Advertising maven John Hegarty – sorry – SIR John Hegarty needs no introduction for those in his field of influence. And the good news is that his field of influence is spreading ever wider- he’s due to do a presentation to the Institute of Masters of Wine about how wine should lose its mystery but retain its magic – and that’s what I’m aiming to do with my site. But Sir John – he’ll probably hate the monicker – also makes some rather nice wines at the southern French estate he bought in 2002. Unfortunately, one of his wines had me reaching for my guitar and wearing a Pocohontas wig…
Domaine de la Graveirette MusT 2007, Vin de Pays de la Principauté d’Orange, France (£9 Bowes Wine) Quite developed, almost port-like edges – is this suffering from oxidation? Some rustic, plummy tar edges, but lacks freshness – would make comments such as ‘Is this wine as you’d want it to be showing?’ at a tasting. ????
Hegarty Chamans Minervois les Chamans 2007, Languedoc, France (not in the UK at present) Showing the wild herby and crunchy/peppery violet edge of Carignan, concentrated but also perfumed, with vigorous blackcurrant & blackberry notes, touch of brett but in balance. B+
Hegarty Chamans Minervois Cuvée No.2 2008, Languedoc (£12.75 Adnams) Softer than the Chamans but more ethereal, with cooked strawberry and a plummy warmth tinged with rose petal and an earthy minerality, some liqueur flavour but no alcohol burn. S
Hegarty Chamans Minervois Cuvée No.1 2005, Languedoc (£15.50 Adnams) Has the classic Carignan footprint of spice, violet and peppery blackcurrant, tinged with the minerally note of the Minervois terroir, juicy & young, with a nice cooked wild strawberry edge, but lacks the tang and complexity No.2. S(-)
Hegarty Chamans Minervois Black Knight 2005, Languedoc, France (not in the UK at present) A more fleshy version of the above, with Grenache filling in the gaps missing in the previous wine. There’s the warm herbiness, notes of herby violet, orange peel, and plump plummy berry all with the firm, tannin, dry but promising structure and dusty/iron-rich terroir edges. Lovely wine. S+
Don’t know why, but on one of the chilliest weekends in recent years, we’ve by-passed red wines and been sipping and supping white wines, all from southern France. It’s a vast and varied region, and as with the reds, trying to pigeon-hole them under one banner is somewhat difficult. But the best do have something in common. I’m not talking here about the many varietal Chardonnays and Sauvignons – they’re perfectly adequate Ronseal wines, (they do what they say on the labels) but they seldom set the pulse racing. No, the real excitement is in those rather wacky grapes such as Marsanne, Roussanne, Rolle (aka Vermentino), Bourboulenc and Grenache Blanc. These grapes aren’t out-and-out fruity and in-yer-face, but planted in the right place, but the right grower, they make wines that intrigue rather than assault, and can compete on complexity terms with some of France’s finest whites. And where once they wobbled and keeled over with a couple of years of vintage, today they’re happy to spend a number of years in bottle.
Friday saw us on 2005 Château Gravade Minervois, Languedoc (£7.95 Vintage Roots)
It’s a blend of Roussanne and Grenache Blanc, pepped up with 10% Muscat à Petits Grains, and then partially oak-aged. The result is a wine that manages to be rich, yet remain fresh and sappy, with the citrus flavours boosted by notes of vanilla, herbs and honey overtones. Good by itself, but also a decent cheeseboard white.
Saturday saw us climb to the 2006 Domaine d’Aupilhac Coteaux du Languedoc Montpeyroux Blanc Les Cocalières (£17.35 Berry Bros & Rudd)
Sylvain Fadat has been at the forefront of the Languedoc red revolution for several years, but he’s no slouch on the white front either. Les Cocalières is equal shares of Marsanne, Rolle, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc, fermented and aged in old barrels of varying sizes. It’s still a pup, but its already awash with character – white pepper, honey, quince, dried apricots and more, with freshness and minerality coming through on the finish. Good now, better in a couple of years – move quickly if you’d like to try it as supplies are limited.
If Les Cocalières was the wine for tomorrow, then the 2005 Domaine des Anges Côtes du Ventoux l’Archange (£9.95 The Big Red Wine Company) was absolutely perfect for today.
Château de Beaucastel’s fabulous Châteauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is the benchmark for oak-aged Roussanne, but here’s an excellent alternative for a fraction of the price, rich in smoky pearskin and peach flavours, with oatmeal and honey on the finish, and some of that classic spent-match character (is it minerality, is it barrel related?) that you find in top white Burgundies. Three great wines, one great weekend.
