The Languedoc around the tastings Part II - Waitrose
Quite a large selection from Waitrose; some good, some less exciting.
2013 Villa
Blanche Pinot Noir Pays d’Oc, Calmel & Joseph - £8.99
Pinot Noir sourced in Limoux. Medium colour. Quite a ripe fresh nose and on the palate
some rounded ripe fruit. Good varietal character,
fresh strawberry fruit with a streak of tannin. A refreshing summer red.
2013 Montgravet Cabernet Merlot, Vin de France - £5.99
A rounded nose with some spicy cassis. Goes a bit jammy on the palate, with a streak
of tannin. The Midi is not the best
place for Bordeaux grape varieties, with exceptions of course.
2013 Waitrose Southern French Grenache, Pays d’Oc - £7.99
Pure Grenache from a block of old vines in the Gard. Ripe
perfumed fruit on nose and palate, but finishes a little jammy.
2012 Bijou Cuvée Sophie Valrose, Cabrières - £7.99
From the Cabrières coop which does a pretty good job for its
appellation. Quite a firm nose, and on
the palate some slightly dusty warm fruit, with a touch of garrigues, and a
sturdy finish.
2012 Domaine Marie, Faugères - £8.49
Do not confuse this with Clos Marie from Pic St. Loup. This comes from a négociant in
Perpignan. And has some soft easy spice,
making for easy drinking, but with no great depth. I would have expected better Faugères from
Waitrose.
2012 Château
de Caraguilhes, Corbières - £9.99
Quite a deep colour, with solid rounded gusty nose, and on
the palate ripe tapenade and black cherry fruit. Ripe and supple with good
spice and some balancing tannin. Lovely
warming Corbières.
2012 Gourmandises Cabernet Sauvignon, Pays d’Oc - £8.99
Pure Cabernet Sauvignon with some rounded blackcurrant fruit
on the nose, and sweet ripe palate with a streak of tannin. The sort of wine I could happily live
without. Not at all gourmand.
2013 Costières de
Nimes, Esprit des Trois Terres - £7.79
A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. This was delicious. Lovely ripe rounded spicy fruit, with supple
tannins. Easy drinking.
And one of the best Syrahs of the tasting came not from the
Midi but from South Africa:.
2012 Mullineux Syrah, Swartland. - £18.99
It is of course rather more expensive than any of the Midi
offerings. Medium colour. Solid spicy fruit on nose and palate. Some leathery notes. Rich, ripe and characterful. And a stunning example of the growing success
of southern varieties in the Cape.
2013 Montgravet
Rosé, Vin de France - £5.99
A pure Cinsaut. Light colour, light fresh nose and
palate. Soft easy fruity drinking and
good value.
2013 Domaine Sainte
Rose, Pays d’Oc, Coquille d’Oc - £7.49
40% each of Grenache
and Syrah, with 20% Mourvèdre. Pale
orange pink. Light nose. Quite crisp and fresh on the palate with good
acidity, and refreshing dry raspberry fruit.
A lovely glass of rosé.
2013 Cabrières
rosé, Cuvée Sophie Valrose. -
£8.49
50% Cinsaut with 40% Grenache and 10% Syrah. The original reputation of Cabrières is
based on rosé. Light colour. Lightly rounded nose and palate, with rounded
raspberry fruit on the palate, and a rounded vinous finish. Nicely satisfying.
2013 Waitrose Southern French Sauvignon Blanc. Pays
d’Oc - £7.99
Sauvignon with a touch of Vermentino grown in the Bassin de
Thau. Firm pithy fruit on nose and
palate. Definitely more Sauvignon than
Vermentino, with good varietal character and good value. An exception to my rule that Sauvignon does
not do well in the Midi.
2013 Côte Mas, Vermentino, Pays d’Oc - £8.49
Yet another offering from Jean-Claude Mas, though the only one in
this tasting. Quite solid and sappy on
the nose; rounded, ripe and supple on the palate.
2013 Picpoul de
Pinet, Domaines Félines –Jourdan - £8.99
A lovely example of Picpoul de Pinet. Fresh and pithy with lovely sappy, salty
fruit.
2013 Viognier,
Laurent Miquel, Vendanges Nocturnes, Pays d’Oc - £8.99
Grapes picked in the cool of the night. Quite a ripe peachy fruit with good balancing
acidity and a touch of ginger. Medium
weight, so less opulent than some Viognier.
Majestic coming up next.
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