Southern Rhone

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2006 Roucas Toumba Vacqueyras, Côtes du Rhône, France

Monday, May 18th, 2009

The Southern Rhône Valley is, for me, like Greek mystic philosophy (I’m thinking Plotinus here): just when you think that you have a grasp on what is going on, the firmament shifts and the new level of understanding you have provides you with further questions that seem far harder to answer than the questions you originally had.  The Southern Rhône, particularly Châteauneuf du Pape, has been one of my first, and most endearing, passions in wine.  But each time I think that I have discovered the code that allows me to tell good from bad, and great from merely good, a wine comes along that breaks the mold entirely and introduces me to a new group of wines that are yet more profound, and less well-defined.

Two of these recent life-changing revelations are joined in Roucas Toumba.  Vacqueyras, where Roucas Toumba’s meager 3 ha (about 7 acres) of vineyards are located is one such discovery.  Vacqueyras is higher, stonier, and more remote (relatively) than Châteauneuf du Pape.  The wines have more minerality, brighter fruit, and more of the Provençal herbiness that is such a charming character of wines from the southeast of France.  Vacqueyras doesn’t get the love it deserves, in part because for many years the winemaking there didn’t do justice to the terroir: that is changing, quickly.

The other revelatory discovery I have made in the Rhône is a movement towards hyper-natural wine producing.  In the case of Roucas Toumba, this means no chemicals in the vineyard or winery, no synthetic materials (read plastic), no commercial additives (chaptalization, acidity, tannins etc), and a minimum of new oak (he purchases a few barrels each year so that he can rotate them in).  This approach is particularly suited to the Southern Rhône becase of the dry, windy, hot conditions that naturally control rot and other vine scourges, as well as the generally old vines that are in great supply.

Eric Bouletin, is the fiery proprietor of this family estate named Roucas Toumba, which means tumbling stones, after the 18th century home on the property.  Out of the total production of 1100 cases, 300 cases of the top wine, this Vacqueyras, are made from roughly 60% Grenache (aged in large neutral oak), 25% Syrah (aged in small barrels), 12% Mourvedre and 3% white varities.  Think blackberry, Cherry Heering, herbs de Provence, grilled meat, and minerals.  Try it with grilled halibut, roast lamb, anything with mushrooms and herbs, or olives.  Drink now – 2025.

Link to a great via Michelin article (in French, sorry) about Roucas Toumba

Posted in May '09, The Next Big Thing - May '09, The Next Big Thing All Red - May '09 | No Responses »
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NV Plan Pegau Lot #2006 Vin de Table Francais

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

Plan Pegau LabelLaurence Feraud is the genius behind Domaine du Pegau Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  She is a brilliant vigneron and winemaker, and is one of the forces responsible for the great improvement in quality in the Southern Rhône over the last 20 – 30 years.  However, her Châteaneuf is expensive and can be really difficult to get your hands on (it’s a perennial top-scorer in the wine rags).  Lucky for us, Laurence isn’t satisfied with a single success.  Here is what Dan Kravitz, her US importer says of her (and this wine):

Laurence Feraud is a force of nature, a little larger than life. She has more ideas in a day than many people have in a lifetime. What is most impressive is that she manages to act on most of them. Then when changes need to be made, they are made immediately with no backward glances. Not only is everything always in flux; Laurence, Paul and Mark are all overwhelmingly focused on the flavors of the wines they produce, and correspondingly underwhelmingly focused on the technical aspects. Blends are subject to change without notice. One cuve containing a mix of varietals may be substituted for another with a different mix if it is going to taste better. Calculation of the percentages of varietals involved is on the back burner. In fact it may never be done.

The wines are mostly Grenache, with a fair amount of Carignan and Syrah, and probably some Merlot, maybe Cabernet and maybe still a drop of Madeline Angevine. Much of it was aged for half a year in small oak barrels that are older than dirt. Total possible production of Plan Pegau is a maximun of about 4000 cases a year, of which 1500 – 2000 can come to the U.S.

One of the great things about this wine is that it has the character of the Châteauneuf, even if it isn’t quite as massive.  It’s a great  introduction to here truly unique style of wines.  Fruit was sourced from numerous vineyard sites in the Southern Rhone (Nimes, as well as vineyard sites owned by Pegau, near Chateauneuf). the composition of the wine is 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Carignan, and 10% kitchen sink blend of other varietals (including Mourvèdre Merlot, Alicante, and Cabernet). The wines was fermented in  temperature controlled concrete vats and aged 6 months in very old French oak barrels.  It is Unfiltered.

Try this wine with White Fish (trust me), Roast Pork, Vegetables with Bacon, and hearty stews.  Drink it now – 2012.

Posted in April '09, Off The Beaten Path All Red - April '09 | No Responses »
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2007 Domaine de Couran Marselan VdP de Coteaux de l’Ardèche

Thursday, March 19th, 2009

marselan-label

The Village of St. Marcel d’Ardèche, home to Domaine de Couron,  lies along the boundary at which Provence is said to begin.  35 miles northwest of Avignon, lying on the limestone plateau that seperates the northern Rhône from the southern Rhône, at St. Marcel the climate changes from continental to Mediterannean, the skies turn blue, and the light becomes limpid.  Olive trees begin to dot the landscape, and the grapes switch from the near monoculture of Syrah in the North, to the patchwork of varieties that makes the southern Rhône valley such an exciting wine region.

St. Marcel in general, and Domaine de Couron in particular, have been planted to grape vines since Roman times.  The vineyards of the domaine were owned by the family of a Roman soldier until the dissolution of the Roman Empire in the area (around 476 AD) after which they passed to the church, and were given as tribute to soldiers returning to the crusades.  Since then the vineyards have passed through many hands.  The Domaine is currently owned by Jean-Luc and Marie-Lise Dorthe.

Marselan is grape that was invented rather than discovered.  It is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache that was developed sometime around 1961.  Though it was thought to be a natural for Languedoc Vineyards, the most interesting versions, a number of which I really like, come form this limestone-rich area in the Southern Rhône.  At it’s best, as in this case, the wine is vibrantly piquant, with smoky blackberry and black cherry fruit, and lots of spunk.   For food, this is a great wine for charcuterie, olives, roast lamb, or just about anything else that a Cabernet or Grenache would go with.  Drink it from now – 2011.

Posted in March '09, Off the Beaten Path All Red March '09, Off the Beaten Path March '09 | No Responses »
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