Colline de l'Hirondelle
I first visited Colline de l'Hirondelle shortly before Covid, - see my blog post dated June 2019. So it was great to go back and see how things have changed. Jen is as lively and energetic as ever. And what has changed? The short answer is less vineyards and more wines. They now have seven and a half hectares, down from nine, and the range has extended, even to include a rancio. so this is what we tasted. All the wines are Vin de France, even though her vineyards are outside Douzens in the heart of the Corbières.
2024 Nebula
A blend of 60% Roussanne and 40% Grenache Gris, fermented in stainless steel tanks. Left to cold settle and bottled early.
Light and fresh, light white flowers and a citrus note on the finish. Fresh and youthful and juicy. Elegant weight.
2023 Ventilo, Vin de France - 8.50€ 13%
A blend of Chenanson, which is a red variety, and Grenache Blanc
Pale pink. Light raspberry fruit. Soft and rounded, textured with some weight and a dry finish
2025 Jen’s second vintage of an orange wine. Or a vin blanc de macération, as the label says. Bleu comme la terre. 13.00€
From Roussanne and a little Grenache Gris. 15 days on the skins. Roussanne gives the colour, and there was a small juice to skin ratio. Pithy orange peel on the nose and palate, with some tannin. Fresh and elegant. Very harmonious. The grapes were picked at the beginning of the harvest
PétNat 12.00€ 12%
Chenanson. Six months on lees. Slightly cloudy pretty pink. Light and fresh with dry raspberries. Fresh and frothy, with supple acidity.
2022 A la Volée red, Vin de France - 12.50€
Mourvèdre and Syrah. Rounded and ripe, with good texture. A fresh finish. This bottle had been recorked with a dose of CO2. The second bottle, opened on the day, was firmer with some structure and tighter tannins. An intriguing comparison. And a good way of keeping open bottles…….
2022 Sur la crête - 15.50€
Natural wine. No yeast; no sulphur. Filtered. Co-fermented Grenache 60% and Mourvèdre 40% In vat. Medium colour. Quite fresh, rounded fruit on the nose, and quite a dense tannic palate.
2025 La Belle Picolle - 11.50€
Terret Gris, Noir and Blanc, 40 ares co-planted 1932. And co-fermented. Light red. Fresh red fruit and an astringent, slightly tannic note. A fresh finish with grip. Nicely unusual.
2020 Cocolico - 9.00€
Chenanson, Carignan and Mourvèdre. Blended in stainless steel tank. No barrels. Jen prefers to age wine in bottle rather than tank or barrels. Medium colour. Some ripe fruit, Rounded and supple with a dry finish.
2020 Oiseau 10.90€ 14.5
Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan. Deep colour. Ripe nose. Quite ripe and rounded. Supple tannins. Quite mouth filling with a tannic streak on the finish. Nicely gutsy.
I asked Jen if her winemaking had changed. She thought her style had evolved, to become fresher, with the wines spending less time on the skins. Her first vintage was 2008, but she thinks that since 2019 or 2020 she has favoured shorter cuvaisons, wanting to keep the fruit and elegance and making wines that are more accessible.
A comment on the forthcoming vintage. She, like everyone else is hoping for rain - and it has rained this morning (a week after my visit in late July) in the Herault, and hopefully in the Aude too. They have not had any real rain since March, but the winter was wetter than usual, so there are some water reserves,. Syrah is looking good and she anticipates picking towards he end of August, but will start checking sugar levels for her white and rosé wines from early August.
2020 Carignan 1515 - 15.50€
1515 was the date of the battle of Marignano fought by Francois I. Deep colour. Firm fresh red fruit on nose and palate. From 100 year old bush vines, from two vineyards in the lieu-dit called Hirondelle. A lovely example of once despised grape variety.
2021 La Joupatière - 37.00€
From a vineyards planted in about 1880, well before phylloxera. with Carignan, all three versions of Grenache, all three versions of Terret, Mourvèdre, Cinsaut, Morastel, Ribeyrenc, Grand Noir de la Calmette, Olivette Blanche, Chasselas, Valenci Rose, as well as two or three varieties that have not been identified. Lovely fresh red fruit. Very fragrant and delicious. And original.
2019 Rancio, Grigri
Grenache Noir from the 2019 vintage kept outside in a dame jeanne and bottled in the spring of 2026. Late harvest, but no added alcohol. 16%. Lightly nutty. Neither dry nor sweet. Not very intense, but very intriguing, and not for sale. 2019 was a very dry year, and the ripening process simply slowed down. The grapes were picked at the end of August. A great note on which to finish. And I love her labels.
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