7.95

Provence is renowned for its rosés and permits no less than 13 different varieties to be blended.  Vignoble Francois Ravel has masterfully blended Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache, Carignan and Tibouren;  a favorite among winemakers in the region for  imparting a certain earthy character to the wine.  Beautiful peachy-pink  in colour with scents of ripe melons, citrus and ripe strawberries. Delicate menthol cherry and provencal herb flavours contribute to the lightness and freshness  of this quintessential Provence rosé.

Jacques and Francois Lurton are the sons of Andre Lurton the famous Bordeaux producer and have made it their mission to produce great wines wherever vines can be grown under normal conditions. They have estates all over the world in Uruguay, Chile, Spain, Portugal, Australia and France. This wine represents exceptional value for money. The nose is floral and delicate and the maturity of the grapes gives a rich, complex flavour profile with good balancing acidity.

Just twenty years ago the Languedoc produced ten percent of all the wine in the world. The emphasis was definitely on quantity over quality. With wine tastes changing a new generation of quality producers are promoting themselves as the new face of the South. Chateau St-Jean D'Aumières epitomizes the efforts of these smaller estates to upgrade their wineries and produce more sophisticated wines which will command the prices needed to sustain future investment. The “A” d’Aumieres is their flagship wine made from specially selected 25 years old Syrah and Grenache vines. It is aged for 14 months in new French oak. The nose shows particularly bold blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. The palate marries finesse with plenty of flavour, fresh acidity and succulent, slightly grippy tannins.

Louis Andreiu’s family has owned this former convent (used by the Clarisses nuns to grow grain - the mill still stands in the middle of the vineyards) for 4 generations. This is a beautifully crafted blend of organically produced Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and a splash of Muscat; all rounded off with dose of 30% french oak but without any malocatic fermentation to preserve the wines appealing freshness. Rated by the Guide Hachette 2007 as a “classic of the appellation”.

Chateau du Cédre, one of Cahors' leading estates, is the domaine of brothers Pascal and Jean-Marc Verhaeghe. Pascal’s winemaking apprenticeship at Saintsbury in California convinced him to embrace the modern mantra of quality; improving flavour and extract in order to match the Malbecs of the New World. 'Le Prestige' is a deep, purple-black wine made from 90% Auxerrois (the local name for Malbec) and 10% Tannat. It has a powerful nose, redolent of black summer fruits, with a lining of spicy oak. On the palate there is great texture and structure. Alongside the seductive, silky mouthfeel there is the trademark deep and brooding dark fruit which makes Cahor a classic winter warmer, an ideal match for steaming hot stews and traditional roasts.  

Pic St. Loup is one of the more easterly regions of the Coteaux du Languedoc, 20 km north of Montpellier in the South West of France. It’s reputation for producing quality red wine from blends of Rhone grapes, is soon to be enhanced by promotion to Appelation Controlee status. It is currently a cru of the Coteaux du Languedoc. In 1979 Jean and Marie-Thérèse Orliac planted vines on abandoned land at the foot of two dramatic cliffs, the Pic St Loup and the Montagne de l’Hortus. They also built a distinctive winery, constructed mostly of wood. In total, they now have 55 hectares of vines. The main vineyard area is near the winery, where Mourvedre grows on the hot scree slope under the Montagne de l’Hortus, whereas Grenache and Syrah are grown on a northeast facing slope under the Pic St Loup, with a cooler microclimate. This location, as well as their reputation, places them right at the heart of the region’s wine making; set in a severely beautiful landscape often described as garrigue scrubland.  
The Grand Cuvee, a blend of 50% Mourvèdre, 40% Syrah and 10% Grenache, is a wine of firm structure, intense fruit flavours and fine length. Ripe spiciness on the nose is matched on the palate by herby spicy berry fruit with a lovely savoury, meaty edge. A wine to decant and savour now, or lay down for up to 5 years and discover all that it promises to deliver.