Nestled between and below Bordeaux and the Rhone valley, two of the blockbuster names of French wine, Languedoc-Roussillon doesn't get a particularly fair deal.
The glittering reputations of its neighbours famous Chateaux and ancient vineyards quicken the pulse of many a budding wine lover but take a look south and you'll find that a quiet, determined revolution has been going on.
Traditionally the wines of the South have been, characterised as "rustic", often a byword for somewhat coarse and inexpensive plonk. Personally I've always secretly found the rustic stereotype rather appealing. When drinking a chunky southern French red I like to imagine that it might also be the tipple of choice for rugged Occitan speaking shepherds, drunk alongside steaming bowls of cassoulet in mid winter while a fierce mistral wind races across the hillsides and rattles the shutters.
However these romantic notions don't really fit with the reality of a wine region which, over the past 30 years, has rapidly modernised, drawing in many new and forward thinking producers who are now making some of Europe's most exciting and dynamic wines. The only problem is that given the quantity of vines planted here (about three times the area of vines planted in Bordeaux) finding the hidden gems is not always that easy.
So when I received a couple of samples of wines by the small Carcassonne based Négociant* Calmel and Joseph my interest was immediately piqued. The business, founded by Laurent Calmel and Jérôme Joseph focuses on getting the most out of the different terroir and grape varieties which this region has to offer. Unlike many larger Négociants they personally handle all of the winemaking and work closely with the growers over farming methods and harvest dates. From their vineyard management to their trendy website and label designs they undoubtedly have a slick and well organised operation. Not exactly the rustic peasant wine of the South then.
The first wine I tried was their Côtes du Roussillon Villages. A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan this is a bright, fresh and youthful wine which is bursting with fresh red fruit flavours and has a warming sunny glow from the not inconsiderable alcohol level. It's simple straightforward and is above all else a food wine. Partnered with herby tomato based Mediterranean cuisine like rabbit or chicken cacciatore it would be a delight.
My second sample bottle was of the more premium Terrasses du Larzac. Just looking at the blend (50% Mourvedre, 25% Syrah 25% Grenache) suggests it will be a big chunky wine and it didn't disappoint. The first thing which struck me was the glorious smell coming out of my glass; blackberries blackberries blackberries! Like the Roussillon Villages the fruit characters are fresh and savoury but this time they are darker, more complex and compounded with liquorice and spice.
These strikingly different examples represent a snapshot of the variety on offer from the south of France. Whilst they may not come from the most aristocratic of French wine regions they offer a level of craftsmanship and finesse which makes them irresistible value.
Côtes du Roussillon Villages £9.25 Ellies Cellar, Dollar.
Terrasses du Larzac £15.49 Ellies Cellar, Dollar, £13.99 from Waitrose Cellar (online only)
*(for the curious a Négociant is a French term which describes a wine merchant or wholesaler who buys grapes, grape juice, or partially fermented or finished wine from others and sells the wine produced under their own name and label)
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article