Highlights from 2022 Tastings
2022 finally saw the return of in-person tastings – hoorah! – and I was impressed by the overall quality and range on offer, whether from Chile, Spain, Sicily, South Africa, Languedoc-Roussillon or a new area to me: Collio in northern Italy.
I’ve long been a fan of Languedoc-Roussillon wines, dating back to the late 1980s when we bought a cottage in the region. Many of the wines were pretty rustic then but well-suited to the local cuisine. Since then, the picture has been transformed as shown by the Sud de France Top 100 tasting in October. Overall, the trend for ‘freshness’ was exemplified by red wines with less tannin extraction, lighter oaking and earlier picking. And organic wines accounted for 54% of the entries, taking advantage of the warm, dry, windy climate of the area. In all, there was something for everyone from good, everyday reds based typically on some combination of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, to modern-style Corbières as well as a full range of whites, from crispy Picpouls to barrel-fermented Grenache Blanc, Vermentino and even Albarino.
Just a few of my favourites (all of these already had UK distribution at the time of the tasting):
- Les Vignobles Foncalieu, Sillages Albariño, IGP Pays d’Oc 2021 – refreshing acidity with stone fruit and yellow apple flavours with a hint of the saltiness one finds in Albariño from Spain. Available from Bon Coeur Wines.
- Domaine Saint Ferreol Viognier, IGP Pays d’Oc 2020 – a partially-oaked Viognier with lovely white flowers on the nose combining with melon and stone fruit flavours. Fresh style avoiding the flabbiness found in some Viogniers from warmer areas. From Majestic.
- Domaines Paul Mas Reserve Languedoc Blanc AOP Languedoc 2021 – outstanding value from this unusual blend of Vermentino, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc. Well-balanced, lightly oaked. Not so keen on the unnecessarily heavy bottle. From Waitrose.
- Two good everyday reds: Mas de Daumas Gassac Grande Réserve IGP Pays d’Herault 2021 – very drinkable, unoaked fruity blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Grenache. Available from Laithwaites. Château Capendu La Comelle AOP Corbières 2020 – 45% Carignan plus Grenache and Syrah. Fruity wine benefiting from the acidity and tannins of the Carignan, the red fruits of the Grenache and the smoothness of the Syrah. Lightly oaked. From Waitrose.
- Along with Terrazes de Larzac, Faugères is experiencing a upsurge in popularity, taking advantage of its black schist soils to produce structured, mineral wines. Sadly my favourite wine, from Domaine Florence Alquier, has yet to find UK distribution but I was also impressed by Vignobles Lorgeril’s Château de Ciffre AOP Faugères 2020, a GSM blend from vines grown at high altitude. A big wine with herbal and concentrated plum and dark cherry flavours with ripe tannins. Should age well. From Philglas & Swiggott.
The Simply Italian Great Wines 2022 tasting also in October ranged across Italy but my finds of the show were two wines from Attems (now part of the Frescobaldi group) in Friuli and, more specifically, Collio. The first was their Pinot Grigio Ramato 2021 from Friuli which combines extended skin contact with four months in oak barriques for 15% of the blend. This adds complexity and bite to the wine while retaining fruit flavours – a world away from mass-produced Pinot Grigio! I also enjoyed their flagship Cicinis Sauvignon Blanc 2020 from Collio which is an intense wine with restrained, tropical fruit notes. It is aged for 8 months in a combination of oak barriques and concrete eggs which gives a balance of freshness and structure. Burgundy meets Sauvignon Blanc! The Ramato is available from Wine Direct (Sussex) and the Cicinis from Satyrio in the City of London.
