MAS DE L'ECRITURE
After that detour into southern Italy, I am now firmly back in the Languedoc. And I have finally caught up with Pascal Fulla’s missing wines from a tasting a few weeks ago – see my posting of 6th October.
His vineyards are outside the village of Jonquières, in the Terrasses du Larzac. Freshness is the hallmark of the Larzac and Pascal’s wines exude elegance and finesse. He looks for subtlety and nuances of flavour in his wines. He began his working life as a lawyer, and came to wine with a career change and a first vintage in 1999, and he makes his wine with the same meticulous attention that he applied to the legal world. All his wines are vinified in the same way; what makes the difference is the assemblage. He uses mainly French oak barrels for élevage and over the years has moved towards larger barrels, 500 and 300 litres, and away from new oak. He keeps his barrels for five wines. He has also used oak fermentation vats for the last five or six years, and has a modern basket press. His vineyards have been fully organic since 2009.
2007 L’Emotion – 10€
This is a blend of 30% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 20% Cinsaut and 30% Carignan. This is his entry level wine, more accessible and lighter than the others. Medium colour; fresh red fruit on the nose and palate, with a streak of tannin to provide backbone and balance.
2006 Les Pensées – 19€
A blend of 45% Grenache Noir, 20% Syrah, 25% Cinsault and 10% Carignan. Good colour; ripe fruit and a more intense nose. A touch of oak, but beautifully integrated on the palate, which has rounded, ripe fruit, with the scents of the garrigues. Very satisfying and complete. For Pascal the Grenache gives fruit and elegance; Cinsaut also provides fruit, while Syrah gives length and the Carignan links everything together in one harmonious whole.
2006 L’Ecriture – 31€
Pascal’s top wine, a blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre and 20% Grenache. This is serious, and will age beautifully but is none the less is already relatively accessible with the right dish – in our case a roast chicken. The nose is quite closed and peppery, and on the palate there are youthful tannins, with the red fruits and the freshness of the Larzac terraces. There is a firm streak of oak, but it is nicely integrated, and you are left with the impression of a finely crafted wine. What a treat.
www.masdelecriture.fr
UK stockists - www.dudleydefleury.com
Comments
Please could you drop me an email at Gemma.Bowes@guardian.co.uk asap if you are interested.
Sorry I can't find a contact for you.
Thanks,
gemma