CAWC wine trip to Languedoc

In May 2007 we organised our third wine tasting trip abroad in conjunction with the company Vinetude.  This time we visited the up and coming area of the Languedoc in France.

Over the course of the three days we visited, or tasted, wines from six vineyards including Domaine Paul Mas, one of the largest wineries in the area.  Lits Philippou, owner of Vinetude, accompanied us on this visit and made it into a truly memorable experience for us.  Lits divides his time between his London home and La Tour sur Orb, working as a wine educator and guide promoting the Languedoc region and its wines.  He works closely with the winemakers who make natural, hand-crafted wines and organises tastings and presentations to promote their wines.  He has recently formed an import company to make these wines more available in the UK.  Lits’s passion for the region and his support for the small boutique wineries is infectious.  I couldn’t recommend a better tour guide.

So on with the trip details.  Another shockingly early start but at least we were tasting wines by 10.15am!  Our first stop was Domaine Paul Mas in Montagnac.  Les Domaines Paul Mas is a group of four family estates covering 100ha (250 acres) of vineyard on the hills bordering the Hérault Valley in Languedoc in the south of France.  They are near the Mediterranean sea, close to the small town of Pézenas, which inspired the famous playwright Molière, and not too far from such magnificent historic sites as the Canal du Midi (constructed in 1790 by Paul Riquet) and Valmagne Abbey.  We chose the winery to give everyone an example of a large commercial winery.  I can’t remember exactly how many wines we tasted but the tasting table was literally covered in bottles.  We gathered in their swanky new tasting room to learn about the region and the wines produced by the domaine.  A very interesting first stop which would go on to prove a good contrast to the smaller boutique wineries we visited later.

Next stop was Domaine La Croix Belle in Puissalicion.  This winery is family-owned and has been passed through the generations for more than two centuries.  The strength and character of the wines lie mostly in the specifics of the terroir.  Vine growing is in its prime location here: the roots provide strength to the plant from a clever mix of clay, limestone, gravel, silt and pebbles and the fruit ripens under the bright Languedoc sun.  The result is surprising, harmonious, balanced and appealing wines.  The adverse effects of the heat are moderated by sea breezes and night winds from the Cévennes, Mistral and Tramontane winds.  Jacques and Francoise Boyer practise nature-friendly and sustainable farming (culture raisonnée).  After a quick tour of the winery, we settled down to lunch amongst the barrels, rather chilly but somewhat charming.  The food was delicious and we were able to try at least ten of the wines with our meal including their No. 7 range (made from seven grape varieties) and several varietal wines.  I seem to remember the Soulenque dessert wine being extremely popular and many people came away clutching their purchases close to their chest.  I believe these were the last few bottles of the vintage.  This was an excellent example of a medium-sized winery.

We then checked into our hotel, Hotel Imperator, in Beziers and had the chance for a quick nap.  Then before we knew it, we were off to Domaine Virgile Joly in St Saturnin, another medium-sized winery.  This family team cultivate their vines organically, they respect biodynamic beliefs and nature, using neither weed-killers nor any chemical or synthetic products.  Great importance is given to the rhythm of nature and to the ecosystems and their diversity.  The old vines of the domaine are cultivated and picked by hand in order to produce grapes in limited quantities, with a concentration and finesse that permits the making of structured, sophisticated wines.  The domaine was started by Virgile Joly in 2000 with 1 ha and has grown to 8.5 ha today with a production of approximately 2,500 cases or about 30,000 bottles.

This domaine has a special place in the hearts of the Club's members because Virgile has visited us twice in the UK to show us his wines so it was a real treat to see their origins.  Virgile gave us an excellent tour of his vineyards and winery and afterwards we dined in the restaurant opposite his cellar, Le Pressoir.  Once again we were given the opportunity to try his wines along with the excellent cuisine.  We tasted his excellent Virgile Blanc (made from white Grenache) to start with and then sampled the Joly Rouge and Saturne amongst others.  It was a pleasure to catch up with Virgile, meet his family and gain a real insight into his life as a winemaker.

Next day after breakfast, we headed off to Domaine La Croix Ronde in La Tour sur Orb.  This was our first look at a smaller operation.  Having arrived in this region 15 years ago, François Pottier and his wife Katie farm an estate of 12 hectares where they grow quality grape varieties - Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache and Carignan - producing wines with rich and powerful aromas.  François has succeeded in combining modern vinification methods with traditional winemaking skills to produce wines of exceptional quality.  Francois showed us a range of his wines in his small (and yet to be finished) tasting room - a complete contrast to Domaine Paul Mas.  We tasted, among others, his Cuvee Jade made from Chardonnay, his Cuvee Tourmaline made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah and his Cartagene.  He is currently campaigning to achieve a separate appellation for the wines of the Orb.

We then transferred to St Jean de Minervois to meet with Domaine Bordes and Domaine Les Eminades, two smaller wineries.  Domaine Les Eminades is a young domain, founded in January 2002 after the owners, Luc and Patricia Bettoni, were struck by the quality of the terroir in St-Chinian.  Straddling the communes of Cébazan and Villespassan is a diversity of soils, including red sandstone, limestone and schist, flint and small stones.  The majority of the vineyards are old Carignan (between 50 and 110 years old), Grenache (25-60 years), with a little Syrah and Cinsault (40 years old vines from the oeillaud variety).  There is also 1 hectare of Sauvignon Blanc.  The vines are cultivated with the greatest respect for nature using no weed-killers or pesticides.  Luc Bettoni worked as an oenologist for Chateau Montus, a Madiran winery, and also for, surprise surprise, Domaine de la Croix Belle, before buying his own vineyards here with his wife, Patricia.  Patricia is a pharmacist but also finds the time to help in the vineyard.  Domaine Bordes is run by Philippe and his wife, Emma.  Philippe used to be a plumber but is now a full-time vigneron.

We ate lunch in the original village school building, which is now a restaurant – L’Auberge de l’Ecole.  The food was fantastic – particularly memorable was a goats cheese starter with a dollop of local honey and a sprig of rosemary to rub on your bread – Mmmmm.  Luc and Philippe gave us wines from their estates to try with each course.  From Luc we tried the Cuvee Silice, Cuvee Cebenna and Cuvee Sortilege to name a few.  Besides introducing us to his wine, Philippe also showed us a Muscat de St Jean de Minervois which was absolutely delicious – luckily we later stopped at a local shop which sold this, so we all raided the stock.  I think for many people, this lunch was the highlight of the trip.  A very convivial experience.

We arrived back in Beziers in the late afternoon for a little relaxation.  Dinner was optional that evening but most of us gathered at a local bar and then headed for a restaurant recommended by Lits.

Our last day!  After checking out of the hotel we made our way to Trouillas in the Cotes du Roussillon, where we visited Domaine Treloar.  This was another interesting example of a small boutique winery, not least because it is based in a completely different part of the Languedoc.  Domaine Treloar is owned and operated by Englishman Jonathan Hesford and his Kiwi wife, Rachel Treloar.  Jonathan is a qualified viticulturist and oenologist.  He graduated top of his class at Lincoln University, New Zealand's premiere wine academy, and was previously the assistant winemaker at Neudorf Vineyards, one of the most highly-regarded wineries in New Zealand, where he helped make what Bob Campbell MW regards as the best ever New Zealand Chardonnay.  In the Roussillon, he brings together a lifetime love of wine, new world techniques and the wonderful local grape varieties and terroir.

The vines are managed under the Sustainable Viticulture Programme or Lutte Raisonnée. Jonathan’s aim is to make the best wines possible from every vintage. The wines' spiral-T logo, by the way, combines the Cornish and Maori ancestry of Treloar.

Jonathan gave us a detailed tour of his vineyards and afterwards we tasted a range of his wines accompanied by food made by Rachel.  As the village is near the Spanish border, indeed the villagers speak Catalan, the food had a definite Spanish influence - a real contrast to what we had seen before.  It was interesting to note that the wines were also more upfront and fruit-forward than the others, so terroir clearly is not the only premise in winemaking.  There were definitely some new world techniques influencing the styles of the wines.  Among the wines we tasted were One Block Muscat – a dry aromatic wine, Three Peaks – a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre and TAHI (same grape varieties but it spends 12 months in barrique), which is their top wine.  Jonathan’s wines were outstanding (we ordered vast amounts) and we even had a surprise visit from a local chocolatier.  As in Domaine Croix Belle, we cleared his stock as well!  This visit came a close second to the Auberge de l’Ecole.

Unfortunately the time had come to climb aboard the coach and head for the airport.  Another successful trip for CAWC.  Next year (2008) we will be visiting Piemonte.

Julia Belton