By country :: France :: South-west of France
The south west of France is a very interesting winemaking region, primarily due to the fact it is home to a huge variety of indigenous grape varieties. This ensures that wines from this region provide a great alternative for restaurateurs, whose wine lists are, more often than not, dominated by international grape varieties such as Chardonnay or Cabernet.
South western wines, as well as often being unique in their grape blend, also offer great value for money. Furthermore, they are very food friendly, providing ample support to many dishes, particularly suiting those typical of this gastronomy-proud region, delights such as cassoulet and a wide range of confits among others.
This year, we had the pleasure of welcoming two of our south-western producers to our annual ‘Meet the Producers’ tasting. It was very reassuring to see two producers, namely Didier Barré from Domaine Berthoumieu in Madiran and Pascal Verhaege from Château du Cèdre in Cahors, who were both extremely passionate as well as down to earth and fun. It became apparent that their wines are truly an expression of terroir, and they make wines utilising their traditional methods and local customs, rather than attempting to roll out commercially pleasing wines to please famous American wine writers. Both also displayed the mantra
that, in their eyes, they are craftsmen, not businessmen; being a ‘vigneron’ is not a profession, but rather a privileged position as a custodian to their land that must be cherished and embraced.
Richard
Found 15 products.
Bergerac Rouge "Le Classique" Chateau Tour Des Gendres 2011, OrganicOur price: £11.45Chateau Tour Des Gendres, Luc de Conti, Organic.
Côtes du Frontonnais 'Thibaut de Plaisance' Château Plaisance 2010Our price: £16.15Based in the village of Vacquiers in the south east of the appellation, Marc Penavayre makes wines that are nothing short of a delight to drink. The vines are planted on the highest terrace of the Tarn at an altitude of about 200 metres.The Cuvée Thibaut, an elegant Négrette/Syrah blend, named in honour of his son and from low yields of 25hl/ha, is toned, honed and polished from 12 months in barrel, a smooth, balanced wine that merits its Coup de Coeur in the Guide Hachette
Cabidos Petit Manseng Doux 'Cuvée Comte Philippe' 2009 (50cl)Our price: £15.80Headed by Vivien de Nazelle and his partner Meo Sakorn Series, incidentally the only Thai lady to hold a top position in a French winery, Château de Cabidos and its surrounding Domaine is one of the South West’s more spectacular areas of land, a fact recognised by the government, who have rendered it a protected sight of natural beauty. North of Pau, situated in the Atlantic Pyrenees, the Domaine produces fantastic white wines, both sweet and dry, masterfully crafted by Vivien and his team, which also includes Swiss oenologist Jean-Michel Novelle.
Cabidos Petit Manseng Sec 2007Our price: £18.60Headed by Vivien de Nazelle and his partner Meo Sakorn Series, incidentally the only Thai lady to hold a top position in a French winery, Château de Cabidos and its surrounding Domaine is one of the South West’s more spectacular areas of land, a fact recognised by the government, who have rendered it a protected sight of natural beauty. North of Pau, situated in the Atlantic Pyrenees, the Domaine produces fantastic white wines, both sweet and dry, masterfully crafted by Vivien and his team, which also includes Swiss oenologist Jean-Michel Novelle.
Cahors Cuvée Prestige Château du Cèdre 2008Our price: £19.25A true expression of a quite wonderful terroir, the team at Château du Cèdre produces Malbec wines that are both fruity and possess the necessary composition to improve with age. Their 27 hectares of vineyards are influenced heavily by a bedrock of clay and limestone, as well as the wooded area which surrounds the estate, leaving wines with aromas of eucalyptus and juniper aromas. Another key factor in the production process is the micro climate that the Domaine experiences, influenced by the prevailing wind from the Atlantic Ocean for 8 months of the year, yet affected by that from the Mediterranean Sea for the duration of the summer.
Gaillac 'Cuvée des Drilles' Domaine d'Escausses 2011Our price: £10.40Sitting midway between Albi and the historic settlement of Cordes in the Gaillac region, Domain d’Escausse, like many estates in the area, has a terroir affected by both oceanic and Mediterranean influences. Owned by Denis Balaran, who interestingly is also the village mayor, the estate utilises organic and mineral-based manures in order to produce dry red wines of the highest order.
Gaillac 'La Vigne de l'Oubli' Domaine d'Escausses 2008Our price: £15.40Sitting midway between Albi and the historic settlement of Cordes in the Gaillac region, Domain d’Escausse, like many estates in the area, has a terroir affected by both oceanic and Mediterranean influences. Owned by Denis Balaran, who interestingly is also the village mayor, the estate utilises organic and mineral-based manures in order to produce dry red wines of the highest order.
Gaillac Blanc Sec Château Clement-Termes 2011Our price: £9.80Covering 60 hectares in the Gaillac appellation, Clement-Termes is a relatively large estate run by brothers J-P and Francois David. In a region famed for its deep reds, which in the past were used to boost the colour of paler produce from Bordeaux, the David brothers cultivate dry whites which are renowned all over the region for being of the highest quality. Their winery is extremely modern, manufactured to ensure that all the brothers’ wines are able to maintain freshness for as long as possible, their Blanc Sec wines therefore showcasing fresh hints of fresh pear, apple and honey, as well as displaying a herbal, floral element. This Blanc Sec is delightful as a partner to light salads and a variety of fish dishes. A blend of Mauzac and l’En de L’El.
Heritage du Cèdre Château du Cèdre 2010Our price: £11.60A true expression of a quite wonderful terroir, the team at Château du Cèdre produces Malbec wines that are both fruity and possess the necessary composition to improve with age. Their 27 hectares of vineyards are influenced heavily by a bedrock of clay and limestone, as well as the wooded area which surrounds the estate, leaving wines with aromas of eucalyptus and juniper aromas. Another key factor in the production process is the micro climate that the Domaine experiences, influenced by the prevailing wind from the Atlantic Ocean for 8 months of the year, yet affected by that from the Mediterranean Sea for the duration of the summer.
Madiran 'Cuvée Charles de Batz' Domaine Berthoumieu 2008Our price: £18.30Situated towards the north of the Madiran appellation, Domaine Berthoumieu is a 26 hectare estate converging on the village of Viella. Run by one of the most enthusiastic producers around in the form of Didier Barré, the Domaine has been under the control of the same family since 1850, and produces some of the best and most traditional wines from the appellation.
Madiran Hautes Tradition, Domaine Berthoumieu, 2009Our price: £12.60Situated towards the north of the Madiran appellation, Domaine Berthoumieu is a 26hectare estate converging on the village of Viella. Run by one of the most enthusiastic producers around in the form of Didier Barré, the Domaine has been under the control of the same family since 1850, and produces some of the best and most traditional wines from the appellation. Didier is a prime example of a winemaker who sees his job as a calling rather than a profession, and it is therefore unsurprising that he has successfully established himself as a producer of some repute. And his wines speak for themselves, his premium Cuvée Charles de Batz rouge won a gold medal at the International Wine Challenge 2004 and received the Tannat Trophy. After studying oenology in Bordeaux, Didier altered his methods, introducing the use of more oak in his production process, a trend that has gradually spread across the Madiran appellation, leading to improvements in the quality of wines across the board.
Marcillac Vieilles Vignes Domaine du Cros 2011Our price: £13.90As recently as 1982, Domaine du Cros comprised only one hectare of vineyard, producing a mere 4000 bottles a year. Since then, however, the estate has undergone a program of expansion, with the Domaine now covering a 25 hectare area. Part of the staggering success of this rapid expansion is thanks to the decision to begin planting on the estate’s steepest slopes, some of which have gradients of almost 65%, meaning that wines made from grapes whose vines are just a matter of metres apart can be distinctly different. The estate’s wines are made exclusively from the Mansois grape, otherwise known as ‘Fer’ or ‘Fer Servadou’ in Gaillac. From these younger vines form the basis for Domaine du Cros’ entry level vintages, packed with blackcurrant and raspberry flavours.
Monbazillac 2010 Domaine de l'Ancienne Cure (Half Bottle)Our price: £9.10This small, family owned estate has been producing crops now for over 5 generations, their produce over the years varying from cereals to dairy products and, of course, brilliant wines. Former owner, Amédée Roche, was among the original co-founders of the Monbazillac Wine Co-operative in 1935, a venture that has done wonders for the reputation and distribution of wines from this region ever since. Domaine de L’Ancienne Cure began to bottle their own wine in 1968, and since then, have gone on to become an independent producer of some repute. In order to ensure their sweet wines are of the highest possible quality, all their grapes are harvested by hand, so as to pick only those grapes that have been affected by noble rot. This fungus, similar to the one that gives Roquefort its distinct flavour, leaches the grapes of any water, increasing their sugar content and providing the perfect grapes to make delicious sweet wines.
Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Vieilles Vignes Sec Domaine Berthoumieu 2010Our price: £15.30Situated towards the north of the Madiran appellation, Domaine Berthoumieu is a 26 hectare estate converging on the village of Viella. Run by one of the most enthusiastic producers around in the form of Didier Barré, the Domaine has been under the control of the same family since 1850, and produces some of the best and most traditional wines from the appellation.
Symphonie d'Autumn, Domaine Berthoumieu, 2010Our price: £15.35Situated towards the north of the Madiran appellation, Domaine Berthoumieu is a 26 hectare estate converging on the village of Viella. Run by one of the most enthusiastic producers around in the form of Didier Barré, the Domaine has been under the control of the same family since 1850, and produces some of the best and most traditional wines from the appellation.
