Château St Jacques d’Albas in Laure-Minervois is run by Englishman Graham Nutter and his French wife Beatrice. They came here a few years ago, “when everything was in ruins” and now they have a beautifully renovated 80-hectare estate in the heart of Languedoc. We first got in touch with Graham about five years ago and [...]
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Mas du Soleilla, La Clape, Languedoc – BKWine Pick
Soleilla means sun in Occitan, the ancient language langue d’oc. Mas du Soleilla is beautifully situated, close to the sea, in the region of La Clape in Languedoc, not far from Narbonne. The climate is hot and dry, the soil very chalky and stony. The wines, which are both red and white, are generally of [...]
Domaine Senat, Minervois
Fifteen years ago Jean-Baptiste Senat moved from Paris to Minervois in the Languedoc. He started with just a few hectares, now he has 15 hectares and is one of the most interesting producers in the region. He makes drinkable wines with a lot of character, wines that are very pleasant to drink young, although some [...]
Mas Zenitude, Terrasses du Larzac, Languedoc
Being Swedish ourselves we always find it interesting to meet Swedish winemakers. Like Erik Gabrielsson, whom we met in September at his domaine Mas Zenitude, in Languedoc. Erik is from southern Sweden and works as a lawyer in Malmö. He bought Mas Zenitude, a domaine of 5 hectares, situated outside the small village of Saint [...]
Domaine Virgile Joly, Saint Saturnin de Lucian (Languedoc) – BKWine Pick
Virgile July knew early that he wanted to work with wine. He studied to be an oenologist and he worked as a consultant in Chile among other places and in year 2000 he created his own domaine. He has 24 hectares and he is certified organic since the beginning. His wines are of a very [...]
Domaine Sainte Croix, Fraissé des Corbières – BKWine Pick
Jon and Elizabeth Bowen decided to settle in the majestic region Haute Corbières in southern Languedoc. In 2004 they bought their own vineyards, starting with 14 hectares divided in 24 separate plots. They have 80 year old carignan and grenache vines growing on poor limestone and schist soil. We met them at Vinisud in February [...]
Château Rives-Blanques, Limoux – BKWine Pick
The view from Chateau Rives-Blanques is fantastic: the snow capped tops of the Pyrenees mountain tops. No wonder that Carly and Jan Panman decided to settle here in this majestic environment. Limoux makes a lot of white wines and Rives Blanques makes no reds at all. But they do make several different whites: dry, sparkling [...]
Domaine des Terres Georges, Minervois – BKWine Pick
Three years ago we discovered this winery when we were researching our book on the Languedoc wines. We asked one of the producers we met if he had any personal recommendations and that’s how we got their name! And when we recently re-tasted their wines we can only conclude that their search for perfection continues [...]
Domaine Monplezy, Pezenas, Languedoc | BKWine Pick
They make Vin de Pays des Cotes de Thongue, one of the better known vin de pays denominations in the Languedoc. Grapes are mainly syrah, grenache, carignan, cinsault, merlot, roussanne and marsanne. They have 22 ha of vineyards with not very fertile soil (which is of course good for the quality of the wine). It [...]
Domaine Grand Lauze, Ferrals de Corbières
This is a 22 ha big estate in Boutenac, one of the best areas in the Corbières. The vines are old. Some carignans and grenaches are over 100 years old. 80% of production is AOC and the remainder is Vin de Pays. Xavier Ledogar is the winemaker. He has a passionate interest in the soil [...]
Domaine Grand Guilhem, Fitou
Domaine Grand Guilhem, Fitou In the mountainous part of Fitou, in the small village of Cascastel, on the border to Corbières, that’s where we find Gilles Contrepois (an exiled Parisian) at Domaine Grand Guilhem. He and his wife completely changed their lifestyle a few years back when they settled here among the vines and the [...]
Domaine l’Oustal Blanc, La Livinière, Minervois, Languedoc
We’ve stopped counting all the exciting wineries we discover in the Languedoc. But among the interesting ones there are some that stick in memory and stand out. L’Oustal Blanc in Minervois is one of those. The owner is called Claude Fonquerle. He is a very skilled winemaker and often quite unorthodox. Several of his wines [...]
Château d’Anglès, Languedoc La Clape
La Clape is an appellation not far from Narbonne, on the Mediterranean. It’s a limestone rock that was once an island, mixed with red clay and stones, more stones than anyone would wish for. The area is a protected nature reserve that mixes the garrigue wildlife and vineyards. And it is one of France’s sunniest [...]
Château Ricardelle, Languedoc-La Clape
After having worked for Cinzano in Swizerland and as a wine buyer sourcing wine for German sekt producers, Bruno Pellegrini decided to study oenology to be able to start his own winery. In 1990 he arrived in La Clape and discovered Château Ricardelle, with 45 ha of vineyards, for sale. The deal was done. His [...]
Domaine de la Bouysse, Corbières, Languedoc – BKWine Pick
Martine Pagès and Christophe Molinier are both trained oenologists. They run this 50 ha family property in the Corbières in Languedoc. They have 10 ha in the sub-appellation Boutenac with its stony soil. They took over the responsibility for the property in 1996 and immediately started a restructuring of the estate to improve the quality [...]
Château Prieuré Borde Rouge, Languedoc
Chateau Prieuré Borde Rouge is well on its way to join the big names of the Languedoc. They have already received numerous prizes for their very elegant and fruit-filled wines. The property comprises 23 hectares close to the town of Lagrasse. It’s in an excellent location, protected in what is shaped like an amphitheatre and [...]
Domaine Roc des Anges, Côtes de Roussillon – BKWine Pick
Marjorie Gallet was only 23 when she in 2001, without a penny in her pocket, decided to settle in Roussillon to become winegrower. She had an opportunity to buy an old property of 10 ha thirty kilometres north of Perpignan and has added some land since so she now has 20 ha. But she only [...]
Domaine Coume del Mas, Collioure – BKWine Pick
Coume del Mas is close to the village Cousprou, between Collioure and Banyuls. The soil is poor, dominated by slate that gives a strong backbone and fresh acidity to the wines. The main grape variety is Grenache. The property is built up of many small plots acquired over the last ten years by the owner [...]
Cave d’Embres et Castelmaure, Corbieres, Languedoc – BKWine Pick
Cave d’Embres et Castelmaure, Corbières, Languedoc To reach the village of Embres et Castelmaure (yes, that’s how its called) you have to follow narrow, winding roads, beautiful and remote and full of game hunters in season… To arrive in the village and find a cooperative that is modern, not to say trendy, is not quite [...]
Cellier des Dominicains, Collioure, Roussillon – BKWine Pick
A quality-oriented co-operative (especially in recent times) in the middle of the very picturesque village of Collioure. The winery is in what was previously a Dominican monastery from the 13th century. They have put in place a system that encourages the growers-cooperatuers to improve the maturation and quality of their grapes. As everyone in this [...]
Ermitage de Pic Saint Loup, Languedoc – BKWine Pick
An excellent producer in the beautiful Pic St Loup area a bit north of Montpellier. The Ravaille family owns the property since a few hundred years back. The current generation is the fifth with the three brothers Jean-Marc, Xavier and Pierre in charge. They have 35 ha with a great variety in soil types giving [...]
Mas Champart, Saint-Chinian – BKWine Pick
Isabelle and Mathieu Champart is a charming wine maker couple who fell in love with the spectacular scenery in Saint Chinian, one of the appellations in the Languedoc region, a bit to the north of Béziers. They make both red and, more unusual for the region, whites. Their whites have an excellent acidity and freshness [...]
Château de l’Engarran, Lavérune | BKWine Tip
The two sisters Constance Rerolle and Diane Losfelt are the third generation of women who manage the vineyard and the beautiful 18th century chateau in Lavérune just outside Montpellier. The family didn’t bottle their own wine until 1978 but has since become one of the better known properties in Languedoc. Elegance as well as body [...]
Domaine de la Coste, Coteaux du Languedoc – Saint Christol | BKWine Pick
Luc was the first to realize the great potential in the soils around Saint-Christol, a terroir just north-east of Montpellier. Luc and Elisabeth Moynier created Domaine de la Coste in 1975. Their grapes grow in poor soil that is difficult to work, filled with stones much like the galets in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. And the vineyard creates [...]
Domaine des Grécaux, Languedoc | BKWine Pick
Alain and Isabelle Caujolle-Gazet settled to make wine in Montpeyroux in Languedoc in 1998. Today they have 11 hectares, 7 of which are on very poor soil (and thus good for wine growing) on the Montpeyroux plateau and this is the source of their cuvée Héméra. This is an excellent example of this peculiar Montpeyroux [...]
Château de Lascaux, Vaquières, Coteaux du Languedoc-Pic Saint Loup | BKWine Pick
In Pic Saint Loup, a short drive north of Montpellier in the Languedoc region in France, you can find many high quality wine producers. One of those is Ch Lascaux, a family vineyard run by Jean-Benoît Cavalier. The property covers 53 hectares, the soil is, as often in this region, very poor. The well balanced [...]
Mas de Perry, Murles, Coteaux du Languedoc | BKWine Pick
Geneviève and Didier Ponson-Nicot and the two children manage this charming family property just north of Montpellier. Stéphanie, the daughter is responsible for the wine making and Olivier, the son, for the vineyards. They make a very good Grenache Blanc-Marsanne cuvée and a very unusual and interesting on 100% Ugni Blanc – late harvest (but [...]
Château Pech Latt, Corbières | BKWine Pick
A narrow road from the village Lagrasse in the Corbières leads to Chateau Pech Latt, owned by the Burgundy house Louis Max. The winery and vineyard is manage by the enthusiastic oenolog Philippe Mathias. It’s a big vineyard – 120 ha, 100 of which are planted with vines – all in a single plot, and [...]
Domaine d’Aupilhac, Montpeyroux, Languedoc | BKWine Pick
Sylvain Fadat prefers to spend his time in the field. That’s where the important work is done, in his opinion. He’s one of the stars in the Languedoc, with Domaine d’Aupilhac that he created in 1989, north west of Montpellier. At that time, Languedoc still had a low-quality, big-volume reputation and Sylvain became one of [...]
Clos Centeilles, Languedoc | BKWine Pick
Daniel and Patricia Domergue consider Cinsault to be the best grape in the whole of Languedoc! And also the most typical. Grenache and Carignan are both newcomers, introduced after the phylloxera crisis, they say. They bought the run down Clos Centeilles in 1990 with 10 hectares of Cinsault, Carignan and Grenache. Already the very first [...]
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