A Taste of the Languedoc

It’s been awhile since I joined my fellow wine writers of the #Winophiles group, but I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to share some wines from the Languedoc I tried along with what I learned about this wine region of France.  I must admit my French wine knowledge is lacking, but I’m always intrigued by the wines of France.  I’m an old world wine girl, hence my love for Italian wine.  It’s always easier to gravitate towards what you know, but you don’t learn unless you put yourself out there to try new things.  I attended a virtual wine tasting awhile back hosted by Gregory & Vine and Laura Maniec-Fiorvaniti, Master of Wine and owner of the Corkbuzz in New York City.  Let’s dig into the Languedoc and get a taste of what it has to offer. 

The Languedoc wine region is located in the southeastern part of France.  This area has a rich winegrowing history dating back 2,500 years.  The region is mostly dominated by red wines at 59% with almost equal parts split between white and rosé wines at 21% and 20% respectively.  The Languedoc has 23 AOC’s with over 3,000 winemakers including small growers, negociants and cooperatives farming across 90,000 acres of vines. 

Languedoc-Rousillon wine region - sourced from Wikipedia

The Languedoc is abundant in sunshine receiving over 300 days of warm sun.  It has many climatic influences from the Mediterranean Sea and the cooling Atlantic wines along with the hillside and mountains influences to the north.   

For those conscious of organic wines, the Languedoc is the leading wine region in France for the most organic vines.  At the time of the virtual tasting they were at 33% and growing so I’m sure the numbers have incraesed since then.  Over 25% were in the process of converting as well making up 6% or organic vineyards worldwide.  Quite the astonishing number if you ask me!  One of the wineries that I’m highlighting today, Chateau Maris, is one of the pioneers of the region for not only organic, but sustainability and biodynamics as well. 

There is quite the diverse range of styles and terroir and the wines can be grouped into 5 classications: sparkling, sweet wines, the AOP Languedoc, village designations and sub regional areas.

Languedoc wine appellations - sourced from Wikipedia

The Wines 

The Languedoc produced the first sparkling wine in the world that came from Limoux in 1544.  The Limoux AOC is located on the southwestern side of the Languedoc region.  This area has a cool, moist climate with crisp, dry winds from the Atlantic from the west and warm Mediterrean winds from the east.  The soils there are mostly rocky filled with limestone and sandstone.  

Limoux AOC - sourced from the Wines of Languedoc

I tasted the 2019 Gerard Bertrand Heritage An 825 Brut Cremant de Limoux AOC which is owned by a famous rugby player whom owns over 17 estates in southern France.  Gerard grew up working alongside his family’s wine estate until he took it over in 1987 upon the passing of his father.  Five years later  he founded the Gerard Bertrand winery. 

 

The 2019 Gerard Bertrand Heritage An 825 Brut Cremant de Limoux AOC is named after the Abbey of St. Hilaire near Limoux that traced back to 825.  The abbey used to house monks who discovered effervescent wines.  This wine is made up of 60% Chardonnay, 25% Chenin Blanc and 15% Pinot Noir.  Produced in the traditional method, this pale rosé did not macerate the Pinot Noir with the juice, but went through a light bleeding.  This wine was light salmon in color with a tinge of orange. Aromas of citrus and yeast.   Dry on the palate with notes of citrus pith. ABV 12.5% SRP $23

Next up is the area of Pic-Saint-Loup AOC located in the hills and mountains in the northern part of the Languedoc. This area has dry, hot summers with cold winters. It is known for producing red and rosé wines made from Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah. The soils of this area are composed of red sanstone known as “ruffe” as well as Jurassic limestone, basalt and schist. The volcanic subsoils of this area lend to minerality in the wines.  

 

I tasted the 2015 Chateau de Lancyre Vielles Vignes Pic-Saint-Loup that comes from old vines, averaging 30 years old. This wine is made up of 2/3 Syrah and 1/3 Grenache. Laura called this wine a “steakhouse wine”. Intensely colored to match it’s big, dark fruit flavors. This wine has a meaty structure, but also an elegance about it. SRP $21ABV 14%

Lastly is the Minervois La Liviniere AOC named after the village of La Liviniere. It’s meaning translates to a place planted with vines after the original name, Lavineira. In Minervois is Chateau Maris, a pioneer of the region for organic and biodynamic farming and sustainability practices. Wine Spectator labeled them as “one of the 5 most environmentally friendly wineries in the world”. They are Biodyvin and Demeter certified and is the first and only B Corp Certified European winery. They are known for making terroir driven wines.  

Minervois AOC - sourced from Wines of Languedoc

I tasted the 2019 Chateau Maris La Touge La Liviniere Minervois AOC which is a blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache that is vinified and aged in cement eeggs. Full-bodied, this wine has a meaty structure and is full of juicy black fruits and ripe red raspberries with a touch of pepper and herbs. ABV 14.5%, SRP $21 

Join my fellow wine writing friends as they share additional wines with some pairings from the Languedoc.

• Camilla of Culinary Cam serves up A Simple Poulet Rôti with the 2023 Les Foulards Rouges Octobre Rouge
• Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles is sharing Heresie – Ancient and Modern Knights of Languedoc
• Gwendolyn of Wine Predator offers For Spring, try Salade Niçoise and this cheeseboard with red or rose wine from Languedoc
• Wendy of A Day In The Life On The Farm sips Grande Réserve de Gassac Blanc 2021: A White Blend from Languedoc
• Jeff of FoodWineClick discovers Languedoc – Hidden Value from France
• Here at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog I’ll be Pairing 2022 Jeff Carrel Languedoc Les Darons with Birria Pizza

You can shop on Wine.com in support of Vino Travels and find a variety of Languedoc wines to try for yourself.

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*These wines were provided as samples, but opinions are always my own.

An evening in Boston with the wines of Oltrepo Pavese

Before the end of the year I wanted to highlight the Lombardy wine region and share a wine dinner I attended a couple months back in Boston sponsored by the Oltrepo Pavese Consorzio and wine friend Susannah of Vigneto Communications.  You may remember me highlighting some wines from the Oltrepo in Lombardy awhile back, which I will also rehighlight at the bottom of this article.  It was a splendid evening in the North End of Boston, the Italian section of Boston, at Forcella with great food and wine pairings, great conversation and a reminder of interesting and diverse this region really is.

Susannah (Vigneto Communicatiaons), myself, Carlo (Consorzio), David (Cooking Chat) and Alison (Artisan Wine Group)

The Oltrepo Pavese, pronounced ol-tray-po pah-vay-say, sits in the southern part of the Lombardy about 25 miles outside of Milan. It’s uniquely shaped within Lombardy looking like a cluster of grapes.  The vineyards cover 32,000 acres across 7 denominations with the flagship DOCG, and only DOCG, being the Oltrepo Pavese Metodo Classico Pinot Nero DOCG.   The Oltrepo receives a Mediterranean climate from the nearby influence of the Ligurian Sea and has more of a continental climate with the Po Valley.  Due to these factors, and others, there is a large diversity in the styles of wines produced in the Oltrepo.

Whether you have heard of the Oltrepo or not you may be surprised to learn that this wine area actually accounts for 65% of the wine production within Lombardy.  So much of the Oltrepo has changed over the years.  In 1884 the Oltrepo had 224 native vines with 59 grapes.  Today this area has 10 native vines with a much more limited amount of grapes.  It’s primary grapes grown and what it is known for are Barbara, Riseling, Croatina and especially Pinot Nero.  The Oltrepo Pavese is actually 3^rd in the world, besides Champagne and Burgundy France, for the production of their Pinot Noir.  Other grapes also produced within the Oltrepo Pavese include Uva Rara, Pinot Bianco, Cortese Bianco, Vespolina, Moscato, Pinot Grigio, Malvasia and Mueller Thurgau.

There are 4 valleys in the Oltrepo from west to east including Valle Straffora, Valle Coppa, Valle Scuropasso and Valle Versa.  Pinot Nero is frequently grown in the Valle Scuropasso.  Barbera you will find mostly within Valle Straffora and Valle Coppa.  Riesling does well in the calcareous soils of Valle Coppa.  Croatina is found in the central valleys eastward. 

We opened the evening with the lovely Ca’ di Frara T4 Brut Nature.  The 2022 Bruno Verdi Pinot Grigio was surprising as I never would’ve pinned that wine if tasted blind, although I’m far from an expert.  The texture and fruit profile in the wine reminded me of a Riesling.

Although I didn’t take specific notes on these wines during my dinner with the Consorzio I have to say that some of the pairings that we had complemented one another very well.  The star pairing was the La Travaglina Rugiade Oltrepo Pavese Riesling DOC paired with a cacio e pepe dish.  

Also, the Castello di Luzzano Sommossa Bonarda Frizzante with the pasta Bolognese surprisingly paired nicely with a slight frizzante.

Have you enjoyed wines from the Oltrepo?

Here are some of my previous articles on other wines of the Oltrepo Pavese.

•  Interesting Diversity in the Oltrepo Pavese
  

You can find Oltrepo Pavese wines at Wine.com. 

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*I may receive commissions if any wines are purchased directly from the above site to support the operations of Vino Travels.  

 

Sparkling Wines from the Alta Langa with Borgo Maragliano

After a couple week hiatus due to wonderful family vacation on a Disney cruise of the western Caribbean, I'm ready to share a recent tasting I had a couple months back including sparkling wines from Borgo Maragliano.  This winery is located in the sparkling wine area of ​​​​Piedmont in northwestern Italy known as the Alta Langa.  They are based in Loazzolo, close to Asti.  We tasted through 6 sparkling wines  mostly based on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and one from the Riesling grape.  Let's explore!

The winery – Borgo Maragliano

The husband and wife owners, Carlo and Silvia Galliano, run Borgo Maragliano along with 2 of their 3 sons.   Carlo is also the winemaker and his wife handles the hospitality portion of their business.  They own about 108 acres in the Alta Langa, which is close to the seaside and therefore has the Ligurian Sea influence and winds over their vineyards.  The winery is situated at about 1,475 feet on steep Langhe hills with the vineyards at about 2,000 feet above sea level.  Their focus is on 4 grapes in particular, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and Moscato.  The Moscato grape Carlo shared is the king grape of this particular area in the Alta Langa.  

Galliano family

The Alta Langa is an area of ​​southern Piedmont known for producing sparkling wines made in the traditional method style, known as the traditional method, with the second fermentation taking place in the bottle.  This is the way in which Borgo Maragliano produces their wines.  Canelli, a municipality in the Asti province of Piedmont, was the first in Italy to use this popular methodology and experiment with it.  Specifically the producers, Carlo Gancia and Conterno, were influential in the beginnings of using the classic style method. 

Carlo explained how they use selected yeasts from France and  use organic practices in their vineyards.  Their soil is meager and poor that gives great acidity to their wines allowing them to stay fresh and be ageworthy.  He discussed what he calls the “pedoclima” as a major factor in the influences of their wines.  This pedoclima is a combination of their altitude, soils and climate.  They have large diurnal temperature swings of 23-24 degrees.

The wines

I'll share the wines I tasted in order of my personal preference.  Most of these wines are named after members of the family.  I didn't find the bubbles to be too bright and bubbly, which for me was great since I'm not a huge sparkling wine fan. 

The 2018 Borgo Maragliano Dogma Blanc de Noirs Bruit Nature Millesime is made from 100% Pinot Noir.  The wine matured for 48 months on the yeast.  They explained this vineyard as a difficult one and Carlo chose the name “dogma” as a strong word to represent the passion and determination to make these wines.  Aromas of butter and vanilla along with some stone fruit.  This wine was rounder on the palate and fuller bodied than the others with a touch of salinity on the finish. SRP $72

The 2018 Borgo Maragliano Giuseppe Galliano Brut Nature Millesime was the first sparkling wine they made in 1987 that is dedicated to Carlo's father.  They started making 1,400 bottles with the 1^st vintage and today make about 8,000-9,000 bottles.  Made from 80% Pinot Noir for body and 20% Chardonnay for elegance from 35 year old vines.  This wine spends 4 years in the bottle and has 0% sugar.  Yeasty aromas with a slight toastiness.  It's dry on the palate with lemon pith and salinity on the finish. SRP $55

The 2019 Borgo Maragliano Giovanni Galliano Brut Rosé Millesime is a rosé made from 100% Pinot Noir.  This wine is named after the great grandfather and one of their sons of him.   The juice contact with the skins lasted about 2-4 hours creating a soft pale pink wine in the glass.  This wine spends 14 months on the lees and had a fine perlage.  A fruity red fruit based nose mostly of strawberries and raspberries with a touch of strawberries delicately showing up on the palate. SRP $57

The Borgo Maragliano Germana Beltrame Brut Nature S.A. IV Editione is named after Carlo's mamma.  Made from 100% Chardonnay from single vineyards across 6 vintages between 2013 and 2018.  This is their only non-vintage cuvee.  Fresh apples with a slight buttery aroma with soft bubbles on the palate. SRP $69

The 2019 Borgo Maragliano Federico Galiano Blanc de Blancs Brut Alta Langa DOCG is made from 100% Riesling, a clone of the Rheingau.  This is named after another of the sons.  The soils of these vineyards are about 85-90% limestone, which Carlo described as these wines showing an intensive mandarin nose and producing a wine that is clean and direct.  This wine did have intense aromas of petrol and pear.  The bubbles were small and quickly dissipated. SRP $72

The 2019 Borgo Maragliano Francesco Galliano Blanc de Blancs Brut Alta Langa DOCG is made from 100% Chardonnay named after their 2^nd child.  The grapes come from a single vineyard planted in 1983.  The soils contains 40% limestone, a white soil that absorbs the water.  This wine spends 34 months maturing on the yeasts.  This wine showed notes of grapefruit pith showing a slight bitterness along with yellow flowers. SRP $50

Have you tried the sparkling wines of the Alta Langa?

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*This wine was provided as a sample, but opinions are always my own.

All About the Wines of Alsace

Very rarely do I get the opportunity to sample French wines and when I’m in a wine shop I always gravitate towards the Italian wine section.  When the #Winophiles group, that I’m more recently a part of to expand my horizons, told me they were writing about wines from Alsace this month it was the perfect opportunity to join in.  Riesling was really my first love and that is always what I associated Alsace with so I was interested to learn more about this region and its wines.   

The Region ~ Alsace

About a month or so ago I joined the 1st Millesimes Digital Alsace Wine Fair featured solely on the wines from Alsace, France.  There were over 100 exhibitors with over 400 wines.  It was astonishing to see that about 70% of the producers at the wine fair were either organic, biodynamic or in conversion to be one of the two.  The Alsace DOC was technically created in 1945, but it wasn’t until 1962 when it was officially established.  The territory represents over 70% of the wine production from this region with white wines dominating 90% of the portfolio.   

Copyright of Vins Alsace

In 2011, two geographical names focused on villages and localities were allowed to be listed on the labels for the Alsace DOC wines.    The villages, or communales, are defined by 14 areas with defined boundaries.  The localities, or lieux-dits, show more specific terroir.   In that same year of 2011, 51 Grand Crus were also officially established known as the AOC Alsace Grand Cru.  These defined plots had been years in the making so to have them officially recognized to exhibit the specific terroirs allows one to understand what each lends to the wine. The Grand Crus of Alsace represent 5% of their total production.   

The Alsace wines can be labelled as a sole grape and blends are allowed as well.  There are about 7 primary grapes from Alsace including Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Sylvaner, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Muscat and Pinot Noir.  For the Grand Cru wines there are 4 varietals allowed: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Muscat with a few exceptions.  Each of the Grand Crus will show the locality along with the vintage on the label. 

The Wines

Luckily I was able to sample about 40 of the wines from the Alsace Wine Fair.  For me my favorite producer was Domaine Maurice Schoech.  Winemaking runs in this family’s heritage since 1650.  They are located in the hillsides with south-east facing slopes in the town of Ammerschwir.  It is managed by Sabastien and Jean Leon Schoech.  Their wines have been certified since the 2014 vintage. 

This was the only winery where I truly enjoyed all 4 samples, but my favorite was the 2019 Domaine Maurice Shoech Grand Cru Riesling Kaefferkopf.  These grapes grow on granitic clay and the wines are bottled after spending some time on the lees.  Straw colored with mostly citrus on the nose.  A wine with lovely balanced, freshness and elegance showing beautiful fruit, crispness and minerality.  ABV 13.5%.  I also very much enjoyed their 2017 Complantation Harmonie R, the 2018 Complantation Grand Cru Kaefferkopf and the 2018 Riesling Sonnenberg. 

Next were a couple wines from Arthur Metz that stood out.  This is one of the main producers in Alsace, especially for sparkling Cremant d’Alsace.  They have been around since 1904 and own about 69 acres in the northern part of Alsace with multiple sites for pressing, vinification and fermentation.  They also partner with 450 vineyard owners over 2,700 acres, which I can imagine must be quite the laborious endeavor.  Over 80% of their vineyards are planted on south or south-east facing slopes on a variety of soils allowing much diversity in their wines. 

The 2017 Arthur Metz Riesling Grand Cru Florimont was pale straw colored with petrol and peach notes on the nose.  A light, crisp and clean wine with citrus, peach and green apple with a mineral finish.  ABV 12%. The 2019 Arthur Metz Muscat Grand Cru Kircherg de Barr was another favorite.  Faint in color, almost clear in the glass with sweet aromatics.  Dry and delicate with notes of jasmine and rosewater.  The wine had an airiness about it that was satisfying on these warm days.  ABV 12.5% 

Although my last 2 picks were Grand Cru wines, I solely was judging the wines based on my personal preferences.  My next two selections are non-Grand Cru selections starting with one from Domaine Stentz Buecher.  Another organic certified winery since 2010 that is a family business since the establishment in 1975 in the town of Wettolsheim.  They grow all 7 grapes of Alsace on over 74 plots of land based on about 32 acres.  The 2016 Domaine Stentz Buecher Riesling Cuvee Flavien Tannenbuehl was pick from their selection.  Straw colored with a hint of petrol and ripe peach.  Beautiful tropical fruit, well-balanced with refinement and elegance.  There were qualities of it that reminded me of a Gewurztraminer, which I love. ABV 13% 

My other favorite non-Grand Cru Riesling was from Jean-Baptiste Adam.  This winery has over 400 years of winemaking and growing grapes in their blood.  Located in Ammerschwir they are one of the leaders of certified biodynamic wines in Alsace.  The son of Jean-Marie, Jean-Baptiste V, graduated with a degree in enology in 1982 and has been working at the winery every since.  He now is accompanied by his daughter serving as the 15th generation member of the family to live on the family’s legacy.  The 2018 Jean-Baptiste Adam Riesling Letzenberg was grown from vines planted in 1984 on clay and limestone soils.  The wine was pale straw in color with aromas of white flower, peach and stone fruit.  Such freshness on the palate combined with a nice texture and structure with pleasant apple, peach and lemon notes lingering on the palette.  Medium in body with lively acidity.  13%  

Variety of plots of land in Alsace wine region ~ Copyright of Vins Alsace

Even though I’m only featuring one Pinot Gris I was pleasantly surprised by this grape and enjoyed a number of them from these producers including the ones from Domaine Fernand Engel.  This winery covers much territory with over 180 plots spread out on 158 acres covering 9 villages in 25 miles.  Quite the diversity of land and soils I must say.  The winery is operated by the 3rd generation since 1998 and they also have been certified organic since 2001.  I love the focus of organic and biodynamics in the Alsace wine region.  They are located in the small village of Rorschwihr north of Colmar near the known Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle.  They are one of the largest producers of biodynamic wines and are known for their sweet and Cremant wines.  I enjoyed the Domaine Fernand Engel 2019 Pinot Gris Renaissance.  Straw colored in the glass with aromatics of citrus, tropical fruits and pears.  A crisp, fresh wine with good acidity and notes of apple and lemon with a round texture on the palate.  ABV 14%. 

Although whites dominate the wine region of Alsace I did save my favorite red based on the Pinot Noir grape from Domain Moltes Stephane & Mickael.  Located on the slopes of the Vosges hills in Pfaffenheim, known for its microclimate and is one of the driest regions.  It was founded in 1930 by the grandfather, Antoine Moltes, and in 1995 his grandchildren, Stephane and Mickael, took the estate over.  Another applaud for another certified organic winery.  The 2018 Domaine Moltes Stephane & Mickael Pinot Noir Sonnenglaenzle was deep ruby in color with ripe red fruits of raspberry, cherry and strawberry with a hint of spice on the nose.  Medium in body with moderate tannin balanced with good acidity and some vanilla toasty notes on the finish.  Good structure for a Pinot Noir and with an ABV of 15% I didn’t sense the alcohol.     

I’d love to say I paired these wines with food, but with little samples I didn’t have the opportunity.  It was a great deep dive into the region covering a large variety of terroirs and grape varietals and I hope it's not my last. 

Join my fellow Alsace food and wine lovers with their exploration through the wines of Alsace and chat with us live on Twitter this Saturday at 11am EST #Winophiles.  See you there!

• 3 Riesling from Alsace by Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley
  
• Alsace Wine and Cold Poached Salmon with Sauce Verte (Green Mayonnaise) by Our Good Life
  
• Alsace Wines’ Heart and Soul - Land Sustainability, Family Tradition and Food Compatibility by Chinese Food and Wine Pairings
• Alsace Wines Shine with Summer's Bounty Risotto by Food Wine Click!
  
• Blending Innovation and Tradition with Wines of Alsace by L'Occasion
  
• Butternut Squash Chickpea Curry with Wine from Alsace by Cooking Chat
• Domaines Schlumberger 2018 Pinot Blanc: A Delectable Grape Mutation + Criques de Pommes de Terre by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Five Winemaking Women of Alsace by My Full Wine Glass
  
• Once Upon a Wine in Alsace – a Riesling Rekindling by Wining With Mel
• Once Upon a Wine in Alsace by Wining With Mel
• Shrimp Louis Sandwiches paired with an Alsace Pinot Blanc by A Day in the Life on the Farm
  
• Summer Food Pairings with Alsace Wines by Always Ravenous
  
• Wines of Alsace Bring the Wow Every Time by What's in that Bottle?
  
• Women of Alsace – Conversations with 4 Women on their Family Wineries in Alsace by Crushed Grape Chronicles
  
• Zind Humbrecht Pinot Blanc with a Leek & Bacon Tart by Somm's Table

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*These wines were provided as samples, but opinions are always my own.  Information sourced by Vins Alsace.