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    April/May 2011 Newsletter    

Hi All

Marvellous Minervois

Pierre Cros, an ex rugby player, will have been disappointed by the 6 Nations result. Leaving professional rugby in 1985, he started a second career as a wine maker. One could draw comparisons; a wine cannot be produced by a single individual, any more than a rugby match can be won by the inspiration of a single player. To be successful, wine producers, like rugby players, have to make substantial efforts, be rigorous and apply rules, but also show individual genius at key moments – and the result of a match, like the quality of a wine, can go either way on a detail. And of course both wine and rugby are subject to a set of complicated rules and conventions! Whatever, we thought his 2008 Minervois Traditional (£7.45) (see Red Wine Page-Click Here)was a match winner. Situated in Badens (about 15 minutes from Carcassonne), Cros grows the traditional Languedoc varieties of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Carignan as well as the more exotic old varieties of  Aramon, Alicante, and Picquepoul Noir. He has been building and steadily improving his vineyard since 1985. This wine is a mix of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre with spicy fruit and a firm mineral structure. On the palate it is savoury with good terroir character. An excellent introduction to Minervois at its best. Well, would you want to argue with the guy?  


Producer profile

 

 

 

 

Jean Marc Lafont is the vigneron at Domaine Bel Air, which overlooks Beaujeu from top of the Ardières valley. Wine has been made here for nearly 170 years, and Annick and Jean Marc took over the estate in 1985. Traditional practices (any kind of mechanisation is difficult in the vineyards as the land on which the vines are grown slopes at up to 38 degrees…) produce highly expressive wines that are very typical of the best that the Gamay grape can produce. His attention to detail defines the quality of the wines – green harvesting, hand picking, and a long fermentation all help to produce stunning quality, aided by low yields and traditional vinification which enhance the concentration and structure. We are perhaps all more immune in recent years to “vintages of the century” but 2009 was certainly an outstanding year for Beaujolais; and even better than 2005 which itself produced some marvellous wines. John spent a few days in Beaujolais in July and the Lafont wines were definitely among the best wines from the region tasted in 2010. The 2009 Regnie (£9.95) and the 2009 St Amour (£10.95) (see Red Wine Page-Click Here)we have imported are definitely nouveau Beaujolais, not Beaujolais Nouveau!   


Award winners

 

 

 

 

We were delighted to import a particular wine from Clos Bagatelle (near St Chinian in the Languedoc) and then to find it the recipient of a prestigious award from Decanter magazine. Clos Bagatelle “Donnadieu” AOC St Chinian 2009 (£9.75) (see Red Wine Page-Click Here) was the winner of the “Best red under a tenner” category in the Decanter awards 2010. Decanter commented, “It’s hard to overstate what an achievement it is to emerge victorious in this category, one saturated by countless Syrahs…hats off to Clos Bagatelle”. If you’re looking for food matches, the back label observes that wild boar (shades of Asterix) are frequent visitors to the vineyard and eat far too many of the grapes. It suggests turning the tables and drinking the wine with wild boar casserole!

Whilst now wishing we’d bought about 4 times the quantity, we’ve nobly resisted the urge to raise the price (it is the best red under a tenner, after all) and have a small quantity left. As ever, when it’s gone, it’s gone.


Partisan about the artisan

“Why should we buy from an independent when there’s so much choice at the supermarket?” is a question we often get asked. I guess part of the answer is found in some of the wines above. If you are selling 360 million bottles of wine a year, like the UK’s leading supermarket, the chance that you have the time or inclination to seek out small artisanal wine producers is small. You need producers who can make wine in bulk, to meet the average palate. By contrast, our preference is for the small, the oddbeat, the interesting – the wines you won’t find in your local supermarket. It helps that we know a little about the wines as well. As Jane MacQuitty has written in “The Times”, “My advice for the discerning, adventurous wine drinker is to start a relationship now with two or three independent wine merchants…..supermarkets with their constraints of limited, overheated and untended wine aisles, just cannot compete.”  


Cool wines at hot prices

However, for every rule, there’s always an exception. About three months ago we were sent some samples of Pico Mas Alto Sauvignon Blanc (see White Wine Page-Click Here) and Pico Mas Alto Merlot, (see Red Wine Page-Click Here) both from Chile. As the wine writer Jamie Goode observes, It's not that there's anything wrong with samples; rather, the problem is that you end up focusing on a skewed population of wines—those that people are most anxious to flog." The low price also left us with correspondingly low expectations. But what a surprise! Both wines were brilliant; well made, full of fruit, distinctive and worth twice the price. Which, it turns out, isn’t so surprising at all; the wines are overstocks from one of Chile’s flagship producers – a name which you’ll almost certainly know and which you’ll find at a supermarket near you retailing for about £8.49. I won’t say more except to let you know that we are selling both bottles for £5.25.


Budget and wine duty

Meanwhile this week of course, George Osborne decided to increase duty further on wine at rates significantly above inflation, by around 15p per bottle on still and about 21p on sparkling wine. This does mean of course that on a £3.99 bottle of wine £1.84 of this price is duty and 80p is VAT: by the time you add the costs of transport, the bottle, foil, label and cork, a small profit for the wine grower and seller you’re not paying very much for the actual liquid – and as many of these costs (including the packaging costs and of course duty) are fixed, the argument for trading up has never been stronger. We’ll have to start reflecting the increased duty rate as we bring in new wine, but the good news is that we’ll maintain our prices for the time being on existing stock. If you want pre budget prices, now is a good time to buy!


Best wishes

John & Andy
01904 421345
07785 531080