SOUTHERN FRANCE
Southern France This is Provence, a region abounding with delicious and delightful pale rosés which have just got better and better over the last dozen years. We are very delighted to work with both Château Leoube in Bormes-les-Mimosas, an immaculate organic estate set in an amazing landscape producing wines of such silkiness and such appeal that they are impossible to resist! Some rather good red is also made and is well worth a try. Equally irresistible and even paler in colour are the sublime roses made at Domaine de Jale by family Seminel; an estate I have known and worked with now for 12 years, and indeed drink myself in substantial volume! Beyond Provence and to the West are many small and intriguing appellations including Bandol where there are some fabulous reds including Domaine Tempier and Château Pibarnon, all crafted from Mourvèdre. Some good rosé, too, but a little fuller in flavour than the neighbouring Provençal wines. The main and largest expanse of vineyard is the Languedoc-Roussillon, which stretches from the southern Rhône across to the Spanish border, and produces close to 30% of all French wines, meaning volumes bigger than all of Australia and 3 times that of Bordeaux! Wines made here are often sold under the “vin de pays d’Oc” appellation, and more often than not will feature the grape variety prominently on the label, and so in many ways are easier to understand. Look
out for Picpoul de Pinet white, some very good Chardonnay and Sauvignon and for red - Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet, Grenache all work really well. There is one rather wonderful wine, which has often been described as the “Lafite of the Languedoc” called Mas de Daumas Gassac, which we have long bought and is well worth enjoying; equally Domaine de Trevallon near to the beautiful village of St. Rémy de Provence is well worth looking out for.
Julian Chamberlen
SOUTHERN FRANCE
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CLASSIC GRAPE VARIETALS
FAVOURITE PRODUCERS
Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mouvedre and Cinsault
Tempier, Mas de Daumas Gassac, Domaine de Jale, Pibarnon and Leoube
WINE CATALOGUE
