Languedoc-Roussillon’s premium reds – Blind Tasting
James Lawther MW tastes 22 of the region's top-end wines blind. See the results below...
It was a unique event in many ways: a first in terms of a flight of 22 of Languedoc-Roussillon’s finest reds brought together and tasted blind by an independent jury of 12 specialist journalists, oenologists and sommeliers.
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Apart from having a look at top-end Languedoc-Roussillon red wines in a blind format, the clear interest of organisers Jérôme Joseph and Laurent Calmel (of négociant-producer Calmel & Joseph) was to emulate Eduardo Chadwick and the Berlin tasting of his Chilean wines – and hope that their own wine, La Madone, was well placed in the event. The tasting took place at the company’s domaine at Montirat, just outside Carcassonne. To ensure impartiality, Jérôme and Laurent were absent from the tasting, as were the other producers, which was instead conducted by an independent supervisor, a sommelier for pouring and a huissier (judicial officer) to adjudicate the results.
High end reds
A minimum retail price of €50 per bottle had been specified for this tasting, with the most expensive wine weighing in at €180. This meant that wines from top estates like Mas Jullien or Domaine de Montcalmès were not included as they sell for less. Neither were many ‘regular’ cuvées from producers represented.
Vintages selected varied from 2008 to 2016. The difficult years of 2012 and 2014 were avoided and 2015 was the most represented but it would be difficult to draw any conclusion about vintage status judging by the results.
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Premium Languedoc-Roussillon reds: group ranking
1 Roc d’Anglade, Reserva Especial No 4, Gard NV
2 Calmel & Joseph, La Madone, Corbieres 2016
3 Gérard Bertrand, Clos d’Ora, Minervois La Livinière 2013
4 Domaine Gauby, La Muntada, Côtes du Roussillon
5 Gilbert & Gaillard, Roc Blanc, St-Chinian 2015
6 Domaine Le Roc des Anges, Las Trabasseres, Côtes Catalanes 2015
My personal favourite, Domaine Peyre Rose’s Clos des Cistes 2008, came in seventh. For me, Gauby’s La Muntada screamed of volatile acidity to the point of being faulty, so I did not score it.
Other points of interest included the anomaly of the winning wine, Roc d’Anglade Reserva Especial N°4, which is a Vega Sicilia-inspired blend of different vintages.
There were also discreet showings, which I endorsed, from Domaine de la Grange des Pères and Mas de Daumas Gassac’s Cuvée Emile Peynaud (respectively eighth and eleventh in the group ranking), the latter possibly explained by the oddity of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon appearing in a world of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan.
Premium Languedoc-Roussillon reds: James Lawther MW’s ranking
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Domaine Peyre Rose, Clos des Cistes, Languedoc, 2008
Produced from Syrah and Grenache planted in the 1980s, this wine is given a long, nine-week maceration then aged for up to 36 months in...
2008
Domaine Peyre RoseLanguedoc
Calmel & Joseph, La Madone, Corbieres, 2016
This is the first vintage of this low-yielding (10hl/ha) Grenache-dominated wine from sandy, limestone-clay soils. The grapes are destemmed and co-fermented, then the wine is...
2016
Calmel & JosephCorbieres
Gérard Bertrand, Clos d'Ora, Minervois, La Livinière, 2013
The second vintage from this biodynamically run vineyard on limestone and marl soils. Carignan, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre make up the blend. Vinification takes place...
2013
Gérard BertrandMinervois
Domaine Le Roc des Anges, Las Trabasseres, Côtes Catalanes 2015
The Carignan for this wine was planted in 1913 on schist soils, and the vineyard has been biodynamically run since 2011, with sensitive winemaking in...
2015
Domaine Le Roc des AngesCôtes Catalanes
Prieuré St Jean de Bébian, 1152, Languedoc, 2011
A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre grown on gravel and basalt soils, the grapes undergo long macerations of six to nine weeks. Each variety...
2011
Prieuré St Jean de BébianLanguedoc
Ludovic Engelvin, Les Vieux Ronsards, Vin de France, 2015
A limited production of 1,000 bottles produced from Grenache planted in 1955 on north-facing, sandy-clay soils. The grapes are vinified with natural yeasts and without...
2015
Ludovic EngelvinVin de France
Domaine du Clos des Fées, Le Clos des Fées, Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2015
An equal parts blend of old-vine Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache and Carignan grown on clay-limestone soils and part-vinified in new 500-litre demi-muids. The wine is aged...
2015
Domaine du Clos des FéesCôtes du Roussillon Villages
Roc d'Anglade, Reserva Especial No 4, Gard NV
Reserva Especial is produced from a blend of vintages in a solera-like system, and the No 4 combines 2013, 2014, 2015, some 2012 and a...
Roc d'AngladeGard
Château La Negly, Clos des Truffiers, Languedoc, 2015
This Syrah-based wine is made from hand-harvested and destemmed grapes grown on the sandy clay and limestone soils of St Pargoire. The wine is aged...
2015
Château La NeglyLanguedoc
Gilbert & Gaillard, Roc Blanc, St-Chinian, 2015
From limestone-clay soils, this Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre blend is aged for 24 months in barrel. It is brisk and fresh on the nose, displaying...
2015
Gilbert & GaillardSt-Chinian
Château Maris, Les Amandiers, Minervois La Livinière, 2016
This 100% Syrah from limestone-clay soils is fermented in wooden vats then aged for 16 months in new French oak barrels. It has a deep...
2016
Château MarisMinervois
Clos Marie, Les Glorieuses, Pic St-Loup, 2013
This is a micro-cuvée that's only made in top years from biodynamically cultivated Grenache and Syrah. It's an elegant style with lively, lifted cherry and...
2013
Clos MariePic St-Loup
Domaine Danjou-Banessy, La Truffière, Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2011
80-year-old Carignan and 60-year-old Grenache is biodynamically cultivated and whole-cluster vinified in gentle fashion. The wine is then aged for 15 months in barrel. It's...
2011
Domaine Danjou-BanessyCôtes du Roussillon Villages
Domaine Lafage, Onze Terrasses, Côtes du Roussillon Les Aspres 2011
This wine is produced from pre-selected, low-yielding (12hl/ha) parcels on schist terraces at the foot of the Canigou mountain. The grapes are placed in a...
2011
Domaine LafageCôtes du Roussillon Villages
Mas de Daumas Gassac, Cuvée Emile Peynaud, St-Guilhem-le-Désert 2015
The Cabernet Sauvignon for this wine was planted in 1972 on red glacial deposits. It undergoes a classic Médoc-style vinification followed by 12 months in...
2015
Mas de Daumas GassacSt-Guilhem-le-Désert
Mas Gabinèle, Inaccessible, Faugères, 2010
A Mourvèdre-dominated blend from vines grown on schist soils, matured in new oak barrels for 18 months. This warm and distinctly Mediterranean wine has a...
2010
Mas GabinèleFaugères
Domaine du Clos des Fées, La Petite Sibérie, Côtes du Roussillon 2015
Sourced from an old bush-vine parcel of Grenache grown on limestone-clay soils with a scree of schist, aged in new oak barrels and topped up...
2015
Domaine du Clos des FéesCôtes du Roussillon Villages
Château La Negly, La Porte du Ciel, La Clape, 2015
This Syrah-based wine is sourced from sandy clay and limestone soils. The grapes are hand-harvested then vinified over a period of 60 days, and it's...
2015
Château La NeglyLa Clape
Domaine Les Aurelles, Aurel, Pézenas, 2013
This organically cultivated, Mourvèdre-based wine is sourced from gravel and basalt soils. The grapes are fermented then aged for 48 months in tank. It's leathery...
2013
Domaine Les AurellesPézenas
Domaine de la Grange des Pères, Pays d'Hérault, 2013
This is mainly Syrah and Mourvèdre with an addition of Cabernet Sauvignon and Counoise - all cultivated on stony, galets roulés soils. Maturation takes place...
2013
Domaine de la Grange des PèresPays d'Hérault
Domaine Singla, Les Arrels, Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2011
A selection of the best barrels from the vintage, this Syrah-dominated blend is sourced from organically cultivated vines on limestone-clay soils. The grapes are destemmed,...
2011
Domaine SinglaCôtes du Roussillon Villages
