Tasted 24th May 2011

Loire

Les Complices de Loire Les Graviers 2009 Chinon, Loire, France 10.99
Buyer’s Highlight - A lovely fresh red from top Chinon winemaker, François Xavier Barc.
100% Cabernet Franc from Cravant les Coteaux and Beaumont en Véront. The vines are planted on gravelly clay and limestone and were
harvested in early-October. Pre-ferment cold maceration for 5 days followed by a 15 day ferment with a combination of ambient and
selected yeast in tank with pumpovers. Natural malo and then matured in tank for 12 months. Bottled October 2010. Winemaker François
Xavier Barc. Alc 12.5%, TA 3.4g/l, pH 3.62. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 138 branches.
Very appealing nose. Oaky and inviting. Juicy acidity. Tannin, obviously, but it’s well-integrated. A very moreish wine. *

Domaine de la Croix de Chaintres 2009 Saumur-Champigny, Loire, France 10.99
100% Cabernet Franc from a 50ha estate, created by brother and sister Fredrik and Christina Filliatreau, the 4th generation of growers
in the Filliatreau family. Vines are 30 years old and planted on limestone hills. Grapes were hand-harvested at 45hl/ha in early Oct. Slowly
pressed in a hydraulic press, then 20 days of maceration and fermentation took place in a mix of stainless steel and concrete vats with
temperature control and regular pumpovers. No oak influence and bottled Dec 2010. Winemaker Fredrik Filliatreau. Alc 13%, RS 0.5g/l.
Special Offer: £10.99 - £8.79, Save 20% from 20/07 to 16/08. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 240 branches.
Quite a stalky nose, which you’d expect. A lot beefier than Les Complices. Needs food. Long and vibrant flavour.


Burgundy

Laforêt 2010 Beaujolais, France 7.49
Buyer’s Highlight - the 2009 was a hard act to follow but I actually prefer this 2010 with more of the crunchy fruit and refreshing
acidity I love about Beaujolais. Fun, fruity and cracking value.
100% Gamay from the Cave du bois d’Oingt. The current château was built in the mid-19th century and is now occupied by the 5th
generation of the Debilly family. The vines are planted on chalky-clay soils and are 35 years old. The grapes were harvested by hand
with 40% undergoing carbonic maceration and the remaining 60% going through traditional fermentation with long skin contact. No
oak ageing. Winemaker Michael Lachaud. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Bottled April 2011. Alc 12.5%, TA 3.5g/l, pH 3.55, RS 1.5g/l.
Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 158 branches.
Bright, cherry red. Nice cherry nose. Nice halfway house between the very light and strawberry-flavoured cheap Beauj and the more structured crus. Pretty good.

Hospices de Beaujeu 2010 Beaujolais-Villages, France 8.49
100% Gamay from 50 year old gobelet pruned vines on stony granitic subsoil. The Hospices de Beaujeu dates back to the Middle Ages,
with the first donation recorded in 1240. Grapes were hand-harvested at a yield of 38hl/ha from vines planted at a density of
10,000vines/ha. 70% of the fruit was destemmed and 5% enjoyed semi-carbonic vinification. No oak influence and matured in cement
tanks. Bottled March 2011. Winemaker Patrick Vivier. Kieselguhr filtration, suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Alc 12.5%, TA 5.2g/l,
pH 3.57, RS 0.8g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 246 branches.
Quite reluctant on the nose. Nicely smooth and fruity without being fruitily sweet. Nice.


Bouchard Aîné et Fils Red Burgundy 2009 France 8.99
60% Gamay and 40% Pinot Noir from the Côte d’Or and Mâconnais, planted on clay and limestone soils. Vines are 35 - 40 years old and
were harvested in late-Sept partly by hand, partly by machine with a yield of less than 50hl/ha. Destemmed with no pressing and
macerated/fermented for 20 days in stainless steel vats with controlled temperature, daily cap punching and pumpovers. Natural malo
and matured in tank for 10 - 12 months. 25% of the wine was matured in new oak barrels. Bottled Jan 2011. Winemaker Laurent Mairet.
Alc 13.0%, TA 5.2g/l, pH 3.48, RS 1.0g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 250 branches.
Not a huge amount on the nose. Definitely pinot, but it doesn’t jump out at you. Some wood, some tannin, some fruit. The price is about right.

Domaine Besson Le Haut Colombier 2009 Givry, Burgundy, France 14.99
Buyer’s Highlight - what a gem from this small, quality-focused Domaine in the Côte Chalonnaise. It perfectly highlights all of
the silky seductive charms of the 2009 vintage with a refreshing earthy finish. Fantastic concentration and balance.
100% Pinot Noir. Named after the 17th Century dovecote which hangs over the estate’s entrance porch. Until 1989 Domaine Besson sold
its wine in bulk to local merchants. Vines are 40 years old, face south-east and are planted at a density of 10,000vines/ha on claylimestone
soil at a low altitude of 200-300m. The grapes were hand-harvested in mid-Sept with a yield of 55hl/ha and cooled to 12°C for
4 days. Fermented at 32°C and then matured for 1 year in 100% French 228l oak barrels of which one third were new. Bottled November
2010. Winemaker/owner Xavier Besson. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Alc 13.0%, TA 3.7g/l, pH 3.12, RS < 2.0g/l. Available from
Waitrose Wine Direct and 127 branches.
Very inviting nose. Spicy but fresh, with lovely pinot character. Lovely taste. If red Burg is your thing, this would be a great house wine. A very useful wine. Attractive, refreshing and with potential for the future. Yum. *

Joseph Drouhin 2007 Chorey-lès-Beaune, Burgundy, France 14.99
100% Pinot Noir from vines planted on clay and limestone soils, which have an average age of an impressive 53 years and are planted
at a high density of 10,000 - 12,500vines/ha. The majority of the fruit hailed from Drouhin-owned vineyards. The grapes were handharvested
with a yield of just 43hl/ha. The maceration and controlled fermentation took 2 - 3 weeks, and the new wine was then
matured for 12 - 15 months in French oak barrels, of which 10% were new. Winemaker Veronique Boss Drouhin. Alc 13%. Available from
Waitrose Wine Direct and 217 branches.
Very pale colour. Light on the nose. Cherry, freshly acidic. In the shadow of Haut Colombier.

Domaine Heresztyn Vieilles Vignes 2008 Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy, France 25.99
100% Pinot Noir. Vines are on average 30 - 50 years old and planted at a density of 10,000vines/ha in a 5ha vineyard on clay and
limestone soils. Grapes were harvested by hand with favourable weather conditions. Pre-ferment maceration at low temperature, then
1 week post-ferment maceration on skins. Malolactic in new (25%) and one year old barrels, where the wine was aged for 18 months.
Unfiltered. Winemakers Stanislas and Bernard Heresztyn. Alc 13%, TA 3.5g/l, pH 3.60, RS 0.1g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct
and 240 branches.
An enormous and very inviting new oaky nose. Sweet vanilla in the mouth. Very tasty and lovely. Not terribly long flavour.

Bordeaux

Good Ordinary Claret 2010 Bordeaux, France 4.49
60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc from Entre-Deux-Mers and Blayais Bourgeais. The vines are planted on
clay and limestone hillsides. Grapes were mechanically-harvested, destalked, crushed and then underwent a cold maceration for 48
hours, followed by alcoholic fermentation at 28°C. Oxygen was added (in a process known as ‘cliquage’) followed by a long period in vats.
Aged in tanks and racked quarterly. Alc 13%, TA 4.75g/l, pH 3.77, RS 1.2g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 253 branches.
Stalky, young nose. Tasted directly after pinot noir and so seems pretty tannic. Needs steak.

Baron des Tours 2009 Médoc, Bordeaux, France 10.49
50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc grown on clay and limestone soils. The vines are 35 years old and
planted at a density of 5,005vines/ha. The grapes were machine-harvested in late September with a yield of 50hl/ha. Fermented using
selected yeasts in stainless steel tanks with a 2 - 3 week maceration at 28°C. Natural malo in tank and then matured, with no oak, for 8 -
12 months. Bottled Jan 2011. Winemaker David Fahey. Suitable for vegetarians. Alc 13.0%, TA 6.0g/l, RS <2.0g/l. Special Offer: Save 1/3,
£10.49 - £6.98 from 29/06 to 19/07. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 215 branches.
Very elegant, tasteful, label. Toasty, spicy oak. Dark fruit and some mint on the nose. Spicy taste, as well. Plenty of tannin, which is a little furry, but a good house claret.

Esprit de Puisseguin 2009 Puisseguin Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, France 10.99
80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc from the outskirts of Saint-Émilion, planted on clay-calcareous soils with gravel. Grapes were
harvested by machine late-Sept to mid-Oct. Traditional winemaking with daily pumpovers to extract tannins. Maceration lasted 15 - 20
days in tanks followed by further maturation in tank. Winemaker Mr Gilles Berty. Suitable for vegetarians. Alc 13.5%, TA 3.25g/l, pH 3.5,
RS <1g/l. Special Offer: Save 25%, £10.99 - £7.99 from 29/06 to 19/07. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 230 branches.
Nicely baked and spicy aroma. Mellow flavour. Baked and very pleasant taste. Fresh and alive. Nice.

Château Haut Ballet 2008 Fronsac, Bordeaux, France 14.99
100% Merlot, located on a chalk-clay plateau at 80m altitude in Saint-Michel-de-Fronsac and overlooking the Dordogne. Vineyard is 9ha,
vines are 35 years old and planted at a density of 5,500vines/ha with a yield of 25hl/ha. Single Guyot pruning for the young vine-stock
and mixed pruning for the older ones. De-budding, leaf trimming and green harvest. Fruit harvested 13 - 15 October and sorted in the
vineyard. Fermented in thermo-regulated vats with cap punching. 50% matured in oak barrels of which 20% were new, 30% 1 year old.
Remainder matured in vats. Alc 14.5%, TA 3.25g/l, pH 3.61, RS <2.0g/l. Available from early June. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 3 branches.
Sweet, and slightly strange, drawing of a house on the label. Very spicy, oaky and appealing nose. Vibrant and exciting wine. Oaky but smooth and lovely. Very good. *


South of France

Cuvée Chasseur 2010 Vin de France 4.35
60% Carignan, 30% Grenache Noir and 10% Merlot from vineyards located between Narbonne and Béziers. The Carignan and Grenache
vines are 50 years old, gobelet pruned and planted on chalky clay slopes, whilst the Merlot is 20 years old. Average yield was 55hl/ha.
Combination of machine and hand-harvested. Vinification was traditional with selected yeasts, and numerous but gentle pumpovers,
at a controlled temperature of 26°C. Maceration lasted 8 days and the new wine was aged in tank. Suitable for vegetarians. Alc 12.15%,
TA 3.17g/l, pH 3.55, RS 6.2g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 253 branches.
Young, cherry nose. Young, fruity and easy.

Réserve de la Perrière 2010 Corbières, France 4.99
40% Carignan, 30% Grenache and 30% Syrah planted on ‘Marnes du Trias’ from the vineyards of Durban, reaching into the deepest
valleys of the Corbières. The 30-year-old vines cover 4,000ha and were hand-harvested at 40hl/ha. Grapes were destalked and crushed
then enjoyed a 12 - 20 day maceration depending on the grape variety with a temperature-controlled fermentation (max 23°C) using
selected yeast in stainless steel vats. Daily délestage for the first 10 days. Aerification was used throughout the fermentation process.
Matured in stainless steel with no oak ageing. Winemakers Michel Marty and Jean Philippe Trollet. Alc 13%, TA 3.2g/l, pH 3.6, RS 2g/l.
Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 236 branches.
Not a great deal on the nose. Thin, young and simple. Pity.

Chat-en-Oeuf 2010 IGP Pays d’Oc, France 5.49
The 2010 vintage of the highly successful red in the Chat-en-Oeuf range is a blend of selected parcels of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah
from the Languedoc. Traditional vinification with destemming and no yeast addition, 1 or 2 délestages, daily remontage, and pigeage
thereafter, with a 15 day cuvaison in total. Expertly overseen and blended by Boutinot’s French winemaker, Eric Monnin. Suitable for
vegetarians and vegans. Alc 14%, TA 3.1g/l, pH 3.7, RS 1.3g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 253 branches.
Baked, and black peppery, nose. Not an awful lot going on. A good wack of tannin. Very spicy and full-on. Good price. +

Domaine Marie 2010 Faugères, France 7.99
33% Grenache Noir, 33% Syrah and 33% Mourvèdre from Domaine Marie, a 15 hectare estate located on chalk and clay foothills in
Roquessels in the Faugères area of the Languedoc. The vines were harvested in Sept 2010 with a yield of 40 - 45hl/ha. Owner, Marie
Cadenat-Estève and winemaker, Pierrick Harang oversaw a long and gentle, traditional alcoholic fermentation lasting 20 - 23 days in vats,
with destalked and crushed grapes. Alc 13.9%, TA 5.11g/l, pH 3.53, RS <0.5g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 249 branches.
Bright, cherry red. Dark, fruity nose. Spicy, quite stalky – that’ll be the mourvèdre. Dark and moody. Ideal for rich stews.

Laurent Miquel L’Atelier Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre 2008 IGP Pays d’Oc, France 9.99
47% Grenache, 46% Syrah and 7% Mourvèdre planted on very stony soils with a hot, dry Mediterranean climate. Grapes were machineharvested,
then fermented for 1 month at 20 - 24°C with selected yeasts in stainless steel tanks with regular pumpovers. Natural malo
and 30% of the final blend was matured in new French oak barrels for 10 - 12 months. Winemaker Laurent Miquel. No fining, so suitable
for vegetarians and vegans. Alc 13.6%, TA 3.24g/l, pH 3.7, RS 3.0g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 251 branches.
Sweet, new oak on the nose. Smells like warm earth in hot countries – very good. Smooth tannin, some sweet fruit, and altogether an easy drinking wine. The price is quite steep.

Balthazar Syrah 2010 IGP Pays d’Oc, France 9.99
100% Syrah from the winery of Neffies in the Languedoc. The vineyards are planted on brown and clear schist and harvest started in mid-
Sept 2010. A long carbonic maceration at around 28 - 30°C took place followed by maturation in stainless steel tanks with
micro-oxygenation. Winemaker Pierrick Harang graduated top of the Oenology school of Montpellier in 1998 and is the fifth generation
in a long line of family wine merchants and oenologists. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Alc 13.5%, TA 4.14g/l, pH 4.04, RS < 0.5g/l.
Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 20 branches.
Heavy bottle. Very dark wine. Spicy, herbal nose. A massive and rich wine. Carbonic Maceration has given it some fruit, but don’t think Beaujolais. This is dark and intense. A lot of stalky character in a very appealing way. This is good. *

Château L’Hospitalet, La Reserve, La Clape 2009 Coteaux du Languedoc, France 11.99
40% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre and 30% Grenache from Château l’Hospitalet – the headquarters of Gérard Bertrand which comprises
978ha of moorland and 82ha of vines in an exceptional location in the heart of the Coteaux du Languedoc - La Clape appellation. The
vineyards are planted on chalky chippings over limestone. Grapes were hand-harvested in mid-Sept and sorted with yields of 40hl/ha.
Total destemming, and a long pre-fermentation maceration lasting 2 weeks in stainless steel vats. Full malo in French oak barrels, then
matured for 12 - 15 months. Blend completed early Jan. Winemaker Gérard Bertrand. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Alc 14.5%,
TA 3.58g/l, pH 3.8, RS 1g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 127 branches.
I’ve loved wines from this property before. An attractive tropical fruit nose. Almost smells like a pudding wine. Oh, it is lovely. Tropical fruit taste as well. Extraordinarily interesting. Sweet, definitely, but really, really attractive. *

Château Maris, Les Vieilles Vignes ‘10 Years’ 2009 Minervois La Livinière, France 12.99
Buyer’s Highlight - A special label to commemorate 10 years working with the quality-focused Château Maris.
85% Syrah with 15% Grenache from vineyards planted on hard and soft limestone and alluvial soils. Rain was plentiful in Dec/Jan but the
humid soils took a while to warm and Spring growth started a little later than in previous years. Harvest began on the 8th Sept, first with
the Syrah. Vinified in a combination of oak and cement with extraction by punching the cap and light pumping over during a 4 week
maceration. Patience was needed not to rack the wines too early. 30% aged in new oak barrels and 70% in old oak for 12 months.
Winemaker Robert Eden. Alc 14.9%, TA 3.34g/l, pH 3.65, RS 1.6g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 217 branches.
Spicy, with baked red fruits. Imagine a redcurrant and cranberry crumble. Nice taste. Spicy and savoury, but herbal and exciting. Lasts well. Good. *

Rhône

Cellier des Dauphins 2009 Coteaux du Tricastin, Rhône, France 5.99
80% Grenache with 20% Syrah from a 50 year-old pebbly vineyard yielding just 39hl/ha and tended with a high level of environmental
concern, with ploughing, natural fertilisers etc. The grapes were 30% hand-picked and 70% machine-harvested from mid-August to mid-
Sept and then relatively cool-fermented. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Alc 13.5%, TA 3.72g/l, pH 3.52, RS 1.7g/l. Available from
Waitrose Wine Direct and 251 branches.
Pale colour. Little on the nose. A bit stalky and not particularly lovely.

Waitrose Côtes du Rhône-Villages, Gabriel Meffre 2009 France 7.29
50% Grenache and 40% Syrah, with 10% Cinsault and Mourvèdre from 30 - 40 year old vines in the Gard and Vaucluse areas of the Rhône
appellation. The soil is a mix of clay and limestone and the grapes were machine-harvested in early-Sept during sunny, windy harvest
conditions following rigorous monitoring of the vines by Gabriel Meffre’s team. The different varietals were vinified separately under
controlled temperatures not exceeding 28°C in coated steel and stainless steel tanks. No oak. Head winemaker is Véronique Torcolacci.
Egg white fined so suitable for vegetarians. Alc 14%, TA 3.25g/l, RS 2.2g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 227 branches.
Not a great nose. I don’t like this at all. The alcohol’s leading and it doesn’t have enough body to fight back.

Guigal 2007 Côtes du Rhône, France 9.99
50% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre grown on various soil types - alluvial, pebbles, sediment, limestone and granite. Average
age of vines is 35 years and the average yield 41hl/ha. Traditional winemaking techniques with temperature-controlled fermentation
and long soaking on the skins. Aged in oak foudres for 18 months. Winemaker Philippe Guigal. Special Offer: £9.99 - £7.99, Save 20%
from 25/05 to 21/06. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 225 branches.
Showing quite a bit of age. Definitely on the brick side of garnet. Nice composty nose. Woody, with good fruit and juicy acidity. Good. Definitely worth snapping up during end of May/early June promotional period.

Cave de Tain, Les Hauts de Pavières 2008 Crozes-Hermitage, Rhône, France 10.49
100% Syrah, made by the Cave de Tain, a leading producer in the northern Rhône and specialist of Crozes-Hermitage (producing 60%
of this appellation). Vines are 20 years old and planted on stony, granitic soils. Partially hand-picked depending on the plots with a
maximum yield of 45hl/ha. All grapes were destemmed, then vatted with temperature control for 8 - 15 days at 28°C with regular
pumping-over, pigeage and aerations. One-third of the blend was aged for 12 months in 400l French oak barrels. Winemaker Xavier
Frouin. Alc 12.5%, TA 3.74g/l, pH 3.58, RS 2.0g/l. Special Offer: £10.49 - £7.79, Save £25% from 25/05 to 21/06. Available from
Waitrose Wine Direct and 251 branches.
Light cherry on the nose. Quite a good taste. Nothing jumps out at you, but it’s smooth, pleasant and together.

Blason du Rhône 2008 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 17.99
80% Grenache with 20% Syrah from renowned winemaker Jean-Philippe Perrin. The vines are planted on limestone soils topped with the
famous smooth pebbles, ‘galets roulés’ which reflect and radiate the heat stored during the intensely hot days. Traditional viticulture is
practised, and the grapes harvested at 35hl/ha. 15% of the final blend was stored in large oak tanks. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Alc 14.5%. Special Offer: Save 1/3, £17.99 - £11.99 from 20/07 to 16/08. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 241 branches.
Dried apricots on the nose. Good flavour. Very pleasing mouthfeel. Nice oak flavours. Fairly good length. Definitely worth snapping up at £11.99.

Domaine Font de Michelle 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 25.99
70% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and 10% of Cinsault, Terret, Counoise and Muscardin from a 30ha domaine - located in the
south-east of the appellation called La Crau, which is currently in conversion to organic. Vines are grown on a south-east facing clay and
chalk slope, covered with ‘galets roulés’. Grapes hand-picked, 70% destemmed, crushed and fermented in thermo-regulated 150hl vats
at 30°C for 20 days with daily pumpovers. Matured in oak foudres and demi muids for 12 - 18 months, no new oak. Bottled 18 months
after the harvest. Winemakers Guillaume and Bertrand Gonnet. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Alc 14.0%, TA 4.73g/l, pH 3.71,
RS 3.0g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 138 branches.
Lovely juicy, fruity, cherry nose. Dark and spicy taste, with warm alcohol. Bright and pretty interesting.

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