The Outsiders in Montpellier in 2014
The Outsiders, a disparate group of wine growers who do not
originate from the Languedoc, were in Montpellier the evening before Millésime
Bio. Some are organic, but not all, so
they decided to host a tasting to get us in the mood for the salon the next
day. Most are estates that I already know, but it was a great opportunity to
taste some new vintages.
I naturally gravitated towards white wine and fizz
first.
2013 Chardonnay – Chenin IGP – 5.00€
Dry honey on both nose and palate, with some fresh
acidity. Still a touch adolescent but
that is to be expected.
2102 Odyssée,
Limoux,
Chardonnay
Ripe rounded nutty fruit on nose. Good fruit with a nicely textured
palate. Very satisfying.
2012 Occitania, Limoux,
Mauzac
Lightly grassy, rounded nose. A nicely textured palate, with youthfully layers
of flavour.
2011 Dédicace,
Limoux
Chenin Blanc.
Dry honey; lovely honey.
Delicious. The palate is filling
out.
2011 Blanquette
de Limoux,
90% Mauzac 10% Chenin and Chardonnay
Quite a rich yeasty rounded nose. Ripe rounded palate with some honey. Quite rich and nicely mouth filling.
2011 Crémant de Limoux.
Elegantly creamy on both nose and palate. Just as I would expect it to be.
2011 Classique
Blanc, La Clape
50% Bourboulenc, 30% Grenache, 10% Roussanne, 10%
Marsanne.
Lightly herbal nose, with some fresh sappy fruit and some
weight on the palate. Very good acidity
and a satisfying salty note. A lovely
glass of wine.
2011 Grand Vin white, La Clape
40% Bourboulenc, 20 %
each of Grenache, Roussanne and Marsanne
The Bourboulenc is 75 years old, planted by a previous owner,
Jean Segura, who pioneered La Clape Blanc at a time when people thought the Languedoc
was completely unsuitable for white wine production. Rounded nose, with understated oak. And on the palate, fresh and rich, and
beautifully balanced. Hints of honey and
fennel, and a certain weight on the palate.
2010 Classique red, La Clape
20% Mourvèdre and 40% each of Syrah and Grenache.
Medium
colour. Ripe juicy fruit on the nose and
on the palate an appealing freshness, with supple red fruit and a streak of tannin
and a long finish
2009 Grand Vin red, La Clape
55% Mourvèdre with 25% Syrah, 15% Grenache and 5%
Carignan. The Grenache is aged in tank,
and the other varieties in barrel. Deep
colour. Very good depth on both nose and palate. Some oak, with rich youthful spicy
fruit. A tannic streak, with ageing
potential. Very elegant.
2012 Le Blanc, Languedoc.
80% Roussanne with 20% Marsanne
Some intriguing herbal notes on nose and palate. Quite ripe, with good balancing acidity.
2012 La Rupture,
Vin de France,
Sauvignon Blanc.
Quite firm and mineral on both nose and palate. Very good acidity; firm fruit and stony
minerality.
2012 Vin Clairet
70% Grenache, 20%
Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre.
A very bright pink.
Rounded raspberry fruit on nose and palate. Very fresh fruit, with some texture on the palate.
2010 Carmine
70% Syrah; 30% Mourvèdre.
I much preferred the
palate to the nose, which was a bit eggy.
Rounded youthful fruit; quite rich and solid with furry tannins.
2012 la Chouette
blanche, Languedoc
70% Grenache Blanc, 30% Rolle and Bourboulenc
I found this a bit unbalanced. A ripe rather sweet nose, and on the palate
quite appley and rounded.
2012 l’Orphée,
Pic St. Loup
50% Grenache, 50% Syrah.
Quite a structured nose.
Ripe palate with red fruit and some furry tannins, and a slight prickle
which was a bit disconcerting.
2011 Le Petit
Duc, Pic St. Loup
90% Grenache, 10% Syrah.
I thought that Pic St. Loup was supposed to be predominantly Syrah, but
I suppose it depends on what is in your vineyard.
Quite a deep young colour.
Quite sturdy, firm fruit on the nose.
A ripe rounded rich palate.
2011 Gran’T Pic St. Loup
50% Carignan and 50% Grenache
– old vines.
Deep young colour.
Ripe solid nose and some furry red fruit on the palate. My tasting notes seem to have given up a bit
at this point.
2012 L’Inattendu, Minervois Blanc
80% Grenache, 20% Maccabeu
Quite firm fresh nose. Fresh fruit and good acidity on the
palate. Herbal notes and a certain sappy
quality. Nicely balanced.
2012 Mademoiselle Lily, Côtes du Brian Blanc
50% Terret 5o% Viognier.
Quite soft and peachy, with some sweetness and balancing acidity.
2011 Lo Viehl,
Carignan de 100 ans. Côtes du Brian rouge
Deep colour. Solid dense ripe nose. Élevage in new barrels. Ripe black and red fruit. Quite tannic and
very youthful. Very promising.
2011 Rendez-vous sur la lune. Minervois
50% Carignan 50% Syrah
Very deep colour. Ripe rounded red fruit, and on the palate.
Furry tannins. Very characterful.. This is John and Nicole’s first red Minervois
as they bought three more hectares, in order to get some more Terret, but it
came with Cinsaut and Syrah which they will keep, so that they can now make
Minervois rouge, and some Grenache that is being pulled up. Apparently there are moves afoot to present
Cazelles as a potential cru of the Minervois.
There are about a dozen growers involved, seven or eight of whom form a
solid core of support for the project.
And to finish 2012 Muscat, with nicely perfumed fruit on
nose and palate. Deliciously grapey.
2011 Le Saut du
Poisson, Languedoc
70% Grenache
blanc, 20% Vermentino and Roussanne.
Lightly herbal with a touch of oak, and on the palate intriguingly herbal and oaky, balanced with
some good fruit. Youthful.
2012 Le Clos, Languedoc
30% Oeillade, 30%
Cinsaut, 20% Syrah, 20% Grenache
Good deep
colour. Some lovely fruit on the palate. Rounded and dense, solid ripe black cherries.
2012 Le Blaca,
Terrasses du Larzac
70% Syrah, with
15% Grenache and Carignan.
Some smoky oak on the nose, with good solid ripe perfumed
fruit on the palate. Ripe vanilla and
some structure. Promises well.
2011 Mollard & Fillon
Terrasses du Larzac
30% Syrah, 32% Grenache, 21% /Cinsaut, 17% Carignan
Medium colour.
Rounded ripe fruit. Quite silky
and smooth.
They were only supposed to have four wines, but somehow
others appeared .......
2012 Mollard & Fillon Terrasses du Larzac
Quite solid dense nose, with furry tannins, and ripe rounded
red fruit. Very youthful
2012 Les Maros
Deep colour, Quite solid, ripe and rounded nose and
palate. Lots of black fruit.
2013 Rosé, about to be bottled.
Light and fresh, delicate and elegant.
60% Grenache Gris, 30% Maccabeu, 10% Carignan
Quite rounded nose,
Herbal notes on the palate, with some fresh fruit. Good acidity and texture.
2011 Motus, Côtes du Roussillon
90% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache
Quite rich and oaky on the nose, and on the palate also ripe
and oaky, with black fruit and tannins.
Plenty of potential.
One Block Grenache 2011, Côtes Catalanes red
60% Grenache, 40% Lladoner Pelut
Dark colour. Solid rounded black fruit on the nose, and rounded
ripe fruit on the palate. Rich
and dense.
2012 Muscat de
Rivesaltes,
Muscat à
petits grains.
Fresh and grapey; ripe and rounded; and very refreshing
2012 S’blanc
Coteaux du Languedoc
50% Grenache
blanc, 40% Marsanne, 10% Roussanne
Soft and rounded on both nose and plate, but with some
acidity. Very easy drinking.
2012 S’Rouge Coteaux du Languedoc
60% Grenache, 40% Syrah
Medium red colour.
Rounded ripe soft fruit on nose and palate. Medium weight with a fresh finish. Again easy drinking
2011 Trinitas Grès de Montpellier
One third each of Mourvèdre, Grenache and Syrah. Co-fermented.
Quite a deep colour.
Quite solid and rounded on both nose and palate. Ripe
fruit and quite a dense textured palate.
2011 Aaleien, Coteaux
du Languedoc. The name
describes the stones in the vineyard, lumps of clay and limestone with quartz.
90% Syrah, 10%
Grenache
Deep colour. Quite
dry and smoky, with a certain sweetness
2012 La Serre,
Vin de France
60% Grenache Blanc,
40% Grenache Gris
And why is it Vin de France. You need two varieties for Corbières, and in
this context Grenache Gris is not considered to be a different grape variety
....... no comment!
Anyway I liked the wine, with appealing herbal notes on the
nose, and more rounded herbal fruit on the palate.
2010 Le Fournas, Corbières
45% Carignan, 28%
Grenache, 22% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre
Medium colour. Quite
a rounded nose. Quite a soft rounded
palate, with ripe fruit, but lacked a bit of grip.
2012 Pourboire Nature, Vin de France
70% Carignan, 15% each of Syrah and Grenache. And why is this Vin de France? The maximum amount of Carignan allowed in Corbières
is 50%..... It is made from wild yeast with no S02 and the grapes are picked
quite early. Acidity is a protective factor. Quite fresh red fruit. Medium weight. Rounded ripe fruit. A nice glass of wine.
2010 Celéstra
Corbières
90% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre.
Dee ]p colour, some oak and more so on palate. Quite solid and dense. Plenty of potential.
2008 St. Chinian,
Henri
100% Syrah. Maturing
colour. Dry leathery notes, with some
red fruit and a streak of acidity. A bit
of an edge. Not very harmonious
2010 St. Chinian,
70% Syrah, 30% Grenache
Quite a solid, rounded tarry palate.
2012 St. Chinian
les Fleurs Sauvages,
70& Syrah, 30% Grenache
Medium colour. Rounded
fruit on the nose, and ripe fruit with some tannin on the palate.
2012 St/. Chinian, Olive
80% Syrah, 20% Grenache.
Medium colour. A ripe
sweet nose and on the palate, some ripe fruit, but finishes a bit jammy, with
an edgy streak of acidity.
2012 Ex
Arena IGP Oc
85% Grenache 15% Mourvèdre
Rounded perfumed fruit, and on the palate. Supple tannins. A lovely glass of wine.
2011 les Bancèls,
Faugères rouge
Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre,
Carignan.
Still very young. Solid rounded fruit, with some furry
tannins
2012 les Bancèls
Quite a closed nose, but with some rounded fruit, on nose
and palate. Quite fresh and elegant on the palate, with some attractive red
fruit.
2012 Belle
Lurette, Faugères
70% Carignan with
Grenache and Mourvèdre
Quite a firm smoky nose, and on the palate quite rounded
with good texture and balance, and some fresh acidity.
2011 Felgaria, Faugères
Mourvèdre, Syrah
Quite solid rounded spicy fruit on the nose, and on the
palate quite a solid dense palate, with firm fruit and tannin. Still very youthful
2010 Felgaria.
Again quite a solid firm nose, and on the palate rounded
ripe smoky red fruit. Beginning to evolve.
96% Syrah, 4% Grenache
Solid dense ripe fruit.
Still quite oaky, with rounded ripe fruit on the palate
2010 Chateau St.
Jacques d’Albas, Minervois
60% Syrah, 40%
Grenache
Deep colour. Solid
smoky oak on nose and black. Ripe black fruit.
Rounded with good fruit and body.
2010 Le Domaine, Minervois
60% Syrah, 20% each of Mourvèdre and Grenache.
Rounded ripe smoky nose.
Good fruit on the palate. Medium weight with attractive spice and a satisfying
balance.
2012 Le Petit St.
Jacques, Pays d’Oc
50% Cabernet, 50% Grenache
Deep colour. Rounded cassis on the nose, and some ripe
rounded fruit on the palate.
2011 Les Garrigues
Rounded ripe sweet red fruit.. Easy
drinking
And a rince bouche to finish the tasting:
2012 Rosé
with a light nose and fresh ripe s strawberry
fruit and good acidity.
Apologies for lack of prices
They weren’t supplied on the tasting sheet, and there were too many
people at the tasting to keep asking ........
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