1970 Château Musar, Lebanon

We enjoyed a real treat – 1970 Château Musar – on Sunday at a dinner to celebrate a 64th birthday. I was pleased that the cork came out cleanly and the wine was in good form. Musar is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault. It had a lovely warm, soft texture with spicy notes and that characteristic exoticism of Musar.

Sadly this I think is our last bottle of 1970 bought probably from Les Amis du Vis at the end of the 1970s or early 1980s when we bought some 1967 and 1970 Musar. This was at a time when the UK had only recently discovered the wonders of Musar. Sad that this is the last survivor from that time but good that it was still showing so well.

 

2010 Puch – red from the Roussillon inspired by the Loire

2010 Puch, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes

Puch is a pure Carignan, picked by hand, and made by Michel Smith, Emmanuel Cazes and other friends from vines planted in Tresserre within sight of the Canigou Massif. This is a light, juicy red with bright red fruits designed to share with friends – not to analyse but to drink. Only 12.5% alcohol with good freshness in the finish it does more than nod towards the Loire's cuvées printemps. Michel and his friends like to serve this between 12˚C and 14˚C. In cooler climes I might serve it very slightly warmer but cool or chilled nonetheless depending upon the weather.  

Warning: moderate consumption is unlikely.

Katie Jones (Domaine Jones, Maury) on an upward spiral

Katie Jones with her 2010 Muscat Sec and the Jones' Fitou

Off yesterday to a couple of tastings in London at the start of the autumn season: first to Dudley & de Fleury Wines in Notting Hill Gate and then to a big J&B Italian, Portuguese and Spanish tasting in the Middle Temple.

Katie Jones, formerly the longtime export and marketing director for the very good Fitou cooperative in Mont Tauch, was there. Originally from Ashby de la Zouch in Leicestershire, Katie has lived in the beautiful but rugged southern Corbières for nearly 20 years. In 2007 she fell in love with a 2.5 hectare vineyard in Maury. Two years later she left Mont Tauch to become a vigneronne. In addition to the vines in Maury, the Jones' estate includes 0.5 hectares of Fitou at Tuchan, which is also where her winery is – in the Rue du Vatican. I wonder if this location allows her to call her wines 'Jones-du-Pape'?

It was good to meet up again with Katie, who I hadn't seen since she left Mont Tauch. This was a flying visit to London as she is in the middle of the harvest. The whites are picked and it will be the turn of the reds, which are apparently looking very good. Yields are up this year to 25 hl/ha.

The Jones 2010 Muscat

She had four wines to taste and I particularly liked her grapey 2010 Muscat Sec (£8.95 duty paid ex-VAT) – a great summer apéritif – and the soft, rich and long 2010 Fitou (£15.95) made from Carignan, Grenache and Syrah. The Carignan and Grenache vines are over 100 years old, while the Syrah is a comparative babe at 30 years.      

 Domaine Jones 2010 Fitou 

Rock n'roll and organic wine: Dinner last night in SW7

Marie and Frédéric Chauffrey: Frédéric is an ex-rock star

Last night I had an enjoyable evening at a dinner with organic and biodynamic growers from Languedoc organised by Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon and the Association Interprofessionnelle des Vins Biologiques du Languedoc-Roussillon (AIVB-LR). I was sitting between Denis Auclair (Domaine Auclair in the Corbières) and Marie and Frédéric Chauffrey (La Réserve d'O – Terrasses du Larzac).

Not only does Frédéric have a fine line in shirts but he plays guitar and was once a rock star before becoming a caviste with his wife, Marie, before embarking on a vineyard in the Larzac. Frédéric was under the mistaken impression that I played guitar and kindly invited me to join his sometime in the Languedoc. Sadly I had to explain that I had never even played a single note.

La Réserve d'O

We tried a couple of vintages of their La Réserve d'O – the 2006 and the 2009, which is not yet bottled. Both vintages are rich and powerful using a blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache.

Denis Auclair (Domaine Auclair): another good shirt

Denis and his business partner took over an old 11 hectare domaine at Fontjoncouse in the Corbières in 2007. The previous owner had been a member of the local cooperative, which vinified all the grapes. The propery has a significant proportion of old vines: 100 year old Carignan, 70 year old Maccabeu, Grenache 60 and Alicante Bouchet 50. They also have some relatively young Syrah, which is 20 years old. Domaine Auclair now bottles all the wine and is increasingly finding export markets around the world for their wines. An attractive 100% Maccabeu Domaine Auclair was served with the first course.

Clearly two domaines I should visit next time I'm in the Languedoc.

2006 Cuvée de Turenne, Abbaye de Valmagne

I also tasted the 2006 Cuvée de Turenne, an old friend – the Abbaye de Valmagne, which I have visited on several ocasions over the years. The 2006 Turenne is nicely balanced with plenty of fruit and good acidity in the finish and makes a change from the over-extracted fruit bombs that some make in the Languedoc, although this practice is not restricted to this region!

It was good to see Philippe d'Allaines, the owner of Valmagne, again and to meet his daughter. The d'Allaines family has owned the abbaye since 1838.

Philippe d'Allaines (smiling despite having an empty glass) and his daughter, Eleonor

Thunevin-Calvet

 

The new winery on the eastern edge of Maury

My final visit during my short stay in Roussillon was to visit the new Thunevin-Calvet winery, which is on the eastern outskirts of the small town of Maury. From the name you might imagine that this is a joint venture by two famous Bordelais names but you would only be partly correct. This is a partnership between one famous Bordelais – Jean-Luc Thunevin of Château Valandraud renown – and Jean-Roger Calvet a producer in Maury.

Until Jean-Roger took over in 2000 grapes from the Calvet's family vines had gone to the Cave-Coop de Maury. In 1999 Jean-Roger worked in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. When he returned to Maury the following year his ambition was to make Grenache here of similar quality to those produced in Châteauneuf. This proved to be difficult because the conditions in Maury are not the same as in the southern Rhône Valley. 

Jean-Roger Calvet

"The soils are hotter and less fresh here," explained Jean-Roger. "Also many vines are planted facing south so that grapes gain as much alcohol as possible for vin doux naturel as producers were paid according to the alcoholic degree. Now that producers are turning to making unfortified wines they are looking for cooler, north-facing slopes. In 2007 we acquired some vines in Lesquerde at 400 metres, so cooler than around Maury.  

In 2001 Jean-Roger decided that he needed a partner. With the help of Jean Pla, a former Bordeaux négociant now based in Maury, he was introduced to Jean-Luc Thunevin and the new domaine was set up. They now have 65 hectares in production and in 2008 the new winery was built. It is the first to be built in the area in a  contemporary style, although they will probably not be the last in view of the number of new investors in the region. 

View from the winery

99% of the production is dry wine with only 1% VDN Maury (3000 bottles) made. The vineyards are planted with 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 8% Carignan and 2% Mourvèdre.  All are harvested by hand.

We tasted a number of 2009s from barrel including an 80-year-old Carignan, which showed again that this is a vintage with finesse and delicacy.

We then tasted the range in bottle starting with the soft and attractively blackcurrant fruited 2008 Cuvée Constance, a blend of Grenache and Carignan, which retails at the winery for 6€ making it very good value. There is some freshness in the finish making this a good bottle to share amongst friends.At 140,000 bottles this represents the majority of the domaine's production. 

Next up the scale is Cuvée Dentelles (18€), which is a similar blend but from old vines. This was my favourite wine – herbal, black fruits and black olive with power and length. 2005 Hugo (30€), named after Jean-Roger's son, followed. A blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah – both picked at 15%, this has the sweetness supplied by the Grenache with some freshness and bright fruit in the finish from the Syrah but with still quite marked wood spice. It is, however, on the edge of being 'over the top' – just too powerful to enjoy, although perhaps a different matter in the winter.

We finished the dry reds with the 2005 Les Trois Marie – 100% Grenache. Full of dense, rich, brooding black fruits with a complex mid-palate and powerful but ripe tannins. This is a wine that while is impressive to taste is heavy – difficult to imagine that you can drink much of it, especially as it retails at an amazing 100€. This is 30€more than the top wines from Domaine Gauby and nowhere near as good.

We end with the fine 2007 Maury (25€) with good concentration of fruit, complexity and balance. 

Although an interesting visit, Thunevin-Calvet I think is again an example where more power and more concentration can equal less. I'd be happier drinking the entry level and excellent value Cuvée Constance than struggling through the way more expensive Les Trois Marie.    

 

Chile: some good news from Maule

Eduardo Brethauner

Eduardo Brethauer: The Carignan Club 

(Eduardo is one of Chile's leading wine writers and I received details of this initiative last night.)

 Viticulture in Chile started in the dry farmed areas (Eduardo uses rainfed*, which I have changed in places to dry farmed) in Maule. And modest people continue cultivating grapes the same way as hundreds of years ago. One of the main objetives of this project is to rescue those grapes and culture. Nowadays, and because of the economical policies, the dryfarm is in real danger. In my opinion this is the only and real Chilean terroir in all the senses of the concept.       

The almighty strength of dry farmed areas

The Carignan Club was officially established at Maule-based Viña Tabontinaja on 25th February 2010. This club consists of a group of vintners who have joined not only efforts but also their manly and valiant wines to promote Chile’s dry farm winemaking all over the world. Needless to say that this heritage-loaded endeavor is also filled with sacrifice and perseverance, will and common interests.

Two days later, an earthquake ravaged our country, devastating mostly the south and causing serious structural damages among wineries, including Viña Tabontinaja, the very same winery that hosted the establishment of our Club and entertained us with spit-roasted lamb and some of Chile’s best bottlings (Carignan among them). Our host winery is now devoting its best efforts to helping its workers, who lost their ancient adobe houses. Who lost it all. 

More than 300 people lost their lives in the earthquake and the subsequent tsunami. 75% of those casualties occurred in the Maule valleys and coastal areas. Regrettably, most of them died in the tsunami that the navy authorities failed to alert. As a result, hundreds of thousands of families in the south of Chile are in desperate need of food, water and a roof.

René Merino, Chairman of Wines of Chile, confirmed that the wine sector lost as many as 125 million liters or roughly USD 250 million. However, given the plentiful 2009 harvest, the volume of wine lost accounts for 12.5% of that yearly production.

In other words, the situation for Chile’s wine industry is not that hopeless. Those who are most severely affected and living an actual tragedy are small and medium size vintners from the central and southern regions in Chile.

Carménère

The Carignan Club member wineries agreed that the wines they will produce and promote must consist of a minimum of 65% Carignan while the remainder 35% is free of choice, as long as grapes originate in head-trained, dry farmed, old Maule vines (older than 30 years).

The dry farmed requirement – which was the matter of a long debate during our last meeting – is particularly relevant today, for the Maule region alone is home to close to 9 thousand hectares of the rustic País grape variety that coexist with the noble Bordeaux varieties.

This unanimously adopted decision will undoubtedly foster a grafting policy that will directly favor the thousands of families that today –and even before the earthquake- cannot make a living out of their grapes. An interesting fact: last year, País grapes were sold for less than 10 cents a kilo, i.e., less than a kilo of charcoal and even worse, below their production costs.

I am convinced we will get back on our feet and overcome this tragedy with renewed strength. I am certain our industry will grow closer together and common interests will prevail. Chilean wine and Chilean people are heirs to rainfed areas and uncompromising efforts – a heritage, whose history speaks of constant perseverance and endeavor. Both our country and our viticulture were ravaged by a natural disaster but I have no doubt that, as an association, we will not rest until we will see our dear Maule region rebuilt.

Until we will taste again those sweet, generous grapes that will continue to give the world pleasure and hope.

* I asked Eduardo whether these vineyards were irrigated – not by drip feed but by traditional flood irrigation.

Ed: Not necessary. Remember that the vines are very old and their roots are very deep. The vines survive mainly with the winter rains. In those areas there is no water and it's really impossible to irrigate.