I headed to La Sauvageonne in the Terrasses du Larzac and tasted some mighty fresh wines coming from the exceptional schist setting of the high Terrasses.
The schist at La Sauvageonne
We talk about diversity of the Languedoc-Roussillon a lot, and this estate visit helps that conversation quite a bit. Even though it is our third visit to the Terrasses du Larzac area, we’ve got a totaly different style of wine. Furthermore, the climb from the village up to the owner’s house at the peak of La Sauvageonne offers a peak at how much terroir can change in just a short climb in altitude. From the rust-colored Ruffes slate to the nearly lunar rock landscapes of the higher vines, La Sauvageonne makes you realize how wonderfully fast the terrain can change in the Languedoc.
Another interesting feature of this episode is that John is a person who came to work at La Sauvageonne because he loved the wines. And after a few short years working there, he’s been put in charge. That kind of passion turned into profession is pretty fun and makes for a good conversation.
The wines: Les Ruffes 2008, La Sauvageonne, AOC Terrasses du Larzac Pica Broca 2008, La Sauvageonne, AOC Terrasses du Larzac Puech de Glen 2005, La Sauvageonne, AOC Terrasses du Larzac
Une jolie petite dégustation au Château Camplazens, nous commençons avec les vins de pays qui sont tous en monocépage. Et ce sont des vins faciles à boire qui démontrent bien la typicité des cépages.
Nous parlons un peu des caractéristiques de chaque cépage dégusté. Et surtout le marselan, un cépage assez particulier, produit d’un croisement du Cabernet Sauvignon et du Grenache.
On comprend pourquoi j’ai un cameraman. J’étais tout seul ce jour là et je suis hors du champ de vision de la caméra la moitié du temps. Mais tant pis! L’important ce sont les vins dégustés.
Je corrige cela sur la deuxième partie de la dégustation qui sera téléchargée très bientôt.
Les vins:
Viognier 2007, Château Camplazens, Vin de Pays d’Oc
Grenache 2007, Château Camplazens, Vin de Pays d’Oc
Syrah 2007, Château Camplazens, Vin de Pays d’Oc
Marselan 2007, Château Camplazens, Vin de Pays d’Oc
We finish up our New Year’s tasting of Thunevin-Calvet, an estate in the Maury sort of on the cusp between Languedoc and Roussillon. Make sure you’ve watched the first part of this wine tasting.
If there’s one thing to take away from this tasting it’s that Maury doesn’t just do the doux. They can make excellent, KILLER dry red wines. Great way to start the new year.
We also spend some time reflecting on how some of these Languedoc wines would make a might fine cellar. For a reasonable investment today, you could have a goldmine cellar in ten-fifteen years. Something to think about. Especially if you have a toddler. Get some wine from their birth vintage. What a great excuse to start a cellar stock. And you won’t constantly be tempted to drink the wine because you’re saving it until they’re old enough to drink it with you!
The wines:
Constance 2007, Domaine Thunevin-Calvet, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes
Les Dentelles 2006, Domaine Thunevin-Calvet, AOC Côtes du Roussillon Villages
Les Trois Maries 2007, Domaine Thunevin-Calvet, AOC Côtes du Roussillon Villages
See also:
Garage winemakers – These guys make small quantities of great wine. Here is a Grand Crew post about meeting Thunevin (and Michel Gracia, another great garage winemaker). Thunevin’s a partner in the Maury property with Jean Roger Calvet, and they make Garagiste quality wine in slightly more conventional quantities.
Jean Luc Thunevin’s English-language blog – He is one of the first garagistes or garage winemakers in Bordeaux. He’s gotten a lot of grief for his unyielding pursuit of the best wine a terroir can give (even when it directly contradicts the classification laws).
La fin de notre dégustation dans le Pic Saint-Loup au Château de Lascaux avec Jean-Benoit Cavalier: deux millésime du même vin rouge dans l’AOC Pic Saint-Loup. Très bon! Ceci est la deuxième partie de notre rencontre au Château de Lascaux. Retrouvez la première partie de notre dégustation des vins du Château de Lascaux ici.
English | Ryan O'Connell February 5, 2010 | 
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