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Vin de Pays from LM Wines Online
LM
Wines Online is a partnership between sommelier Laurent Saint-Dizier, who has
direct contact with the vineyards in Languedoc-Roussillon, and a UK importer. Without doubt Languedoc and Roussillon are both sources of some
excellent wines, many of which still offer great value too; this is something
that cannot be said of increasingly wide areas of France.
Laurent and his UK contacts capitalise on this fact, and have imported a wide selection of wines from both regions to the UK, originally for public sale but from late 2006 only to the trade. They sent me a very large selection from their list to taste. I've started by looking at the vin de pays, and progress to the Languedoc-Roussillon appellation wines with my next review. (21/2/06)
Vin de Pays from LM Wines Online - Tasting Notes
These wines were tasted in February 2006. I have included prices from
LM Wines Online, or click
for
all Wine-Searcher stockists:
Domaine St Jean du Novicat Castapiane Doux 2002: I'm not sure if this
is even vin de pays; a méthode
traditionelle sparkling red, blending 70% Alicante Bouchet with 30% Carignan. A
deep, vibrant hue with a fairly fine mousse - although it's difficult to see!
Some fresh, dark berry fruit on the nose. Pleasing mousse immediately apparent
on entry, and simply packed with flavour. Very smoky and soft
blackcurrant and blackberry fruit, with a pleasing streak of rather firm tannin behind it.
Medium weight, a good, somewhat lean texture, and a savoury finish. Certainly
off-dry. Really rather good, and more than a match for many New World sparkling
reds. 16.5/20 (£8.95)
Caves Les Vignerons de Florensac VdP d'Oc Sauvignon 'Ressac' 2004: A fairly
pale hue, and a vibrant nose, full of grassy gooseberries and smoky green and
yellow capsicums. Very appealing palate, with a nice weight and mouthfilling
presence, but with a tingling, nettly-fresh acidity and a crisp balance. Full of
green character with a smoky, slightly minerally element, but most of all
nettles. This is really rather good, and is one for those who like the fresh,
zippy style of Sauvignon. Drink now. 16/20 (£5.99)
La Madeleine Saint Jean VdP d'Oc Sauvignon 2004: A deeper colour than
the Ressac. On the nose, there are aromas of smoky, baked stone fruit and pine
kernels, leading to a very full, grippy style on the palate, showing plenty of
structure and body. Big, full, garriguey style with plenty of impact, with a
little twist of crisp, green Sauvignon characters on the finish. A certain
gunpowdery minerality too. One more for the traditionalists, perhaps? Very good.
16.5/20 (£6.95)
Caves Les Vignerons de Florensac VdP d'Oc Cassiopeia 2003: A blend of
Chardonnay (80%) and Sauvignon Blanc (20%), which has a good, rich, golden hue.
Really quite subtle on the nose, with floral, honeysuckle elements. Lovely
weight on entry, rounded and supple, but with a crisp, precise - perhaps
Sauvignon derived - acidic freshness. Little notes of honey and peach leaves. A
really nice style here, which may improve in the short term. 16.5+/20 (£8.65)
Domaine St-Georges d'Ibry VdP des Côtes de Thongue Chardonnay 2002:
Oak fermented, and then aged on the lees for one year. A pale golden hue. That
oak fermentation is certainly apparent on the nose, which has a pile of
butterscotch, toffee and vanilla character, alongside exotic notes such as
honeydew melon. The palate, unsurprisingly, follows on, with a smoky barrel
character and a grippy oak-derived tannic backbone behind the full, opulent,
slightly oily mouthfeel. A little bitter twist on the finish. Will appeal to
many palates I think, although not really mine; I would certainly have to wait for the oak to integrate
much more.
14.5+/20 (£9.99)
Domaine Piquemal VdP des Côtes Catalanes Viognier 2003: A fairly pale
hue here. As it warms a little in the glass, it reveals very subtle but decent
Viognier aromas, of slightly bitter pine kernels and peach stones. Decent weight
on the palate, but perhaps lacking in impact and concentration, although no lack
of body, with a full presence and just a touch of grip. Would probably be good
with some salty fish and chips! 14/20 (£7.25)
Domaine de Bellevue VdP des Côtes de Thongue Cabernet Sauvignon 2001:
A moderate depth of colour, and rather high-toned and confected on the nose,
with notes of milky-creamy vanilla and mint toffee dominating over some dark
roasted fruits. Lean to medium bodied on the palate, again with toffee coated
bitter-berry fruits, with a chalky presence of tannin. Fairly soft acidity.
quite a decent, rounded, soft mouthfeel, still with that bitter-mint-toffee
character. Everyday drinking, and not for keeping. 14/20 (£6.99)
Mas des Brunes VdP des Côtes de Thongue L'Aurore 2003: A decent
intensity of colour here. This needs an hour or two to show its potential, but
when it does it reveals rather sweet, garrigue-like aromas on the nose, with
overtones of macerated red summer fruits. A pleasing, rounded entry, showing a
nice presence of sweet, peppery fruit, with piles of herby, garriguey overtones.
Medium bodied but a lean and reserved texture, showing a mild presence of chalky
tannins and a pleasing, bitter-cherry stone character. Decent. For current
drinking. 15.5/20 (£9.99)
La Madeleine Saint Jean VdP de l'Herault Marselan et Merlot 2004:
Marselan is one grape variety, a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache,
that I don't have a lot of experience with. This has a good, fairly deep,
vibrant deep-cherry red colour. Attractively plump berry and plum fruit on the
nose. Good weight on entry, with the acidity to back it up, so it progresses
through a balanced feel to one that is more sharp and lemony, although the
texture remains. There's a little lick of tannin running behind it all too,
becoming quite masculine and furry on the finish, with notes of sun-dried
tomato. This is good enough, for current drinking. 15.5/20 (£6.95)
La Font de L'Olivier VdP des Côtes de Thongue Carignan Vieilles Vignes
2003: A very similar hue here, just a touch darker and yet more vibrantly
youthful. Initially quite close, but soon there comes spicy, garriguey fruit on
the nose with a baked, confit character. Soft on entry, but showing a
lean midpalate, with a rather rustic presence of firm acidity. A little tannin
through the midpalate, reserved fruit, quite grippy at the finish. Good for
no-fuss current drinking. 15/20 (£8.65)
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