The Beautiful South Provence - Languedoc - Roussillon

We will be holding two tastings of a selection of wines from this list, with the support of the Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon, as follows: Hampshire:

London:

Tuesday 21st April, 6.00pm to 8.30pm At the shop in Twyford

Thursday 14th May, 6.00pm to 8.30pm Maison de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon, 6 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0PD

Please let us know if you would like to attend, and bring guests.

Cost £10.00 per head. Please let us know at 01962 712351 or [email protected] if you would like to attend.

The Beautiful South

This list is all about the French shores of the Mediterranean: it begins and ends with domaines whose vines overlook the sea, from Ribotte at Le Castellet above Bandol, east of Marseille, to Traginer with vines on the steep slopes above Collioure, just a few miles from the Spanish border. In between on this huge arc are several other growers in this list whose vineyards lie within sight of the Med: Creyssels on the gently shelving vineyards of Picpoul by the Bassin de Thau; Domaine du Météore, with amazing panoramas from high schistous plots at Cabrerolles; and Château des Karantes on the limestone outcrop of La Clape.

Provence - Languedoc - Roussillon

As usual we open with a wide selection of well-priced (if awkwardly branded) IGPs before we move on to one of the best selections in the country of the appellations of the south of France - the Beautiful South indeed. New to the Beautiful South list this year are: • The two estates we work with in Provence, Ribotte in Bandol, and Les Quatre Tours just north of Aix-en-Provence • Mas d’Amile - stunning reds from the excellent terroir of Montpeyroux • ...and we return to shipping terrific red Collioures and delectable Banyuls from Jean-François Deu at Domaine du Traginer What’s exciting about this arc is that it effectively supplies almost everything one might need to drink: high-quality sparkling wine from Limoux; dry whites from the crisp and bright to oaked and complex; arguably the best rosés in the world at every price level; reds from the simply fruity to dense and ageworthy fine wine; and fortified sweet wines, the famed Vin Doux Naturels of the Roussillon. And all at fair prices - so fill your boots. Simon Taylor - March 2015

Mixed Cases

BS315 Med Reds

All of the cases below are discounted by 10% against the bottle prices in the list - we do this to encourage you to try new wines.

2013 Domaine La Croix Belle, Caringole Rouge (p.4) 2013 Preignes, Grains du Cabernet Franc, IGP Pays d’Oc (p.4) 2013 Mas des Brouses, Chasseur des Brousses, IGP Pays d’Oc (p.7) 2013 Château La Grave, Minervois Rouge, Tristan et Julien (p.9) 2012 Grand Arc, Corbières Rouge, Reserve Grand Arc (p.10) 2013 Domaine Fontanel, Côtes du Roussillon Rouge (p.10)

BS115 The Beautiful South

(4 whites, 1 rosé and 7 reds) £102.50 One bottle of each of the twelve wines listed below. 2014 Preignes Le Vieux, Reserve Blanc, IGP Coteaux du Libron (p.3) 2013 Les Quatre Tours, Classique Blanc, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence (p.5) 2013 Domaine Belles Pierres, Languedoc, Les Clauzes de Jo Blanc (p.7) 2014 Creyssels, Languedoc, Picpoul de Pinet (p.8) 2014 Château La Grave, Minervois Rosé, Expression (p.9) 2013 Les Vignerons Réunis, Carignan Vieilles Vignes, IGP Pays d’Hérault (p.4) 2013 Les Hauts de Median, Petit Verdot (p.4) 2013 Mas des Brousses, Chasseur des Brousses, IGP Pays d’Oc (p.7) 2010 Domaine du Météore, Faugères Rouge, Les Orionides (p.9) 2013 Château La Grave, Minervois Rouge, Tristan et Julien (p.9) 2012 Grand Arc, Corbières Rouge, Reserve Grand Arc (p.10) 2012 Domaine Fontanel, Côtes du Roussillon Rouge (p.10) The following mixed cases include two bottles of each of the six wines listed, with a discount of at least 10%

BS215 Southern Sampler

(Three whites and three reds) £86.75 2014 Preignes Le Vieux, Reserve Blanc, IGP Coteaux du Libron (p.3) 2014 Domaine La Croix Belle, Caringole Blanc, IGP Côtes de Thongue (p.3) 2014 Creyssels, Languedoc, Picpoul de Pinet (p.8) 2013 Les Vignerons Réunis, Carignan Vieilles Vignes, IGP Pays d’Hérault (p.4) 2012 Comtesse de Marion, Merlot, IGP Pays d’Oc (p.4) 2013 Les Hauts de Median, Petit Verdot (p.4)

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(Six reds) £101.90

BS415 L-R Terroirs

(Three whites and three reds) £128.00 2013 Domaine du Météore, Faugères Blanc, Les Léonides (p.8) 2014 Domaine du Grand Arc, Corbières Blanc, Veillée Equinoxe (p.10) 2013 Domaine Fontanel, Côtes du Roussillon Blanc (p.10) 2012 Coteaux du Languedoc, St. Georges d’Orques, Les Clauzes de Jo Rouge (p.7) 2013 Mas d’Amile, Languedoc-Montpeyroux (p.8) 2011 Domaine du Grand Arc, Corbières Rouge, Cuvée de Quarante (p.10)

BS515 Wild and Wondrous Case (One sparkling wine, two whites and three reds) £137.00 NV Domaine Laurens, Blanquette de Limoux Brut, Le Moulin (p.9) 2013 Domaine Begude, Le Secret du Sud Gewurztraminer (p.3) 2012 Domaine Depeyre, Symphonie, IGP Côtes Catalanes (p.11) 2012 Mas d’Amile, Vieux Carignan (p.8) 2012 Domaine du Météore, Faugères Rouge, Les Léonides (p.9) 2012 Domaine Fontanel, Maury Sec (p.11)

BS615 Arc of Appellations (Six reds) £157.50

2011 Les Quatre Tours, Prestige Rouge, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence (p.5) 2012 Mas des Brousses, Coteaux du Languedoc, Terrasses du Larzac (p.7) 2010 Domaine du Météore, Faugères Rouge, Les Orionides (p.9) 2011 Domaine du Grand Arc, Corbières Rouge, Sol Majeure (p.10) 2011 Domaine Fontanel, Côtes du Roussillon Villages, Tautavel, Cistes (p.11) 2012 Traginer, Collioure Rouge (p.11)

Indication Géographique Protégée The Europe wide initiative to rename Vin de Pays as Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP) is now implemented in the Languedoc. Whilst appellation wines tend to be blends of approved, traditional local grape varieties (such as Grenache Noir, Syrah and Carignan) IGPs are often bottlings of single varieties, from Chardonnay, Viognier and Vermentino to Merlot, Carignan, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Secondly, they can be blends which include non-local varieties: such as the Merlot included in the Chasseur des Brousses; or Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay appearing in whites. Third, they may be very confusingly labelled, as growers can name their wines in any one of three ways: from either a very narrowly defined local IGP; or IGP of their local department; or IGP Pays d’Oc, wine from anywhere in a huge region. So the Preignes Le Vieux Reserve Blanc from near Vias, could be labelled either as it is, IGP Coteaux de Libran; or IGP de l’Hérault; or IGP Pays d’Oc (and it is likely to become Coteaux du Béziers!). There’s no logic: just because a wine is labelled IGP Pays d’Oc, it doesn’t have to be a big brand blended from all over the south as it could be from a single tiny vineyard. In this section we list wines from growers where we buy solely IGPs, so here is a varied selection from the extended Vic family, along with Domaine La Croix Belle and Englishman James Kinglake at Begude in Limoux. We have several IGPs from our suppliers of appellation wines and these feature later under the individual domaines.

White 2014 Mas du Canal, Blanc, IGP Pays d’Oc, 12.5% [Screwcap] Bottle £6.95 Case £79.23 Code VIC714 Based on Vermentino with Chardonnay and spiced by other varieties. Citrus and lightly floral aroma. Fresh, easy drinking mouthful showing stone fruit and melon with zesty acidity. Now-2016

2014 Preignes Le Vieux, Reserve Blanc, IGP Coteaux du Libron, 12.5% Bottle £7.50 Case £85.50 Code PRF814 The Reserve white is really worth trading up to; a poised and versatile wine again based on Vermentino, with other varieties including a dash of aromatic Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc. Soft fruit and almond aromas lead to a well focused lemony palate, finishing savoury and dry. Now-2016

2014 Domaine La Croix Belle, Caringole Blanc, IGP Côtes de Thongue, 12.5% Bottle £8.50 Case £96.90 Code CRO814 Chardonnay lifted by zippy Sauvignon Blanc, this blend makes perfect sense in the warm south. Scent of table grapes and elderflower. There’s enough zesty melon and citrus fruit here to give this wine a real depth of flavour and length. Now-2016

2013 Preignes, Vermentino, IGP Pays d’Oc, 13% Bottle £8.75 Case £99.75 Code PRF713 From vines now about 25 years old, this is left on its lees for a few months to develop weight and flavour. An attractive breadth of floral scents, with herbal depth. Mid-weight, with melon and a hint of passion fruit, this makes a lovely aperitif, but is equally good with fish - the back label recommends grilled sea-bass with fennel! The 2014 vintage follows. Now-2016

2012 Domaine Begude, Chardonnay, Amélie, IGP Pays d’Oc, 12.5% [Screwcap] Bottle £8.95 Case £102.03 Code BEG112 Begude’s unoaked, organically certified Chardonnay comes from highish vineyards in Limoux, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, cooled by breezes. Its freshness, easy ripeness and charm make this an excellent all-rounder. Tangerine nose with a hint of white flowers. Crisply green-fruited, apple and lime, but also nicely rounded. (The 10% of Chenin Blanc brings a little weight). The 2014 vintage follows. Drink this year

2014 La Petite Source, Le Clos, Viognier, IGP Pays d’Oc, 13% [Screwcap] Bottle £9.50 Case £108.30 Code VIC614 A fresh unoaked style of Viognier. Floral aromas, evocative of Mediterranean blossom. Fresh and lively, with citrussy fruit and a pretty peach and apricot element. A fine aperitif, or enjoy with prawns or scallops. Now-2016

2014 Domaine La Croix Belle, Le Champ des Lys, IGP Côtes de Thongue, 12.5% Bottle £9.75 Case £111.15 Code CRO714 From 50% Viognier with 20% Grenache Blanc and Chardonnay and 10% Sauvignon, with a small proportion fermented in barrel. Very aromatic, showing stone fruit and limey zip. That little element of barrel ageing lends it a toasty note, almost a sense of grape pips. Lots of interest, and perferct for chicken roasted with Provençale herbs. Now-2017

2013 Domaine Begude, Le Secret du Sud Gewurztraminer, IGP Pays d’Oc, 12.5% [Screwcap] Bottle £11.25 Case £128.25 Code BEG413 Low cropped from just 0.7 ha of vines on chalky soil in the Domaine’s coolest vineyard: you certainly would not find an organically certified Gewurz in Alsace at anything like this price. Rose petal and ginger aromas; and that rose petal character persists, along with white peach and lime. This is citrussy and very dry, with an appealing peppery finish. “Intensely varietal nose playing the rose-petal card strongly. Very bright fruit and a little skinny for a Gewurz with masses of crystalline acidity and a bone-dry finish but this would serve nicely in a wine class to teach regular (maybe not luscious Alsace) Gewurz aroma. Crisp and crystalline - a refreshing aperitif style of Gewurz and superclean. Not complex but well made. 16/20”, Jancis Robinson, on www.jancisrobinson.com, 30th July 2014. Now-2017

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Rosé 2014 Mas du Canal, Rosé, IGP Pays d’Oc, 12.5% [Screwcap] Bottle £6.95 Case £79.23 Code VIC514 From Grenache and Cinsault, in the Provençale style, so pale, light and refreshing. Light scent of berries. A refreshing mouthful of strawberry and cranberry fruit, with a crisp finish. Nothing complicated, just a well-made, dry rosé perfect for regular consumption. Now-2016

2014 Preignes Le Vieux, Reserve Rosé, IGP Coteaux du Libron, 12.5% Bottle £7.50 Case £85.50 Code PRF514 A blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Starbright, very pale salmon pink. Pretty sense of ripe redcurrants, rosehips and a hint of peach. Delicate and persistent. Now-2016

Red 2013 Mas du Canal, Rouge, IGP Pays d’Oc, 12.5% [Screwcap] Bottle £6.95 Case £79.23 Code VIC413 Largely from Grenache, Cinsault and a little Cabernet Sauvignon, this simple wine shows deceptive polish. Bramble fruited but with a lighter, raspberry accent and minimal tannin: a fruity, easy-drinking style. Now-2016

2013 Les Vignerons Réunis, Carignan Vieilles Vignes, IGP Pays d’Hérault, 12.5% [Screwcap] Bottle £7.25 Case £82.65 Code AGW613 This Carignan, crafted in the smart modern co-operative at Cébazan near Saint-Chinain from vines averaging about 40 years old, has become a big favourite here. This skilfully balances the vibrant fruit and acidity of the variety with subtle oaking and a hint of juicy sweetness. Flagrant purple. Brambly aromas. Delicious gush of ripe black cherries. Light, vibrantly fruity, and very winning. Supple enough to be enjoyed on its own yet with plenty of stuffing. Now-2016

2012 Comtesse de Marion, Merlot, IGP Pays d’Oc, 13% [Screwcap] Bottle £7.75 Case £88.35 Code VIC312 The Vic family’s Merlot has won huge praise and many repeat orders from satisfied customers. It’s a wine which always shows attractive typicity: aromas of sweet plum with a leafy touch, followed by a supple and lightly creamy, berried palate with barely discernible tannins. Now-2016

2013 Les Hauts de Median, Petit Verdot, IGP Pays d’Oc, 13% [Screwcap] Bottle £8.50 Case £96.90 Code VIC213 This wine is crafted by Aurélie Trébuchon, Jérome Vic’s wife, and it combines the excellent value characteristic of the Vic clan’s wines with more sophisticated winemaking than most. Petit Verdot ripens late even in the Languedoc: the grapes for this wine are always the last to be harvested. Deeply hued. The nose is enticing: mingling deliciously ripe fruit, toast, pine, and floral notes. The palate lives up to that promise too, offering pure, classy layers of red and black fruits, subtle tannins, and vivacious acid. Such a good finish too. “It’s hard to ripen Petit Verdot in Bordeaux, but the Languedoc sun brings out the best in the grape. An exuberant mouthful of richly spiced berries with a tarry, smoky note”, Natasha Hughes, MW, Le Midi: Great Value 2013s in Decanter, February 2015. Now 2016

2013 Preignes, Grains de Cabernet Franc, IGP Pays d’Oc, 12.5% Bottle £8.95 Case £102.03 Code PRF313 We loved rediscovering this, so cleverly made, preserving the perfume and moderate alcohol of the Cabernet Franc grape in the heat of the south. It could be served lightly chilled too, perfect with a ham salad. Vivid and youthful plummy hue. Gentle, supple wine, offering ripe cherry flavours and just a little grip. Perfumed and all too quaffable. Now-2016

2012 Domaine La Croix Belle, Le Champ du Coq, IGP Côtes de Thongue, 13.5% Bottle £9.75 Case £111.15 Code CRO312 Well judged use of oak on this blend of Syrah and Grenache gives an assured sheen to the cassis fruit on the nose. A generous heart of ripe dark cherry, with spicy depth, finishing well. As ever this is almost New World in style. Now-2016

Wine boxes 5 litre boxes (the equivalent of 6 2/3 bottles), each with its own simple tap: perfect for parties, barbecues, cooking wine, or just keeping in the kitchen for the odd glass (many people find them indispensable to the good working of a refrigerator). They last well over a month. Both come from the Vic family, and the wine is the same liquid as in the Mas du Canal bottles listed above: in a box it works out at £5.54 a bottle against £6.95 under screwcap. Note: a box can be included in a mixed case in place of 4 bottles

2013/14 Le Petit Pont Blanc, IGP Pays d’Oc, 12.5%

2013 Domaine La Croix Belle, Caringole Rouge, IGP Côtes de Thongue, 13.5%

5 litre bag in box £36.95 Code BIB613

Bottle £8.50 Case £96.90 Code CRO113

2013/14 Le Petit Pont, Rouge, IGP Pays d’Oc, 12.5%

From about 2/3 Syrah with Merlot and Carignan. Attractively open and inviting aromas of hedgerow fruit. Such a vital mouthful, with generous cherry and plum fruit, backed by the merest smidge of tannin. Honest wine which is easy to drink on its own or with food. Now-2016

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Drink this year

5 litre bag in box £36.95 Code BIB213 Drink this year

Appellation Wines We now set out our estates in an arc approximately from east to south-west, from the vineyards of Ribotte above Bandol, east of Marseille, to Domaine du Traginer, inland from Banyuls in the foothills of the Pyrenees near the Spanish border.

Provence Domaine de la Ribotte, Bandol The Domaine de la Ribotte is a family affair. Maurice Desblache’s grandfather bought the domaine which is now run by Maurice’s wife Laurence, the first female winemaker in Bandol, and their son Nicolas. I came across their rosé while judging gold medal winners at the Decanter World Wine Awards. When we traced the family we were surprised to discover that they had never exported before, and even in France you can only buy their wine from the Domaine or from the Marché de Bandol, where Laurence has been selling it almost every day for the past 35 years! If you love rosé and have never spend over £10 on a bottle we would greatly encourage you to try the cuvée Anais. Bandol arguably produces the best rosés in the world and Laurence’s wine would not be out of place in a tasting amongst more prestigious and expensive examples. The red is a typical, old-fashioned Bandol, with the dominant Mourvèdre giving it intense black fruit and structure. It would benefit from keeping just a little longer, although it can be poured with robust cuisine (venison, or a deeply flavoured daube of beef) now.

2014 Bandol Rosé, Cuvée Anaïs, 13.5% Bottle £14.95 Case £170.43 Code RIB514 Largely from Mourvèdre with some Grenache, this delivers both intensity and finesse. Very pale and clear. Intense scents of tropical fruits and peach. Offering real concentration, - but also light and fresh - this delivers an enchanting palate of peach, lime zest and red berries before finishing dry and almost stony. Very long - a superb flourish of fruit on the finish. Now-2016 Note: arriving in mid April

2010 Bandol, 13.5% Bottle £18.95 Case £216.03 Code RIB810 This is a youthful wine which will come into its own soon. Attractive ruby. Spice-box aromas, along with that savoury note which marks Mourvèdre. Very pure and bright primary red fruit, rather juicy. Has a clear structure based on both acid and tannin, but it’s not over-extracted at all, opening out aromatically with grace, and finishing with surprising fragrance. You could happily enjoy this now with rich lamb or pork dishes - that tannin and acid gives the wine real cut. Now-2020.

Les Quatre Tours, Venelles, Aix-enProvence Situated among the rolling hills just to the north of Aix-enProvence lies the small co-operative of Les Quatre Tours. Here the vineyards are at 200 to 400 metres up, on a variety of limestone, clay and sandy soils. We have for years shipped the co-op’s splendid rosé, and this year we have added their white and top red, the latter a gold medal winner in Paris last year.

2013 Classique Blanc, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence, 13% Bottle £9.50 Case £108.30 Code QUA613 80% Vermentino (Rolle) with 20% Ugni Blanc - which lends freshness and a tropical fruit note. Gently floral scent. Mid-weight, apricot fruited with nuances of lemon zest, herbs and menthol. Nicely perfumed. Perfect for seafood of any kind. Now-2016

2013 Signature Rosé, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence, 13% Bottle £9.95 Case £113.43 Code QUA513 This fairly-priced Provençale blend of about 2/3 Syrah, plus Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, has become a firm favourite - with a lot of repeat orders - among those who like the characteristic Riviera style: pale colour, generous fruit and restrained elegance. Pale and clear. Poised and smooth, delivering a fresh palate of white peach, melon and plum, with satisfying weight and a fine dry finish. Nice length too. This is so complete and delicious. Drink this year

2011 Prestige Rouge, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence, 14% Bottle £12.95 Case £147.63 Code QUA311 From 40% each of Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon, plus 20% Syrah, oaked in a mixture of barriques and larger demi-muids. We were really impressed by the concentration and complexity of this at the price: rich aromas of black fruit and asian spice; vibrant and intense blackcurrant heart, again with spice nutmeg and clove - and a long finish. Provence is not known for its red wines, but this is impressively grand and Bordeaux-like. Now-2018

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Languedoc-Roussillon Now we reach the heart of our offering: wines of immense character from the rocky appellations of the Languedoc and Roussillon. We have championed these wines since 2003, and it’s been gratifying to see how we have built a big customer base over the last twelve years, with our customers embracing the

arcane and ever-changing hierarchy of appellations and terroirs (we struggle to keep up!). All the research and time we have spent in the region has really paid off, as we have, over the years, assembled a fascinating portfolio of growers working in some of the best spots, in particular St. Georges d’Orques, on the rolling hills near Montpellier, the Terraces du Larzac, Montpeyroux, the high schists of Faugères, and the arid hills of the southern Corbières and Roussillon. Our treasure-hunting in the region won us this praise last May from Jancis Robinson, who came to our Languedoc-Roussillon tasting last May in London. “One of our favourite and relatively long-standing members of the new wave of independents is Stone, Vine & Sun set up by Simon Taylor….He and his team do work particularly hard to sniff out individual artisanal wines likely to appeal to their customers, wine lovers who count the pennies but are prepared to pay a bit extra for real interest and quality”. Finally, here’s a note on vintages. Whilst it’s hard to generalize over such a large area, it’s worth pointing out that this whole region enjoys a Mediterranean climate, which implies a hot, dry summer and an excellent chance of perfect ripening conditions every year. Indeed, vintages which were very difficult elsewhere in France can be perfect in the Midi - such as 2007, and again in 2013. Indeed, La Revue du Vin de France (June 2014) called the 2013 vintage in the Languedoc “Le plus beau millésime depuis 1998”, i.e. the best since 1998, and was almost as enthusiastic about Provence and Roussillon.

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Languedoc Domaine Belles Pierres, Murviel les Montpellier, St. Georges d’Orques Damien Coste and his father created Belles Pierres (literally “beautiful stones”) in the hill-top village of St-Murviel, near St. Georges d’Orques, in 1992, having taken their land out of the local co-operative. Here the grape skins take on the evanescent oils of the surrounding flowers and herbs - lavender, oregano, rosemary, thyme and bay - giving fascinating Mediterranean nuances to the wines. You only have to smell these wines to be transported there. Tragically, Damien is losing his sight, but with the support of his tight-knit team he remains in control of the key decisions. The principal wines are named in homage to Damien’s father, Joseph (a “clauze” is a short stone wall enclosing the fields). The strikingly unusual and distinctive oaked white is a wildly perfumed and exotically flavoured wine which can accompany strongly flavoured food. The red also shows that elusive scent and flavour of the garrigue, and develops earthy complexity with a year or two in bottle.

2013 Languedoc, Les Clauzes de Jo Blanc, 14% Bottle £11.95 Case £136.23 Code BEL613 From 60% Roussanne with equal proportions of Viognier and Grenache, in old barrels. This is a rare example of a white influenced by the garrigue: one can often detect bay leaf amongst the exotic aromas of exotic fruit - pineapple and peach - plus vanilla, cream and honey. Perennially consistent on the palate, with the rich exoticism of stone fruit counterbalanced by a mineral spine. Now-2016 “Mid crimson. Supple and with some garrigue flavours and definite bite on the finish. Well structured. Fizzes with energy.16/20”, Jancis Robinson, on www.jancisrobinson.com, 18th June 2014

2012 Languedoc, St. Georges d’Orques, Les Clauzes de Jo Rouge, 14% Bottle £11.75 Case £133.95 Code BEL312 About half Syrah, a third Grenache with Mourvèdre, all in old barrels. Open, broad bramble and strawberry aromas, spiked with clove and vanilla. A mouthful of polished red and black fruit, mildly spicy, showing an aniseed note. Structured, powerful, but well balanced. The 2013 vintage will follow soon. Now-2018

2010 Coteaux du Languedoc, St. Georges d’Orques, Chant des Ames, 14% Bottle £16.25 Case £185.25 Code BEL410 About 4/5 Syrah, plus Grenache, generously oaked. Inky purple. Liqueur-like aromas of blackberry and raspberry. Powerful, bittersweet, damson character, dense and rich. Very ripe and fine tannins. Appealing aromatic hints of herbs and dried figs. Despite its power and vitality, this is surprisingly smooth and elegant, and it will age well too. Now-2017 Limited stock

Mas des Brousses, Puéchabon, Terrasses du Larzac Brousses translates as bush, or brush; this is, literally, the farm in the brush. Amidst the rolling scrub-covered hills around Puéchabon and the pebble-strewn terrasses near the Hérault river lie the domaine’s plots of vines. Tall Géraldine Combes (from a family who have inhabited Puéchabon, near Gignac, since 1525) juggles looking after three small boys with tending the vines. Husband Xavier Peyraud, grandson of the legendary Lucien Peyraud of Domaine Tempier, is the winemaker. Their first vintage was only 1997, and some of their grapes still go off to the local co-operative. Their wines are not certified, but they have been organic in practice for years. The IGP, Chasseur, is named after the African bee-eater (= chasseur) which can be seen over the vines in summer. The blend is about 60% Merlot with Grenache and a little Cinsault, a wine with Bordelais style from the garrigue, the herby scrub which surrounds the vineyards here. In spite of its modest price, it was selected for the top 500 wines in La Revue du Vin de France last autumn (see below). Their appellation wine, which was praised in the Figaro, is a blend of about 60% Syrah and 40% Mourvèdre (the latter grown from cuttings from the famed Domaine Tempier in Bandol) aged largely in old oak: it’s absolutely superb in the latest vintage.

2013 Chasseur des Brousses, IGP Pays d’Oc, 13.5% Bottle £9.95 Case £113.43 Code MAB113 This is the tenth vintage of Chasseur we have shipped. Putting your nose in the glass is like opening a kitchen cupboard full of spice and herbs - remarkable! As ever, this opens with lightly crunchy raspberries and redcurrants, perfectly ripe yet also fresh, smooth and balanced. With just the gentle backing of fine tannins, this really does give the impression of being a much more expensive wine. “Une joyeuse simplicité et originalité d’un gout de garrigue menthol, épicé, balsamique….Le Languedoc dans ce qu’il a de plus savoureux et spontané. A boire dans les trois ans”, Nos 500 Meilleures Cuvées, La Revue du Vin de France, November 2014. Now-2017

2012 Coteaux du Languedoc, Terrasses du Larzac, 13.5% Bottle £15.50 Case £176.70 Code MAB212 Youthful ruby. Scent of cassis with notes of cedar and cinnamon. This is enchanting, showing delicious cassis and blackberry flavours, beautifully ripe and pure. So silky, supple and fragrant that one can enjoy this immediately, although it will keep well too. This displays a grace rare in the Languedoc. Now-2019

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Creyssels, Mèze Picpoul de Pinet, an appellation near the Bassin de Thau, southwest of Montpellier, has now become deservedly fashionable. The Piquepoul grape has the advantage of being slow-ripening: picked after the heat of summer has passed it retains freshness and flavour. The wine is the traditional accompaniment to the oysters from the local beds near Sète - and not just in the south but in smart Paris bistros too. In the old Occitan tongue Picpoul means “lip-stinger”, due to the grape’s natural acidity, but this wine is a lot friendlier than that: look on it as the Muscadet of the Mediterranean, albeit with more heft and flavour.

Mas d’Amile, Montpeyroux We have been seeking a producer in Montpeyroux (“rocky mountain” in Occitan) for a while but this exciting terroir often comes with premium prices, making it difficult to find the value for money we seek at SVS. The vineyards at Montpeyroux face south and are protected by the Causse du Larzac and Mont Baudile (850m) to the north and the hills of St Guilhem-le-Désert to the east. The cooling wind coming from the Causse du Larzac brings dramatic temperature variation between night and day, allowing full ripeness while retaining freshness and acidity. Montpeyroux is widely expected to become an AOP in the next few years, so highly regarded is the area. But the land alone doesn’t make great wine - it’s also all about the people, and at Mas d’Amile we believe we have struck gold. Amélie d’Hurlaborde, her husband Jérôme and her brother Sébastien Carceller decided to make their own wine. They started in 2007 with just one hectare of 70 year old Carignan coming from the Carcellers’ grandfather. In 2011 Amélie left her job in the wine trade to take on the running of the estate with the help of Sébastien, whose main job is supporting Alain Chabanon nearby, at one of the highest rated and most expensive estates in the Languedoc. They now farm 8 hectares of vines organically (certification is in progress), harvest by hand and for the moment are still making the wine in their grandfather’s garage. We were bowled over by the refinement of their wines, combining succulent ripeness with freshness and moderate alcohol levels and not to mention very fair prices.

2012 Vieux Carignan, IGP St. Guilhem le Désert, 13% Bottle £11.95 Case £136.23 Code MDA112 This modestly has “vin de garage” on the label - though this term is often used for fancily priced boutique wines, here it really does refer to its source! From 70 year old Carignan vines on south facing slopes; and the age of the vines clearly shows in the complexity of the wine. About two thirds goes into old wooden vats. Lovely scents of cherry and raspberry, slightly roasted, with hints of development. Crunchy blackcurrant and ripe brambly fruit, silky with a real texture and lovely aromatics. Very elegant, with a touch of savouriness and a fresh finish. A delicacy. Now-2017

2013 Languedoc-Montpeyroux 13.5% Bottle £13.95 Case £159.03 Code MDA313 Old vines here too, between 40 and 60 years old. The Grenache and Carignan parcels are south-west facing on clay and limestone while the Syrah is east facing on limestone and pebbles. Deep plum colour. Cherry and raspberry on the nose with hints of vanilla and nutmeg. A mix of red and black fruit follows on the palate: ripe cherry and blackberries with a touch of pepper, an attractive texture with just the correct refreshing acidity and tannins to make it a perfect food wine, very Mediterranean without being heady. Now-2018

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Julie Benau’s vineyards are on clay and gravel soils, which lend greater weight than the sandier fields nearer the sea, set amidst woods of pines and cypresses. She crops at low yields, around 40hl/ha, picks very late - well into September - and leaves the wine on its lees.

2014 Languedoc, Picpoul de Pinet, 13.5% Bottle £8.75 Case £99.75 Code CRE114 Mid lemon, hints of green. Very open citrus and herbal aromas. 2014 was a very short crop, so this exhibits a touch more palate weight than usual: it’s also citrussy, shows nuances of herbs, and finishes correctly dry. As appealing as an aperitif as with all types of seafood. Now-2016

Domaine du Météore, Cabrerolles, Faugères Geneviève and Guy Coste-Libes run this long-held, family owned estate in the village of Cabrerolles in the north of the Faugères appellation. It’s named after the huge crater of a meteor which punctures the vineyards; and most of the wines are named after meteor showers. Two local factors mark all the wines: first all the family’s 23 hectares of vines are on schistous soils - and that gives the wines a particular high-toned scent and exciting minerality; and second, the vineyards go up to 350 metres in altitude, and that, combined with cool downdrafts from the plateau to the north, brings freshness to their wines. Syrah in particular benefits from this terroir. The estate has completed its time in conversion to organic viticulture and wines from the 2013 vintage are certified. We list two whites and three reds, with the IGP Viognier and Les Orionides as particular highlights.

2013 Faugères Blanc, Les Léonides, 14% Bottle £11.25 Case £128.25 Code MET713 An unoaked blend: mainly Roussanne and Marsanne with the addition of about 15% Rolle (Vermentino) to give some aromatic lift and energy. Open aromas of spice and herb with honey. A big palate of ripe stone fruit is deliciously fresh, quite exotic, with a limey bite. Finishes so well. Now-2016

2013 Viognier, IGP Pays de l’Hérault, 14% Bottle £12.75 Case £145.35 Code MET613 From the estate’s highest and coolest vineyards up against the plateau of the Cevennes. Expansive aromas of Hunza apricots, white peach and lilies, with those stone-fruit and floral qualities following in the mouth. It’s perfectly ripe, poised, and shows that appealing varietal weight and texture. With a dry, stony finish, this is a classy example. If you can’t afford Condrieu then drink this! Drink this year.

2012 Faugères Rouge, Les Léonides, 14% Bottle £10.50 Case £119.70 Code MET112 Les Léonides Rouge is an unoaked blend of about 30% each of Syrah and Grenache, and 20% of Mourvèdre and Carignan. This always has a distinctive, lifted perfume of cassis, berries and wet stones. Bright, intense ripe morello cherry flavour. With some tannin and lively acidity this is a slightly wild country wine but seductively easy to drink. Now-2017

2010 Faugères Rouge, Les Orionides, 14%

Château La Grave, Badens, Minervois Owned by the Orosquette family, and named after the gravelly soil on the Etang de Marseillette, Château La Grave lies in the south-western part of the Minervois, now known as Les Balcons de l’Aude. Their Expression rosé, made largely from Syrah with Grenache, is always a real charmer, and is our best-selling rosé year after year. Tristan et Julien, named after a son and cousin here, is from about half and half Syrah and Grenache.

2014 Minervois Rosé, Expression, 13%

Bottle £12.75 Case £145.35 Code MET310

Bottle £8.50 Case £96.90 Code GRV414

An old favourite here - we first shipped the 2001 vintage - Les Orionides is based on about 55% Syrah with 30% Mourvèdre and 15% Grenache, well-oaked. This is always a powerful, exuberant wine, based on a marriage of chocolatey oak and lush, damsony black fruit, and this latest vintage is no exception - I actually wrote “Black Forest Gâteau” in my tasting note. Mature, and smoothly integrated, this offers a melange of dark fruits, confit and spiced, in a suave but manly assemblage. Long, complex finish. Now-2018

This unfailingly delivers splendid ripeness and intensity. Pale pink. Lifted red fruit aromas. An appealing gush of strawberry and raspberry. This is pleasingly gentle - it doesn’t shout at you and as such is a perfect all rounder, fruity enough to enjoy on its own but also dry enough for food. Now-2016

2009 Faugères Rouge, Les Perséides, 14% Bottle £15.75 Case £179.55 Code MET409 From equal halves of old vine Syrah and Mourvèdre, aged 18 months in barriques, this is a grand wine. Expansive vanilla and cassis on the nose. Ripe and plush fruit masks the tannins: an array of brambly flavours with tobacco and forest floor depth. This is at an attractive stage of maturity. Now-2018

2013 Minervois Rouge, Tristan et Julien, 13% Bottle £8.75 Case £99.75 Code GRV113 With all the generous flesh that marks the 2013 vintage in the south, this is even more of a bargain than usual. Expansive Syrah spice marks the nose while the palate shows bramble and raspberry fruit over a well defined tannic structure. Uncomplicated pleasure. “You can feel the warmth of 2013’s Indian summer in this wine’s bold flavours. Juicy cherries, berries and dried herbs, with a savoury edge”, Natasha Hughes, MW, Le Midi: Great Value 2013s in Decanter, February 2015. Now-2017

Château des Karantes, Narbonne Plage, La Clape

Domaine J. Laurens, La Digne d’Aval, Limoux

The rugged limestone lump of La Clape, just east of Narbonne, is, geologically speaking, a klippen, a remnant of a Jurassic up-thrust. Once a rocky island cut off from the mainland, La Clape’s potential for viticulture was actually spotted by the Romans, who planted vines and shipped wine from here back to their capital. The combination of some altitude (the rock rises over 200 metres), sea mists and plentiful wind gives a little freshness to the air here, and extends the growing season. We introduced the Karantes wines last year, to great acclaim, but sadly as the vineyards have since been sold to be subsumed into Gerard Bertrand’s empire we won’t be able to source these wines again: make the most of our remaining stock of Bergerie. Their wines were Jancis Robinson’s Wines of the Week on the 16th May 2014, and we include her tasting note from www.jancisrobinson.com.

We introduced the sparkling wines of Domaine Laurens last year with great success, after years of seeking a producer of fizz in Limoux, a town with a remarkable history. It is claimed that sparkling wine was invented there long before it appeared in Champagne. Founded in the 1980s, the domaine blossomed with the arrival in 2002 of locally born Jacques Calvel who saw its potential, and an opportunity to return home. The fruit from 30 hectares is hand harvested and vinified in a new dedicated facility. The wines are aged for between 1 and 2 years before release. In addition to meticulous winemaking the attention to detail extends to the stylish presentation.

2012 Languedoc La Clape Rouge, Bergerie, 14% Bottle £11.50 Case £131.10 Code KAR212 From almost equal parts of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre, in old barrels. Deep purple colour. A broad nose of black fruits with clove and liquorice precedes a youthful, gutsy mouthful of dark cherry and blackberry. This unfolds well and finishes long. “The Ch des Karantes, Bergerie 2012 Languedoc La Clape Rouge (£11.50 SVS) is, perhaps mercifully, Carignan-free, and 14% alcohol. Again this is characterised by ripe concentrated fruit but has no suggestion of heat or heft. Instead, it is well balanced, long and satisfying - and approachable already, perhaps because there is none of the rigidity of all but the finest Languedoc Carignan. I’d drink this any time over the next five years”, Jancis Robinson, MW. Now-2018 Limited stock

NV Blanquette de Limoux Brut, Le Moulin, 12% Bottle £12.75 Case £145.35 Code LAU1NV From 90% Mauzac, the traditional variety of Limoux, with 10% Chardonnay. Pale lemon with a fine mousse. Aromas of ripe pear and white flowers with the notes of warm nuts and cinnamon characteristic of Mauzac. Crisp and elegant citrus and stone fruit flavours meld seamlessly and lead to a finely focused finish. A perfect aperitif. “Nice bit of development. Very fresh and really quite special for the money. Quite delicate on the palate.  GV 16” www.jancisrobinson.com, 19th November 2013. Now-2016

2012 Cremant de Limoux Brut, Les Graimenous, 12% Bottle £13.95 Case £159.03 Code LAU312 A blend of 60% Chardonnay with 30% Chenin, 5% Pinot Noir and 5% Mauzac. The mousse is persistent, with a very fine bead. Such a refined nose with citrus and green apple scents, breadth and complexity. This is delightfully racy and vital, with ripe orchard fruits and a refined hint of toast. Such a versatile wine, an ideal accompaniment to seafood, even sushi and tempura, and a lot more fun to drink than a cheap Champagne. Now-2016

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Domaine du Grand Arc, Cucugnan, Corbières Bruno Schenk’s vines are on classic argilo-calcaire soils, with some sandstone, in the wild hills between Cucugnan and Padern, overlooked by the amazing hill-top Cathar castles of Quéribus and Peyrepertuse. It’s surprisingly cool here in these vineyards - Bruno was told when he arrived from Alsace in 1995 that the land was only good for white and rosé - and this gives great finesse and freshness to all the wines. Bruno is now in conversion to organic viticulture. He also makes wine with natural yeasts and without using any sulphur at all until bottling, so he qualifies as a “natural” winemaker. He attributes the deep colours of his reds to this practice. It’s worth noting that Bruno’s reds keep really well - even the Reserve Grand Arc will be drinking beautifully about six years after the vintage.

2014 Corbières Blanc, Veillée d’Equinoxe, 14% Bottle £9.75 Case £111.15 Code DGA614 An unoaked blend of 60% Roussanne, plus 20% each of Grenache Blanc and Macabeu, this is always a delicate wine (which belies its alchohol level). Pears, lime and subtle herbal notes. Fresh and pretty wine. Now-2016

2014 Corbières Rosé, La Tour Fabienne, 14% Bottle £9.50 Case £108.30 Code DGA514 Based on Syrah and Mourvèdre, with Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan. This is always an electric cherry pink, a wonderfully vibrant if wholly unfashionable hue. It’s a dry rosé perfect for barbecues (especially seafood) or any event where the food is a bit weightier than just a light salad. Intense scent of cranberries and raspberries. Vibrant attack of red berries, strongly flavoured but not in the least heavy, and finishes dry and cleansing. Now-2016

2012 Corbières Rouge, Reserve Grand Arc, 14% Bottle £9.75 Case £111.15 Code DGA212 About 50% Carignan, with 35% Grenache and 15 % Mourvèdre, aged in old barrels. Slightly wild aromas - vivid red and black fruit with a veneer of vanilla. Generous berried flavours, mid weight, youthful, with a correct structural balance of tannin and acid. Classy, well-built wine - a mile away from supermarket Corbières. Now-2019

2012 Corbières Rouge, Cuvée des Quarante, 14% Bottle £11.50 Case £131.10 Code DGA312 Based on 45% Carignan with 35% Grenache and 20% Syrah, all in barrel, about 20% new. Deep purple. Strong aromas of raspberries. Dense, old-viney feel. Vibrant red fruit, rounded and intense. Coffee notes from the oak, and bright acidity. Now-2020

2011 Corbières Rouge, En Sol Majeure, 14.5% Bottle £14.95 Case £170.43 Code DGA411 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah, all in barrel, 50% new. This hedonistic wine is marked by extravagant aromas and flavours. Enticing scent of cassis. Luxuriant, fleshy black fruit, blackcurrants and blueberries, is lent depth by glossy vanilla and fleeting notes of herbs. Full bodied and powerful, this would benefit from keeping. The 2012 vintage follows shortly. Now-2021

Roussillon Domaine Fontanel, Tautavel The charming Pierre & Marie-Claude Fontaneil oversee a domaine of 35 hectares, family-owned since 1864, and have been stalwarts of our lists since 2003. From their consistently reliable range we offer the complex dry white, the sturdy but unoaked red Côtes du Roussillon, two distinct Tautavels, and two Vins Doux Naturels; the unique and hugely popular Ambré, along with the Port-like Maury. New to the list this year is their Maury Sec, rich, powerful, and almost Amarone-like, a splendid accompaniment to hard cheese.

2013 Côtes du Roussillon Blanc, 14% Bottle £12.95 Case £147.63 Code FON713 From old vines of Grenache Blanc and Malvoisie, the oldest planted in 1908, well-oaked. We have been shipping this since the 2004 vintage. It’s always a powerful white, with generous flavours, but the oak is always well-integrated. As ever, a lovely honeyed nose. Really textured, with notes of honey, fig and apricot, lifted by touches of fennel. So long and well structured. Already delicious, but we know this keeps well too. Now-2018

2013 Côtes du Roussillon Rouge, 14% Bottle £10.75 Case £122.55 Code FON113 From about 50% Grenache with 30% Syrah and 20% Carignan grown on schist near Maury, unoaked. Brooding nose, full of black fruit and southern herbs. Rich and peppery palate of melting black cherries with hints of tar and woodsmoke. Sweet blackberry liqueur finish, warming and full of local character. Now-2018

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2012 Maury Sec, 14.5%

2011 Côtes du Roussillon Villages Rouge, 14.5%

Bottle £13.75 Case £156.75 Code FON512

Bottle £11.95 Case £136.23 Code DEP111

From the 2011 vintage the Maury appellation also allows for Maury Sec (in addition to the sweet and fortified Vin Doux Naturel below) so here is an example of this powerful style, also based on Grenache but fermented out dry. Slightly spirity nose over crushed berries - but the raspberry and cherry Grenache fruit really sings on the palate, with freshness and punch. Dry, stony finish. Now-2018

From about 50% Syrah, 25% Grenache and 25% Carignan, grown on black schist vineyards near the village. Opaque purple. This delivers a surprisingly pretty nose for such a big wine, showing cassis, cooked strawberries and rosehips. So smooth, silky and polished. Very ripe black cherry fruit is fascinatingly tinged with hints of dried figs, menthol and liquorice. Excellent weight, and with well-judged tannins, this is a classic Roussillon blend. Now-2017. Limited stock

2011 Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel, Cistes, 14.5% Bottle £14.50 Case £165.30 Code FON211 Named after Cistus, the spring-flowering bushes growing wild in the scrub. Half Syrah with Grenache and Carignan from very rocky land in the north of the appellation, raised in oak. Clear, black fruit and vanilla aromas are backed by a focused depth of warming and juicy wild fruits on the palate. This is well structured and impressive. “Milk chocolate, blackberry fruit - more complexity on the nose than the palate here. Smooth tannins, fine and balanced. 16.5”, Richard Hemming on www.jancisrobinson.com, 18th March 2014. Now-2018

2010 Côtes du Roussillon Villages, Tautavel, Le Prieuré, 14.5% Bottle £18.25 Case £208.05 Code FON310 From one parcel near Tautavel on a high, windswept, north facing slope of argillo calcaire, this blend of 2/3 Syrah, with Grenache, and a little Mourvèdre is given 18 months in new oak casks. This can approach Hermitage in style after a few years in bottle. Deep and inky purple. Very open, intense perfume of cassis, mocha and nutmeg. Pure blackcurrant core, very silky and intense, with the merest tarry hint. Finely integrated oak. Mouthcoating richness. A keeper. Now-2018

Domaine Depeyre, Cases-de-Pène Serge Depeyre, from a Rhône wine-making family, and Brigitte Bile, from Cases de Pène, met at wine-making college in Avignon in 1995. Together they returned to her birthplace, started the purchase of their own vineyards with 4 hectares in 1997, opened their small cellar in Cases-de-Pène in 2000, and produced their first wine in 2002. Hearing them, one senses how hard it is to be a grower among these arid, wind-blasted hills: they need a pick-axe in order to plant a vine; they plough using a mule; and yields are ludicrously low. The white is fascinating, and the red is unoaked: what you are tasting here is the unadorned flavours of grapes from old vines growing in the extraordinary terroir of the Agly Valley just east of Perpignan.

Domaine du Traginer, Banyuls-sur-Mer We have long been admirers of the wines of Jean-François Deu at Domaine du Traginer - we first shipped from here a decade ago. Jean-François is a passionate vigneron, a pioneer in organic and biodynamic viticulture and his 8 hectares of bush vines are undoubtedly some of the most dramatic and beautiful in France, on steep slopes plunging straight into the Mediterranean. Yields are extremely low - a miserable 17-20 hectolitres per hectare and all tending of the vines has to be done by hand. Indeed part of his vineyard is still ploughed solely with a mule as the name of the domaine indicates - Traginer means muleteer in Catalan in homage to Jean François’s uncle Anicet, the last and most famous muleteer in Banyuls. We have shipped two deep, powerful dry red wines from Collioure AOC, and two fortified Banyuls, the appellation responsible for some of the finest and most complex Vins Doux Naturels in France. All wines have been certified organic since 1997 and biodynamic from the 2013 vintage.

2012 Collioure Rouge, 15% Bottle £16.95 Case £193.23 Code TRG112 From Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre and Syrah. Deep and opaque, this unoaked cuvée shows all the purity of the fruit with a real tension and minerality. Blackberry, blackcurrant and liquorice with notes of coffee; powerful and very silky but perfectly balanced with acidity. Now-2019

2013 Collioure Rouge, Cuvée d’Octobre, 14% Bottle £22.95 Case £261.63 Code TRG313 With the same blend as above but picked later in October to allow maximum maturity and aged in old oak for 14 months, this shares the ripeness and exuberance found in Banyuls. Beautiful aromas of ripe blackberry and raspberry; and the palate is consistent with generous red and black fruits, super ripe without being sweet, complex with hints of liquorice, cinnamon and a smooth, long finish. Now-2021

2012 Symphonie, IGP Côtes Catalanes, 14.5% Bottle £15.95 Case £181.83 Code DEP612 A blend of local varieties - 2/3 Grenache Gris and 1/3 Grenache Blanc - grown in a classic argilo-calcaire terroir near Vingrau. It’s just rounded by some aging in demi-muids, 600 litre barrels. Focused herbal scents, on the spectrum of fennel, celery and aniseed. Penetrating, almost austere, palate of peach and apricot accented with honey. Splendid volume. Very long, with white pepper on the close. Now-2016 “Pale. Interesting and exciting depth of flavour. Great density and ‘mineral’ influence. Not quite the definition of Le Soula Blanc but definitely of the same family. Lots of impact but enough structure and acidity too. GV. 16.5/20”, Jancis Robinson, on www.jancisrobinson.com, 18th June 2014

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Vin Doux Naturels Vins Doux Naturels are made by stopping the fermentation of very ripe grapes, part way through its course, by the addition of alcohol (a process known as mutage); thereby preventing the yeasts from working, and leaving a fortified wine with plentiful natural grape sugar and anywhere between 15 and 17 degrees of alcohol. Rivesaltes VDNs are named after the town near Perpignan, but can be made over a relatively large area, either eponymously from Muscat or a wide range of other white grapes such as Grenache Blanc and Malvoisie. Maury is the appellation for VDNs made around the town in the Maury Valley west of Perpignan, and Banyuls as a VDN appellation shares the same geographical area as Collioure.

2013 Domaine du Traginer, Banyuls Rimage, 17%  50cl Bottle £18.50 Case (12 x 50cl.) £210.90 Code TRG713 2/3 Grenache Noir, with Grenache Gris and Carignan, in the Rimage (vintage in Catalan) style: this means it must be aged in an airtight environment to retain the freshness of the fruit. Deep ruby tone, heady nose of kirsch, prune and fresh raspberry, beautiful silky texture with sweet red fruit and notes of chocolate. Sweet and perfectly balanced, this is one of very few wines to accompany chocolate desserts - just as sweet berries can be dipped in chocolate. Now-2019

2006 Domaine du Traginer, Banyuls Grand Cru, 17%  50cl Bottle £22.95 Case (12 x 50cl.) £261.63 Code TRG806

2001 Domaine Fontanel, Rivesaltes Ambré, 16% Bottle £15.50 Case £176.70 Code FON901 One of the most distinctive and exciting wines in our entire stock. From late-picked, 60 year-old vines of Grenache Blanc, with 10% Muscat à Petits Grains, the Ambré - literally amber tone develops after at least five years of mildly oxidative ageing in barrel. Very even mid tawny hue. This smells quite like old Cognac, with fumes of cooked plums, and a hint of sherry-like oxidation. Dates and toffee dominate, with accompanying subtleties, including marmalade and biscuit. Such a lingering finish. Terrific alternative to tawny port to accompany cheese, dried fruit and nuts. Now-2018

The top of the quality pyramid in the appellation, Grand Cru Banyuls is made in exceptional years and must spend at least 30 months in oak. From 60% Grenache Noir, 30% Grenache Gris and 10% Carignan, this has spent nearly 7 years in old demimuids, losing part of its colour to become amber with dark tones. Complex nose: cooked fruits, prune, honey and toffee with a touch of oxidative notes. Silky and layered, the texture is lovely and sweet but fresh as well. Partner with blue cheese and dessert, especially chocolate. Now-2018

2011 Domaine Fontanel, Maury, 16% Bottle £17.50 Case £199.50 Code FON611 From one plot of 60 year old vines of Grenache Noir. This style is well-known for matching chocolate, but it’s equally good with cheese, especially blue cheese, in a manner akin to a very fruity and forward port. Deep ruby colour. Really inviting nose of rich cherry fruits and sweet spices. There is a wonderful equilibrium between red fruits and mocha, plus notes of spice, nuts and cream. Warming and a touch old-fashioned. Now-2019

For orders and all enquiries, please contact: Simon Taylor: [email protected] Gordon Coates: [email protected] François Dupont: [email protected] Telephone: 01962 712351 Fax: 01962 717545 Email: [email protected] Website: www.stonevine.co.uk No. 13 Humphrey Farms, Hazeley Road, Twyford, Winchester, SO21 1QA Opening times: Weekdays: 9.00am-6.00pm Saturdays: 9.30am-4.00pm