December 2024
The Singular South of France
In the shadow of the Pyrenees, numerous small, rustic wine regions dot southern France from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. Historically overlooked or written off as bulk wine and/or brandy producing country (where high-vigor but low-quality grapes are grown en masse), this month we seek to find some of the hidden gems from this long strip of territory. Gascogne, Cahors, and Pyrenees-Orientales are where we’ll find ourselves - three fairly unique regions with long but mundane histories of winemaking compared to their counterparts throughout the rest of France (as well as those just across the Pyrenees in Spanish Catalonia and Rioja).
Our first wine this month comes from Domaine des Cassagnoles in the hinterlands of Gascony, between Bordeaux and Toulouse. This region is most notably home to Armagnac, Cognac’s lesser-known but often excellent cousin as well as large cooperatives mass-producing fruit (mostly Ugni Blanc and Colombard) for bulk wine and distillate. Gilles Bauman of Domaine des Cassagnoles is an exception in this part of Gascony: a winemaker working small parcels of estate-owned vineyards with which he produces high-quality wines. While most of his vineyards are planted with the aforementioned Ugni Blanc and Colombard for his white blend, we’re bringing his most unique cuvee for wine club, a 100% Gros Manseng white of potent alcohol and body. This part of Southwest France is intimately related to Basque County in Northern Spain and Gros Manseng is no exception as it has been DNA-traced to have originated in Spanish Basque Country on the other side of the Pyrenees. This is an exciting wine quite unlike any other we have in the shop currently.
The next producer on the list, Fabien Jouves, hails from Cahors. Cahors wines were once far more known than they are today, with an active presence in London as far back as the 13th century. It remained relevant with its close links to Bordeaux, located not far downriver, until the late 19th century when Phyloxera destroyed the region’s entire vineyardland. Since then it has been something of a backwater on the world stage, but small producers exist and many of them are making exceptional wines (at great value), there’s just not terribly many of them to go around. This is a region we carry a couple of wines from already, but Fabien Jouves is working with a range of grapes and styles that departs from the norm of 100% Malbec cuvees, and we brought in not one, but two of his wines for this month’s club. Jouves farms 21 hectares on some of Cahors’ highest slopes, working organically and biodynamically to produce pure expressions of his grapes. The first is a white, ‘Les Agudes’, that marries traditional French grapes with native Southwest French grapes to make a vibrant field blend that jumps out of the glass. The second, an easy-going red, puts the local Jurancon Noir grape at the fore, with Malbec taking a backseat. These are lovely wines-of-place from one of France’s exciting young winemakers.
Finally, we take a large leap east to the Southeast corner of France where the Mediterranean and Pyrenees collide in the small commune of Latour-de-France. This mountainous region was the battleground between Catalonia and France for centuries in the middle ages and that history is still present today, as the inhabitants are just as (if not more) Catalan than they are French. Le Roc des Agnes is one of very few estates dedicated to crafting high-end dry wines in an area dominated by very sweet fortified wines and bulk wine. Working very old Grenache (noir, blanc, and gris), Carignan, and Syrah vineyards, the husband and wife team of Marjorie and Stephan has captured the harsh landscape they farm with ‘Segna de Cor’, the red blend we chose for this month. Closer to the Garnacha of Priorat, across the border in Spain, than the Grenache blends of the Rhone valley farther north in France, this wine is uniquely fit to this tiny corner of the country.
NOTE: No producer profile blurbs this month as those were integrated into the body of the text
Domaine des Cassagnoles ‘Reserve Selection’
Gascogne, France
The Grapes
100% Gros Manseng
Tasting Notes
Intense aromas of ripe melon, tropical fruit, ripe quince and crushed flower petals. Rich fruit on the palate with the quince and melon coming forward before a long, floral finish. Body: a touch of acid and residual sugar.
Pairing Suggestions
We just so happened to be having some Dal soup while tasting this, and it was a fabulous pair. With that in mind, something curry or garam-marsala based, with a nice little bite of spice.
Can it Age?
Drink now.
Fabien Jouves ‘Les Agudes’
Cahors, France
The Grapes
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Semillon, Colombard, Ugni Blanc
Tasting Notes
Stone fruit and tons of florality and herbaceousness on the nose, very vibrant. Similar on the palate with a perfect amount of acidity lifting the fruit nicely and stretching out the finish, where the floral notes linger. Subtle minerality runs through the entire wine.
Pairing Suggestions
Baked whitefish loaded up with herbs and lemon. Also a very good aperitif wine.
Can it Age?
Up to 2 years.
Fabien Jouves ‘You F&@k My Wine?!’
Cahors, France
The Grapes
Jurancon Noir, Malbec
Tasting Notes
Cranberry, red starburst, and berries n’ cream on the nose (in a good way). Flips on the palate to mint, strawberry, dark chocolate dipped raspberries, and pleasant herbaceousness. Easy-going finish.
Pairing Suggestions
This is giving pretty big pizza-wine-energy. Something classic, like a very well-made margherita ‘za.
Can it Age?
A drink now, but 1 or 2 years in a cellar wouldn’t hurt it.
Le Roc des Anges ‘Segna de Cor’
Roussillon, France
The Grapes
40% Grenache, 30% Carignan, 30% Syrah
Tasting Notes
Dark fruit and spicy earthiness up front. Plums, dark cherries, tobacco, dried herbs. A touch of pepper from the Syrah on the palate, surprisingly medium-bodied for the amount of flavor bouncing around. Tannin and acid are nicely in balance. Long finish with those earthy notes lingering.
Pairing Suggestions
This would pair well with a fresh venison roast for those of you who nabbed a deer. Otherwise smoked BBQ on the more savory side would be a perfect match.
Can it Age?
Yes, up to 6 years.