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Languedoc and Roussillon: Terroirs & Millésimes 2023
Coming soon: a series of wine tasting and touring reports from a recent trip to the Languedoc and Roussillon will be published here over the next few weeks. In the meantime, I've already posted photos...
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New Zealand Pinot Noir Part 1. South Island: Central Otago, North Canterbury,...
New Zealand Winegrowers Inc - Mishas Vineyard, Central Otago.This stunning shot of Misha's Vineyard in Central Otago reminds us this wine region in the south-of-centre of New Zealand's South Island is...
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Languedoc - Fitou: Domaines du Vent, Bertrand-Bergé, Lérys & Château de...
Nathalie Boyer, Domaine du Vent.The Fitou region nudges against the Corbières hills at the southern edge of the Languedoc before you cross over into the Roussillon, and is split into two parts divided...
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New Zealand Pinot Noir Part 2: Marlborough.
NZW Inc. Yealands.Estate from www.nzwine.comMarlborough region, which occupies a large part of South Island's northeast coast inland from Cloudy Bay, has 'almost 30,000 hectares of vines (2/3 of the...
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Roussillon: Maury focus - red and fortified wines.
Maury vineyards: Maury-aop.fr via uk.winesofroussillon.com.There's no shortage of awesome chunky vineyard vistas like in the photo above around the town of Maury, dramatically and strategically...
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New Zealand: Syrah, Cabernets, Malbec and Merlot.
New Zealand Wine Inc. Craggy Range Syrah.From www.nzwine.com.Syrah isn't the newcomer to New Zealand's vineyards that I imagined it might be, with 'a long history dating back to the mid-1800s.' Most of...
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Rosé: Languedoc vs Roussillon.
Is there a big difference in rosé from the Languedoc and Roussillon? Winemakers in both regions tend to have the same red grape varieties - mainly Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault (less so in the...
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Languedoc: Saint Chinian
Vieussan from saint-chinian.com.The Saint-Chinian region lies between Béziers and Minervois and northwards to the jagged hills at the bottom of the Massif Central. It stretches from the villages of...
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Argentina: Chardonnay, Torrontés, Semillon.
Chardonnay is grown in many of Argentina's wine regions north to south although most of it by far in the province of Mendoza. It's officially the number two white grape (after Torrontés), which isn't...
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Roussillon: Les Aspres, the centre and beyond.
Vineyard near Terrats in Les Aspres, central Roussillon.Côtes du Roussillon Villages and Les Aspres, Côtes du Roussillon, Côtes Catalanes and Rivesaltes VDNs.Talking of the Aspres and neighbouring...
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Roussillon: the north continued.
Overlooking a vineyard, Cases-de-Pène Agly Valley.Continuing this year's series of tasting and touring articles on the Roussillon, this time we're heading back north to the Agly Valley to supplement a...
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Roussillon: the south.
The final rant of 2023 about the Roussillon covers my favourites encountered earlier this year from the Côte Vermeille: mainly Collioure white wines (rosé is here), Banyuls Vin Doux Naturel (VDN) sweet...
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Languedoc: Limoux.
Château de Flandry, Limoux.Perhaps not that famous outside of France (although many of the wines recommended here are well distributed in Europe and North America), the Limoux region stretches mostly...
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Languedoc: Malepère.
The casse-croûte of the cassoulet in Malepère.Located to the northwest of Limoux and southwest of Carcassonne, Malepère is the most westerly of the Languedoc's appellations and probably one of the...
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Argentina: Cabernets and blends.
The first of two features on red wines from Argentina centres on Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Cabernet Franc and combinations with other grapes. Some of these include the nation's darling variety Malbec...
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Argentina: Malbec, Syrah and Pinot Noir.
Following my post on Cabernets from Argentina, this second instalment of a short duet about Argentinian reds moves on to Malbec, Syrah and Pinot Noir. Malbec is a familiar proposition nowadays: the...
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The Wine Society: 150 years.
The Wine Society is the world's oldest cooperative wine merchant, or 'member-owned community of wine lovers' to use their own words, based in Hertfordshire UK. Here are my dozen top picks from their...
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Roussillon: 'Coup de Coeur' winners 2024.
This line-up of ten Coup de Coeur (meaning personal favourite, top pick or 'wine of the moment' to coin my usual jargon) Roussillon champions were chosen by a London-based panel of wine media and...
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"Order my book on the Roussillon wine region (colour paperback) DIRECT FROM ME SAVING £4/€4 (UK & EU only), or Kindle eBook on Amazon UK. Available in the USA from Barnes & Noble in hardcover,...
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Roussillon: Gardiès, Terres Fidèles, Jonquères d'Oriola, Madeloc.
The Roussillon wine people in Perpignan (green link goes to the local wine industry website, known as the CIVR for short) held a suitably tasty trade event in Edinburgh a few weeks ago, which showcased...
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Roussillon part 3: Château Planères, Dom Brial, Domaine La Part des Anges.
David Loiret, La Part des Anges (see below).Château PlanèresThis fourth-generation estate winery is owned and run by the Jaubert family and is found in the pretty countryside of Les Aspres zone in the...
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Roussillon: Domaine Sol Payré, Château de l'Ou, Mas Bécha, Mas de Lavail.
Domaine Sol PayréDidier and Tatiana Rodriguez farm 56 hectares of organic vineyards, which mostly lie between Elne and Ortaffa south of Perpignan heading towards the magnificently moody Albères hills...
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Languedoc: Famille Fabre
Now run by Clémence Fabre and husband Louis-Jacques, this centuries-old wine family owns five vineyards in the Minervois and Corbières in the Languedoc. Recent departures from traditional winegrowing...
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Roussillon: Domaine Bila-Haut (Chapoutier), Bruno Andreu, VICA.
Domaine Bila-Haut (Chapoutier)Chapoutier made a move on the Roussillon more than 20 years ago establishing a vineyard and winery base in Latour de France in the north (first vintage 2001). Further...
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Australia & New Zealand: 12 Rieslings.
This is the first of a few 'themed' posts featuring my favourites from a recent Australia and New Zealand wine tasting in Dublin. And why not start with a dozen classy white wines made from the...
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