Domaine le roc des anges, roussillon
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- CORSICAN FOOD – A Tale of Chestnuts, Cheese and Animals Grazing the Maquis
- CORSICA
- LOIRE
PROVENCE Continued…
Is it any better in Heaven, my friend Ford/ Than you found it in Provence? - William Carlos Williams, The Wedge: ‘To Ford Madox Ford in Heaven’
DOMAINE DE LA TOUR DU BON, Bandol – Organic The Tour du Bon estate, located in the extreme north-west of the Bandol appellation, faces the sea. This garrigue-scented landscape is washed with a very special, fantastic, dazzling light, so often captured by the world’s great painters. Here the dry wind from the north flirts gently with the southern breeze. Aleppo pines spread luxuriantly, supplanting the dominant tree, the oak, which has had a rough time as a result of repeated assaults by the scourge of the region, forest fires. Fortunately, in this natural arena, between the mountains and the sea, the arid site is tempered by the gentle marine climate. The altitude combines with the effect of the mistral to ensure that the land is cleansed, from a plant-care point of view. The slopes of Castellet and Brulat rest on a relatively homogeneous geological substratum made up of marls and limestone. Truly the “blood of the earth”, the Bandol Rouge requires the whole of the fruit in its production. It follows the course of time and the interaction between nature, the vine, and man. Yields are about 27hl/ha, harvest is by hand. 90% of the grapes are destemmed. Maceration lasts for fifteen days and fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts with remontage and pigeage. The wine is neither fined nor filtered and spends eighteen months in foudres. The blend of this wine is 55% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 5% Carignan). It has great aromatic complexity associated with the three or four grape varieties it contains. A high proportion of Grenache lends cherry notes as a counterpoint to the spicy, pepper accents of Mourvèdre, with Cinsault uniting the whole. On the palate, the tannic framework can be powerful in youth, mellowing to silky meatiness with age. This wine may be enjoyed now with peppered rib of beef, a prune tagine or, after a few years, with a leg of lamb with broad beans. 2013
BANDOL ROUGE R
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CORSICA The barrel can only yield the wine that’s in it – Corsican Proverb
CORSICAN FOOD – A Tale of Chestnuts, Cheese and Animals Grazing the Maquis
Corsica is wild—Balzac’s ‘’back of beyond’’; a seabound granite precipice where vendettas and feuds, not lawsuits, are the rule; an island where free-range animals live side by side with free-range people—who would rather hunt and gather than farm and fish. (Why grow wheat when chestnuts fall from trees?) Although Corsica has been under French control since 1768, its fiercely independent inhabitants have always kept central government at arm’s length.
Wherever you look you see the famed maquis corse, or Corsican scrub—a dense, fragrant underbrush of oak, juniper, thorn, heather, and wild herbs and flowers that covers much of the island. Its bittersweet lemon-pepper aroma, described as ‘’akin to incense’’ by English anthropologist Dorothy Carrington in her award-winning Granite Island has earned Corsica the sobriquet The Perfumed Isle. The food bears witness to the wilderness and is heartiness incarnate: unctuous stews and soups, wonderful smoked and roasted meats, powerful cheeses— derive their unmistakable character from the maquis. The scrub also provides ideal grazing for game as well as for free-range pigs, cows, sheep, and goats—all of which forage at their leisure, resulting in especially aromatic and flavourful meats and milks. And Corsica’s industrious cooks utilize this bounty to the fullest.
Consider a goat stew, storzapreti—gratinéed cheese dumplings with mint and egg—and soupe corse, this last a local favourite, a mountain soup, also called soupe montagne or soupe paysanne which includes a meaty ham bone—schincu in Corsican, an archaic mix of Latin and Italian—olive oil, garlic, potatoes, noodles, and heaps of vegetables and herbs.
Cheese is still an enormously important part of the Corsican diet. Until a few years ago, cheesemakers often worked out of their shepherd’s farm buildings, usually a small stone or wooden hut. New French laws now prohibit this . Brocciu, a light fresh ricotta-style cheese with a flavour of the maquis, plays a part in many Corsican dishes, including storzapreti, omelettes, and beignets, and is commonly eaten at breakfast seasoned with salt and pepper or topped with jam. The island’s cheese industry is composed mainly of small producers, who specialize in a single type of cheese. However, reflective of Corsica’s independent, often rebellious nature, cheeses here—unlike those in the rest of France—do not usually have specific names. When dining out in restaurants or people’s homes, the choice is likely to be simply brebis, from sheep, or chèvre, from goats. Corsican cheeses are generally salty with an assertive taste and smell. Two of the classic ones are the soft and creamy bastelicacciu (a brebis), from the Ajaccio region, and the sticky, tangy niolu (which may be either sheep’s or goat’s milk), from the village of Casamaccioli.
Chestnuts are another story. Used for everything from flan to beer, they have been a staple on the island since the Middle Ages. With Corsica’s steep terrain unfavourable to the cultivation of wheat, the chestnut has filled the void and shown remarkable versatility in the process. Dubbed l’arbre à pain, which literally means ‘’bread tree’’, the chestnut tree is valued not only for its fruit but also for its wood, which is used to build everything from traditional Corsican houses to coffins. The famed Farina castagnina (chestnut flour) is made by drying whole chestnuts, gathered in the fall, over a chestnut-wood fire for about three weeks, until they are sapped of nearly all their water. After the shells and skins are removed, the fruit is slowly baked for about a day until it partly caramelizes. Finally, it is milled into flour. Darker and sweeter than wheat flour, chestnut flour is used in cakes, beignets, crêpes, cookies, and more. It is also the basis of pulenda, a dense, earthy substance—not to be confused with cornmeal polenta—that traditionally accompanies goat stew, roast lamb, and other hearty dishes. Cooking pulenda is a little like mixing cement: Chestnut flour is sprinkled into boiling salted water and stirred until it is nearly solid (needless to say, weak arms need not apply). It is then placed on a flour-covered cloth, patted down, and sliced with string or thread.
Corsica’s prisuttu, or smoked ham, is on a par with Italy’s prosciutto di Parma and Spain’s jamón serrano. Also noteworthy are coppa (salted and peppered pork loin) and lonzu (preserved pork loin served in paper-thin slices). One of the great local earthy delicacies are ficatelli—small sausages made of finely chopped pigs’ livers that have been marinated in wine, garlic, and peppercorns, then stuffed into casings and smoked. These dark, aromatic beauties are served raw, sautéed, or grilled.
Corsican wines have a very distinct identity, initially due to a long tradition and knowledge of wine-making. Six centuries before Christ, the Greeks were making Alalia wine (from Aleria), one of their favourite drinks. In 35 BC Virgil mentioned the wine of the Balagne, ruby-coloured and agreeable to the palate. During the centuries of trouble and invasion which followed the fall of the Roman Empire, the vines survived, awaiting the return of peace, and of wine-makers. From the 11 th century, the Pisans, who had become the administrators of the island, put Corsican wine in the vessels of their priests and the goblets of their nobles. A century later, the Genoese, having replaced the Pisans, did the same. After 1769, French sovereignty did not put an end to wine-making activity and to wine exports to Italy. But, after 1850, first oïdium, and then phylloxera ravaged the vines. These blights were, however, overcome. By the end of the century there had even been a renewal in sales overseas, and the development of several important domains. However, from the early years of the twentieth century a general collapse in wine prices halted this expansion, and the Great War completed the decline, killing, with the same weapon, the men, the vines and the commercial links. There remained only a few marginal sectors of production. Fifty years were to pass before the island’s viticulture became again a valid sector of the economy.
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CORSICA Continued…
(The most famous Columbo quote)
Rich in tradition, the identity of Corsican wine is also one of variety and quality. These attributes are the result of a selection of native grape varieties (principally Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu and Vermentinu) and of imported ones (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Syrah, Chardonnay) as well as of a variety of natural conditions (soil, relief and climate). The AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controllée) wines are, in fact, determined by the localisation and proportion of the native grape varieties and by the special nature of each producing region.
There are nine Appellations, at three levels: Corse, Village and Cru. The Appellation Corse is applied to the whole of the island, but mainly concerns the east coast and the Golo valley. The character of this Appellation comes from the high percentage of imported, mainly Mediterranean varieties (Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan). The Appellation Corse-Village is given to five regions: Calvi, Cap Corse, Figari, Porto Vecchio and Sartène. In these regions the proportion of native Corsican grape varieties is higher. These are mainly Sciaccarellu and Niellucciu, except in Cap Corse where Vermentinu predominates.
The Appellation Cru is applied to two regions: Ajaccio and Patrimonio. Sciaccarellu is the predominant variety in the former, whilst Niellucciu characterises the latter. Niellucciu is the variety which gives the wines of Patrimonio their renown. It produces a full- bodied wine of a deep red colour, supple and rich, said to have “un nez de fourrure de lièvre et de règlisse”: a nose of “hare-fur” (a term used to describe its subtle gamey bouquet) and liquorice. These wines also have scents of red berries, violets, spices and apricots. Studies carried out in the 1980s have shown that the Niellucciu grape is no other than the Tuscan variety, Sangiovese, of the famous Chianti Classico. Sciaccarellu is the black grape variety characteristic of the granite areas of the island. It is considered apt for producing wines suitable for ageing, and produces wines of great distinction, with a peppery nose. In its bouquet one finds aromas of red fruits (blackcurrants, raspberries and redcurrants), almonds and charred wood, and flavours of peach and almonds.
Vermentinu is the white grape variety of Cap Corse. This grape comes from the Malvoisie line, the great Mediterranean variety. Vermentinu produces white wines which are among the best of the Mediterranean. They vary in colour from pale and transparent to golden-yellow. These wines, crystal clear, are characterised by floral aromas, lightness and freshness. The golden-coloured wines are more aromatic than fruity, and have an after-taste of almonds, hazelnuts, apples and honey. If today they are less highly prized than the pale wines, they are the only ones which can be aged.
CLOS CULOMBU, ETIENNE SUZZONI, CALVI, Corsica “A glass of Corsican wine and I’ll climb the Stromboli” – Tuscan Proverb (not a compliment!) Founded in 1973 by Paul Suzzoni, this vineyard covers 39 of the 95 hectares that comprise the estate. Since 1986, Etienne Suzzoni, Paul’s brother, has been at the helm of the enterprise. Le Clos Culombu is situated between the Gulf of Calvi and the Montegrossu mountains, whose peaks reach 2000 metres and the vineyard has direct southern exposition; there are 15 hillside parcels and vines are planted in arena-shaped granite formations on terraces of clay- rich soils. Situated only 2 kilometres from the sea and 8 kilometres from the mountain peaks, the vineyard enjoys a very particular micro-climate. The varietals planted (in keeping with the island’s traditional practices) are Vermentinu, Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu and Elegante. The soil is worked in the traditional manner and minimal weed killer and chemicals are used. The yields are kept low to maintain quality by de-budding and bunch-thinning of grapes. Both Vermentinos are typically aromatic combining notes of citrus, fresh grass, herbs, and almonds with a crisp and acidic framework. The Domaine wine is softer in the mouth with a touch of verbena and lime; the Clos has more structure and fine mineral notes plus leesy creaminess, apricot and white chocolate undertones. The baby Culombu rouge is an attractive blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Niellucio, 20% Syrah, with prefermentation cold soaking for five days followed by a twelve day cuvaison, with “elevage” on fine lees. Unwooded, it is ruby red, with an intense nose of fresh summer fruits and a hint of fleurs de maquis and classic Grenache strawberry-and-cherry fruit. The more extracted Clos Culombu from 50% Niellucio, 30% Sciaccarello 30%, Syrah 10% and Grenache 10%, undergoes a pre-fermentation cold soaking for six days, followed by twenty-six day maceration with “pigeages”. Indecently purple, with a complex nose of red fruits, spice, jam and liquorice it fills the mouth with rich fruit flavours and reveals a good tannic structure. Serve the reds with grilled pork with rosemary, beef tartar, thin-sliced carpaccio of beef with basil, civet de lapin— rabbit cooked with thyme, laurel and garlic and Corsican cheeses with herbs – but not necessarily at the same time all together. 2016
VIN DE CORSE, DOMAINE CULOMBU BLANC W
2016 VIN DE CORSE, CLOS CULOMBU BLANC W
VIN DE CORSE, DOMAINE CULOMBU ROUGE « TRIBBIERA » R
2015 VIN DE CORSE, CLOS CULOMBU ROUGE R
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CORSICA Continued…
ANTOINE ARENA, PATRIMONIO, Corsica – Biodynamic Antoine Arena, like most Corsicans of his generation, grew up in a family that earned a modest living working the land on an island largely unknown to the outside world. As soon as he could he joined the mass exodus of Corsicans to the French mainland, in search of jobs and what they thought to be a better life. Several years later in the mid 1970s, with a promising career on the mainland, the Corsican independence movement exploded with violent confrontations between nationalists and French government forces, leaving Antoine stunned. In his shock and anger, he moved back to the family farm and decided to reverse the trend and remain on the land, as his own form of protest. Many others soon followed his lead, and for the first time in over a century, the emigration from the island ebbed and Corsicans came back home to reclaim their land. “I became a farmer by protest,” he says. It might have been political activism that detoured him from a law career into agriculture, but Arena soon was passionate about turning his father’s 3-ha domaine into one of the island’s leading vineyards. Biodynamics, it seems, come naturally to him, with his dislike for large agrochemical companies equal to his strong attachment to his island. “There’s a sign I remember seeing in the 1980s,” he says: “Jettez les pelles, et mettez l’herbicide.” This translates roughly as “Throw away your shovels, and put down weed killer.” The Arenas use just 800 grams of sulphur per hectare to treat their vines for powdery mildew according to Jean-Baptiste, Antoine’s son. That’s just a fraction, he explained, of the four kilos per hectare that the biodynamic regulations permit. To survive off the land, Antoine knew he would need to show the world outside of Corsica what Patrimonio was capable of. And so his mission began to make the best out of the land; he started identifying the best parcels and vinifying them separately, and was one of the first growers to worke the vines organically and vinify without any added sulphur. Now Antoine is joined by his two sons, Antoine-Marie and Jean-Baptiste who share Antoine’s spirit and continue to work the land and make the wine naturally, as taught from their father. The Carco vineyard is on an eastern facing slope, cleared of its maquis and planted in 1987 by Antoine. The name of the parcel, Carco, dates back to at least Napoleonic times, and in Corsican means “busy,” most likely due to the fact that it was covered in densely planted olive trees at that time, before being abandoned. Two different wines come from this vineyard: the Patrimonio Carco Rouge, from Niellucciu (1ha) and the Patrimonio Carco Blanc (2ha), 100% Vermentinu. (Vermentinu arrived in Patrimonio well before Niellucciu, although the date of its arrival is still unclear). From low-yielding hand-harvested vines this Vermentinu is fermented naturally with low sulphur in cement cuves and take place a long time (6-8 months) on the fine lees. It completes its malo naturally and then is bottled without filtration or fining. The colour is straw and clear with a shimmer of trapped gas. Aromas of salted roasted nuts give some indication of the extreme ripeness of the wine, stone/mineral, plump, sweet fruit flavour in the vicinity of green bananas and mushy ripe pears. Throw in some preserved lemons and oranges, maybe a little mint. These are punctuated with fennel and sweet herb flavours. Think heat, think rocks, think garrigue. The Morta Maio vineyard was planted in 2001 with only Niellucciu. There is just a single cuvée from this parcel, the Patrimonio “Morta Maio” Rouge. This is often the most approachable of the reds when young—dark, earthy, chewy and juicy. Morta Maio translates as “The Eldest Myrtle.” Morta = Myrtle in Corsican, the shrub that makes up the bulk of the maquis in Patrimonio. (In other parts of Corsica they spell Morta as Murtha, where you can see more of the resemblance to the word Myrtle). Maio = The Eldest, or the oldest. This parcel, which has belonged to the Arena family for over 400 years, immediately surrounds their house and was used as brush pasture for the donkeys who worked the vines. Since the parcel has been in use for so long (longer than the 400 years it has belonged to the Arenas) the term “Maio” was added to it. This Niellucciu is fermented in cement cuve with its own yeats and without temperature and is aged for a further period in concrete before bottling without filtering or fining. Niellucciu is Sangiovese with a Corsican rustic twist. vividly fresh, infectiously juicy ripe cherry mingled on a satiny palate with nut oils and steeped with fruit pit, lavender, fennel, rosemary, and white pepper. As this opens to the air, a mouthwatering savuor of roasted red meat and pan scrapings joins the wine’s downright refreshing as well as invigorating juicy fruit and pungent herbal essences, Handle with thick kid gauntlets. .
2016 CARCO VERMENTINU W
2014 MORTA MAIO ROUGE R
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LOIRE
“… the river that moves sideways, boldly challenging the psychic cartography which decrees that everything about France is aligned north to south.”
The 2012 vintage in the Loire was one to remember for the wrong reasons. A rainy spring and a cool sunless summer diluted much Muscadet, but Pierre Luneau’s emerged with the nervous concentration of good Chablis. The wines from Anjou- Saumur were also affected, although those who harvested late made reds with good colour and excellent balance. The dry Chenin from this vintage has good definition and a nice touch of austerity; however, more rain in October and November ensured that sweet wines were at a premium. Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé from a comparatively small harvest showed ripe wines with firmness, length and character. Prices, on the other hand, are beginning to leave a slightly sour taste in the mouth. 2009 saw hail and mildew, but quality across the board looks excellent. 2010 is that perfect combination of fruit and acid; the reds are lithe and fresh, the whites, in general, beautifully balanced. 2011, alas, is a bit of a stinker in Muscadet again, but reds in the Touraine are deliciously ripe.
Loire wines provide the perfect antidote to palates jaded by bloated oak and hammer- extracted fruit. If you seek the world’s greatest Sauvignons, some grassy, slatey Cabernet Franc, delicate Pinot Noir, refreshing sea-breezed Muscadet, and above all, great Chenin, from the austere dry wines of Anjou to the fabulous nectars of Bonnezeaux, Vouvray and Coteaux du Layon, start reading now.
Imagine sitting outside a restaurant on the banks of the Loire with the sunlight glinting off the water, lazily picking at a plate of heaped crayfish with a glass of the local Saumur (or Anjou) Blanc. Does not the austerity of the wine melt away, this product of air, soil and water around you? Your mouth tingles as the pungent acidity slides around touching every corner and impressing itself on your memory buds. And you drink and you eat, and the wine seasons the food, and the food seasons the wine, and the sun and the scenery season your mood.
Invest in summer joy, weather permitting, with a wonderfully frivolous example of this much-reviled appellation (Rosé d’Anjou to be precise) and consider anew for easy quafferama the pale Pinots from Delaille, Puzelat and Pellé; fair weather reds without the pocket pain of Burgundy. Meanwhile, our existing stalwarts – Champalou, Laroche, Germain, Dagueneau, Bourgeois, Luneau-Papin and Villemade go from strength to strength – transcending the limitations of difficult vintages.
Drink to me only with thine eyes, And I will pledge with mine; Or leave a kiss but in the cup And I’ll not look for wine. Sweet Chenin tho’ sense from soul doth prise, It is a drink divine; When this, Jove’s nectar, I do sup, I think I prefer the wine. (With apologies to Ben Jonson)
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