Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/133302
STEvEn SpuRRIER'S LETTER FROM LONdON The Southern Rhône O PHOTO: DECANTER ur trip to the south began with a visit to L'Université du Vin in Suze la Rousse on the borders of the Southern Rhône, where a tasting of "minor" wines had been prepared—from a delightful white Clairette from Dios, a charming Grignan-les-Adhemar rosé, a Côtes du Rhône Brezeme from the north and a Massif d'Uchaux from the south, ending on a vigourous red Costières de Nîmes—which proved that these "country wines" are pleasure in a bottle. Then it was off to lunch at La Beaugravière, Guy Julien's famous restaurant in Mondragon just inside the Vaucluse department. Guy is the king of truffles – more than 75% of French black truffles come from the Southern Rhône, although many of them end up on the market stalls in Périgord—but more importantly for me, he has by far and away the greatest list of Rhône wines in the entire world at the best possible prices. Wines, truffles and this family restaurant have been his passion since the late 1970s. No visit to the region is complete without a meal chez Guy and his locally-sourced menu went beautifully with three Châteauneufs: 2012 Monredon white, 1999 Vieux Donjon in magnums and Vieux Télégraphe 1995, all perfect. This set us up for a visit to Château de Saint Cosme at Gigondas, where Louis Barroul's family have tended vines for half a millennium. His whites are delicious, but we concentrated on reds that were nearing maturity: a powerful yet lively Valbelle 2007, a more elegant 2006 Le Claux from 100% Grenache old vines, a superb 2005 Homines Fides 100% Grenache on limestone-sand soils, passing through 2003 and 2001 Valbelle to end on the 1995 Saint Cosme Gigondas still vigourously firm. Gigondas received its appellation in 1971, four decades after Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but it is by no means a lesser wine. The following morning Matthieu Perrin proved this from both sides through a tasting and lunch at Château de Beaucastel. One of the largest and most northern estates in Châteauneuf, all on galets roulés, or red rolled-stones soil, the Beaucastel reputation has been refined over five generations. Over the last two decades over 200 hectares, principally in the finer appellations of Gigondas, Rasteau and Vinsobres, have been acquired to produce wines under the Famille Perrin label and many of their 2010s are now in my own cellar. Their 2012 white Côtes du Rhône and 2010 red were superior classics, the 2010 Gigondas La Gille needs time while the 2006 at lunch was perfect; 2010 red Beaucastel— this estate is the only one in Châteauneuf to always use all 13 of the permitted grape varieties, with 30% Grenache/30% Mourvèdre/10% Syrah/10% Counoise making up the base of the blend— was firm and spicy (drink 2016–25), the warm and elegant 2000 lovely now through 2018 and the cooler 1995 good but with lots in reserve and lunch finished with the first strawberries of the season from Cavaillon (in March!) and a delightful 2010 Muscat de Beaumes de Venise. One might think that the afternoon tasting at Domaine de la Mordorée in Tavel would be a bit of an anti-climax, but nothing was further from the truth. The Delorme family's first vintage here was 1986 and the ever-youthful Christophe Delorme has been winemaker since the start. With vineyards concentrated on Tavel and Lirac and their hallmark La Reine des Bois (a becasse or woodcock) on their best labels, these wines are the best in their appellations. White, red and rosé, these are a sure bet. The final morning was at Ogier, in the centre of the town of Châteauneuf itself. Here we tasted 100% Grenache from the four different terroirs in the appellation— limestone, fine gravelly sand, red sandstone and galets roulés—in ascending order of concentration, before moving onto the 2010 blend from their Clos de L'Oratoire estate which had marvelous clarity of fruit, smoothness and depth for the future. Then came a brilliant comparison of 2012, 2011, 2009 and 2006 white Clos de L'Oratoire— white Châteauneuf is only 5% of the whole 3000+-hectare appellation—with the 2011 and 2006 really standing out. At lunch, the 2012 was welcomed back with a warm lobster salad and the red 2000 Clos de L'Oratoire went perfectly with roasted pigeon with foie gras. A lovely 2011 Côtes du Vinvarais rosé saw us wave our goodbyes to a wonderful week in the Rhône Valley. C M Y CM MY CY CMY K 22 / the tasting panel / june 2013 TP0613_001-41.indd 22 5/23/13 4:24 PM