More fine French artisan growers were displaying their wares last weekend this time at at TGVins/Le Vin Passion in Brussels. I observe a rare phenomenon here; I don't think there is a single TN below where I complain of excessive oak influence.
Champagne Consulat-Palace, Aisne
This Aisne producer was previously unknown to me and I cannot find any mention of him in my reference books. Nice entry level Champagnes and QPR by the price standards of this wine type.
Brut Cuvée Prestige (€18), from Pinot Meunier 70% and Chardonnay 30%, showed meaty and round aromas and a fresh fruity palate with moreish acidity; 15.5/20.
Brut Rosé (€22), from Pinot Noir 20%, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, was more muted aromatically but showed attractive fruit and minerality as well as some tannic structure and a firm finish; 15.5/20.
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, Turckheim, Alsace
I have reported my brief chat with Olivier Humbrecht on tannins, biodynamic and yeasts in a separate thread. As is well known, the wines are opulent often with RS and I caught myself preferring the more modest offerings now whilst conceding that the others probably need more age to show their best. The richness does, however, mean that they are difficult to pair with food; Olivier Humbrecht suggests fish and white meat dishes with rich sauces, of the sort which my doctor tells me to avoid, or Oriental food.
Vin de Table No.7 2007 (€16,50), made from Chardonnay and Auxerrois, had a typical Chard creaminess and roundness allied to nice minerals and crisply moreish acidity; 15.5/20+ and as close to QPR as ZH gets.
Riesling Clos Häuserer 2004 (€30), with 3g RS, was already showing attractive complexity; the nose with white flowers and honey touches seemed to presage a sweet wine but the palate was dry with zesty minerals offsetting the honeyed notes, round body and firm structure; 16.5/20.
Riesling Turckheim 2005 (€23), with 20g of RS, was complex, rich, long and notably burnished and sweet but with, for me, an acidity deficit; Humbrecht argues that with time the sugar will recede and the acidity will come into better balance; 15/20.
Pinot Gris Herrenweg de Turckheim 2007 (€23), with 20g RS, had moreish acidity and more minerality than the previous to offset the PG meaty richness and complexity; 16/20.
Pinot Gris Vieillles Vignes 2006 (€25), with 50g RS, showed flowery aromas and greater roundness and burnished richness than the previous, whose greater freshness I preferred; 15.5/20.
Riesling Brand Vendanges Tardives 2006 (€51), with 75g RS, showed an acid and mineral balance which the 05 Turckheim lacked allied to opulent sweetness and gras and to aromas of white flowers and citrus fruit; should be great sometime but how to use it? 17/20++ now with ++ potential.
Domaine Vallet, Saint-Joseph
I liked the freshness of Condrieu 2008 (€29), a wine type which sometimes cloys. There were the usual apricot, orange and spice but also a less common fresh minerality and rather less fat than often; perhaps a function of the vintage; 16/20.
Saint-Joseph 2007 (€14) showed a lot of leather, which I like but may not please the brett allergic, together with some fine red fruit; 15/20++.
Domaine Saint-Antonin, Faugères
I first tasted wines of this estate about a year ago and instantly liked their robust tastiness and straightforwardness. I also liked talking to the owner, Frédéric Albaret, who is humorous and wide ranging in his conversation. We touched on the differences between British, French and Belgian colonialism, British orphans shipped to Australia to boost white Anglo-Saxon supremacy, the difficulties of Pieds Noirs in settling in France after Algerian independence and so on.
Faugères Les Jardins 2007 (€7), from Grenache, Syrah and Carignan, showed some reductive aromas but under them lots of robust and round red fruit and full body; quaffable 15.5/20++ QPR!!
Faugères Les Magnoux 2007 (13) was made from old vine, low yield Syrah 70%, Carignan 20% and Grenache 10% and was matured 18 months in barrels (15% new). It showed more finesse, structure and depth than the previous with its tangy red fruit veering towards cherry; good now but more time would be useful; I think that this bids fair to be as good in time as the Alquier Faugères Maison Jaune and Bastides in a somewhat less polished and sophisticated vein; 16/20++ QPR!.
Mas Champart, Saint-Chinian
Saint-Chinian 2008 (W) (€12), from Grenache gris et blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Bourboulenc, showed tropical fruit and grilled meat combined with good freshness; 15/20+.
Saint-Chinian Côte d’Arbo 2007 (€9), from Syrah, Carignan and Grenache tank matured, showed attractive savoury aromas of meat, plum and leather on a medium/full body with good acidity but a bit short; 15/20++ QPR.
Saint-Chinian Causse du Bousquet 2006 (€12), from Syrah 65%, Grenache and Mourvèdre partly tank and partly wood matured, was generous, spicy and tangy on a fuller body with more length than Arbo; 16/20++ QPR!
Saint-Chinian Clos de la Simonette 2007 (€18), from Mourvèdre 70% and Carignan 30% matured for 18 months in demi-muids (20% new), was deeper, more complex and structured with savoury red fruit, minerals and a touch of liquorice; a little tight and would benefit from more time but 16.5/20 ++ potentially QPR.
Domaine de la Janasse, Châteauneuf du Pape (“CndP”), Côtes du Rhône (“CDR”)
CDR 2008 (W) (€10), from Grenache, Bourboulenc, Clairette, Viognier and Roussanne, was very attractive with fresh minerality allied to white fruit with meaty and honeyed touches; 15.5/20+ QPR.
CndP 2007 (W) (€31), made from 50% Grenache, 25% Roussanne (barrique fermented and matured), 25% clairette, was rich, complex and spicy balanced by good freshness; 16.5/20 now but how will it mature? (One of my most disappointing tastings was of “mature” white CndP; some closed, others oxidised, very few singing.)
CDR Tradition 2008 (€8), from 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 15% vieux Carignan, 5% Cinsault, was another attractive (much decried) 2008 with attractive aromatics, bright fruit, leather and savoury freshness compensating for less than usual body; 15.5/20 QPR!
VdP Principauté d’Orange Terre de Bussière 2007 (€8), from 55% Merlot, 25% Syrah, 10% Grenache, 10% Cabernet, has a nose dominated by the jamminess of Merlot but the palate is rich and generous without cloying and shows a Bordelais structure; 15/20 + QPR.
CDRV Terre d’Argile 2007 (€14), from 1/3 Syrah 1/3 Grenache 1/3 Mourvèdre, showed aromas of tangy plum with hints of cherry brandy and a deep, rich and full bodied palate with invigorating tangy fruit and liqueur touches; 16/20++ QPR.
CdnP Vieilles Vignes 2006 (€58), from 100% Grenache (60-80 years old), showed aromas of tangy red fruit and liqueur with a cabbage touch which receded with airing and a complex, full bodied palate with depth, structure, length and balance; needs time for full expression; 16.5/20 with +++ potential but is it 4 times better than Terres d’Argile?
Domaine Le Roc des Anges, Côtes du Roussillon Villages (“CdRV2”)
This is a new estate on my radar screen http://www.rocdesanges.com/fr/origine.html . It is run by the energetic and articulate Marjorie Gallet and, on this evidence, produces excellent wines but some of the prices are quite high.
VdP Pyrénées-Orientales Vieilles Vignes 2007 (W) (€16), from 90% Grenache gris and 10% Macabeu, showed aromas of white fruit with a dab of spice and liquorice but the palate was somewhat bland; 14/20.
VdP Pyrénées-Orientales Iglésia Vella 2008 (W) (€29), from Grenache gris, showed more personality in its spicy tropical fruit refreshed by some pleasing minerality; original flavours here 16/20++.
CdRV2 Segna de Cor 2008 (€12), from 50% Grenache, 30% Carignan and 20% Syrah, shows generous body and tarry smooth round red and dark fruit; 15.5/20+.
CdRV2 Vieilles Vignes 2007 (€17), from the same varietal mix as above, added tang, depth, complexity and length to the above; 16/20++ QPR.
VdP Pyrénées-Orientales Carignan 1903 2007 (€29), made from Carignan planted in 1903, was still somewhat tight but one senses complexity with hints of tar and wet leather in the generous dense fruit, full body and firm structure; potentially very fine 17.5/20+.
Domaine Les Terres de Fagayra, Maury (sweet fortified wines)
This is new venture of the Gallets run by Marjorie’s husband. On this evidence it is very promising.
Maury 2008 (W) (€28), made from Macabeu, Grenache blanc & gris, was sweet and complex with hints of grilled meat and asbestos (much more appealing than the descriptor sounds) together with a moreish acidity which provided balance; 16/20.
Maury 2008 (€25), made from old vine Grenache on schistous clay, was aromatically somewhat subdued but showed dense and concentrated peppery sweet fruit and firm structure; potentially 16/20+.
Maury Op. Nord 2008 (€36), from Grenache and Carignan on schist, was also somewhat closed aromatically but added a seductive velvety smoothness; potentially 17/20.
The above were all made in the “vintage” style, i.e. non-oxidative matured in the bottle. The Gallets have already started making a “tawny” style oxidative cuvée which will spend some time under the sunlight in large glass containers as well as in cask; it will be several years before it appears on the market.