Languedoc-Roussillon v Southern Rhône: Top wines compared

Languedoc-Roussillon would generally be considered the underdog when set alongside Southern Rhône in a blind tasting like this one, which took place on Monday 3 February 2020.

The organiser clearly wanted to test the level of its own wine, La Madone, but none of its representatives – and no producers at all – were present during the event, which included an independent jury of 13 specialist journalists from France, Germany, the UK and USA.

Scroll down for James Lawther MW’s top-rated wines from the tasting

How the tasting was organised

To ensure impartiality, the tasting was also conducted by an independent supervisor, a sommelier for pouring and a huissier (judicial officer) to adjudicate the results.

This was the second tasting of this nature organised by négociant-producer Calmel & Joseph at the company domaine in Montirat, just outside Carcassonne.

Last year, Jérôme Joseph and Laurent Calmel assembled a flight of 22 of the Languedoc-Roussillon’s finest reds with a minimum retail price of €50.

This year, the selection was made from the highest scoring domaines and wines in two 2020 French wine guides, Bettane & Desseauve and La Revue du Vin de France, and included 24 wines from both the Languedoc-Roussillon and Southern Rhône.

The 50-50 split entailed reduced numbers from the Languedoc-Roussillon compared to the equivalent 2019 tasting, and the absence of some leading names.

The criteria for selection meant there was no place for last year’s overall winner, Roc d’Anglade Resera Especial No.4, with Grange des Pères, Mas de Daumas Gassac and Prieuré Saint Jean de Bébian the other notable absentees.

On the other hand, it was an interesting experiment to match wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon against high-end Southern Rhône represented by leading players like Château Rayas.

2016 vs 2017 vintages

In terms of vintage, there were one or two mature years (2005, 2009, 2014), all of which performed well, but the majority of wines hailed from either the 2016 or 2017 vintages.

The group’s top 10 had these two vintages as more or less an even split, whereas my notes gave a net advantage to the 2016 wines from both Languedoc-Roussillon and Southern Rhône.

Both are concentrated years, although 2017 was trickier due to frost then drought. Overall, 2016 seems overall to be better balanced and probably reflects my penchant for bright acidity.

Stylistically there was quite a mix. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, particularly the heavily Grenache-based wines from Clos du Mont-Olivet, Marcoux and Rayas, was perhaps the easiest to recognise with the pale hue, sweet fruit and structure.

Thereafter styles ranged from the more terroir-led examples of Mas Champart, Mas Jullien and the Chapoutier Barbe Rac to the modern take of Gérard Bertrand’s Clos d’Ora and Calmel & Joseph’s La Madone, passing by the finesse of Clos des Papes and Domaine de Montcalmès.

Aside from a couple of wines, the selection was extremely consistent in quality with scores in the 94 to 90 range and frequently only a point making the difference.

The group aggregate put Château Rayas as the top scoring wine and gave stronger support to Châteauneuf-du-Pape than I did.

That being said we were all on song for, respectively, the Domaine de la Janasse and Tardieu-Laurent Vieilles Vignes, as well as Domaine Peyre Rose (a top scoring wine in 2019 as well), but missed the reserved presence of Château de Beaucastel’s Hommage à Jacques Perrin.

What else did we learn?

There’s a little more sweetness of fruit in the Southern Rhône but the Mediterranean warmth also comes through in the Languedoc-Roussillon wines.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape probably has the tannic structure for longer ageing but the Languedoc-Roussillon is by no means without reserve.

Terrasses du Larzac, in particular, whether in the group aggregate or my own scoring, was a notable success with the three wines shown.

The eye-opener, though, was price (Euros in France). The Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines all retail at more than €50, except for Clos du Mont-Olivet, while Château Rayas is around €700-a-bottle and Beaucastel Hommage à Jacques Perrin at €480.

Compare this to the price of Domaine de Montcalmès at €28, Mas Cal Demoura Les Cambariolles at €26 or Domaine d’Aupilhac Les Cocalières at €19 per bottle and there are bargains to be found.

And it doesn’t only apply to the Languedoc-Roussillon, witness the Tardieu-Laurent Gigondas at €37 or Domaine Richaud L’Ebrescade from Cairanne at €27.

See James Lawther MW’s top-rated wines from the tasting

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