, a beautiful
ripe, apple and Poire Williams blend in which the apple, peach and pear
fruit is deliciously fresh and zingy but rich too, with juicy tropical citrusy
acidity and barely perceptible, poised oak. The Wine Gang –
www.thewinegang.com