FINE WINES OF FRANCEA TASTING AT ROBERSON WINE

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 15th 2008

LANGUEDOC & ROUSSILLON

THE REGION

Languedoc & Roussillon:

Vineyard area: approx 300,000 hectares Major AOC red grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre, Carignan, CinsaultMajor VdP red grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and many othersRecent vintages to watch: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006Recent vintages to avoid: 2002

With more land under vine than any other wine-making region in the world, Languedoc and Roussillon constitutes almost 40% of total French wine production. Stretching from Nimes in the East (the Languedoc) all the way to the Spanish border in the West (Roussillon), this is the region that has driven the renaissance in French wine over the past 10 years. For many years this area was the major source of the French ‘plonk’ that used to fill Europe’s wine lake – today it is recognised as being a hotbed of quality and innovation.Winemakers in L&R have taken on the New World by using their Vins de Pays classification to produce interesting wines that offer stunning value for money, while maintaining the quality and tradition that the best AOC wines consistently provide.

The various Vins de Pays zones (the largest being Vin de Pays d’Oc) are full of small producers making artisanal wines from a wide range of grape varieties.

Appellations such as Minervois, Corbieres and the ‘crus’ of AOC Languedoc (Pic St Loup, La Clape etc) produce red wines of genuine character – chunky, fruity, meaty and smooth, with inimitable scents and flavours of the ‘garrigues’.

LANGUEDOC & ROUSSILLON

THE WINES

1999 AOC Coteaux du Languedoc; Roc d’AngladeSyrah (65%) / Grenache (35%)

Once L&R had established itself as the latest frontier in fine wine, it was no surprise to see top drawer winemakers from other regions of France (and increasingly the world) snapping up ne-glected vineyards in prime locations with very old vines.One of these was a star of the Rhone Valley called Rene Rostaing who teamed up with Remy Pedrino, a friend who had managed to get his hands on one of the best plots of vines in the region.1999 was the first vintage of what has gone on to become one of the top wines of the region.

Tasting notes:

1998 VdP l’Herault; Mas de Daumas Gassac RougeCabernet Sauvignon (80%) / Another eight varieties(!) (20%)

This iconic estate is the flag bearer for the Vins de Pays movement, and an inspiration for win-emakers in unsung wine regions around the world.Aime Guibert was a Parisian lawyer (and wine lover) that purchased an estate in the Languedoc during the 1970s. He enlisted his close friend (and eminent viticultural expert) Professor Henri En-jalbert to conduct a soil survey of the estate’s land and discovered that a geological anomaly had blessed him with the exact terroir found in the top Chateaux of the Medoc in Bordeaux. Guibert therefore planted acres and acres of Cabernet Sauvignon vines, which were illegal under AOC law, and labelled the inaugural vintage (1978) as ‘Vin de Table’.Daumas went on to become the first great Vins de Pays wine with the help of the great Bordeaux enologist and consultant Professor Emile Peynaud.

Tasting notes:

RHONE VALLEYTHE REGIONRhone Valley:

Vineyard area: approx 80,000 hectares Major AOC red grapes: Grenache, Syrah, MourvedreRecent vintages to watch: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005Recent vintages to avoid: 2002

The Rhone Valley is one of the world’s most prestigious vineyard areas, studded with superstar appellations and producers that command ludicrous prices, but with high quality wines across the board that offer excellent value in some of the lesser known areas.This is the spiritual home of the full-bodied red, with the world’s best Syrah (also known as Shiraz of course) and Grenache inspiring a slew of New World copycats.

Northern Rhone:

Syrah is King in the Northern half of the valley, where it is at its very best on the great hill of Hermitage and the ‘roasted slope’ of Cote-Rotie.While perhaps not the Rhone Valley’s most famous exports, the reds of Hermitage and Cote-Rotie are generally considered to be the region’s (and some of the world’s) best wines.

In the case of Cote-Rotie, Syrah can be blended (or even co-fermented) with up to 20% Viognier – a white wine varietal that adds elegance and a floral complex-ity to the meaty, dark fruit characteristics of Syrah.Appellations such as Cornas and St Joseph also offer wines of superb class and structure, often at very rea-sonable prices.

Southern Rhone:

Grenache is the key ingredient to most of the Southern Rhone’s best wines from Vacqueyras, Gigondas and of course Chateauneuf-du-Pape. While the Northern Rhone tends to produce wines of greater elegance, the warmer South-ern appellations yield powerful wines that are savoury, spicy and full-bodied.

The South’s most famous appellation is un-doubtedly Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which was the prototype for the entire AOC system adopted in France during the 1930s. It has some slightly bizarre AOC legislation for producers to contend with, such as the dizzying choice of 13 varieties permitted in the blend (including red and white), and rules outlawing the taking off, flying or landing of UFOs on an AOC vineyard.

RHONE VALLEYTHE WINES1996 Cote-Rotie; Rene RostaingSyrah (97%) / Viognier (3%)

Rene Rostaing began winemaking in 1971 when he inherited a meagre 0.47 hectares of Cote Ro-tie. Over the years he added to his domaine and it now stands at 6 hectares - more than enough land to enable him to establish himself as one of the very best producers in the Rhone Valley.Cote Rotie is what he is famous for, and along with Guigal he is considered to be the best pro-ducer of this iconic wine.His Syrah vines are co planted with some Viognier, and although it is difficult to ascertain exactly how much he uses, he is partial to giving his red wines a lift with this aromatic white grape.

Tasting notes:

1997 Chateauneuf-du-Pape; Chateau de BeaucastelMourvedre (35%) / Grenache (30%) / Counoise (10%) / Syrah (5%) / Cinsault (5%) / Misc (10%)

The Beaucastel family have been part of the vinous community in Chateauneuf-du-Pape since the 16th century, and today it is the Perrin family that are in charge – they married into the Beau-castel family a few generations earlier.The wines at Cheateau de Beaucastel have always enjoyed an enviable reputation, but since the tenure of Jacques Perrin (which ended in 1978) this has become one of the most highly respected producers in all of France.Quintessential Chateauneuf – Beaucastel often use all thirteen permitted varieties in the blend and age the wine in traditional oak foudres.

Tasting notes:

BURGUNDYTHE REGIONBurgundy:

Vineyard area: approx 28,500 hectares (including Chablis), but Cote d’Or just 8,000 hectaresMajor AOC red grapes: Pinot Noir Recent vintages to watch: 1995, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005Recent vintages to avoid: 2007(?)

Burgundy has more appellations than any other wine region in France (including the smallest – La Romanée), is home to producers mak-ing many of the world’s rarest and most expensive wines, and is the birthplace of two of wines most noble grape varieties - Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. For many, your host included, Burgundy represents the absolute pinnacle of both red and white wine production.

The region of Greater Burgundy is divided between a number of sub-regions – Chablis, Cote d’Or (the Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune), Cote Chalonnais, Cote Macconais and Beaujolais. However, it is the Cote d’Or that has brought fame and prestige to the vignerons of Burgundy, thanks to wines from villages such as Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-St-Georges, Volnay and Puligny-Montrachet.

Newcomers to the world of wine tend to break out into cold sweats when faced with the intricate details and complicated network of vineyards, villages and producers. It is undeniably difficult to get past the intimidating complexity, but a little perseverance will reward the taster with some of the most profound and delicious wines on the planet.

Elegance, purity and complexity are the hallmarks of good red Burgundy. Delicate red fruit and silky tannins are joined after a few years of age by savoury and earthy flavours of meat, game, truffles, and of course the farmyard!

BURGUNDYTHE WINES1999 Gevrey-Chambertin ‘Au Vellé’; Domaine Denis MortetPinot Noir (100%)

The name Denis Mortet is one that resonates with drinkers and producers of Burgundy. This was a man that revolutionised his family domaine and influenced a generation of young winemakers in Gevrey-Chambertin and beyond, before tragically taking his own life in 2006.Famous for treating even his ‘humble’ village wines (such as this Au Vellé) as if they were Grand Cru cuveés, the Mortet wines are all of the highest quality and have their own sense of style – Rich, full and utterly delicious with a meaty, earthy – almost bestial quality.Today it is his son Arnaud in charge and the ethos has very much remained the same.

Tasting notes:

1999 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru ‘Les Poissenots’; Domaine Geantet-PansiotPinot Noir (100%)

Vincent Geantet has been in charge here since 1982, and his preference for wines of elegance and sophistication is demonstrated in wines that have been steadily improving ever since he took over from his father.The wonderful vineyard of ‘Les Poissenots’ is situated high up behind the village on the Combe de Lavaut, and is tucked in between Lavaux-St-Jacques and Estournelles-St-Jacques, two of Gevrey’s best 1er cru sites. The higher position up on the combe means that the wines require a longer ripening period and they maintain a great deal of freshness and elegance.

Tasting notes:

1999 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru; Domaine Hervé ArlaudPinot Noir (100%)

Cyprien Arlaud (son of Hervé) makes this Grand Cru from a parcel of vines in the Mazoyeres sec-tion of the vineyard, and although his wines are often looked at as being modern in style, they are rich and undoubtedly elegant.Charmes is Gevrey’s biggest (and most variable) Grand Cru, but wines from good sources often prove to be some of the best value in the village.

Tasting notes:

BORDEAUXTHE REGIONBordeaux:

Vineyard area: approx 150,000 hectaresMajor AOC red grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec Recent vintages to watch: 1995, 1996, 1998 (for left bank), 2000, 2003, 2005Recent vintages to avoid: 1997, 2002, 2006

To many wine enthusiasts it doesn’t get any better than a good claret. Structured, complex, el-egant, balanced and incredibly age-worthy, many of the world’s most prestigious and long lived wines hail from Bordeaux. The history of Bordeaux owes a great deal to the British, which could go some way to explain why the UK has always been such an enthusiastic audience for its wines.

Divided in two by the River Gironde, Bordeaux is often talked about in terms of its ‘Left Bank’ and ‘Right Bank’ – both of which produce wines of different character.The gravely soils of the left bank, and in particular the great communes of the Medoc and Graves are ideal for the cultivation of Cabernet Sauvignon, and it is this variety that dominates the wines of Paulliac, Margaux, St Estephe, St Julien and Pessac-Leognan.The terroir on the right bank of the river is constituted predominantly of clay based soils, which provide the ideal conditions for growing the Merlot grapes that are used in the wines of St Emilion and Pomerol.These differences in terroir and the subsequent varieties used in the blend mean that the wines of Bordeaux exhibit a myriad of nuances in flavour and texture, and there are numerous classification systems in place that highlight those Chateaux in the choicest positions.The most famous of these is the 1855 classification of the Medoc and Graves, which has only been modified once since its inception – when Mouton-Rothschild joined Latour, Lafite, Margaux and Haut-Brion in the elite class of ‘1er Grand Cru Classé’.

The great wines of Bordeaux typically demonstrate superb balance between sweet black fruit and savoury notes of cedar, tobacco leaf and earth, all layered on top of smooth and silky tannins.

BORDEAUXTHE WINES1998 Paulliac; Chateau Grand-Puy-LacosteCabernet Sauvignon (75%) / Merlot (25%)

Seen as being one of Bordeaux’s most underrated chateaux (at least in terms of the classifica-tion), Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a long time favourite of the UK Claret lover and is the classed growth drunk most often by the esteemed Michael Broadbent, no less.GPL is classic Medoc claret, and is always heavily dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, Merlot is the only other variety planted on the estate and usually constitutes around a quarter of the final blend.

Tasting notes:

1998 St Emilion; Chateau Grand-MayneMerlot (76%) / Cabernet Franc (13%) / Cabernet Sauvignon (11%)

Famed for its full bodied wines, St Emilion is usually dominated by Merlot and Cabernet Franc with Cabernet Sauvignon playing only a supporting role in the blend. Grand-Mayne tend to use similar amounts of the cabernets to build in structure and tannin to the wine, but the over-whelming majority of Merlot in the blend gives the wine superb suppleness and a silky texture while making sure there is plenty of plumy dark fruit.The Grand-Mayne estate dates back to the end of the 15th century, although today it is only a fraction of its former size. Run today by the Nony family, the wines are rich, exuberant and loved by the critics – Robert Parker in particular is a huge fan of this ever-improving estate.

Tasting notes:

1992 St Julien; Chateau Leoville-BartonCabernet Sauvignon (72%) / Merlot (20%) / Cabernet Franc (8%)

One of Bordeaux’s most prestigious estates and a fully signed up member of the ‘Super Seconds’, Leoville-Barton is owned to this day by the Barton family who are of proudly Irish descent.The estate originally belonged to the Marquis de Las Cases who was forced to flee during the French Revolution. While the Marquis passed much of his prime real estate to his son after the war (now Chateau Leoville-Las Cases) he was forced to sell some of his land and the Barton fam-ily, already owners of Langoa-Barton down the road, snapped up part the estate.

Tasting notes: