France's market share
has been hit hard in recent times by the assault of Chilean and Australian
fruit bombs with easy to say names and affordable prices. Thankfully for
them at least one region is adapting to changing tastes. The Languedoc -
Roussillon or Midi has undergone a transformation in the last few years. Martin will be
discussing the region's wines on News Talk 106FM’s Dublin Life show today
(21/1/2004) after the 3pm news.
The
Languedoc – Roussillon region comprises an arc from the Spanish border
round to the Camague in the department of Gard. The name Languedoc comes
from a time when the inhabitants spoke Occitan and Oc was the word for
‘yes’.
The
Celts may have planted vines here but historians agree that France’s
first recorded vines were planted in 125 BC near Narbonne and it wasn’t
long before they were exporting wine back to Rome.
Vines
dominate the countryside here with an extraordinary 742,000 acres
registered in the 1990s. Not surprisingly this was the home of the wine
lake of the 1980s and up until then the region was best known for
producing huge quantities of industrial vin de table rouge for thirsty
French manual workers. Two decades have seen fortunes change for many but
certainly not all producers. The worst vineyards have been ripped out and
others replanted with quality varieties like syrah, mourvèdre, grenache
and cabernet and chardonnay. There are now a host of Appellation Contrôlée
regions such as Corbière, Minervois, Pic St Loup and Faugeres producing
excellent wines at keen prices. Simultaneously producers working under the
vin de pay regime have been able to plant the international market places
favourites like chardonnay and merlot.
Supporters
of both camps of producers expel much hot air about how the region should
develop. One side feel that they should be faithful to their traditions and
others that they should respond to the market and give them what they want
even if that’s blow in varieties like chardonnay. They are, I feel, both
right. The point is surely to make excellent wines that people want to buy
and I, and many others too I imagine, are perfectly happy to enjoy both
sorts.
Wines
tasted today that illustrate the value to be found here include the Wine
Republic 2004 red wine of the year under €10, Ch. Cazal Viel 2001 from
Tesco at €8.99, rated 88/100 and a new find for me this week Domaine les Ferrageres
Pic St Loup 1999 at about €10.99, 88/100, (imported by From the Vine (044-75312).
There’s
no question that the best wines are red but there are a few very good
viogniers being produced as well as some good chardonnays or even blends
of the two.
Don’t
forget to try the sparkling Blanquette de Limoux (O’Brien’s have a
good one) or the original chocolate wines Banyuls or Maury, fortified
wines made from grenache.
A
word of warning on vintages. This is usually a reliable place but
September 2002 saw spectacular rainfall and flooding on the Gard
department resulting in dilute wines not to say destroyed vineyards and
drownings.
|
