South of France
Gastro d’Oc
Posted by: | CommentsIt used to be said that Languedoc was a gastronomic desert. The truth of course is quite different. Ingredients here are second to none like beef from the Aubrac, lamb from the Larzac, cheese from Roquefort and elsewhere, oysters from Bouzigues, not to mention olives, fruit and vegetables. Influences come from far and wide, from the centre of France, from Spain, especially Catalonia, from Italy too and of course North Africa. There are a growing number of fine restaurants, including a newly promoted Michelin three star lost in the Corbières, to bring these flavours together.
David and Bridget Pugh
Stars are not everything though and what has arguably been the most enjoyable restaurant to eat in has no stars at all. It is called “Le Mimosa” and it is owned and is run by David and Bridget Pugh.
David is in charge of the wine and has made his list one of the greatest showcases for everything that is good about Languedoc wine with several vintages of many top estates like Daumas-Gassac, Granges des Peres and Aupilhac. And there is more with fine offerings from around France: Trimbach Riesling, Bandol from Tempier, Sancerre from Cotat and a host of lovely Burgundies going back a dozen or so years.
Le Mimosa
Bridget Pugh cooks and draws her inspiration in part from Morocco where the Pughs have a house. Dishes are beautifully prepared and perfectly match the wines. A highlight included quail cooked with a hint of spice and the fragrance of preserved lemon. The cheeseboard is exceptional while puddings included rhubarb crumble and a marvellous Pavlova. The setting too is idyllic from the courtyard with its miniature pool generous proportions of its tables, and friendly, unmannered service.
This is a place where I like to be and so it is a little sad that the Pughs have announced their retirement from the end of October. Everybody who loves good food should find an excuse and go there one last time.
The Wedding Season – Part 2
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The problem at most wedding receptions is being held to ransom by the caterers. At one of the last weddings I was invited to, a slightly off-dry Prosecco was served which was so awful that the contents of most of my glass made it to a flower bed. Very discretely I should add. So what is the answer?
Champagne is still the best, but the weak pound has made it much more expensive. On the plus side though is that, because sales of Champagne have slowed down, stocks are getting more bottle age and that is having a positive bearing on the quality of the wine.
There is of course much more to bubbles than Champagne. From France, Gratien and Meyer in Saumur is excellent and even better since we have been able to make our own blend for The Society’s Celebration Crémant de Loire for example. More generally, the Languedoc appellation of Limoux has seen a lot of improvement thanks to the passing of intelligent new laws and even some consensual leadership among the producers.
Wines may bubble just as brightly elsewhere. Many of the big New World names, especially those with links to Champagne are very good. Currently we like Pelorus from New Zealand. And yes there is good Prosecco.
As for the caterers, it is always worth trying to negotiate corkage and bring your own!
Jane MacQuitty Tastes 30 Bank Holiday Rosés
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The Times
Jane MacQuitty tastes 30 Bank holiday rosés and includes:
FC19081 2009 Château Sainte Eulalie, Minervois (The Wine Society 01438 741177, £6.95) Terrific dry, spicy, plum and cherry-packed, 13 per cent alcohol, albino rabbit-eye pink. Also from the Languedoc, but this time the prime La Livinière hillside location. It is made predominantly from the syrah and cinsault grapes, topped up with a dollop of grenache and a dash of carignan.
SP5641 2009 Rioja Muga, Haro (The Wine Society, £7.75; Waitrose, £8.15; Majestic £8.99, or buy two for £7.99 each) Even Rioja has to evolve. Not so long ago I loathed the evil pinks that traditional Rioja produced, but this family-run winery has blended together red garnacha and tempranillo with white viura to create a pretty pale-rose pink ’09 whose fine, dry, spicy, peppery palate is a delight.
CE5401 2009 Leyda Pinot Noir Rosé Single Loica Vineyard, Viña Leyda (The Wine Society, £9.50; Great Western Wine, £9.95) Viña Leyda was one of the first to plant vines in the granite soil of the prime Leyda valley, whose rolling hillsides, only eight miles from the Pacific, are cooled by quality-enhancing sea breezes. Renowned for pinot noir, this starry, single-vineyard, rich crimson rosé bursts with racy, plummy, strawberry fruit.
Jane Anson on Victoria and Languedoc
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Business Destinations – Apr 10
Jane Anson recommends:
Kooyong Massale Pinot Noir 2008 (£16, The Wine Society) Mornington Peninsula is one of the best renowned ‘cool climate’ regions of Australia; it still gets plenty of sunshine (being close to Melbourne), but as the name suggests is surrounded by water on three sides. There are beaches and waterfront cafés that make this a popular summer destination, but as far as the wqine is concerned, plenty of cooling breezes that mean good drops in temperature at night-time. This Kooyong Pinot Noir has all the earthy ‘rustic’ characteristics that pinot nuts search for, and at 13% it’s not too high in alcohol. This is a lovely wine, one that still tastes riper and richer than many Burgundy pinots, and would be perfect with a roast duck. Maybe they’ve had a bit of practice with that pairing, as the vineyard is located next to the Devilbend Nature Reserve, and the name Kooyong means ‘where the wild fowl gather’.
La Clape Arpège, Château Rouquette sur Mer, 2008 (£8.95, The Wine Society) Cool climate regions are hard to find in the Languedoc region of southern France. This estate, near the Roman port of Narbonne, used to be on an island (called La Clape), but over the years the gap beween the island and the mainland silted up, and today you can drive right there. The sea views and propensity for producing excellent and unusual white wines remain, however, and this 60% malvoisie , 40% roussanne blend certainly fits in. It is unoaked, but has plenty of structure (there are 3,000 hours of sun each year here, so maturity is never an issue), with a gentle hint of blush, a sour twist of wild herbs and a lovely dry finish.
2009 harvest in the South of France
Posted by: | CommentsWe are already a week into the 2009 harvest in the South of France and so far so good. Yesterday’s mini heatwave here has been the norm in the South of France with daytime temperatures in the mid 30’s. People are picking whites at the moment, early ripening varieties such as chardonnay and muscat with good early results for the muscat. To ripen fruit properly though, you need water as well as sunshine and growers are quietly praying for rain next week. A day or two of rain followed by more wall to wall sunshine will be just the ticket.
Fingers crossed.
