The climate and character of southern France - Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon being the main regions - are alluring. And we've all heard rhapsodic tales of "our week in France" that included improbably cheap and incredibly good local wine. Such feel-good vacation tales aside, the region has long been dismissed as a big plonk producer responsible for France's contribution to the European wine glut. However, the winemakers of southern France - which does not include Bordeaux - have made big strides in quality improvement over the past decade. Even better, they have remained at the lower end of the price scale.
Large parts of the region have never been graced with appellation controlee status, though the number of smaller ACs has been growing and more and more of the region's wines are produced under their supervision. I also have heard rumours that some sweeping changes to the wine structure of the south of France are on the way in 09 or 10 - that it will be modelled on the Italian Indicazione Geografica Tipica model and may even be referred to as "IGT".
One legacy of the lack of Appellations Controllees in the region is that the number of grapes permitted is vast - in addition to the region's own native varietals, you'll find pretty much all the big names here.
The Vintages selection is a good marker of what the region does best: there's one white and 17 reds in the "Southern France" show. And the one white is so good that it means my two top value picks are both from the featured region. Tasting notes for my recommendations of the "Southern France" feature wines first, then the rest of the wines in the order of sparkling, white and red.
To get a hold of any of these wines, visit the LCBO website to check availability near you.
Laurent Miquel Nord Sud Viognier 2007. $17.95 ** TOP VALUE WHITE**
Pays d"Oc, France
Viognier's origins are further north, in the centre of France, but this Languedoc producer does a good job with it. Nicely aromatic nose with with flowers and peach notes. Quite full on the palate, but the good acidity level means there's no roundness. Peach fruit with darker notes under, nice lingering finish with ripe yellow plum and peach. 88 points.
Domaine Des Aires Hautes Les Combelles 2005. $13.95 ** TOP VALUE RED**
Minervois, France
Rich ripe fruity nose with darker under notes of leather and tobacco - a nice surprise in such a cheapie. Smooth on the palate, which is dry and not too fruity. Tannins and acidity are both high, but well balanced. OK finish. 87/88 points.
Sud de France
Abbaye de Sylva Plana La Closeraie 2005. $19.95
Languedoc, France
Rich bold nose of dark red fruit including ripe plum and blackberries, with tobacco notes. Smooth and even elegant on the palate, which has more ripe plum fruit, though not so much in the way of secondary notes. Nice clean finish. 88 points.
Clos Bagatelle Cuvee Tradition 2007. $14.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Languedoc, France
Moderately fruity nose with darker notes on this Rhone blend (grenach, syrah, mouvedre, carignan). Very ripe dark plum and tobacco, as well as some earthiness and a nice finish. 87 points.
Domaine De Bila Haut Occultum Lapidem 2006. $19.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Roussillon, France
Rich nose with good secondary notes of leather, licorice and pepper. On the palate there's lots of ripe blackberry fruit and the tannins and acidity are both very high - I would say it's not ready yet, but very promising as a $20 wine that can turn into a $50 wine if you sit on it for a few years. 89 points.
Esprit du Sud Rouge 2007. $15.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Languedoc, France
Back down to earth with this one - but here's a good example of good value red from the south. Quite dark nose, a bit rustic in character. A smoother experience on the palate, which is very dry. There's ripe raspberry and cherry fruit, black coffee notes and a lovely finish. 87/88 points.
Terrasses De La Mouline Rouge 2007. $13.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Languedoc, France
Quite fruity nose with some secondary notes. Smooth and ripe on the palate - it's a bit simple, but there's enough darkness to lift it up from easy drinking. Nice finish. 87 points.
Chateau La Tour de L'Eveque Vendages Manuelles 2004. $17.95
Provence, France
Lovely older nose with leather on top of the ripe cherries. smooth on the palate, which has a good balance of tannins and acidity. Lovely cherry and dark plum fruit, plus tobacco - no syrah pepper that I could find though. Good finish. 88 points.
The Sparkling Wines
Cattier Premier Cru Brut Champagne 2000. $49.95
Champagne, France
Initially not too interesting, the nose on this vintage champagne is noticeably "aged" already: wet leaves and Christmas cake. Quite fresh and minerally on the palate though, which is not to fruity. There's some lemon that runs right through to the finish, which lingers and has more dark, slightly cooked white fruit. I noted that this would be "interesting to try as an intro to vintage style." 88 points.
Villa Sandi Cuvee Prosecco di Valdobbiadene. $18.95
Veneto, Italy
Fruity, peachy nose with a bit of Pez candy. Assertive bubbles and a dry feel on the palate. Nice finish of peach. 87 points.
The White Wines
Berton Vineyards The White Viognier. $14.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
New South Wales, Australia
Here's a New World take on viognier - a varietal that is growing in popularity in Oz. Rich and darker nose, not as aromatic as expected. There's some peach fruit and some floral notes can be teased out. Nicely full on the palate, which has ripe peach fruit and even some tropical fruit. Nice finish. 87 points.
Chapel Hill Unwooded Chardonnay 2007. $15.95
South Australia
Bold nose for a chardonnay - and there's plenty of ripe melon fruit. On the palate there's good acidity, with lemon notes over the peach and melon. Very full for an unoaked. Slight cardboard note on the finish. 87 points.
Composite Sauvignon Blanc 2007. $19.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Marlborough, New Zealand
Muted but pleasantly grassy nose with green pepper and lemon. Smooth and soft initially on the palate, which is also muted. Acidity rises nicely toward the finish, which lingers with lemon and hints of tropical fruit. A little less ripe and a little sharper, and this could be a Sancerre. 90 points.
Marchetti Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi Classico 2007. $15.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Marche, Italy
Rich and ripe nose with melon and a slightly oily note. Fresh and zesty on the palate, which is medium bodied and has a nice fresh finish of lemon and apple. 88 points.
Ajello Majus Rillo/Catarratto 2007. $16.95
Sicily, Italy
Spicy nose with a bit of anise and white fruit. Fairly big on the palate, which has good acidity and ripe fruit: grapes and plums. Nice lingering finish. 87 points.
Cusomano Insolia 2007. $14.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Sicily, Italy
Lightly aromatic nose with floral notes and ripe tropical fruit. Smooth and fresh on the palate, even though the acidity is fairly low. There is some roundness to it and a hint of caramel. Nice finish. Interesting. 87 points.
Feudo Montoni Catarratto 2007. $15.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Sicily, Italy
Ripe and fruity nose with good peach fruit. More ripeness and fullness on the palate, which also has good acidity. A vanilla note is also present and there are some mineral notes and over-ripe plum fruit on the finish. 87/88 points.
Divinica White 2007. $15.95
Douro, Portugal
Powdery nose with indeterminate white fruit. Fresh and medium bodied on the palate, which has citrus notes and almond. Nice finish. 87 points.
The Red Wines
Inniskillin Reserve Series Meritage 2006. $17.95
VQA Niagara
06 was not a great year for reds in Niagara - it was cooler and wetter than normal. However Inniskillin has pulled off a decent example of a meritage here. Good dark fruit on the nose, which shows a few hints of secondary notes. Lighter on the palate than you might like, but the quality of the fruit and the complexity of the flavours is just fine. 87 points.
Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin 2005. $44.95
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
A more muted and plummy nose with cedar notes. However it really opens up with some aeration, showing more fruit. Fresh and zesty on the palate - acidity is high and there's fresh plum fruit and other red fruit. Fruitier and riper than the 04, but quite smooth already. Some secondary notes including hints of licorice and tobacco. Vanilla and smoke on the finish. This is the first batch of the newer style and Osoyoos Larose viticulturist Alain Sutre considers this a "feminine" wine. 90 points
>> read more about Osoyoos Larose <<
Bridlewood Reserve Syrah 2004. $27.95
Central Coast, California
Beautiful rich dark nose of tobacco, blackberry and black pepper. Super smooth on the palate, which has good acidity and moderate tannins. Leather and caramel notes and charred wood accompany the ripe fruit flavours. Good fresh finish. 90 points.
Clos Du Val Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. $79.95
Napa, California
Another beautiful wine from this reliable (if, um, pricey) Napa producer. Designed to age in the cellar, this one's still very young, but it's already pretty accessible. Rich ripe blackberry fruit with good secondary notes of tobacco and wood. These elements carry through to the palate, which still has high tannins and acidity. Buy some and lay it down in the cellar if you can... 91 points.
Dominus 2005. $127.95
Napa, California
One of the heaviest of the Napa heavyweights, Dominus is a Cali meritage more in the Bordeaux style. This makes sense as the winery is run by one of the biggest names in Bordeaux - Christian Moueix. Muted but cigar-dominated nose with ripe blackberries under. On the palate the tannins and acidity are both high and the rich red fruit is ripe. This one will definitely improve in the cellar and indeed has all the attributes necessary to age beautifully over a long time. 93 points.
Ridge Geyserville 2006. $58.95
Sonoma, California
This is a very unusual blend - majority zinfandel plus carignan, petite syrah and mourvedre - but boy does it work. Lovely nose with coconut, herbs and red berries. Smooth, rich and fruity without being overpowering. More herbal notes on the palate, which has a lovely smoothness. Nice finish of fresh, ripe fruit and more coconut. 91 points.
Tangley Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon 2005. $32.95
Napa, California
Plenty of dark fruit on the nose and some darker woody and tobacco notes lead into a lovely smooth not-fruit-bomb palate. Good blackberry fruit, not OTT. Secondary notes of tobacco, smoke and a hint of caramel and there's a great finish. 90 points.
Alamos Pinot Noir 2007. $13.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Mendoza, Argentina
Very unusual to see a pinot from Mendoza... but worth a try. Fairly muted nose, but there's ripe red cherry fruit nicely balanced with some earthiness so it's not candied like cheap pinots can be. Smooth and pleasant on the palate, which has more cherry fruit with an earthy undertone and a hint of mushroom. Nice at the price. 87 points.
Maipe Malbec 2007. $14.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Mendoza, Argentina
Dark nose with plum, cigar box and spice. Smooth and plummy on the palate, which is quite full. More secondary notes of tobacco give it some heft. Good finish. 87/88 points.
Domaine Berthet-Rayne Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2005. $43.95
Rhone Valley, France
Rich and older style nose with ripe plum fruit and secondary spicy notes. Smooth on the palate. Tannins about medium and acidity still high, so it's very fresh and the ripe fruit is just what you'd expect of a Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Fresh and lingering finish with a bit of lemon zest. 89 points.
Perrin & Fils Vacqueyras Les Christins 2006. $23.95 ** GOOD PREMIUM VALUE **
Rhone Valley, France
One of my favourite producers delivers top quality at a good price here: Lovely nose of dark red fruit, mainly plum, plus some rich tobacco notes in this grenache/syrah blend. Smooth and dry on the palate, there's good complexity and great plummy fruit. Good balance of tannins and acidity, both of which are still elevated. Nice plummy finish. 90 points.
Elderton Friends Vineyard Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2006. $18.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Eden Valley, South Australia
Dark, rich and complex nose with good fruit and a hint of pepper. Ripe red berry fruit on the palate, which is smooth and well balanced, with good complexity. 88/89 points.
Elderton Friends Vineyard Series Shiraz 2006. $18.95
Barossa/Eden Valley, South Australia
Not quite up to the quality of it's friend cabernet... but pretty good. Lots of ripe blackberry fruit with a bit of pepper. Rather soft on the palate, so leaning towards "easy drinking". OK finish. 87 points.
Stella Bella Shiraz 2006. $20.95
Margaret River, Western Australia
Spicy nose with pepper and dark plummy fruit, but quite restrained. The restraint continues onto the palate, which has smooth red fruit, some secondary darker notes and a lovely peppery finish. 88/89 points.
Vasse Felix Shiraz 2006. $39.95
Margaret River, Western Australia
Another spicy nose with blackberry fruit, this one rather more pronounced. Beautifully smooth on the palate, which is both dry and fruity, nicely balanced. Lingering finish of plum. A terrific Aussie shiraz that's ready right now. 92 points.
Spadina Nero D'Avola 2006. $16.95
Sicily, Italy
Well this Spadina line will take you to a nicer - and even more Italian - place than Downsview: rich and smooth nose with floral hints and ripe red fruit, mainly plums. Rich on the palate, which has red berry fruit underscored with nice tobacco notes - fairly simple, but fruity and good. OK finish. 87 points.
Il Borro Rosso 2005. $59.95
Tuscany, Italy
This super Tuscan is made by a winery run by the same-named nephew of the famous shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo. And as his uncle's shoes are high quality, so is this Salvatore's wine: dark nose with rich red fruit, toast and butter tarts. Smooth on the palate, which has elevated acidity and tannins still - it needs more time still. Fresh finish. 89 points.
Rocca Delle Macie Chianti Reserva. $15.00 ** GOOD VALUE **
Tuscany, Italy
Lovely Chianti here with a rich nose of dark red fruit, mainly cherries. Secondary notes include spice, vanilla, licorice and a woody note. Tannins are high and acidity is moderate. Good smooth finish with cigars and cherries. 88 points.
1707 Seleccion de Barricas 2004. $16.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Almansa, Spain
Rich and bold nose of dark red fruit - blackberries, black cherry, burnt wood, cigar. Quite fresh on the palate. Tannins and acidity both high, but the feel is smooth. Cherry fruit, woody notes and other secondary hints give good complexity. Lovely finish of cherries and old oak. 89 points
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