Winefriend

Posts Tagged ‘Palette’

The ‘Bring a bottle’ club’s theme this month was the southern Rhône, an interesting counter-point to the usual preference for the mainly more prestigious wines of the northern section of this great river.  But it proved an inspired choice with some great bottles, both white and red.  There were a few disappointments too with oxidized and corked bottles – and some, shall we say ‘broad’ interpretations of the southern Rhône itself. But all in all this was a very worthwhile evening showing the high quality of the wines from the region.  The wines were marked by good fruit on the palate, a structure which would make them amiable companions for food, controlled alcohol levels and balancing freshness. The best were full flavoured, complex and with some elegance. 

The evening began with four whites, three of which were in good condition.  The first, pictured above left, was very pale but had good peach, citrus and almond notes and then something vegetal.  Its acidic freshness was notable – but easily explained by the fact that it was a barrel sample of a wine from Domaine de la Graveirette 2011.  It is currently a simple ‘vin de France’ (the new vin de pays category) but, as the Grenache Blanc (70%) and Clairette vines age, it is will graduate to being a Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc.  By contrast Les Archevéques, AC Saint-Peray, Les Vins de Vienne, 2009 was a fully formed classic already.  The bright citrus fruit and herbiness was accompanied by some well-judged oak and the palate was complex, nutty and intense.  But the real question is, can it be regarded as southern Rhône? – strictly ‘no’ as it is the most southern of the northern Rhône ACs, but when the wine is this good, nobody is going to complain.  80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne. Definitely from the south was Mas des Restanques, Vacqueyras Blanc 2011, made from Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Viognier.  This comes from a tiny 0.73 hectare plot and is fermented in new, large barrels which have have been full of water for a year to calm down the new oak effect.  Very good nectarine, peach kernel and citrus on the nose was followed by a long fruit finish on the palate. Some thought it was a bit expensive at £27.  Sadly, Ch. Simone Blanc, AC Palette 2001 had strongly oxidized banana and caramel aromas on the nose but intriguingly the fruit on the palate had withstood the rigours of time (and oxygen) better. 

  
The second half of the evening featured six red wines. Jean-Michel Serin, Champin le Seigneur, Côte Rôtie 2005 was showing sweet fruit, a slight tertiary note and a voluptuous palate – a superb wine even if from the most northern of the northern Rhône appellations.  Three wines definitely in the zone followed. First up was Ch. de Saint Cosme, Gigondas 1999 with olive, leather and black fruit evident.  Guess the vintage produced a range of possibilities from the 1980s and 90s.  The red sibling of Mas des Restanques, Vacqueyras 2009, a Grenache/ Syrah blend grown on sand and limestone soils also showed well.  Dense fruit, a hint of chocolate and understandably young tannins made a fine glass of wine.  The third red also threw up a range of possible vintages but in the 2005-07 range: lively fruit, silky tannins and just a tertiary hint from a surprisingly subtle wine at a relatively low price. In fact Dom. Le Clos des Cazaux, Cuvée Saint-Roch 2002 turned out to be a sprightly 10 year old.  And finally, and, yes, strictly speaking out of zone again, this time towards the south, was the excellent Ch. Simone, AC Palette 2001 in its red form: some farmyard notes, good red and black fruit, and fine slightly drying tannins as a part of a complex palate. The blend here on the Mediterranean is 45% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre,  5% Syrah and 20% other varieties. 

Thanks to all for a great evening. And there was Châteauneuf-du-Pape in its classic red version but sadly it was corked.  But there is more to the southern Rhône than its most famous appellation. 

Andover Wine Friends’ monthly tasting featured wines from small French appellations and provided a tour of the south of France with a stop-off in Corsica.  Led by Lefty Wright (picture in second box below), it showed what quality there is outside of the well known areas – if you can source these small production bottles, here provided by Yapp Brothers. 

First up was rather a classy wine, AC Cassis, Clos St Magdeleine 2009.  Cassis itself is an old fishing port, now tourist resort, with the AC having 180 hectares of vineyard. Made from Marsanne, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Ugni Blanc, this wine had a good lemon richness on the nose, citrus and ripe fruit on palate with an interesting toffee note (as though it had been in old wood which apparently it hadn’t) and good length.  Structured and substantial it would be good with all sorts of food.
	No photo of Dom. Saparale’s Corse Sartene, 2010 which may have been a Freudian slip as this was the dis-appointment of the evening.  Almost water white, this Corsican Vermentino comes from the south of the island and an altitude of 300m which should make for quality.  Quite a marked nose but only herbaceous and pear drop notes, missing the lemon fruit which characterises good Vermentino from here and other Mediterranean shores.  Those who had had this wine before said it was not a typical bottle.
By contrast this wine was one of the stars of the evening, living up to its top reputation.  La Berne, AC Condrieu 2003 comes from the home of the Viognier grape, which is now grown around the world, in the northern Rhône.  It shone with its rich, honeyed and peach nose with some fine wood notes, classic satin texture and, surprisingly for a very hot year, a good sharp edge of lemon and grapefruit acidity. Very intense, full of elegant fruit, just very good.  Thanks to Lefty for sharing this from his cellar.
	Moving much further south west into Basque country (the last AC in France), this wine is a Pyrenean version of a Bordeaux blend: AC Irouleguy 2007, Dom. Ilarria, made from 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Franc and just 20% Tannat.  Fresh and dried red and black notes on nose and palate, fine perfumed bouquet, medium weight, good tannic structure but perfectly drinkable, medium length.  The domaine works just six hectares of vines.
As there seems to be quite a lot of Cornas about, it comes as a surprise that there is only 110 hectares of vines, 13.5 of which belong to Dom. Lionnet: Terre Brulée, AC Cornas 2005.  And the refinement of the wine was also unusual, as normally Cornas comes in a rustic style.  Perfumed with violet and red fruit notes, slightly meaty edge on the palate but with very good depth of flavour, not obviously peppery.  We agreed that this was an excellent wine and most thought that we might not have spotted the northern Rhône Syrah in a blind tasting. thanks again to Lefty for this bottle from his cellar.
	With nearly 1,000 hectares of vines it was stretching a point to include Bandol in this tasting – but it made the cut on the (good) grounds that Lefty likes it.  And it is another old fishing port which has made its distinctive name in the world of wine.  Powerful aromas of red fruit and blackberries, plus herby garrigue aromas, in an excellent example of a very good if rustic wine.  55% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache, 20% Cinsault and 5% Syrah make up the blend for Mas de la Rouvière, Bandol 2007.
Back to the genuinely small, Bellet is an appellation with 15 producers which is under threat from being built over as it is now in effect a suburb of Nice.  The blend here is the very local Braquet (now not thought to be a relative of the aromatic Brachetto in NW Italy), Folle Noir and Grenache – so that you can recognise one grape variety.  Dom. de la Source, Dalmasso, AC Bellet, 2006.  Strongly farmyard aromas to begin with, then good red fruit, a fine and structured wine without being heavy this far South, good acidity and length.
	Ch. Simon is the big player in AC Palette, near Aix-en-Provence, as it has 16 of the AC’s total of 35 hectares.  The wine here is made from 45% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault and 20% of other red grapes which includes some Syrah.  Ch. Simone, AC Palette 2007 is matured in a slightly unusual way: eight months in small casks and then a year in more conventional barriques. Vanilla and red fruit on the nose, refined palate, moderately fine tannins and all round a very classy wine.  A very suitable climax to an intriguing tour of southern France’s small treasures.