Meeting 439 - Friday 4th June 2021
The Wines of Occitania, Chile
Speaker: Simon Taylor (Stone Vine & Sun)
How pleasant it was to get back to having a communal tasting in our usual village hall. While it
was good to have zoom meetings,
there is nothing like having a quiet chinwag with friends on the table, especially if you disagree with some of the comments others have said publically!
So welcome back to Simon. Who was giving a presentation of wines from a fairly wide area France.The wines selected spread from Limoux in the west to Bandol in the east.
The white wines started with an apertif of Cremant from Limoux. With a flowery nose and a fresh clean palate
,this was a very easy drinking picnic wine consisting mainly of Chardonnay (60%) and Pinot Noir (30%)The Château de la Liquière was in the same light vain, unoaked
and with a good citrus nose.
The following Domaine Fontanel was fuller with a palate of apple and orange.
The Reds started with the Mas d'Agamas. Sloe and plum on the palate combined with a nose of
stone fruit with a hint of herbs. A fairly complex cepage of Grenache (40%)
and Mourvedre, Syrah and Carignan (20% each). The Mas Cremat was unoaked and was loaded with a summer fruit nose and palate. Smoother with mild
tannins and higher in Syrah. (40% each Grenache and Syrah) The Domaine Domaine Pégaline, with even higher Syrah (50%), but also unoaked,
had very full fruit, good tannins and was long on the finish. Moving along the coast to the East, the Domaine de la Ribotte in Bandol, was basically Mourvedre
(86%)and had 24 months in bottle before distribution. It was very fruity and tannic with a nose of mature stone fruit.
Somewhat out of the ordinary, Simon chose two Rosés to accompany the Supper. Both had a characteristic soft fruit nose but the Château La Grave,
made mainly of Syrah and Grenache, was lighter than the Domaine de la Ribotte's Mourvedre and proved to be the less popular of the two.
To finish off the wines, Simon selected a sweet wine from Domaine Fontanel (100% Grenache), which proved to be the most popular wine of the evening.
Mark provided us with and interesting mixture of flavours to accompany the wines.
To follow the white wines he provided Baked Fig and Goats cheese Salad.
To go with the Supper wines, he offered an interesting Bourride which is an aioli- spiked fish stew. Very tasty.
All together a very pleasant evening - good wines, good food and good company. A pleasant return to a normal tasting after the sad last several months.
10 Max |
||
| Aperitif: Domaine J. Laurens, Crémant de Limoux, Les Graimenous, Brut, 2019, 12% | 6+ | |
| The Whites: Château de la Liquière, Faugères, Amandiers, 2020, 13% |
11.81 | 7+ |
| Domaine Fontanel, Côtes du Roussillon, 2018, 13.5% | 15.09 | 7+ |
| The Reds:Mas d'Agamas, Terrasses du Larzac, Nostre Mescladis, 2018, 14.5% | 13.08 | 7 |
| Mas Cremat, Côtes de Roussillon, L'Envie, 2019, 14% | 12.47 | 7+ |
| Domaine Pégaline, Pic Saint-Loup, L'Elémentaire, 2019, 14.5% | 16.58 | 7 |
| Domaine de la Ribotte, Bandol, 2014, 13.5% | 21.43 | 7+ |
| The Supper Wines: Château La Grave, Minervois Rosé, Expression, 2020, 13% | 9.58 | 6+ |
| Domaine de la Ribotte, Bandol Rosé, Cuvée Anaïs, 2020, 13.5% | 16.90 | 7+ |
| Vin Doux Naturel: Domaine Fontanel, Maury,Grenat, 2017, 16% |
18.33 | 8 |
* Special Members Prices