Tour de France
Bienvenue to the July edition of the l’Art du Vin wine club!
This month, we took inspiration from one of the world’s best-loved sporting events – the Tour de France.
As a youngster I remember being captivated by the sheer scale of the race – the colours of the various jerseys, the noise of 180 bikes rushing past in a matter of seconds and the iconic crowds on Alpine climbs.
Along with showcasing high-level sporting performance, Le Tour acts as a wonderful advert for the hidden corners of France that otherwise would never find themselves in the global spotlight.
And so, we come to our l’Art du Vin Tour de France! Our aim is the same – to highlight some hidden gems from some of our favourite artisan producers.
We have also made the choices with the season in mind – crisp, fresh whites, BBQ-friendly reds and a rosé made in the shadow of the one of Le Tour’s most iconic climbs, Mont Ventoux.
So now we hand over to you. It is time to hit the start line and begin your personal Tour, all with the objective of deciding which of these wines deserves the l’Art du Vin yellow jersey!
Vive le Tour!
Philippe
Picpoul de Pinet, Domaine de Lauriers, Languedoc, France 2024
Producer
Domaine de Lauriers is run by Marc Cabrol, who presides over 45 hectares of vines in the Picpoul de Pinet appellation.
His family first established their estate in 1969 and have grown to be acknowledged among the top independent producers in a region still dominated by large co-operatives.
Marc works in a sustainable manner and is now certified as a member of Terravitis, a collection of winemaking estates that adhere to responsible, environmentally friendly practices and promote bio-diversity within their estates.In the winery, everything is done to ensure the wines maintain their steely freshness, so the grapes are pressed no more than 45 minutes after being picked, there is no pumping (everything is gravity fed) and temperature control is used to preserve the fresh fruit aromas and flavours.
Tasting Notes
As a variety, Picpoul is best-known for its naturally high levels of mouth-watering, refreshing acidity. But this bottling from Marc offers so much more than that, with a delicious, fresh palate showcasing hints of grapefruit and other citric notes before a long, mineral-laden finish.
Food Pairing
A perfect partner for all types of seafood – particularly oysters which are the local speciality in the region. However, food pairing is certainly not essential and Picpoul also makes for a very elegant aperitif.
Sauvignon Blanc ‘A peu près’, David Maudry, Loire, France 2023
Producer
‘A peu près’ means ‘more or less’ or ‘roughly’, and it’s a reference to that fact that this Sauvignon Blanc is pretty much a Pouilly-Fumé by nature, if not by name.
It is produced by David Maudry, son of Patrick Maudry of Domaine de Fontenille, in Tracy-Sur-Loire, from vines directly next to their Pouilly-Fume vines.
This parcel of vines are younger than most on the estate and are not classified for use as Pouilly-Fume. As such, we think this wine offers amazing value for money, showing all the elegance and style of classic Pouilly-Fume without the price tag.
Tasting Notes
Like all top-class Sauvignon Blanc from this point in the Loire Valley, this wine is laden with mineral flavours with particularly distinct flinty notes. On the palate, there is a well-balanced citrus and gooseberry tang, underpinned by a slight smokiness.
Food Pairing
Grilled or roasted fish, Shellfish, Goat’s Cheese tart, Caprese salad.
Cinsault, Le Paradou, Vin de France 2024
Producer
Chateau Pesquié is a family run domaine, which came to being in the early 1970s, when Odette and René Bastide spotted the potential of the Ventoux region and took over an area of rundown vineyards.
In 1985 Edith and Paul Chaudière took control and created one of the first independent wineries of the AOC, in an area which had previously been dominated by cooperatives.
In 2003, Paul and Edith handed over the running of the estate to their two sons, Alexandre and Frédéric, who have since set about converting the domaine to organic farming. They are blessed with vineyards in an enviable location, ideally situated at the crossroads between the Alpine and Mediterranean worlds.
An average altitude of the vineyards of more than 300 metres and the wide variation of temperatures between days and nights create an excellent physiological balance in the vines, adding colour, concentration and balance to their wines.
‘Le Paradou’ is the range of monovarietal wines that Alex & Fred have created to act as introduction to the wines of the Ventoux. As the wines of the neighbouring Rhone Valley continue to climb in price, we hope this wine shows the value for money that can still be uncovered in the less fashionable Ventoux.
Tasting Notes
Dry but very fruity and elegant rosé produced in the Ventoux area of Southern Rhône. Lovely ripe raspberry characters, refreshing.
Food Pairing
A wonderfully versatile gastronomic wine. A great partner to fresh salads or light shellfish dishes. But equally delicious without food – ideally with a side helping of summer sunshine!
Malbec ‘Terre Rouge’, Chateau du Cèdre, Cahors, France 2022
Producer
A 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 eight months of the year, yet also affected by the warm weather from the Mediterranean Sea for the duration of the summer.
Tasting Notes
A clear cherry-red in colour, ‘Terre Rouge’ is a delightful example of unoaked Malbec. The nose is dominated by fresh plums with a hint of cassis and cherry. In the mouth, it is well-structured and surprisingly delicate with a juicy acidity leading to a clean finish.
Food Pairing
The team at Chateau du Cèdre have crafted a Malbec that most certainly doesn’t need food. However, at this time of year, having a bottle of ‘Terre Rouge’ uncorked next to a BBQ is a match made in heaven.
