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Latest Releases from Château Camplazens

In the early days of Winedoctor, before I began to focus on the Loire and Bordeaux so intently, I would cast my wine-tasting net much more widely, and more frequently. I explored the wines of Italy, Germany, Alsace, Provence, Roussillon and South-West France on these pages, and by doing so I built up much of the background knowledge I have for these countries and regions - as I always reply to those enquiring as to the best way to learn about wine, the answer is to taste, taste, taste. The Languedoc also came under the spotlight, and Château Camplazens was one property with which I became acquainted. Not only because I reviewed the wines for Winedoctor, but because I also used to enjoy drinking them at the London Carriage Works, one of my favourite restaurants back then.

It can be fascinating to revisit wines such as these, many years on. In fact, looking back at my notes I see I that it was only seven years ago that I last wrote about these wines. It feels like a much more distant experience, a reflection of just how far Winedoctor has progressed in the intervening period perhaps? My memories of the wines are rather fond, and I recall I took one along to my tasting group at the time - which included some very experienced and discerning palates - where it was well received.

Six years on and proprietors Susan and Peter Close, together with régisseur Yann Clustre, are continuing to pull what they can from their little plot of La Clape terroir. The portfolio remains essentially the same, although the trio of La Clape cuvées named Premium, Réserve and Garrique have now been capped by a fourth wine, the limited-production Julius. And alongside the Vin de Pays d'Oc Viognier there are similar vin de pays bottlings of Syrah, Carignan, Grenache and even a Marselan. Across the 42-hectare estate yields are restricted to between 35 and 45 hl/ha, with a mix of hand and machine harvesting, and fermentation in oak and steel according to the cuvée in question.

Camplazens: The Wines Today

As for the wines and how they taste today, they certainly remain of interest. The Viognier is a difficult one; looking back I really enjoyed the 2002, but the 2008 displays the difficulty in balancing physiological and technical ripeness that is inherent with this variety. There is good Viognier character, but it is achieved at the expense of freshness, vigour and acidity. Of the other vin de pays cuvées it was the Syrah that held particular appeal, whereas the Carignan was stripped-out and otherwise overtaken by farmyardy aromas suggestive of Brett, to the point of being undrinkable. I did enquire as to whether this was a known problem with this wine in this vintage, but was assured by email that I "must have had a bad bottle or something".

Where things get really interesting at Château Camplazens is with the Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape cuvées, of which two such wines were tasted here. Of these, the entry-level La Garrigue showed a rather straightforward character, and is ultimately what the French describe as a vin de plaisir I think, a wine for unfussy drinking rather than deep contemplation. Things really stepped up a gear with La Réserve though, as this wine showed all the concentration and character, wrapped up with harmony and freshness, that we should expect from a good terroir in a favourable vintage. Indeed, I think the quality found in this cuvée surpasses that in many of the wines I tasted from this estate six years ago, and Camplazens this remains a Languedoc name worth knowing I think. (24/2/11)

Latest Releases from Château Camplazens - Tasting Notes

The wines below were tasted in January 2011. All my notes on the wines of Château Camplazens, including those below, are collated under my Château Camplazens profile. Click to locate stockists.

Château Camplazens Viognier (VdP d'Oc) 2008: A pale golden hue. A very varietally true nose, all apricot, peach skin and pine kernel, quite heady, perfumed and bold in style. This character comes through on the palate also, a bold and full, firmly polished billiard ball of a wine, round and substantial. There is a heady perfume like the nose, and plenty of grip, all backbone and the bitter skin of stone fruits. There is gentle acidity here, although it is rather hard to find, and for me this does detract a little from the balance of the wine. The aromatics are certainly enticing, crowd-pleasing even, but the lack of an obvious acid cut prevents me coming back for another glass. I do like the character on the length though, with its rolling notes of orange zest and peach. 14/20

Château Camplazens Grenache (VdP d'Oc) 2009: This is 100% Grenache. A youthful plum-red hue in the glass with a pink rim. More suggestions of plum on the nose also, with a fresh and papery edge to the fore, with richer notes of prunes and spicy wood to be found coming up from behind. Quite a cool style on entry, with lots of squashed plum character, quite plump with good substance, and a spicy prune fruit edge here also, but also notes of heavily-sooted embers, smoked cherries and touches of caramel. There are some surprisingly dry structural elements to it which give it some backbone and grip, but there is still a little distracting oiliness apparent on the finish. 13.5/20

Château Camplazens Carignan (VdP d'Aude) 2006: From old vines, 100% Carignan, pruned to lower yields, and fermented using carbonic maceration. More of a dusty hue here, an appealingly dark core with a claretty tinge. Quite striking and off-putting character on the nose though, which is totally dominated by a farmyardy, chicken-shed aroma. NIcely textured on the palate, although from a flavour point of view it seems very stripped-out, not as overtly fecal-feral as the nose suggested, but slowly building to reveal a warm, animally edge at the finish. The likely culprit here is Brettanomyces which has pushed this wine into an undrinkable state for my palate. Of course this bottle may not be typical - that's Brett for you. Not scored.

Château Camplazens Syrah (VdP d'Oc) 2008: A much denser hue than the preceding Carignan and Grenache cuvées here, and still with a youthful raspberry-pink rim. Remarkably bright and perfumed on the nose, showing all the crushed raspberry and cranberry fruit of a young, fruit-driven style but it even has a tinge of orange oil swirled in with the shining essence of the fruit, a style which rather reminds me aromatically of d'Arenberg's McLaren Vale fortified Shiraz (which I haven't tasted for a few years!). A good substance on the palate, rich, glossy but not over-done, nicely composed and substantial. Quite well held together, and with a good grip of ripe and supple tannins underneath it all. Nice length too. A really good effort here which I do like. I suspect it will do for a year or two in the cellar as well. 15/20

Château Camplazens Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape La Garrigue 2007: A rather decent depth of colour in the glass here. On the nose it starts off with a lot of primary Syrah character at first, all sweet fruit dusted with brown sugar, but this soon relaxes into a broader style, with a good density of cleaner and more characterful fruit. On the palate a good texture, full but not overly robust, with just 12.5% alcohol declared on the label. Solid and full of soft-focus fruit, with a little touch of game, and still with that sweet, slightly baked Demerera note. Plenty of good grip in the finish though, although texturally a little more rustic too. Overall though a good wine which should develop nicely over a year or two, or which can be drunk now. 14.5/20

Château Camplazens Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape La Réserve 2007: A very dark hue in the glass, glossy and yet impenetrable. The nose carries the paradox of bright fruit yet in a very dark, withdrawn, style, sweetly ripe blackberries tinged with soot and smoke along with a meaty richess, infused with garrigue herbs, and with time settling into a harmonious whole, laced with black liquorice. Quite solid and with a rather creamy style on entry, with a rather plush layer of fruit running through the middle, but with structural components to the wine that prevent it from sagging under its own weight. There is acidity at the very heart of it, although it seems well hidden at first, becoming more obvious with each sip, and also a light seam of almost fresh and lightly grippy tannins which are certainly well covered by the fruit. In the same vein, quite a bold and bright finish. Nice length too, soft but with lingering spicy tannins. There are a lot of different elements here, not yet totally harmoniously integrated, although given time in the glass it does all come together. Give it time in the cellar though and I think this will drink beautifully. 16/20