Tannats a world apart - Bouscasse and Arretxea

An interesting head to head tonight, a "Tannat-Fest" if you will, a Bouscasse Vielles Vignes from the South West of France vs. an Uruguayan discovery, the Pisano Arretexea.

The 2001 Pisano Arretxea has aged since I last opened a bottle - tobacco and dark cherry aromas lead, cooked fruit, mint and rose petals. A soft mouthfeel, cooked fruit and silky, substantial, tannins. A better sipping wine than the Bouscasse, at its prime now.
cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 17/20
Price: C$38.75 (SAQ)

The 2000 Chateau Bouscasse Vielles Vignes is one of my all time favourite wines - enticing aromas of medicinal sour cherries, tobacco, leather, cloves, and roses. Crisper on the palate, with sour cherries and a tremendously long finish - a delicious wine, and a better pairing for tonight's roast. One of my Top 50 Cellar Picks.
cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 17.5/20
Price: C$38.50 (SAQ)

2004 Domaine du Cros "Cuvee Vielles Vignes"

I skipped over the French appellation of Marcillac in my review of South West France due to limited availability - the SAQ site lists just two wines in the whole province. But this Marcillac comes via NYC, as I recently hooked up with Lyle Fass of Rockss and Fruit for a "wine exchange" - two German whites from Montreal in exchange for whatever Lyle thought I might like.

Marcillac is a small appellation that lies east of Cahors. The appellation is dominated by red wine, and these wines much contain at least 80% of the local variety Fer Servadou (aka Mansois, Braucol). 

The 2004 Domaine du Cros "Cuvee Vielles Vignes" exhibited a vegetal nose, with white pepper, blackberry fruit, meat, old leather, damp forest undergrowth and tarry/smokey aromas as well. Extremely impressive on the palate - beautifully textured with a soft, velvety mouthfeel and good acidity, an incredibly long finish. Lyle referred to this wine as "refined rusticity" and I heartily agree, but my wife simply exclaimed "Mmm, I like that!" - no better compliment that that. I highly recommend this wine to lovers of Loire reds. A wine to buy by the case, I wish I had a few more bottles...
cork. 12.5% alcohol
Score: 17/20
Price: gift

Check Lyle's review here, many thanks for this one.

Cheap Bubbles - 2004 Sieur d'Arques "La Bulle de Limoux"

With his "Friday Night Bubbles" series Neil has inspired me to drink more sparkling wine, from Champagne and beyond, and not just on special occasions. I have been especially intrigued by his French bubbly finds outside of Champagne, so I took a flyer on this "Blanquette de Limoux".

The 2004 Sieur d'Arques "La Bulle de Limoux" comes from the Blanquette de Limoux appellation in France and is made from the local grape Mauzac, with some Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay mixed in. A yeasty, lemony croissant with white flowers and a hint of oranges on the nose. Fresh and minerally on the palate with a modest mousse, this well-balanced and easy-drinking bubbly is a great value - serve it blind and guests will think you brought out an inexpensive chamapgne (only you will know you just saved 30 bucks).
cork. 12.5% alcohol
Score: 16/20
Price: C$18.25 (SAQ)

A nice surprise, and a compelling reason not to save the bubby for special occasions.

Twelve Under $12: 2006 Domaine de Tariquet Ugni-blanc Colombard

For my tenth installment in my Twelve Under $12 series I couldn't ignore the cheap and delicious whites from France's VdP Cotes de Gascogne appellation. Marcus, Neil and I have all sung the praises of the whites from France's VdP Cotes de Gascogne, as have many others. Wandering through the cheapies on my last trip to the SAQ I found a producer I had not tasted before. This 2006 Domaine de Tariquet is made from the ugni blanc and colombard grapes. A tropical bouquet of melon, mango and lemon rind...did I smell coconut? Despite the tropical theme it was crisp and focused, yet quite flavourful at the same time. Another hit, it remained remarkably good over a few nights.
cork. 10.5% alcohol
Score: 15/20
Price: C$11.40 (SAQ)

PS - Dr. Vino reviews the wines of Domaine de Tariquet here...

Brumont vs. Brumont

Part four of my South West France trilogy features some more wines showcasing the genius of Alain Brumont and my love of well-made tannat. I thought it would be an interesting exercise to compare two Brumont wines from the same vintage but different terroirs, as I did in my Montus vs. Montus and Perigee vs. Apogee experiments.

2003 Les Menhirs (VdP Cotes de Gascogne)
2003 Argile Rouge (Madiran)

The 2003 Les Menhirs is officially a Vin de Pays and not a Madiran, but it is made with the same grapes (tannat/merlot). A deep, dense purple liquid, it was rather closed just after it was decanted. Crisp and vegetal, the nose developed a subtle complexity over the evening, adding violet, blackberry, mint, musk, leather, butter, and even some nice liquorice and tea notes. Hot and peppery on the palate, very dry, but richer, juicier and more full-bodied than the Madiran below. While the fresh acidity and firm tannins were a little less balanced than the next wine, it was much more approachable and easier drinking at the same time - let's say Madiran meets Napa. A winner, and you won't have to wait as long to enjoy this one - probably another 3 years in the cellar should do fine, or a nice LONG decant today.
15% alcohol
Score: 17/20
Price: $33 (SAQ)

The 2003 Argile Rouge (i.e. Red Clay) is a Madiran, but unlike Brumont's top Bouscasse and Montus offerings which are all tannat, this was a tannat/cab sauv/cab franc blend. Unlike the merlot in the last wine, the presence of other grapes in the blend did not soften up this wine. Deep purple and very aromatic, it was violet, rose, butterscotch, pepper, tea, tobacco, coffee and wet stones, it smelled more like a Napa Merlot than a Madiran. If the "Menhirs" above was very dry, then this medium- to full-bodied offering was an "ultra dry", with powerful, copious, velvety, tongue-puckering tannins supported by nice leather and cocoa flavours. Despite the power it kept its poise. Very lengthy, and I found it just slightly more complex and interesting. Like the Montus Cuvee Prestige, this is a wine that really need some more cellar time, but I think you will be rewarded.
15% alcohol
Score: 17.5/20
Price: C$28.10 (SAQ)

So, a bit of a connundrum - the Argile Rouge is cheaper, and slightly better in my opinion, but you will have to be patient with this one. The Menhirs is an excellent wine, but more approachable today. You need to decide how long you want to wait! Both sported hefty alcohol levels, but neither was dominated by the alcohol. I have two more bottles for a rematch, let's say 2012. Stay tuned.

My last tannat post for a while...Cheers!

The Wines of South West France: Part Three

Of course, talking about the wines of South West France is rather uninteresting, so we need to drink. But despite some gentle reminders from my friends, I have been so busy that I have not had time to work through my pile of SW France tasting notes. But their time has come, and this should lead in nicely to this week's Wine Blogging Wednesday, hosted by none other than Dr. Vino.

These notes have been collected over the past month and a half, and I hope they give you a flavour of the region and its treasures. I think a key theme in this piece is VALUE - this region is the source of many great values...

Bergerac / Bergerac Sec / Monbazillac

As per my previous posts, this is a great place Bordeaux-like wines at not-so-Bordeaux-like prices.

My Bergerac red was the 2005 Chateau Grinou Reserve. Bright purple in colour, with leathery black cherry and pleasant green pepper, liquorice, cedar and mint notes. Very nicely balanced, very dry with firm tannins, a nice round texture and copious leather and black pepper fruit, oaky. Hard to resist now, but should keep for a few more years. Try and find this good a bottle in Bordeaux for C$16.45 (-10% off). My Montreal friends should buy up every bottle in town.
14% alcohol, Score: 16.5/20

My white, a Bergerac Sec, was the 2005 Chateau Tour Gendres, Cuvee des Conti. White gold in colour, this semillon-dominated white was almost all pink grapefruit on the nose, but later showed faint floral, toast, apricot and nut aromas. On the palate it had a rich, luscious texture, but remained crisp and focused. Great deal, C$16.
13.5% alcohol, Score: 16.5/20

The stunning value was the Monbazillac. The 2000 Chateau Septy is an AWESOME alternative to a pricier Sauternes. Bright gold in the glass, this liquid treasure showed sweet caramel and apricot, followed by tar and petrol notes. A beautiful texture on the palate, a golden almond extract like finish. This is a great value (C$22), and an excuse to drink more dessert wine.
13% alcohol, Score: 17/20

Gaillac / Fronton

Probably the rarest and quirkiest appellations in the SW, as discussed in my previous posts, but very rustic and food friendly - try these as an alternative to some Italian country wines.

From Gaillac I tasted the 2000 Domaine de Pialentou "Les Gentilles Pierres". Deep ruby red in colour, the Pialentou started like a smelly sock, in a good way...ripe berry fruit, almost cranberry, with white flowers, mushrooms, oak, leather, cinnamon and cloves. Gorgeous. On the palate this medium- to full-bodied red was supple and well balanced with fresh acidity, raspberries, very oaky. A bit over-oaked, but otherwise perfect. At $21.80 a great deal for the quality. For my Montreal friends, the SAQ website lists the 2002 (bad vintage) but I keep finding 2000s in the store - buy them all up now - a beefy red in its prime.
12.5% alcohol, Score: 17.5/20

My notes describe the two Fronton selections as "Loire meets Italy". I tasted two wines from Chateau Montauriol, the 2004 Montauriol "Tradition" and the 2004 Montauriol "Mons Aureolus".

The pricier Mons Aureolous was my preferred wine, with an interesting nose of ripe blackberry fruit, green olives, cedar, black pepper and liquorice - very earthy. On the palate it was rich, with black cherries and some chocolate, very different. Juicier and better balanced than the Tradition, C$19 (-10%).
13.5% alcohol, Score: 16/20

The Tradition was a dark purple, with a simpler nose of green pepper, mint, earth, and almonds. Bracingly acidic at first, thin and dilute, it settled down over the evening to pair nicely with a meal, but never acheived the balance and complexity of its pricier sister wine. C$13.25 (-10%)
12.5% alcohol, Score: 15.5/20

Madiran / Cahors

These are my favourites from the region, and the main reason that South West France has my attention. The Cahors wines have the burliness of Argentine Malbec, but with a touch more finesse. Madirans have a rustic, tannic complexity that I love, but require patience. Perhaps an interesting substitute for a Barolo. I will lean on some old material here, as I have blogged a few of these.

Click here (1,2) for some red Cahors wines, and here (1,2,3,4) for some red Madiran ideas, and here for white Madiran.

Jurançon / Jurançon sec / Vin de Pays Côtes de Gascogne

Last, but certainly not least, I got a chance to sample some fabulous whites from this region, but I stuck with dry whites.

My first Jurançon sec was tasted in France, and with such a nice experience I couldn't wait to try the 2004 Domaine Cauhape "Seve D'Automne" Jurançon sec. Straw yellow in the glass, this wine leapt forth with beautiful aromas - very melon, canned peaches, white flowers, apple, caramel (almost Sauternes-like), banana, toast and hazelnuts. I could have sniffed it all night, if I wasn't so busy drinking it. Silky smooth in texture, very well balanced, very apple-y, it barely showed the whopping alcohol (I nearly fell off my chair when I saw that later in the evening). A beautiful white to sip and ponder. C$28.
15% alcohol, Score: 17/20

My two VdP Côtes de Gascogne white selections were terrific values. My favourite was the 2006 Brumont Gros Manseng-Sauvignon, by one of my all-time favourite winemakers Alain Brumont. Green gold in the glass, the nose was very interesting - melon and grapefruit, limes and pineapple, mangoes?, white flowers, oak, petrol and a hint of pis de chat. On the palate it was silky, balanced, melon and grapefruit. Overall, it was surprisingly complex for the price - C$12.30.
12.5% alcohol, Score: 16.5/20

The 2006 Domaine la Hitaire "Les Tours" was also a very nice value. White gold in the glass, it was simpler on the nose - apple, lemon, banana and toast. Very dry and crisp, lemony, with a pleasant bitterness on the finish. Would go great with grilled calamari in olive oil. A nice price, C$12.75 (-10% off), and very low in alcohol.
10.5% alcohol, Score: 15.5/20

Conclusion

Overall, this was a fabulous adventure, but it is not over. Stay tuned for more over the coming months.

It was especially interesting to taste this selection of charming, rustic wines throughout August, in parallel with the rather polished wines of American Wine Month. You can't get a better contrast than this!

Alain Brumont is a genius, and all of his wines peformed well. I think he will feature again in a future post...

I hope this is in time for you to make some selections for WBW.

Cheers!

The Wines of Southwest France - Part Two

Source: Wikipedia

In my first piece on the wines of South West France, I commented on the general characteristics of the wines of South West France. The inevitable question is, who cares?

We have a multitude of choices for wine from France - Bordeaux, Burgundy, Languedoc and the Rhone. Beyond that there is a world of wine from California, Spain, Italy, Chile, Argentina, South Africa....do we really need to 'discover' a new wine region?

In my mind, the case for the wines of South West France is simple - great wines you never heard of, at "never heard of that before" prices, with charming rusticity and flavours that can be unlike anything other wine. A workout for the palate and the cerebrum, while sparing you the pain in the wallet. A generalization, perhaps, but let's discuss in more detail:

Do you like Bordeaux? Find it expensive? How about some high quality wines from the Bordeaux satellites like Bergerac, or related AOCs (i.e. Bergerac, Bergerac Sec, Côtes de Bergerac, Buzet, Monbazillac). The reds and whites use the same Bordeaux grapes, and in ancient times were labelled Bordeaux. I am quite intrigued by the sweet whites of Monbazillac, a pocket-friendly alternative to Sauternes. (I bought a nice 750mL bottle the other day for C$22 - try and do that in Sauternes/Barsac! Notes to come.)

Do you like Argentine Malbec? Argentine Malbec is all the rage these days, it seems, replacing Aussie Shiraz as the go-to cheap red. But the Malbec-based wines of Cahors take on a more rustic and food friendly air (1,2). Learn a few makers and enjoy!

Looking for a break from the Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc rut? The South West produces buckets of inexpensive whites. From bargain-priced Côtes de Gascogne quaffers to the intriguing Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh and delicious Jurançon (dry and sweet wines), all made from the local petit manseng, gros manseng and petit courbu grapes.

Off the wall different? Try a Fronton made from the grape Negrette, or an 'ancient' wine from Gaillac. More on these in future tastings.

And finally, my absolute favourite reason for looking at the wines of South West France:

Looking for a big, powerful, tannic wine that ages beautifully and pairs very well with hunks of meat off the grill? Rarely found elsewhere in the world, save Uruguay, the tannat grape produces wines that are rustic and burly with haunting aromas. The best of Madiran (3,4,5,4,5) (also see Béarn, Saint-Mont, Irouléguy) develop a very complex nose, and when the tannins soften you get a burst of flavour that is, well, remarkable. I may get some flak for saying this, but I think of Nebbiolo when I think of a well made tannat - both exude a complex, gamey nose, with fat tannins and ample acidity that takes time to settle down. An awesome, mind-blowing, top Madiran will hit you with a cost in line with a better Cru Bourgeois, but there are some value priced picks as well. A compelling reason to go and buy yourself a cellar.

For the next part of this series I will taste a few of the wines, recommend some winemakers (at a range of prices, I hope), and provide some vintage, cellaring, pairing and other tips. Hope it works for you!

The Wines of Southwest France - Part One

source: The Wine/Enology - Grape Chemistry Group (part of the Department of Food Science and Technology at Virginia Tech)

I never sought to be "that guy in Montreal who likes those wines from the South West of France". But my writing about Madiran and other South West wines seems to generated some interest. With a growing love for the treasures on offer here, I hope this mini-series will generate some interest in a relatively unknown French wine region, and perhaps you will pass on some great wine suggestions.

In some ways, it is not surprising that the region is overlooked. An agglomeration of unique appellations spread over a wide area of the south of France (excluding Bordeaux), there is no unifying river geography or grape like the Cab/Merlot of Bordeaux or the Pinot Noir/Chardonnay of Burgundy. Wines of the South West use a dizzying array of grapes, and in many cases the grapes are virtually unheard of outside this region. How often do you hear someone step up to the bar and ask for a Tannat, Mauzac, Negrette, Gros Manseng, or Courbu? Exactly.

On top of this unavoidable confusion for consumers, the wines can be powerful and rustic, somewhat distant from today's New World fruit bombs. Throw in the crappiest web site in France to represent this region, and you can see the problems.

My first experience with this region was probably an inexpensive Cahors, but my first "Holy Crap!" moment was a 1998 Chateau Montus Cuvee Prestige, which I tasted blind. At that time I had never heard of Madiran before, but to taste it blind in the presence of some of the world's greatest and be floored - that is probably one of my most memorable wine experiences.

In this series I hope to give you a taste for a region that often gets short shrift in the wine books (I even had trouble researching this!). Remember - confusion breeds opportunity!

Today I will begin with a quick review of the diverse set of appellations, with a focus on the major ones you are likely to see in the export market. Future posts will describe the grapes, the wines, provide some recommended producers and buying tips, links ot my peers who like these wines, and perhaps even a few tasting notes. Cheers!

South West France Wine Appellations

Those wines most likely to find their way out of France, and likely the best quality wines, come from Bergerac, Cahors, Fronton, Gaillac, Jurançon, and Madiran.

Bergerac / Côtes de Bergerac / Buzet / Monbazillac - I lumped these together as they are most Bordeaux-like. In fact, Bergerac and Buzet are both up river of Bordeaux, and before the AOC system wines from these areas were able to use Bordeaux on their labels. Reds are Cab/Merlot and dry whites are Sauvignon blanc and Semillon, while the sweet whites are mainly Semillon (i.e. Monbazillac and Cotes de Bergerac Moelleux).

Cahors - Further up river from Bordeaux, Cahors is (after Bergerac) the second largest winemaking region in South West France. While Malbec is celebrated as Argentina's grape, I consider Cahors its home. Originally an important grape in Bordeaux, plantings are in decline, while Malbec remains dominant in Cahors wines. Sometimes referred to as Auxerrois or Cot, appellation rules require at least 70% Auxerrois, with Tannat and Merlot typically the balance. Of note, Argentina has some 50,000 acres of Malbec planted - five times the total vineyard area of Cahors!

Fronton - A smallish region, and perhaps more difficult to find, this region is notable for reds dominated by the grape Negrette, which must be 50-70% of the blend. This is a grape unique to this appellation, and something Dok Weingolb is fond of (I have never tried these, yet...). A small amount of whites are produced here as well.

Gaillac - While not very famous today, this region is amongst the oldest winemaking regions in France, potentially pre-dating the arrival of the Romans. Situated southeast of Cahors, this region uses a unique set of traditional grapes. For the reds, Duras, Braucol (Fer Sauvadou), and Syrah are the principal grape varieties. For the whites, the Mauzac and Le Loin de l’oeil are the key grapes.

Jurançon / Jurançon sec - Just across the border from Spain, Jurançon was one of France's first appellations. The region has been famous for centuries for its ageworthy sweet and dry (sec) white wines, made from the local varietals petit manseng, gros manseng and petit courbu. Gros manseng is the main varietal and used for making the dry wines, while petit manseng is key for the sweet wines.

Madiran / Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh - The red wines of Madiran are made from the grape Tannat, with some Cab Franc, Cab Sauv and Fer rounding out the blend. Powerful and tannic, these are true 'vins de garde'. The whites, using the Pacherenc AOC, are also very intriguing.

Other, difficult to find, Southwest Appellations / VDQS:

Béarn (Madiran-like reds & whites), Côtes de Duras (similar to Bergerac), Côtes de Saint-Mont (Madiran), Côtes du Marmandais (similar to Bergerac), Haut-Motravel (stickies), Irouléguy (Madiran-like), Marcillac, Montravel (similar to Bergerac whites), Pécharmant (similar to Bergerac) and Saussignac (stickies). Also Côtes du Brulhois VDQS (Bordeaux and Tannat style), Tursan VDQS (Tannat), Vins d'Entraygues et du Fel VDQS, Vins d'Estaing VDQS.

Vin de Pays

We won't explore the dozen-odd Vin de Pays regions in the South West in great detail, but perhaps a special look at the whites of the Côtes de Gascogne is in order. Brooklynguy recently raved about one of these, and Robert Parker has referred to these as France's greatest white wine value - "These are wines to buy by the case...". 'Nuff said.

Stay tuned for more...