DiscoverVin Top 10 wines of 2014 (Part 2)

This is the second part of our Top 10 wines of 2014. Part one can be found here.

The top 5 was dominated by rosé and white wine. Wines 6 to 10 features a wonderful Champagne and some great value reds.

6.Achille Princier Champagne Grand Tradition NV $54


This champagne was new to DiscoverVin in 2014. 
Its a great value Champagne from a small producer. 

It received 2 stars in French "wine bible" Guide Hachette 2014, beating a lot of well-known champagne brands, so it doesn't get any better at this price. 

Oz wine writer Sean Mitchell reviewed it recently: " Overall, this is a very impressive Champagne and one that I'll be buying. " 

It has quickly become one of our best sellers.

More details on this link.








7. Chateau Laroche Joubert 2011 $29.90

The 2010 version of this wine was selected in Gourmet Traveller magazine's Bordeaux feature in August 2014 and made it into the top 10 - and quickly sold out. This 2011 we think is just as good!

An easy drinking merlot blend from the Bordeaux Cotes de Bourg appellation. The vineyards of Bourg face Margaux across the Gironde estuary and offer exceptional quality and excellent value for money.

This is a good example of what we specialise in- finding good value Bordeaux wines from small producers.

The guys from The Wine Wankers loved this one. Read about it here. 

More details and technical information is available here






8.Chateau Haut Monplasir Prestige AOC Cahors 2006 $34.90

A great Malbec from the Cahors region from a top organic producer. 

This wine was mentioned in a review of Cahors, where the malbec grape originates from, in Decanter October 2014 as an up and coming producer.
Château Haut-Monplaisir is owned by Cathy and Daniel Fournié.  Cathy took over from her parents in the 1990s and adopted modern practices. These approaches have lead to impressive improvements in the wines from the property. They are now certified organic producers.



"Cahors is that rarest of all wines: both a rising star and a timeless classic." --The Guardian (UK) April 2013. 

This producer is a rising star of Cahors and this vintage is one of their classics. Details here.




9 .Chateau de Saurs 2010 $24.00

This wine is from the Gaillac region near Toulouse in south-west France. Wines have been made here from Roman times. Nowadays both "new" varieties like Shiraz and merlot are used as well as ancient indigenous varieties that grow wild and were domesticated many centuries ago.

This one is a blend of shiraz, merlot and an indigenous variety Braucol.

"This is easily the best Gaillac wine that I have tried" Sean Mitchell, Grape Observer, June 2014.

Another good example of the wines that DiscoverVin is bringing to Australia. From an ancient vineyard that has been producing quality grapes for many centuries, premium grapes are now being made into modern, organic and clean wines while retaining characteristics typical of the terroir. 

Again this offers great value for money for the quality!

This wine was awarded a Silver medal at the Concours National des Vignerons Independants 2010.

Please click here for more information



10. Chateau Truquet 2011  $31

A rare budget-friendly Saint-Émilion red wine which you will love for its soft rich fruit, balance and complexity. 

This is an undervalued producer that is the immediate neighbour of famed Chateau Figeac (which sells for many times the price.) 

Bronze Medal Concours des Grands Vins de France (Macon).

Another example of the great value wines we are bringing from France.

Further details can be found here.



To recap, out Top 10 for 2014 included 2 rosé, a dry white, 5 great value reds from a mixture of appellations, a new Champagne to Australia and a stunning dessert wine from the Pyrenees. If you haven't tried any of our wines, we suggest that any of these top 10 would be a great place to start!

Prices above are for online customers. Trade enquiries welcome via info@discovervin.com.au or 0260 206 016

Please see our website for terms and conditions. 

A tradition of unique grapes add flavor to South West vintages

Dave de Simone writes about wine for Trib Total media out of Pennslyvania in USA.

He recently wrote about the wines of South West France.  In the article he describes the wonderful food and wines of Gaillac and Fronton.  Two areas we love.

"Never heard of négrette, fer servadou, duras and gros manseng , let alone prunelart, ondenc and loin de l'œil ?

Not to worry.

These wine grapes represent just a smattering of more than 130 varieties scattered across the storied vineyards of South West France. The region's viticulture blossomed during the Roman era. In the Middle Ages, industrious monks produced wines to quench thirsty pilgrims traversing the region on the way to St. Jacques de Compostela in northwestern Spain.

Later, the tumultuous French Revolution, the devastating 19th-century phylloxera infestation and economically disruptive wars sorely challenged the region's wine culture. Through it all, generations of undaunted South West wine growers persevered and, somehow, preserved the region's unique traditions and wines. Today, a new, well-travelled and outward-looking generation of vignerons — and female vigneronnes — has emerged poised to share their diverse wines with a wider audience.

Faubourg 73, a charming, hip bistro in the town of Montauban, embodies the region's confident, vibrant spirit. With a musical backdrop ranging from the Doors' “Soul Kitchen” to Frank Sinatra's “Fly Me to the Moon,” engaging proprietor Pierre Cantagel efficiently serves “bistronomie” cuisine. The fun, laid-back approach incorporates fresh, local ingredients served in delicious small plates.

Thin slices of jambon noire de Bigorre — ham made from local black pigs — precede small cups of cream of pumpkin soup, mussels Basquaise with fresh chorizo sausage, Vietnamese venison eggrolls and braised duck pieces with caramelized shallot in a rich red wine sauce. Winegrower Frédéric Ribes matches each successive dish with whites and reds from Fronton, a 5,000-acre appellation making terrific wines seldom known in America.

Ribes, along with his brother Jean-Luc and the polyglot jack-of-all-trades Pierre Salama, specializes in négrette, a grape also known as folle noire (“crazy black”). The vines grow in Boulbènes, soils of silt and clay mixed with quartz and oxidized red stones called rougets .

Nearby Gaillac (pronounced guy-ack ) producers offer a glittering galaxy of dry sparklers, crisp, exotic whites, fruity rosés, earthy reds and luscious, sweet dessert wines. The Romans planted vineyards here as part of their Mediterranean Narbonne province. Monks at Abbey-Saint Michel solidified Gaillac's winemaking traditions and prosperity for centuries. English kings long preferred the wines.

Today, vibrant producers such as Domaine Plageoles, Domaine Causse Marines, and L'Enclos des Braves have embraced Gaillac's traditional varieties to export hand-crafted, attractively priced, terroir- driven wines.

Read more: http://triblive.com/lifestyles/davedesimone/7279732-74/wine-wines-black#ixzz3LbIsnlxf
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

White Wine and Cheese - The Wine Gang recommend some South West whites

Homage au Fromage, by Jane Parkinson

23 September 2014

It might seem controversial to die-hard red wine fans, but the modern school of thought among those in-the-know is that white wine is a much better all-round wine partner for cheese.
Why? Because its inherent freshness cuts through cheese’s fatty content much better than a chewy red wine would. And so perhaps it’s one of the wine world’s best-kept secrets that South West France – with all its indigenous and delicious white grape varieties to offer – is in fact a Mecca for cheese-friendly wines. So let’s dive in.
White cheeses that are chalky in texture and/or salty in flavour, like goat’s cheese and halloumi, are notorious for working wonders with Sauvignon Blanc. But this isn’t an exclusive pairing by any means, so for something slightly different but just as successful a match, try the dry white wines of Gaillac, which are made from punchy native grapes such as Mauzac and Loin de l’Oeil and are tongue-tingling, crisp, fruity and salty. Sometimes these whites even have a drop of Sauvignon Blanc blended into them too,.
Crumbly cheeses, such as feta, Wensleydale and Caerphilly are also best served with a fruity and fresh white wine. To match these, it’s worth buying a bottle of dry white wine from Côtes de Gascogne. Local grapes here such as Ugni Blanc, Gros Manseng and Colombard (as well as Sauvignon Blanc sometimes too) make fruity, slightly textured white wines with bags of apple-flavoured freshness.

Richer, Alpine-based cheeses, such as Comté and Gruyère, as well as Spain’s most famous sheep cheese Manchego, are crying out for wines with plenty of depth to the flavour all the while being tense with freshness. And so step forward the white wines from the Basque region of Irouléguy, or even the dry Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh wines. These really make the most of indigenous varieties such as Gros Manseng, Arrufiac and Petit Courbu by being zingy, sometimes smoky, and full of nutty and herbaceous flavours.
These wines would also serve a richly-flavoured Cheddar well, but if you’re interested in tracking down something unique, go for a Chardonnay from the Pyrenean region of Ariège which can have a lovely nutty and waxy flavour.
As we all know, sweet wines are hedonistic in their own right, but even more so when paired with two types of cheese styles; salty blue cheese such as Roquefort, Stilton or Gorgonzola, and washed rind powerfully-flavoured cheeses like Munster or Epoisses. There are two no-brainer places to look in South West France to meet your wine needs here. Firstly the sweet Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh wines, often made with Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng, they’re full of luscious honey and apricot flavours. Or else go to Gaillac and indulge in their delicious honeycomb and marmalade-rich sweet wines.

The Wine Gang Focus on Gaillac

The Wine Gang, five UK wine critics experienced the diversity of wines from South West of France.  This is their description of visiting Gaillac, an wine producing area near Toulouse.

Gaillac

The Wine Gang have graciously let us reproduce their blog on the DiscoverVin blog.

Diversity is the name of the game in South West France: from a vinous perspective, there really is something for everyone if you put together all the appellations in this beautiful corner of Europe. If there was a single area that expressed this versatility in microcosm, however, it would have to be an historic appellation that straddles the Tarn River: Gaillac.

"The diversity starts, of course, in the vineyard, or, rather, beneath the vineyards: Gaillac has three distinctive terroirs, each offering a different character to the wines, from the power and structure offered by the stone, sand and gravel terraces on the left bank of the Tarn to the elegance and succulence brought by the chalky clay of the right bank and the poise and vibrant fruit of the limestone Plateau Cordais.

Harvest in Cotes de Tarn

But that’s really just the beginning. On those soils, Gaillac producers work with nine different grape varieties to produce seven distinct wine styles. The permutations are, therefore, as fascinating as they are delicious. In Gaillac you can find vividly berry-fruited, explosively juicy youthful reds made from Gamay and bottled shortly after harvest, alongside intense, structured but elegant reds made from the local favourites Braucol and Duras as well as Syrah, offering fine tannins and freshening acidity to go with their spicy flavours.

Whites, from Mauzac, Loin de L’Oeil, Ondenc and Muscadelle, can be oak-aged, dry and savoury, with concentrated juicy apple offset by minerals and rippling acidity. Or they can be lusciously sweet and honeyed, like a liquid tarte-tatin, enlivened by a line of fine citrus."

DiscoverVin import two wines from Chateau de Saurs in Gaillac.
This chateau has been in the hands of the same family since the 16th century. It is now in the process of conversion to organic production (from the  2012 vintage the wines will be labelled as certified organic).
The vineyard extends for 42 ha, growing selcted grape varities to produce wines of the Gaillac appelation (white, rosé and red).

Chateau de Saurs AOC Gaillac Blanc Doux is made from a selected parcel of Loin de l'Oeil of more than 40 years old. The grapes are late-picked at the peak of ripeness during October. Loin de l'Oeil ('Lew-an-de-le-oh-eye") translates as eye of the lion. This gorgeous dessert wine has a sweet honey flavour on the palate.

Chateau de Saurs Tradition Rouge has been one of our most popular wines.
 "This is easily the best Gaillac wine that I have tried" Sean Mitchell, Grape Observer, June 2014.  
From an ancient vineyard that has been producing quality grapes for many centuries, premium grapes are now being made into modern, organic and clean wines while retaining characteristics typical of the terroir. 
Great value for money! The Tradition Rouge is from the great vintage of 2010.

most popular wines of 2013 - part 2

Recently we blogged about our top 5 best-selling wines of 2013, featuring a Bordeaux Blanc, 2 rosé wines, a fascinating dry white from the Pyrenées and an excellent value St Émilion.


The top 5 wines were:

1. Chateau de La Bouyere Bordeaux Blanc 2012 $21.50
2. Domaine de la Croix Irresistible AOC Cotes de Provence 2012 $29.90
3. Chateau La Rayre Bergerac Rose 2010 $24.90
4. Chateau Jolys Jurançon sec 2011 $27.75
5. Chateau Lagarde (Saint Émilion) SOLD OUT

Wines 6-10 include 3 reds (Chateau Fontblanche and Chateau Haut-Belian from Bordeaux, Chateau de Saurs from Gaillac ) a great Graves white from a famous French wine and food family (Ch Haut Peyrous)  and our top selling dessert wine (Chateau Jolys Cuvée Jean). 

6. Chateau Fontblanche. 

Now sold out, this was an easy drinking well-priced gold-medal merlot and cabernet blend from Cotes de Bordeaux-Blaye. From the cracking vintage of 2009. If you loved this wine, then you will love its replacement: Chateau Larouche Joubert 2010- a merlot blend for a good producer in Bordeaux Cotes de Bourg again in a very good year-2010.

7. Chateau Haut-Belian 2009.

Another easy drinking red from 2009. We managed to snap up some more stock of this one! 


Château Haut Belian is an 86-hectare estate on the hills between the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers. The vineyards are at one of the highest points of the region.

Region/Terroir:  Bordeaux AOC
Grapes:  Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), Merlot (45%), Cabernet Franc (25%).
Soil:  Clay and limestone.
Alcohol: 13.5% VOL
Wine making: Grapes are slowly and softly harvested by machine. Traditional wine making methods are used, with fermentation occurring at 28°C and with a long maceration.  Malolactic fermentation and ageing are conducted in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats.
Cellaring potential:  Can age 3-4 years, however approachable now.

Our Tasting notes:  Big rich nose.  A good weight with fruit and tannins in balance.  Tannins are smooth and velvety.  A pleasant, round, fruity wine, with some chocolaty notes.  Long and balanced.

This easy drinking red typifies the value for money wines that DiscoverVin is bringing downunder

8.Chateau de Saurs 2010 $24.00 

From an ancient vineyard that has been producing quality grapes for many centuries, premium grapes are now being made into modern, organic and clean wines while retaining characteristics typical of the terroir. Great value for money!
Terroir:  Galliac is a small appellation north of Toulouse. It is considered a rapidly improving region, driven by small independant producers such as Chateau de Saurs.

Grapes:   A blend with  Merlot, Syrah and Braucol in equal measure
Winemaking:  Traditional methods of harvesting and destemming. Harvested by parcels of vines which are pressed in separate vats, and vinified for 8 to 10 days at a maximum 30°C. Regular rotation for optimum extraction of colour, while at the same time preserving aromas. Fermentation takes place over 6 to 8 months in vats, then bottled.


Tasting notes : Chateau de Saurs Rouge Tradition AOC Gaillac red has a deep red ruby-garnet colour, and has a very attractive bouquet of cherries, blackcurrants, with discreet hints of aniseed and cinnamon which are more present at the finish. A balanced, round, elegant wine revealing subtle soft tannins, it charms the palate and would be a good accompaniment to meat and cheese. Great to drink now but would improve with a year or two of cellaring. 
Alcohol: 13.5%

This wine was awarded a Silver medal at the Concours National des Vignerons Independants 2010.

9. Chateau Haut-Peyrous Peche au Carrelet Graves Blanc  $46.20 

The Haut-Peyrous estate is owned by Marc Darroze from the famous Darroze family of Gascony. His aim is to produce wines with lots of personality, by making the most of the quality of the terroir on his estate. That’s why Marc has taken steps in order to obtain certification of his estate as an organic wine producer.  Since June 2008, all work on the estate (soil, treatments) has been carried out in accordance with organic production criteria. Its great that this classy white has made it into the top 10.

Region/Terroir:  Graves

Grapes:  Semillon (75%), Sauvignon Blanc (25%).
Alcohol: 13.5% VOL
Soil:  The surface soil is made up of clay and loamy sand covered with pebbles, typical of this part of the appellation. The subsoil is also composed of sand with clays more or less deep, depending on the parcels.

Wine making:  This wine is made from a blend of Sémillon (75%) and Sauvignon (25%), a portion of which was matured in one-year-old barrels.
Cellaring Potential:  Drink now.

Our Tasting notes:  Lively nose with spice and mineral notes and vanilla from the oak.  Lovely soft and round mouth feel.  Richness and complexity on the back palate and a lovely soft acid backbone.

Also reviewed by Gary Walsh in Winefront 

"Threw this into a tasting of oak worked ‘Graves’ style Margaret River wines of a similar price...Grassy, but flamboyant with plenty of gooseberry and tropical fruit, laced with aniseed and spice. And really, that aniseed is something of a feature. Medium weight, old oranges and savoury wood influence, minerally edges, but all up much quieter to taste than the nose would suggest. Nice wine.
Rated : 90 Points
Tasted : May13 
Drink : 2013 - 2017+ "

And by Sean Mitchell in Grape Observer
"It is yellow to gold in colour, and opens to clean light intensity aromatics of straw, lemon, minerals, wet stones and dried herbs.  The palate, like the blend, is more semillon than sauvignon blanc.  It is dry and quite full bodied, with some depth in its expression of hay, green melon, grass, dried herbs and some notes verging on white peach and honey.  Overall, I think this is a good to very good quality wine due to its concentration and depth of flavour

10 Chateau Jolys Cuvee Jean 750ml $32

This is a great, value-for-money example of the sweet wines of Jurançon-delicious fruit and sweetness but perfectly balanced and without being cloying. 

Region/Terroir: Château Jolys, the largest estate in the Jurançon AOC with its 36 hectares, nestles on the superb hills of Chapelle de Rousse village.
The gentle slopes are exposed South / South-West and form amphitheatres facing the Pyrenees mountains. Soils are chalky and clayey.
Grapes: Cuvee Jean is made from 100% Petit Manseng grapes. The grapes are late harvested using the passerillage method, and the resulting concentration of sugar gives for perfectly healthy, golden and extremely ripe grapes.
Wine making: After total destemming and maceration before fermentation, we keep only the free-run juice to make this wine (juice obtained before pressing), in order to obtain the best of the richness and the aromas of the Petit Manseng grapes. After cold settling, alcoholic fermentation is carried out in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks (at around 20°C so as to preserve the aromas).
Barrel ageing for 9 months in French oak barrels.

Our tasting notes: The nose presents notes of honey, acacia, apricot and peaches. On the palate, after a fresh and round attack, we find the same aromas and complexity as with the nose. The palate is powerful yet smooth - Petit Manseng at it's very best. Fabulous length and balance. This wine, like many from Jurançon, is pleasantly sweet without a cloying finish.
Cuvée Jean can be drunk young or cellared for up 10 years.
It's best served as an aperitif, with foie gras/pate or smoked salmon, and also pairs perfectly with creamy fish and poultry dishes as well as cheese.

We are happy to publish this list of our top 10 wines for 2013. It emphases the rise of dry rosé and then had a nice spread of dry white, a premium dry white, some interesting reds, and a luscious dry white wine from the Pyrenées.

If you are in the trade, this gives you some idea on the wines that could do well in your business. These are wines that our consumers love the most!

Prices listed refer to those on our consumer website. Trade prices/lists are available on application info@discovervn.com.au

Most Popular Wines of 2011

A list of our best selling wines of 2011 makes for some interesting reading. It includes a rosé and wines made from little known grapes in oz including Petit Manseng and Negrètte.
As we are a new business this list is a little biased towards wines that were stocked earlier in the year compared to some others. For example our range of wines from Bordeaux was increased substantially in November 2011. Whilst these are selling well now, none of them made it into the top 10.
So here, in order, our top 10 best selling wines of 2011 are..


1.  Zette rouge 2005


This is an easy drinking but spicy red. Made from 100% Malbec. Ripe, opulent, well balanced, supple, and powerful.
Named in the November 2010 edition of Wine Enthusiast Magazine Worlds top 100 best buys of 2010!!!  “In a modern, smooth style, with plush fruit and dusty tannins, this is a ripe, open wine, an easy expression of Malbec, New World in its fruitiness.”

Winsor Dobbin in Wine Hunter wrote about the Zette Rouge. "Zette is the second label of Domaine de Lagrezette, one of the leading producers in Cahors, southwest France, where malbec is king. This is an attractive and mature malbec and a considerable bargain. It's a plush, ripe red made in a New World style and fermented in stainless steel tanks. The forward dark fruit is matched by some supple tannins, hints of spice and softness on the palate. This medium-bodied wine is from a particularly good vintage and is drinking very well, particularly when paired with red meat dishes. Great buying at the online price from an importer with an impressive range of regional French wines".

From the team at Domaine de Lagrézette, the Zette range is a dynamic modern brand extension of the Lagrézette line. Wine has been made in the Cahors region since the time of the Romans. So this wine benefits from centuries of experience but via modern winemaking methods takes malbec to new realms!

2. Château Jolys Jurancon Sec 2009

A delightful, complex, fruity but dry and great value for money wine. From the excellent 2009 vintage and from one of the most beautiful and under rated regions in France. Could this be the next big thing after New Zealand sauvignon Blanc? This wine seems to have filled the niche in the market. In weight it is somewhere between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc with more fruit weight than a Sauvignon Blanc but a drier finish than a Chardonnay. If you haven't tried it maybe its time to discover for yourself!

From Kerry Skinner "perfumed notes on the nose, pristine citrus flavours, lively acidity and a crisp, dry finish."

Awarded Herald Sun "Drink of the Week" 15th May 2011

Terroir: Château Jolys, the largest estate in the Jurançon AOC with its 36 hectares, nestles on the superb hills of Chapelle de Rousse village.

The gentle slopes are exposed South / South-West and form amphitheatres facing the Pyrenees mountains. Soils are chalky and clayey.

Grapes: This dry wine is made using 50% Gros Manseng grapes blended with 50% of Petit Manseng.

Wine making: After full destemming, the grapes undergo a pre-fermentary maceration followed by a gentle pressing. Racking of the must and the alcoholic fermentation at low temperature follows this.
All the vinification process occurs in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks.
The wine rests until the following summer before being bottled.

Our tasting notes: Bright yellow colour with greenish tints. The nose is elegant and intense, with both floral and fruity aromas: honeysuckle, jasmine, grapefruit, citrus and fresh grape.
On the palate, the wine is fresh, fruity and rich at the same time. The finish is long and fleshy.

Alcohol: 13%

This wine represents great value for money. If you are looking for something other than chardonnay or sauvignon blanc this summer, but don’t want to pay a fortune, this is pretty hard to beat!

3. Ch Layre Bergerac Rosé 2009

We were impressed with this wine when we first tasted it in France. We were unsold though on how well a dry rosé like this would sell. One of our suppliers in France described this wine as one of the best he had ever tasted! We decided to go for it and we have been thrilled with the response form the public. Lots of favorable feedback and repeat sales. It has helped change our minds about rosé and seems to have converted many other wine lovers to rosé lovers as well. Try some and you will see what all the hype about rosé (and in particular French rosé) is all about. This could be one of the wines of the Aussie summer!

From Sean Mitchell  Grape Observer ..."I enjoyed drinking this rosé from Bergerac situated to the east of Bordeaux, a blend of two thirds cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon and one third merlot.  A deeper hue of salmon pink in colour, the aroma is of crisp and crunchy peaches.  The palate reveals spices, nectar and a savoury balance.  Good drinking and well priced."

Region/Terroir: from the appellation Bergerac.

Grapes: Made from merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.

Wine making: Made by the saignée method at low temperature.

Our Tasting notes: Blackcurrant nose with an ample unctuous palate. Beautiful balance and freshness.

Alcohol:13%

Drink young and chilled. Drink on its own or with food. A great wine to take to a bbq or to the beach-goes with just about anything! A great lunch wine or for a sunset tipple or in the heat when you don’t feel like a red.

4.Domaine de l'Ancienne Cure Bergerac Rouge (l'abbaye range) 2009

A complex but elegant red wine. It is typical of the good value wines that DiscoverVin is bringing to wine lovers in Australia. Displaying the beautiful fruit but great structure of the reds from Bordeaux and the south-west of France. Savory complex, balanced and great value- for-money

Here are recent reviews from 3 aussie wine writers which pretty much sum up this wine....

Firstly Winsor Dobbin of The Grape Hunter said "Yet another well priced import from the south-west of France from the team at DiscoverVin who seem to have the knack of sniffing out bargains. This one comes from a family-run domaine at Colombier, outside of Bergerac, and is made very much made in Bordeaux style with a blend of merlot, cabernet suavignon and cabernet franc and just a soupcon of malbec. At just 12.5% it is the antithesis in style of bold South Australian red but does not lack in ripeness or flavours, simply offering a more elegant, food friendly style of drinking with some impressive complexity and spice."

And from Jeff Collerson Best Weekend Sydney Telegraph 29th October 2011: "Bergerac is an annexe of the famous French district of Bordeaux and in his Pocket Wine Book European expert Hugh Johnson rates this producer amongst the area's best. Different from an Aussie red, with savory, leathery characteristics in lieu of ripe rich fruit"

And from Sean Mitchell at Grape Observer: "Bright purple in colour, it has a lovely fragrance of black fruits, oak, spices and earth.  On the palate, spices, medium-high tannin and medium length are accompanied by some powerful rustic blackberry overtones.  For $20, this really is a very interesting and terroir driven example of Bordeaux, and I wish there were more like it at this price.  86-87 points."

Region: Bergerac
Grapes: Merlot 70%, cabernet sauvignon 15%, cabernet franc 15%
Wine-making: handpicked, selected ripe fruit. Temperature controlled fermentation for 6 days. Secondary malo-lactic fermentation for 18 days then put in oak barrels (20% new, 80% one year old) and rested on lees for 15 months before bootling. Micro-aeration and batonnage if necessary during the maturation period.
Our tasting notes: A deep red and violet purple colour . The nose is lifted and complex that is a complex melange of fruit, subtle spices including green pepper, liquorice, prunes, black cherries and some toasty elements. The palate reflects the complexity of the nose with lovely ripe fruit and spice wrapped in fine tannins This wine has great structure balance and length.

Alcohol: 12.5%

A lovely complex red and great value at this price.

5. Domaine Bellegarde Jurançon Moelluex Cuvée Tradition 2008

The sweet wines of Jurançon are amongst the great sweet/dessert wines of the world and great value for money. This is an excellent example- luscious complex fruit, balance, length and not too sweet on the finish. This wine flew off the shelves and had many repeat customers. We had great feed-back from customers happy to have found this style of dessert wine.

Again another of our wines to have received favorable reviews. We will let 3 wiser men of the Australian wine industry explain:

Here is a review by aussie wine writer Winsor Dobbin 11/7/11 " love wines with that sweet/savoury combination that Jurancon does so well, you'll enjoy this classy little number that offers sensational value for money. The balance between sugar and acid is spot on here, so that while the initial impression is of ripe pineapple, the finish offers some surprising dryness, roundness and length. A blend of petit manseng and gros manseng, this would be superb paired with calves' liver, pates and terrines or blue cheeses, as an aperitif or as a dessert wine."

And another in Brisbane's Courier Mail from 16th July 2011, where this wine was compared to iconic Aussie dessert wines Noble One and Lillypilly. "From the Juracon, an intriguing blend of 60% gros manseng and 40% petit manseng. There is sweetness here but it is much more moderated than its Aussie counterparts. Pleasant, rather than intense but fabulous value. Tropical notes, rockmelons, citrus and a minerally background. Nice flick of acidity."

Kerry Skinner "yummy, sticky,luscious and lovely with stone fruit, citrus and marmalade flavours"

Region/Terroir: Jurançon

Grapes: This wine uses 65% Gros Manseng and 35% Petit Manseng.

Winemaking techniques: The wines are not botrytised, in fact it is said that the thick skin of the manseng grapes protects against rot.  A long dry autumn allows the wines to dry on the vine and concentrate flavours. Fermentation and vinification occurs in oak barrels for the Petit Manseng, which gives an added complexity. The Gros Manseng is fermented and vinified in stainless steel.

Our tasting notes: Shiny gold/yellow colour. On the nose complex citrus and peach tones. The balance is excellent, complex citrus and stone fruits. Moelleux means sweet but unlike many dessert wines from Australia this wine has a drier finish. They can be consumed on their own (often the French would have them as an aperitif) with pate, cheeses and it is absolutely delicious with fruit desserts.

Alcohol:13%

6. Domaine de Lagrézette Chateau Lagrézette Cru d'exception Malbec 2005

From the exceptional vintage of 2005, this is textbook Cahors Malbec from Domaine de Lagrézette. It has received a great reaction form the Australian market and it is a great pleasure to be presenting it. This wine has won many awards and accolades. 

Chateau Lagrézette 2005, Rated 90 points “An intensely concentrated wine with tannins that float in an inky sea of dense berry fruit. The wine is smooth, the edges softened by wood, but the fruit tannins pour out of the glass.”WINE ENTHUSIAST MAGAZINE, March 2010

This was also a featured wine in Goumet Travellers French edition July 2011, listed amongst the Top Drops of the Month." DiscoverVin is a new importer specialising in wines from France's south-west — wines such as this classically savoury rnalbec, with dark brambly fruit wrapped up in wood-smoke and graphite. Drink with braised cluck."

In addition Ben Thomas in the Weekly Review wrote: "($35.99; 14%; 4/5) The wines of Cahors have never been more glamourous since Alain Perrin, the head of fashion house Cartier, bought out this winery. The wine is made by the fashionable, and somewhat ubiquitous, winemaker Michel Rolland. This is full of appealing savoury, deep fruit flavours and aromas of cherry, blackberry, spice, liquorice and leather. Grippy, savoury tannins have softened nicely in the five or so years since it was bottled and it is drinking very nicely now. Food match \ Scotch fillet"

Kerry Skinner "classically made, lashings of plum and black fruit, integrated spice, cleverly oaked, fine, silky tannins."

Region/Terroir: Chateau Lagrezette is produced from grapes grown in the best locations in Cahors. The vineyards are perched above the Lot river. The soil is a mixture of limestone and clay.

Grapes: Malbec 87%, Merlot 12%, Tannat 1%

Wine making: Chateau Lagrezette is produced using the following techniques:

• Harvest: hand harvested & sorted
• Average age of vines: 20 – 25 years
• Consulting Enologist: Michel Rolland
• Vinification: 4 day cold maceration at 12 degrees C, fermentation at 30 degrees C, prolonged maceration at 28degrees C, daily pump-overs, malolactic fermentation in oak barrels and stainless steel tanks
• Ageing: 18 months in new & one-year-old French barrels

Our Tasting Notes :
From the exceptional vintage of 2005, this is textbook Cahors Malbec. Inky purple colour. On the nose blackcurrent, truffles, violets. On the palate lovely blackcurrent and plum fruit, spice and minerals.
Beautifully balanced, mid-weight, with fine chalky tannins, great structure and balance, long and satisfying.
Could be cellared for several years but enjoy now with red meats, white meats, cheese and indeed a range of dishes.

Alcohol:14%

7. Domaine du Crampilh Madiran Vielle Vignes 2006

Another soft and spicy red, this time from Madiran that was well received and has become one of our best sellers amongst the public and the trade alike. 

This is a powerful multi-award winning wine from a well-regarded producer in the Madiran region. This domaine aims to produce a wine “in a style that brings out the heart and soul of south-west France". This is a rich and powerful wine, designed to go with food.

Again represents incredible value as this wine was awarded 2 stars in France’s prestigious wine guide the Guide Hachette 2010.

Reviewed by Kerry Skinner August 6, 2011: "powerful, brooding blend of tannat and cabernet sauvignon, rippling with layers of black fruit, spice and peppery, good balance and supple tannins"

Region/Terroir: Madiran. The wines of this region date back to roman times but were made famous by pilgrims passing through the region. Winemakers of the region can draw on centuries of cumulated experience to ensure optimal viticulture practices. Modern techniques have brought out the best from this wine.

Grapes: Made from 70% Tannat and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine making techniques: Grapes are harvested by hand, vinified in stainless steel using micro-oxygenation techniques and matured in oak barrels for 12 months.

Our tasting notes: A beautiful deep purple colour. An intense and savoury nose with black fruits, vanilla and leather. A concentrated palate with rich black fruit and peppery spices balanced with great structure, fine chalky tannins and acid. Intense, powerful but great length and balance.

Serve with stewed meat dishes, game and cheeses.

Alcohol: 13.5%

8. Château de Saurs Gaillac Tradition Rouge 2008

This is a great example of the wines that DiscoverVin is bringing to Australia. From an ancient vineyard that has been producing quality grapes for many centuries, premium grapes are now being made into modern and clean wines while retaining characteristics typical of the terroir. Great value for money!
This wine proved so popular that it ran out recently! Now replaced with the 2009 which is from another exceptional year and very similar in style to the 2009. Again a very good value red wine from regional France representing good value and a great ambassador for this appellation. 

Terroir:  Galliac is a small appellation north of Toulouse (map). It is at the confluence of influences from the Atlantic ocean and the Meditarean sea. It is considered a rapidly improving region, driven by small independant producers such as Chateau de Saurs.

Grapes:  blended with  Merlot, Syrah and Bracol in equal measure

Winemaking: Traditional methods of harvesting and destemming. Harvested by parcels of vines which are pressed in separate vats, and vinified for 8 to 10 days at a maximum 30°C. Regular rotation for optimum extraction of colour, while at the same time preserving aromas. Fermentation takes place over 6 to 8 months in vats, then bottled.

Tasting notes: Chateau de Saurs Rouge Tradition AOC Gaillac red has a deep red ruby-garnet colour, and has a very attractive bouquet of cherries, blackcurrants, with discreet hints of aniseed and cinnamon which are more present at the finish. A balanced, round, elegant wine revealing subtle soft tannins, it charms the palate and would be a good accompaniment to meat and cheese. Great to drink now but would improve with a year or two of cellaring. 

Alcohol: 13.5%

9. Chateau Bouissel "Le Bouissel" 2008

We were thrilled that this wine rapidly became one of our best sellers of 2011. Perhaps a cult wine in the making in?
AOC Fronton is a small region north of Toulouse - click here to see on a map.  Négrette is an indigenous grape variety producing juicy but elegant wines. Anne-Marie & Pierre Selle have become renown for the quality and consistency of their wines.

Terroir All 20 ha of the estate are planted on the 3rd terrasse of the Tarn river,

on gravelly soils. This is quite unique in the appellation Fronton and makes the

distinction of Château Bouissel.

Grapes 50% Négrette, 25% Syrah and 25% Cot

Wine making Long maceration (18 days). Fermentation and maceration with micro-oxygenation.

12 month ageing period in stainless steel tanks (and 10% in oak barrels)

Our tasting notes Nice and intense ruby color with purple tints.

Intense aromas of small red and black fruit, of spices (liquorice and

pepper) and of flowers (violet and peony). This wine is both powerful and

harmonious. The first taste is velvety, the mouthfeel is ample and rich and the

finish is long with great balance.

Alcohol: 14.5%

A classic from the south-west of France. Powerful fruit wrapped in soft tannins

10. Domaine Bellegarde Jurançon Sec "Pierre Blanche" 2006

Great to see 2 dry wines of Jurançon in the top 10. We are not really so surprised. As per our wine 2 (the Ch Jolys Jurançon Sec,) we think that these  dry whites fill a gap in the pallette of wines available in Australia. 

This is a special dry white wine that has won many accolades. wine has won many accolades, including 2 stars and a “Coup de Coeur’ rating (meaning “our favourite”) in the Guide Hachette in 2009, which said (our translation from the French text)…. “This domain often mentioned in the guide for its sweet wines is noted here for its superb dry Jurançon with its fresh pale colour. The nose is complex and elegant and opens up with fruit then unveils a splendid minerality. After a well-rounded initial taste one finds again a splendid vivacity and anew an inexhaustible minerality which brings length to the wine on the finish. A savoury wine perfectly balanced and very pure.” Of course we couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

For those looking for something other than chardonnay or sauvignon blanc, this could be the wine!

Region/Terroir: Jurançon

Grapes: Made from 70% petit manseng and 30% gros manseng.

Winemaking techniques: Hand-picked from old vines (between 50 and 60 years old) and aged in oak for one year to add complexity to the wine. Traditional methods and know how are used but enhanced with modern technology in the winery.

Our tasting notes: The nose is very expressive and complex with spicy and mineral notes. The palate is long, rounded and complex with spices and complex stone fruit flavours. Good acid to give great balance and structure to the wine.

Alcohol: 13.5%

We are very pleased to be able to include this special wine in our portfolio and very pleased that it has made the top 10 for 2011!

So an interesting line up of wines from the south-west of France. We are pleased with the way that they have been received in the Australian market. We would like to thank all our customers, friends and followers and wish everyone a safe, health and prosperous 2012. 

Hmmm, I wonder what our top 10 will be this time next year?