The region of Cabardès is north-west of Carcassonne and borders Minervois to the east. It was named after the Lords of Cabaret who defended the Châteaux de Lastours against Simon de Montfort in 1209. Despite the name's medieval origins, this appellation is one of the youngest in France, having only become official in February 1999. It stands out from the rest of the Languedoc because of the grape varieties planted here. In the west the soils are deeper and it is wetter and suits the Bordelaise grape varieties and in the shallower soils in the east typical Languedoc varieties are planted. The AOC law requires that 40% of the blend must be of Merlot or Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon, and a minimum of a further 40% from Syrah or Grenache - with the balance up to 20% being from the Cot and Fer Servadou grapes. Cot is the local name for a grape better known as Malbec in Bordeaux and is also called Auxerrois in parts of south-west France. Fer Servadou is also known as Braucol in Gaillac and Pinenc in Madiran. The mixture of grape varieties and terroir enables the wine maker to obtain rich, complex and well balanced wines, with the lively expressive ripe fruit of the Atlantic varieties blending perfectly with the soft, dark, full bodied rich aromas of the Mediterranean grapes. Cabardès wines are generally dark and complex with rich developing aromas of blackcurrant, black cherries, ripe prunes and violet. Their ageing potential stretches from 2 to 10 years.

This is a small appellation which spans a little over 550 hectares. There are many small growers and therefore cooperative cellars are important and there are 5 in total and approximately 26 private properties spread out across the eighteen villages in the appellation. The Cabardès is located in an area of changeable weather and a great deal of attention is paid to the winds which blow from the east and west. To the east is the Mediterranean zone which provides dry and hot summers. The western zone is hot during the summer with lower spring temperatures and the northern zone provides altitude and therefore a cooler growing area with a later harvest.

I visited the area during August this year and tasted wines at a number of producers including Château de Pennautier which is probably the most well know producer in the region and their wines are good and available in the UK without too much problem. I especially like their top cuvee Esprit de Pennautier – Spirit of De Pennautier which is made up of 70% Syrah and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and spends 10 months in new French oak before bottling. It is spicy with damson and black berry fruit, liquorice and vanilla and has a slightly toasty, burnt character. I also visited Domaine de Cabrol where I was wowed by their superb range of wines. In particular I liked the 2 cuvée’s named Vent d’Est and Vent d’Ouest, named after the winds I mentioned earlier. I tasted the 2005 Vent d’Est which is a blend dominated by Syrah which gives it the Mediterranean character accompanied by chocolate, pepper and liquorice. The wine was superb but needs time to allow the tannins to soften a little but was excellent value at only €13 a bottle. The Vent d’Ouest 2001 was superb. The blend is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and has concentrated cassis flavours wrapped in vanilla. It was softer than the Vent d’Est and drinking very well but would still go for another 5 years at least. And it was a bargain at just €10. Their top cuvee is La Derive and I tasted the 2003 which had a complex nose full off cassis, blackberry, liquorice and vanilla with hints of sweet spice and herbs and on the pallet these flavours are joined with raspberry. The wine has wonderful structure with silky but fairly high tannins. It is a blend is Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Grenache and Syrah. Some of the wine is matured in new French oak whilst some of it spends some time in the foudres which are huge oak barrels that impart no flavour but allow the wine to breath and mature. This producer has really impressed me and I will definitely be including a visit to this domaine in my vineyard tours next year. Take a look at the vineyard tours we run in the Languedoc.

Sarah’s wine of the month

My recommendation this month is the absolutely delicious Dr Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese 2002 from the Mosel.

The Dr Loosen estate is situated in the Mosel Valley and has been in the same family for around 200 years. Ernst Loosen inherited the winery in 1988 and the estate has since undergone some very positive changes, namely converting to organic viticultural practices, maintaining low yields and introducing much gentler winemaking practices such as limiting filtering and not fining the wines.

The grapes are grown on old vines aged between 50 and 100 years old. These are situated on the unique red sandstone and slate soils of Ürziger Würzgarten (literally meaning the ‘spice garden of Ürzig’), which gives the wine beautiful spicy, mineral characteristics. 

Harvest is carried out later, once the grapes are very ripe, and individual clusters of grapes are hand selected from the vines (‘Auslese’ means ‘selected harvest’). The ripeness of the grapes gives the wine a deliciously rich honey character on the nose and there are also typical hints of kerosene beginning to show, as well as delicate floral notes such as rose petals. On the palate, the wine is delicate but luscious with a moderate sweetness and fantastic acidity balancing this sweetness. There is a soft oiliness to the wine with honey, spiced apple and citrus notes, especially pink grapefruit, on the finish.

This wine would be a fantastic match to many seasonal foods, including Foie Gras or other rich pâtés and game such as wild duck, especially when accompanied by a sweet fruit sauce. It could also be paired with many lighter, less sweet apple, apricot or peach based desserts. For a more savoury combination, try it with a sheep’s cheese such as Berkswell or Wigmore or, alternatively, some deliciously ripe Vacherin Mont D’Or!

2002 was an excellent vintage and is still fairly widely available. However, if you can’t get hold of a 2002, the subsequent four vintages were also good.  This wine is delicious now but it would also benefit from several years ageing which will allow the wonderful petrol aromas of an aged Riesling to develop.

Dr Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese 2002 is available at Connolly’s Wine Merchants and for around £23.35 (other vintages are also fairly widely available at other good wine merchants)

Quote of the month

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our friends and customers a very merry Christmas and a 'Quaffingly' good New Year

Happy Quaffing!

Wendy, Sarah and Lena