{"id":25484,"date":"2021-11-10T14:32:28","date_gmt":"2021-11-10T13:32:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/francevisiting.com\/?p=25484"},"modified":"2022-10-27T18:21:27","modified_gmt":"2022-10-27T16:21:27","slug":"languedoc-wines-vineyards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/francevisiting.com\/index.php\/2021\/11\/10\/languedoc-wines-vineyards\/","title":{"rendered":"A real exploration into the Languedoc wines through our selection of authentic vineyards…"},"content":{"rendered":"
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An authentic landscape between guarrigue<\/em><\/strong> and altitude<\/strong>, for more wine<\/strong> personality..<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The wide vineyards of the AOC Languedoc, stand on a vast amphitheater overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and extend from the Spanish border until the gates of N\u00eemes, existing since their Greek and Etruscas settlements who seemed to plant them their first vines around six centuries before J.-C. <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

We would try to learn here the language of such amazing terroirs<\/em> and its ideal climatic conditions for the cultivation of vine. In 1985, the appellation C\u00f4teaux of Languedoc succeeded to obtain the AOC label. <\/strong><\/div>\n
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Within 531 common parties gathered in the AOC Languedoc, most of the related grapes must come from specific plots (parcel delimitation) that meet those inner criteria. <\/strong>In addition, in the heart of this gourmet geographical area, do not miss to discover the beautiful and generous wines produced by our selection of different domains, situated in those maritime Aude and Pyr\u00e9n\u00e9es-Orientales departments. <\/strong><\/div>\n
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Among them, we could count on the masterpieces offered by the winery estates of Jean-Louis Denois<\/a> and Coume del Mas, which would be delighted to reveal their different treasures. Spread over a vast glass vineyard, subjected to multiple exhibitions, and whose dry and windy climate, and soil squares, square-schist and argilic limestones, offers different personalities of wines with multiple facets that contribute to a certain force of character. <\/strong>By AP<\/em><\/div>\n
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..but other ocher<\/strong> taints are also visible in this region.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Different shades of green overlooking the Valley<\/strong>..<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Still in this fancy Aude<\/strong> department and Cathar<\/strong> country, let’s step now into the Domain<\/strong> of Jean-Louis Denois<\/strong><\/a>. Native from Champagne<\/strong> region, son and grandson of winegrowers<\/strong> for six generations in a Premier Cru<\/strong> of the Marne<\/strong> valley, Jean-Louis Denois<\/strong> operates nowadays 30 hectares in Roquetaillade<\/strong>, Magrie et Fa<\/strong> near Limoux<\/strong>, in the Aude High Valle <\/strong>(photo credits: JL Denois).<\/p>\n

This high-altitude vineyard<\/strong> stands at the foot of the Pyr\u00e9n\u00e9es<\/strong>, the highest peaks in Languedoc<\/strong>, nestled at the gateway to access the department of Ari\u00e8ge<\/strong>, starring in sun-drenched plains<\/strong>, not so close from the Mediterranean Sea<\/strong> then.<\/p>\n

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Sometimes nature may appear as a real canvas<\/strong>..<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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..probably welcomed by Jean-Louis Denois<\/strong> himself.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The domain may host you in his lodges<\/strong>..<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Therefore, Jean-Louis Denois<\/strong>‘ wines are often acclaimed in this active region of Languedoc<\/strong>, thanks to his expertise<\/strong> and permanent inspiration<\/strong>. Indeed, since his studies in Burgundy<\/strong>, he learned what seems to be the most important for him, so to say the terroir<\/em><\/strong> notion!<\/p>\n

In his exploitation, he has been paying many efforts for more than 30 years, to extract his Pinot Noir<\/strong> grapes with much care and now almost without intervention, in order to reveal the complex terroirs<\/strong><\/em> and the warm climate<\/strong> of this sloped Aude Valley<\/strong>. Therefore, the result of this long process is a personal juice<\/strong> which combines a certain finesse<\/strong><\/em>, balance<\/strong> and elegance<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

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Panorama from the office of Jean-Louis Denois<\/strong>..<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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..what a geometric vine<\/strong> configuration seen from the sky.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Each Pinot Noir<\/strong> grape is cautiously picked up and valorized..<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These vines<\/strong> have been organically<\/strong> cultivated since the 2009 vintage<\/strong>, after an abandoned passage in biodynamics<\/strong>. For instance, the B\u00e9lier<\/strong> cuv\u00e9es<\/em> constitute the intermediate range, through amiable wines<\/strong> while the Etoile<\/strong> range are more regarded as the house Grands Crus<\/strong>, often awarded. Nonetheless, when these vintages<\/strong> are too close and none of them are of particular interest to justify a second cuv\u00e9e<\/em>, they are then downgraded and sold quite simply under the B\u00e9lier<\/strong> label.<\/p>\n

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The little signs proving a healthy<\/strong> vineyard..<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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..offering a view on the gastronomic<\/strong> patrimony of Languedoc<\/strong>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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A tasty Pinot Noir<\/strong> cuv\u00e9e<\/em> from 2020..<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We are glad here to introduce you two gems of this innovative wine producer<\/strong>… Among them, the Pinot Noir cuv\u00e9e Village 2020<\/strong> which is a red wine<\/strong> composed of a blend of different Pinots Noirs<\/strong>, from several high plots<\/strong> spread in Hauts de Magrie<\/strong> and vinified separately in Roquetaillade<\/strong> in small open vats. For your information, the growing terroir<\/strong><\/em> is made of clay-limestone<\/strong> with a strong clayey<\/strong> predominance.<\/p>\n

The harvests<\/strong> are manually operated by sorting, including a partial destemming<\/strong>, along a cold pre-maceration<\/strong> without SO2<\/strong> and a soft pressing<\/strong> before a maturation<\/strong> of 6 months, carried out on fine lees<\/strong> in several barrels<\/strong> of several wines<\/strong>. Following all these phases, an additional one-year aging<\/strong> inside glass bottles<\/strong> is carried out conveying to a juice<\/strong> adorned with a brilliant ruby<\/strong> \u200b\u200bcolor. You would surely appreciate a fresh and floral fragrance<\/strong> of peony<\/strong>, morello<\/em> cherry<\/strong>, grapes<\/strong> and vine peach<\/strong>, leading to aromatic<\/strong> and gourmet<\/strong> notes of red fruits<\/strong> in mouth, with even a sustainable finish expressing some cocoa bean<\/strong>. Perfect to match with quiches<\/strong><\/em>, fish carpaccios<\/em><\/strong> or even creamy cheeses<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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New blends<\/strong> in preparation for the upcoming years..<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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..straight from those endless sunny vineyards<\/strong>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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This promising black circled<\/strong> vintage..<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Followed by a Pinot Noir Grand Vin 2020<\/strong>, again full of Pinot Noir<\/strong> grape variety, extracted from a selection of the finest grapes<\/strong> from the Magrie<\/strong> vineyard and Roquetaillade<\/strong>, still in the Aude Valley<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This red wine<\/strong> pursues the conditions of its native clay-limestone terroir<\/em><\/strong> with its explicit clayey<\/strong> predominance, plus a manual harvest<\/strong>, without crushing<\/strong> grapes, but partly alternating them into several layers<\/strong> with more and less intact grapes<\/strong>. The pre-maceration<\/strong> is coldly<\/strong> carried out here with a soft infused fermentation<\/strong>, without sulphites<\/strong> and without force in order to avoid any over-extraction of tannins<\/strong>. Adding to this, the pressing<\/strong> and preliminary<\/strong> phases are always done without SO2<\/strong> before being implanted in 225l barrels<\/strong>. Although, the addition of sulphites<\/strong> is very moderate at the end of winter and before bottling<\/strong>, an additional one-year aging<\/strong> period is carried out in bottles. The result is a dense ruby<\/strong> \u200b\u200brobe with a discreet purple<\/strong> undertone, starring an intense nose<\/strong> full of mineral, ripe and fresh notes<\/strong> of red fruits (strawberry<\/strong> and raspberry<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

Then, the tasting<\/strong> is the wedding of fruity figs<\/strong> and cherries<\/strong>, with really present and supple tannins<\/strong>, with naturally a nice length. We suggest to accompany this wine<\/strong> with salads<\/strong> or any venison<\/strong>, and even Saint-Nectaire<\/strong> cheese.<\/p>\n

More information on the official website<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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An amazing panorama of the harbor of Banyuls-sur-Mer<\/strong>..<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While going more into the meridional angles of the Pyr\u00e9n\u00e9es-Orientales<\/strong> department, we were amazed to discover the magnificent flavors<\/strong> proposed by the Coume del Mas<\/strong><\/a> domain. Belonging to the Gard<\/strong> family, which used to be a family of local merchants<\/strong> with grandparents from Auvergne<\/strong>, at a time when most of winegrowers<\/strong> had many activities in the same time, such as dockers in Port Vendres<\/strong> or eventually fishermen in Collioure <\/strong>(photo credits: Coume del Mas).<\/p>\n

Furthermore, at the occasion of going deeper into the Banyuls<\/strong> appellation, Philippe Gard<\/strong> decided to go back to his roots and after studying agronomy<\/strong> in Montpellier<\/strong>, launched his own Catalan<\/strong> adventure. This project initially started with the acquisition of a small house at the Puig del Mas<\/strong>, before the development from 2000, with his partner Yves Chabanon<\/strong>, of their winery<\/strong> domain of Coume del Mas<\/strong>. Its surface gradually extended to reach 11 hectares, including plots<\/strong> scattered over the Banyuls<\/strong> territory but not only, since other terroirs<\/em><\/strong> of Cosprons<\/strong>, Coume Pascole<\/strong> or Salettes<\/strong> are also mentioned. This is where, the team would replant illustrious grape<\/strong> varieties of Syrah<\/strong>, Vermentino<\/strong>, Roussanne<\/strong> and Mourv\u00e8dre<\/strong>, while keeping as much as possible the old vestiges of primary Grenache<\/strong> vines (native of the Aragon<\/strong> region in Spain<\/strong>).<\/p>\nngg_shortcode_0_placeholder\n

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..the winegrower Philippe Gard<\/strong> himself.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Admire the various sections of the vineyard<\/strong>‘s underground..<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For your information, Philippe Gard<\/strong> opted for settling his cellar<\/strong> is located in the hamlet of Cosprons<\/strong>, between Banyuls-sur-Mer<\/strong> and Port-Vendres<\/strong>. This charming locality<\/strong> is preserved by the shadow of the lofty Madeloc<\/strong> tower, and giving a good protection<\/strong> upon this heritage of dozen of hectares of old vines<\/strong>. Thereafter, the homemade wines<\/strong> are fermented in barrels<\/strong> and a particular knowledge of its numerous kinds of plots<\/strong> allows the team to adapt to any types of climate<\/strong> variations, along the year.<\/p>\n

Plus, completed by a certain know-how in terms of winemaking<\/strong> and aging<\/strong> quickly positioned the production of Coume del Mas<\/strong>, among the most skillful in the region<\/strong>. Each bottle<\/strong> reflects the family philosophy<\/strong> guided by the respect of certain values<\/strong>, regarding the terroir<\/strong><\/em> and the environment<\/strong> protection. Indeed, each wine<\/strong> is elaborated from a selection of unique plots<\/strong> and some references<\/strong> are although produced in small quantities<\/strong>.<\/p>\nngg_shortcode_1_placeholder\n

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..you can feel here the artisanal<\/strong> way of life of this exploitation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The Quadratur<\/strong> vintage is also available in other editions..<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In fact, you could easily observe the authentic passion of Coume del Mas<\/strong> for their terroirs<\/strong><\/em>, through a line of quality wines<\/strong>, notably starring the Quadratur<\/strong> family. In this case, the 2019 edition<\/strong> is still fulfilled by a marine<\/strong> freshness, typical from this Collioure<\/strong> appellation.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, its opaque dark<\/strong> robe announces a fragrance<\/strong> displaying black fruits<\/strong>, as well as a tannic<\/strong> and powerful<\/strong> palate, reminiscent of smoky<\/strong> and vanilla<\/strong> notes and a very nice cocoa<\/strong> length. A young wine<\/strong>, but which should be kept a few years before appreciating<\/strong> it since it holds an aging potential of at least 8 years<\/strong>, particularly suited to grilled<\/strong> red meats or cooked with herbs<\/strong>, couscous<\/strong> and eventually some fine sheep cheese<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

More information on the official website<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The wide vineyards of the AOC Languedoc, stand on a vast amphitheater overlooking the Mediterranean…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":25248,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,1095],"tags":[8,1143,1142,1139,1140,1106,1102,20,1141,409,1108],"class_list":["post-25484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gastronomy","category-occitania","tag-aude","tag-banyuls","tag-collioure","tag-corbieres","tag-coume-del-mas","tag-languedoc","tag-languedoc-wine","tag-occitania","tag-pyrenees-orientales","tag-wine","tag-winery"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/francevisiting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/francevisiting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/francevisiting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/francevisiting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/francevisiting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25484"}],"version-history":[{"count":74,"href":"https:\/\/francevisiting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32888,"href":"https:\/\/francevisiting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25484\/revisions\/32888"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/francevisiting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/francevisiting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/francevisiting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/francevisiting.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}