Some Languedoc discoveries
The Maison du Languedoc in London was closed down a year or so ago – sadly – but Sébastien du Boullay who worked for it since it was first opened, has now set up his own consultancy business to help wine growers find customers. So I was invited to a small tasting at a friendly wine bar in Maiden Lane, Lady of the Grapes, where three small importers were showing their wines.
Daphne Teremetz, who I last saw tasting for the now defunct competition, Top 100 Languedoc wines, when she was working for Waitrose, now has her own business, called Saison Wines. She was enthusing about the wines of Domaine de l’Accent, a name that has come onto my radar, but whose wines I had not had the opportunity to taste. Domaine de l’Accent is based in the village of St Jean de Fos, in the heart of the Terrasses du Larzac.
First off was an unusual 2024 PetNat made with Carignan Gris, with soft frothy fruit. – £12.81
Next came a 2024 Blanc de Noir, made with Mourvèdre, which was fresh and saline. - £12.23
2024 Accenteur, IGP St Guilhem-le-Desert, an intriguing blend of Carignan Blanc, Bourboulenc, Marsanne, Carignan Gris, Rolle and Grenache Blanc had youthful fruit and touch of oak with balancing acidity. - £12.86
2024 Rosé, St Guilhem-le-Désert, Accent du Sud is based on Cinsault, was firmly dry, with restrained fruit – very much a food rosé. - £10.36
2023 Una Notte, Vin de France is Grenache Noir, pressed after 24 hours. It is light red in colour, with some acidity and also a streak of tannin, balancing some fresh fruit. - £11.35
2022 Petit Accent, a Pays de l’Hérault, Mont Baudile is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Carignan with some ripe spicy fruit and a steak of tannin. - £11.63
2023 Cuvée Eliot is a Terrasse du Larzac based on Syrah, with firm youthful spicey fruit - £14.02
And the final wine from 2022 Domaine de l’Accent, La Rocheuse, - £16.33 - is also Terrasses du Larzac, and based on Grenache. It was ripe and mouthfilling, with a firm tannic streak and a youthful finish. Lots of lovely flavours. I can’t wait to go and taste in St. Jean de Fos
Daphne’s other Languedoc discovery is Domaine Cailhol Gautran in the Minervois village of Aigues-Vives. 2024 Esperandieu is a Minervois Blanc- £10.40 - made from Grenache Blanc and Gris, Roussanne, Marsanne, Rolle and a touch of Muscat. I was surprised that the Muscat blended so unobtrusively into the blend. The wine was full of nuances, with a satisfying mouthfeel, with acidity, salinity and texture.
2023 Minervois Rouge, Gamin - £8.81 - is a blend of Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah, with some spicy fruit and some firm youthful tannins. Medium weight.
Sinequano, Côtes du Brian - £9.67 - is a pure Carignan with the firm berry fruit of Carignan, with a fresh finish.
2023 Minervois Carretal - £12.78 - is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan. It has a deep young colour, with sturdy youthful fruit, and some ageing potential. Another estate to go on my wish list for a cellar visit, in anticipation of work on the new edition of my Languedoc book.
Carole Byron from Lady of the Grapes’ Wines was showing Mas Lasta. Anne Laure Sicard is based outside the village of St Jean de la Blaquière in the Terrasses du Larzac. There was a NV Pet Nat rosé, - £17.50 - based on Grenache Noir, a pretty pink with rounded dry frothy fruit -
A red 2023 Vin de France Là-Haut was a pure Syrah, given just one weeks maceration, so a light red, with some elegant fresh fruit and a little perfume and body and a supple finish. You could serve it lightly chilled. £13.90.
And the 2021 Terrasses du Larzac, a blend of 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Cinsault is rounded and spicy and beautifully balanced, drinking deliciously now. - £19.95.
And Carole also had three wines from a Roussillon estate that was completely new to me, La Spanda in the iconic village of Calce. Virginie Maignien has bought 4.5 hectares from Olivier Pithon and is developing her own intriguing range of wines. First off was a 2022 Orange, Vin de France from Muscat à petits grains and Muscat d’Alexandrie., using the juice of the Muscat à petits grains and macerating the skins from the Muscat d’Alexandrie for two months. There was dry spicey fruit with a hint of sweetness on the finish. I think Muscat adapts very well to skin maceration, bringing out the grapey flavours, but in a subtle way so that they are not overwhelming. - £19.80
2022 No End No Beginning, also a Vin de France, and made from Syrah, was a touch too naturel for me, with some lightly stalky fruit - £15.10.
I much preferred 2022 Daya, a Vin de France - £18.90 - from Grenache, Lledoner Pelut and Carignan. Medium depth of colour with a firm nose and a more rounded palate, with supple tannins balancing some red fruit.
The third company was Déjà Bu wines, with Léa Delacourcelle. She is importing wines from an estate in the Cévennes, in the eastern Languedoc, Vignobles Boissier. The white and rosé are IGP Cévennes or and the red AOP Languedoc. 2024 Cevanna No 1 Rosé from Grenache was ripe and rounded with a supple finish. - £8.50.
2024 Cevanna No 2 Blanc from Chardonnay, Roussanne and Vermentino had some little buttery fruit and balancing acidity - £8.50.
And 2024 Cevanna No 3 is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan, kept in stainless steel tanks. The grapes are destemmed, making for ripe fruit and just a streak of tannin. Some lovely easy drinking and a good note on which to finish the Languedoc tasting.
But then I deviated to Chablis and Epineuil with wines from Dominique Gruhier and finished with Domaine Sérol in the Côte Roannaise, an unusual Gamay aged on its skins in amphora for seven months, and then a further four months after pressing. Some lovely fruit and intriguing nuances making an original taste on which to finish.
Prices quoted are duty paid, ex VAT
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