Domaine le roc des anges, roussillon
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- CHATEAU D’OLLIERES, Coteaux Varois-en-Provence
- PROVENCE
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PROVENCE And there, in the sunshine, the world began to glitter; everything took on tone and colour… Is this the beginning of my happiness? Gustav Mahler After Matisse picnics beneath olive trees; the Sunday cuts shadows like painted paper
Beignets, Socca, Bagne Cauda: tastes bright as bougainvillea
Adrian Henri – A Propos de Nice I’m not sure whether it is the terroir or it could be just romantic association, but Provence wines are so, well, Provençale. Andrew Jefford says the wines tend to sell on the purchaser’s memory of “love on a bed of pine needles rather than the lure of raw flavour”. The best examples, however, are sun-burnished and exude magical Mediterranean aromas and will coo to your coeur: the reds, particularly from Bandol, reveal dominant nose-notes of pine-trees, sandstone, resin, terebinth and leather, and the Mourvèdre grapes, being from vines adjacent to the sea, give a salty-herby green-olive flavour to the palate.
Just as we are a two “Marcillac” list, we are also a “two Bandol” list. Since the latter wines are not supposed to travel we are hoping for some mild evidence of global warming this summer and for the burgeoning of an al fresco culture that fondly imagines itself on the promenade at Nice or Cannes sipping pink wines and watching the world drift by. If only we could introduce a rigorous culture of mañana!
It’s the eye of the partridge, it’s the juice of the grapes, Rising up to the challenge of our palates, And the last known imbiber drinks his fills, gawps and gapes,
And he’s watchin’ us all – in the eye of the partridge.
After Survivor
THOMAS & CECILE CARTERON, Côtes de Provence The grapes for the Carteron’s rosé are sourced from vineyards situated in the commune of La Londe in a valley surrounded by the Massif des Maures on sun-drenched slopes and a landscape of rocks of schists with veins of quartz. In the summer the location of the valley near the sea allows cooling breezes which leads to a slower and more progressive maturation of the grapes, giving the wines fine aromatic structure. Yields are 50 hl/ha and organic manures are used. Harvests are completely manual over the course of six weeks, always in the morning when temperatures are cooler. The estate waits until there is an optimal balance of sugars, acids and polyphenols before starting the harvest, parcel by parcel. The blend of the rosé is Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah. The colour is the spirit of Provence, pale, crystalline and limpid. The nose is pretty, unveiling floral aromas of bergamot and sweet jasmine as well as bouquet of exotic and red berry fruits, whilst the palate picks up notes of mango and lychee with a more savoury edge of peach-stone and citrus. 2016
COTES DE PROVENCE ROSE “CUVEE ELEGANCE” Ro
CHATEAU D’OLLIERES, Coteaux Varois-en-Provence Located 30m east of Aix Château d’Ollières comprises 35 ha of vineyard on clay-limestone soils surrounded by five hundred hectares of forest and garrigue and enjoys a remarkably cool micro-climate. Quality is assured by a variety of approaches: short pruning to control yields, “travail des sols” to aerate the soil and encourage microbial activity, using organic manures, and harvesting by hand in small cagettes. The blend is 50% Grenache, 40% Cinsault and 10% Syrah; this perky pink has good freshness, delicious floral fruit and refreshing spiciness.
2016 COTEAUX VAROIS ROSE Ro
2016
COTEAUX VAROIS ROSE - magnum Ro
DOMAINE LES TERRES PROMISES, JEAN-CHRISTOPHE COMOR, Coteaux Varois-en-Provence - Organic Made from 20 – 40-year-old vines the Apostrophe rose is 40% Cinsault, 35% Grenache and 25% Carignan, Comor lightly presses the grapes right after harvest to ensure freshness and vitality. It has a beautiful pale pink hue, with strawberry, blackberry, spice and garrigue on the nose. The palate is all kinds of cherry – juicy, sour and even macerated. A little watermelon and citrus round things out and continue through the long, crisp finish. L’Antidote is 100% Carignan, hand harvested from a 2-hectare parcel of organically-farmed old goblet-trained at 343 metres altitude vines on limestone clay. The wine is vinified in semi-carbonic maceration. Indigenous yeasts, tiny bit of sulphur, no filtration, no fining - natural wine.
2016 L’APOSTROPHE ROSE Ro
2016
L’ANTIDOTE ROUGE R
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PROVENCE Continued…
Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses, a box where sweets compacted lie.
- George Herbert
Epicureans and hedonists have been cancelling their holidays abroad in favour of sojourns at Britain’s favourite holiday camp. From now on it will be destination Minehead instead of hola Madrid, bravo Bognor and buenas noches Barcelona. Punters will be swanning off in their droves to sunny Skeggie rather than slumming it in rain-spattered Sicily and they’ll be keenly checking out the Coats of Red rather than the Cote d’Azur. The reason for the new-found allure of England’s coastal camps is nothing else but a revolutionary new bargain fine wine list devised by a food and beverage (f.a.b.) consultant for Butlin’s. And prices will definitely not be sky “high-de-high”, campers! A spokesman for Butlins announced: “We’ve decided to change our offering completely and swapped Lambrini ladies for a Ladoucette culture designed to appeal to families who are not afraid to bare their Alsaces in public. Instead of the Rainforest Adventure you can experience the” Loire of the Jungle” and, instead of X factor rejects singing for your supper, you will be able to listen to the corks-a- popping Rock-Steady Krug or enjoy a 50s theme day where you can Rioja around the clock. And don’t forget the Glamorous Grannie Cru competition, where leading clarets will be paraded before a panel consisting Simon “Cowell’s of Chelsea”, Robert Parker and his incredible farting dog.” He added: “From now on Butlins will be the go-to place if you like your bubbly jubbly, your Burgundy buttery and your irony free of charge. These are world class wines at 90eper prices that don’t take the mickey rourke.” The wine list is characterised by highly humorous tasting notes that describe one Champagne as “like diving into a pool… of battery acid”, whilst a Faustino Reserva Rioja is compared to Roger Moore’s acting being “charming, old-fashioned and completely wooden”.
CHATEAU HERMITAGE SAINT-MARTIN, GUILLAUME ENZO FAYARD, Côtes de Provence – Organic The vineyard’s history begins around 1000 AD. In the beginning, o best beloved, there were two different vineyards, “Le Domaine de la Toche”, a large house on a hillside and a monastery: L’Hermitage Saint-Martin – both surrounded by the vineyard. Once the hermitage became a monastery the monks started to look after the surrounding vineyards while leaving the care of winemaking to the locals in the village. During the French Revolution the two vineyards were merged into one, called Saint Martin la Toche. Located on a hillside, right on the border of the valley of Cuers and Puget Ville, the Saint-Martin vineyard is situated in a beautiful location. All combined conditions are gathered from this terroir to produce the most beautiful wines. The south- east exposure ensures regular and constant sunlight from the beginning of the day. Rocky mountains trap clouds and bring water to a particularly demanding soil. They also guide and moderate the strength of the Mistral wind, protecting the vineyard from wind damage and from disease due to humidity. The vines are situated on a clay and calcareous ground with a lot of rocks (calcite, quartz and sandstone). The characteristics of this very complex soil are similar to the terroir in Bandol. In order to preserve this extraordinary potential, Guillaume Enzo Fayard concentrates on quality viticulture, respecting the environment and nature, without recourse to chemical products (pesticide, fertilizer, weed killer). Talent, rigour, tradition and avant-garde techniques are the ingredients of this adventure, the expression of an art, motivated by a single one goal: quality. Grapes are picked by hand
small cases. There is a triage to sort the best grapes with destemming, gentle pressure with a membrane press and thermo- regulated vinification to extract aromatic flavours. The yields are only 38hl/ ha, the blend is Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, with a light skin contact (cold soaking) before being pressed, followed by ageing in stainless steel tank. If the sharp thorn produces delicate rosés (with apologies to Ovid) then G. Enzo Fayard is one pure prickle. The wine has a limpid pink hue, and real brilliance. With an exotic nose of guava and grapefruit and a fresh, lively palate with citrus fruits and apricot notes this admirable rosé pairs twinklingly with grilled tuna coated in tapenade.
2016 COTES DE PROVENCE GRANDE CUVEE ENZO ROSE Ro
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PROVENCE Continued…
2010 DOMAINE HAUVETTE, LES BAUX DE PROVENCE “CORNALINE” R
2010 DOMAINE HAUVETTE LES BAUX DE PROVENCE – magnum R
CHATEAU DE PIBARNON, COMTE HENRI DE SAINT VICTOR, Bandol – Organic
Here is wine, Alive with sparkles – never, I aver, Since Ariadne was a vintager, So cool a purple.
“Pibarnon is a wine that unveils its qualities beginning in its youth, with an early fruitiness that is exceptional. But it is with cellaring of 5 or 6 years that the wine expresses all of its breed. It is a truly great wine moulded by harmony, at once modern and anchored in tradition. This unique blend represents the ensemble of its terroir, which is not the least tour de force of this emblematic growth.”
Revue des Vins de France Oh frabjous joy – it’s back ! As usual small quantities only from the “Petrus of Bandol”. Pibarnon’s greatness owes much to the passion of Comte de Saint Victor who bought the property when he fell in love with its wine on holiday and subsequently restored the 13 th century 91rborio (a Provençal country house) and the vineyards, which were in disarray. Château de Pibarnon is located to the north of Bandol on the Télégraphe hill, which was once part of the Toulon-Paris optical telegraph system. He enlarged the estate carving new terraces out of the calcareous soil. The hill whereon the vineyard parcels are located is a geographical oddity, containing Triassic limestone – very different to the granite and other soils in the region. This and the altitude to 300 metres explain Pibarnon’s great elegance and aromatic finesse. The Mourvèdre vines are protected from the fierce Mistral by the semi-circular amphitheatre of terraces. Vineyards tasks are carried out by hand: severe selection means low yields. There is rigorous adherence to quality in the vineyard, including careful (and traditional) gobelet training, green harvesting (removal and disposal of some bunches of grapes from the vine before ripening begins) and keeping yields less than 40 hl/ha. The vines themselves are predominantly Mourvèdre, this grape dominating the red wine that is the only such wine produced by the château – no super-cuvées here. In addition, there is a fine rosé produced by the saignée method (bleeding the juice off the red grapes following sufficient contact to impart the pink colour) from young Mourvèdre and Cinsault vines, as well as a white wine, produced from the traditional varieties of the region; Clairette, Bourboulenc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Petit Manseng. This white is mellow and vinous and develops a wonderful freshness that delights the palate, accentuated with flavours of white flowers (jasmine, lime flowers and hawthorn) and fruits (such as pear and peach). The winemaking for the red is traditional with three weeks vatting and daily pigeage to obtain dark colour and long potential lifespan. The wine is then matured in large oak barrels for eighteen months with up to fourteen rackings to air the Mourvèdre. Initially, Pibarnon is vibrant with stone-fruit, blackberry and violet aromas, but subsequently develops sophisticated secondary aromas of tobacco, leather, pine, and dried fruits. “From Bandol, tart in the finish, a little too flinty for my companion, but my teeth appreciate a hint of limestone in a grape. There is something manly and voracious in it somehow, as though one is drinking the rocky underpinning of the planet.” (Howard Jacobson). Unique, tongue-larruping wine to be tried with grilled meats, venison, hare, truffles and goat’s cheese. Alternatively, put this in a dark corner of the cellar and forget about it for five years. The rosé will accompany red mullet, dishes with saffron, curried food and blue cheese. 2016
BANDOL BLANC W
2013 BANDOL ROUGE R
BANDOL ROUGE R
2012 BANDOL ROUGE – ½ bottle R
BANDOL ROUGE – magnum R
2016 BANDOL ROSE Ro
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PROVENCE Continued…
DOMAINE LA SUFFRENE, CEDRIC GRAVIER, Bandol Although he has only been bottling his wines for a few years, Cedric Gravier is already a superstar in the making. Domaine La Suffrène extends over 45 hectares across the communes of La Cadière d’Azur and Castellet. Vineyard practices are traditional from gobelet-trained vines to the strict vendange vert which keeps yields low, optimising quality and contributing towards concentration in the grapes when harvested. The harvest itself takes place from the end of September into October according to the maturity of the grapes, and is done by hand. A further selection is done at the tables before the grapes are received into the winery. After a partial or total destalking there is a cuvaison for 15-20 days with remontage twice daily, whereupon the wine is transferred to foudres undergoing malolactic fermentation. The traditional red is from 50- year-old vines, a Provençale bonne-bouche. The white and rosé are worthy of consideration also. Grape varieties? Ugni Blanc (30%) Sauvignon (5% - for aromatic bounce) make up the white wine with Clairette (the grape that makes vermouth) giving typically resinous pastis notes, Ugni Blanc and Sauvignon providing the acidity and aroma. It all makes perfect sense with a bouillabaisse. Mourvèdre (predominantly), Grenache (20%), Cinsault (15%) and Carignan (10%), in the red and rosé. The 2001 Bandol Rouge is a mastodon, weighing in at a burly 15 degrees of alcohol and is hugely concentrated and wildly aromatic with spices, pepper, sandalwood, coffee and leather. All the red wines undergo malolactic fermentation and none of them sees any new oak instead spending time in foudres. A natural with wild boar, saddle of lamb with herbs and truffles. I seem to recall a faux-historical documentary series in the 1970s called “You are there” hosted by the gravel-voiced Walter Cronkite. He would establish the mise-en-scene of a famous historical event at the beginning of the programme, then turn to the camera, fix you with a senatorial stare, and intone in a voice like a stately foghorn: “Remember – YOU ARE THERE”. Whenever I smell this red Bandol I make that similar leap of imagination to be there in Provence, amongst what Sybille Bedford memorably described in Jigsaw as: “the sun-baked, cicada-loud, ageless country of scrub and terraced hills… the archetypal Mediterranean landscape of rock & olive, wild thyme, vineyards, light”.
2014 BANDOL ROUGE R
2014 BANDOL ROUGE – ½ bottle R
BANDOL ROSE Ro
“… when he opened the heavy door, the warm swallows of rosemary and wine, olive and garlic soared out of there, and their wings fluttered over my nose until I grew dizzy with pleasure”.
Meir Shaley – Four Meals
We’ve probably endured enough whimsical articles about “la vie en rosé” and how we should be “tickled pink” by surprisingly drinkable rosé wines, but that’s not going to stop this miniature pink peroration. Perhaps it’s global warming, perhaps the adoption of an al fresco lifestyle, wherein at the first watery glimmer of the sun, tables are hurled willy-nilly onto pavements and all the coffee chains start serving frappacinos, or the fact that Mediterranean cuisine has become so popular both in restaurants and in our homes, or perhaps praise Ryanair and Easyjet for transporting us at the drop of a penny (plus taxes) to sunnier climes where any blushing wine (usually consumed in an impossibly picturesque location) forever trills the romance of abroad, a romance that only rosé can reignite in our veins, but… we are undoubtedly consuming more and more of the frolic wine. Rosé is oddly the only one of the three colours (quick digression, I’m trying – and failing – to imagine a cheerful Kieslowski film: Three Colours – Pink.) that has been the subject of intensive marketing campaigns primarily due to brands such as Mateus and Blossom Hill – shudder – which are predicated on the notion that we choose to drink rosé – almost as a statement of who we are. I prefer to attribute the growth of rosé-drinking to all the reasons listed above plus one other: the inability to choose between red and white! Underlying this facetious point is a more serious one: rosé is the classic modern “compromise wine,” a kind of superior house/Pinot Grigio default wine.
Rosé is a by-product of red wine-making and will be either be guzzled by the grower’s family and friends or sold to local hostelries, but there are wines that are good enough to be considered on their own merits. Provence is the spiritual home of pink wine producing pale or pearly- pink wines scented with wild flowers, fennel and herbs and often as dry as the rocks from which the vines spring. Nor are the wines, except for powerful, menthol-intense wines of Bandol, particularly alcoholic; their delicacy makes them a pleasure to quaff uncritically, but also provides excellent accompaniment to oily fish such as mullet, sardines and is a dream with saffron-drenched, garlic-heavy fish soups and works equally well with stuffed aubergines, courgettes and tomatoes.
No matter the improvements in winemaking these are still wines to drink in the first flush and blush of youth. Elizabeth Barrett Browning might have been describing the effects of age on a bottle of pink wine when she wrote: “O rose, who dares to name thee? No longer roseate now, nor soft, nor sweet, But pale, and hard, and dry, as stubblewheat – Kept seven years in a drawer, thy titles shame thee.” While the wine is still alive with beaded bubbles winking at the rim it lifts the spirits and makes one think of sunshine, summer or holidays.
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