Caux - Raisins et Bicyclette
Four of the organic wine estates of the village of Caux get together every year to organise a grand day out, a bicycle ride, or a walk round the village, visiting four different wine estates with the possibility to taste their wines, and enjoy a convivial lunch. So that is how Sandra and I spent a Sunday earlier this summer, on what turned out to be a lovely summer’s day and almost too hot for quite a serious walk. Nor of course were tasting conditions ideal, but hopefully my notes will give you a flavour of the different wines, and their variety.
We began our circuit at Château la Font des Ormes, which lies off the road between Caux and Nizas. It has belonged to Guy Cazalis de Fontdouce since 2002 and it was his wine maker, Mireille Fabre, who was pouring the wines.
2022 Terres Blanches, Pays de Caux - 11.50€
A blend of Vermentino and Grenache Gris. A lightly floral elegant nose and on the palate nicely rounded, with floral notes and balancing acidity, with a fresh finish. It was good start to the day!
2022 Terret Bourret, Pays de Caux - 17.00€
Light colour. Firm stony nose and palate. Tight knit with firm flavours and good acidity. Nicely understated, but with a presence in the glass, nonetheless.
2022 Regagnade, Vin de France - 11.00€
A blend of Grenache and Cinsault. Light red colour. Some ripe sweet fruit on the nose, redolent of liqueur cherries, with more fresh fruit on the palate, with a slightly sour finish. Intended for easy drinking and best served slightly chilled.
2019 la Font de l’Oun, Pays de Caux - 12.00€
A blend of Marselan, Grenache, Merlot and Carignan. Kept in vat. Quite rounded and ripe, on the nose and almost sweet, cassis fruit on the palate. A rather curious blend. The following two wines were very much more enjoyable, and more languedocien for my tastebuds.
2016 Terres Mêlées, AOC Languedoc-Pézenas - 19.00€
A blend of 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 20% Carignan and 10% Mourvèdre. Aged in concrete vats. Medium colour. Dry spice on both nose and palate. Elegantly balanced and developing beautifully with a harmonious finish. 2016 was Mireille’s first vintage at Font des Ormes. What a brilliant start.
2016 Basalte. AOC Languedoc-Pézenas - 28.00€
A blend of 50% Mourvèdre, with some Syrah and Grenache, aged in demi-muids. Good deep colour. Rounded spicy nose, with more peppery fruit and a streak of tannin on the palate, balanced with a note of freshness. An elegant finish. Again it had evolved beautifully and I liked it a lot.
And from Font des Ormes, we followed tracks with blue signs indicating the route- though sometimes they were absent when we needed reassurance - over scrubland, with wild flowers galore, cistus, poppies, wild sweet peas, accompanied by bird song that was almost deafening at times. The temperature rose and we were glad to reach Allegria, which is an elegant building off the road between Fontès and Caux.
I am ashamed to say that my last visit, and indeed first visit to Allegria was as long ago as 2011, (see a very early blog post) soon after Ghislain d’Aboville set up the estate, so I was delighted to have the chance to taste the wines, and my immediate impression was one of a marked improvement, with plenty to enjoy.
2023 Dolce Farniente, Languedoc Rosé - 13.50€
A blend of Grenache and Syrah. A light orange pink in colour. Crisp and fresh, and firmly chilled with Some dry raspberry fruit and a ripe finish.
A blend of Roussanne and Marsanne, with the Roussanne fermented and aged in demi-muids and the Marsanne in stainless steel vats. A very satisfying white, with some rounded fruit on nosed palate. Good mouthfeel and texture, with a firm dry finish.
2023 Chai Chai, Pays de l’Hérault - 10-.50€
A blend of Carignan and Grenache. A whole bunch infusion, or maceration, for a week, so that the colour is quite light and the palate redolent of fresh red fruit. Nicely rounded, with just enough tannin. Serve chilled for a refreshing summer drink. As for pronouncing the name of this wine, think of tea, rather than a wine cellar! I got it wrong and Ghislain corrected me!
2020 Carignan Gourmand, Pays de l’Hérault - 19.00€
Medium depth young colour. Rounded nose and palate, with red fruit and a tannic streak. Medium weight with the typical freshness of Carignan. May the revival in the fortunes of Carignan continue!
2019 Tribu du Volcan, Pays de l’Hérault - 15.00€
A blend of 70% Syrah fermented in concrete, and 30% Mourvèdre, kept in demi-muids. Medium colour. A touch of oak on the nose, balanced with some red fruit, and on the palate, red fruit and spice with a streak of tannin. Evolving nicely.
2021 L’Aventure, Pas de l’Herault - 20.00€
Grenache from 40 year old vines. Kept in a concrete vat. No added sulphur. So a bit of an adventure in the winemaking. A rounded nose and palate, with some very appealing perfumed fruit, with some weight and mouthfeel and a streak of tannin. Served slightly chilled. Delicious on a warm summer’s day.
And from Allegria, the road led us mainly downhill back into the village of Caux, to track down Marc Olivier Bertrand in a back street. Our route took us past the sad, abandoned building of the cooperative of Caux.
I first met Marc Olivier back in 2018 when I was researching Wines of the Languedoc. He had bought Jean-Pierre Vanel’s vines just in time for the 2016 harvest. So it was great to have an opportunity to see how the wines had evolved since then. He was certified with Demeter in 2021.
2022 Le Vent se lève, Languedoc - 14.00€
A blend of Grenache blanc, Rolle (or Vermentino, which we are not supposed to call it now in France, as Vermentino is Italian!!) and Roussanne. 12 months in vat. An appealing floral nose, and floral notes too on the palate with satisfying mouthfeel and texture and a note of joli amer or nice bitterness on the finish which gives it structure.
2020 Fine Amor, Languedoc-Pézenas - 13.00€
A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault, given twelve months élèvage in vat. Medium colour. Quite a ripe rich nose, typical of the warmer area of Pézenas. And again, ripe and rounded on the palate, with some lovely fruit and subtle tannins. Developing beautifully.
2021 Nuances Rouge, Languedoc-Pézenas - 19.00€
90% Mourvèdre, with 10% Syrah, kept in vat. Quite a structured palate with firm fruit. Youthful and fresh and plenty of ageing potential.
Next came Nuances Rosé, Vin de France
Marc-Olivier has worked in Provence for an estate in the Côtes de Provence for a number of years before coming to the Languedoc, so he is very interested in making rosé. He described it as very special, and it certainly was by way of the wine making, with a blend of three different vintages and several grape varieties, namely Mourvèdre, Grenache Blanc and Grenache Noir, Vermentino, or Rolle if you must, and a little Syrah, which do not make for an orthodox blend. The wine reminded me of a maturing Bandol rosé. The colour was orange pink, and the palate firm with structure and acidity. There were some dry mineral notes and a hint of salinity with some dry fruit, and balancing acidity. Nicely intriguing. And definitely a food rosé. And next Marc Olivier is aiming to make a Grenache pét nat.
And from there it was a short walk through the village to Mas Gabriel, where lunch awaited us. But first some wines to taste. I am much more familiar with the wines of Mas Gabriel than the other three estates, but it is always a pleasure to taste and indeed drink Deborah and Peter’s wines. But I apologise if my tasting notes are even sparser than those before.
2023 Fleurs Sauvages, Languedoc Rosé - 11.50€
Lovely fresh raspberry fruit ,with balancing acidity. Perfect drinking on a warm summer’s day.
2023 Clos des Papillons, Pays de l’Hérault - 16.50€
lightly sappy fresh fruit, with good acidity. Nicely balanced palate.
2022 Champs des Bluets, Languedoc Blanc - 16.50€
A blend of 80% Vermentino and 20% Grenache Blanc. Quite firm and herbal on both nose and palate. Very good acidity giving grip the the balance. Fresh and youthful.
2023 Trois Terrasses, Pays de l’Hérault - 13.50€
Quite a deep colour. Ripe spicy nose and palate. Youthful with rich fruit, some leathery spice and a streak of tannin.
2020 Clos des Lièvres, Languedoc-Pézenas - 20.00
Bottled two years ago. Deep colour colour. Firm smokey nose and palate. Rich fruit with weight and satisfying mouthfeel elegant concentration and maturing nicely. A grand finale to a grand day out.
We should of course have completed the circuit by walking back to Font des Ormes, but lunch and wine and the unaccustomed (yes, the Languedoc has had some unseasonably cool weather in the last few weeks) sunshine had gone to our legs, so we gratefully accepted Alice’s offer of a lift, with it has to be said, a certain sense of relief.
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