With its ‘Classics’ range M&S set out to produce wines which are the epitome of a grape, blend or region. I like this idea very much; at wine tastings – especially blind ones – I don’t really want quirky surprises. Is this wine unmistakably Picpoul de Pinet? Almost all Supermarket Picpouls come from the Costieres…
Tag: languedoc
Blanc Neuf La Bastide – Laithwaites
Blanc Neuf La Bastide 2018 is another unusual proposition – a blend similar to a white Côtes Du Rhône – but from Languedoc… A previous vintage was named ‘World’s Best White Blend’ under £11 by the Decanter World Wine Awards. It’s been compared to a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape. I see that; similarly this ought to be…
La Nuit Blanche Cabernet Blanc 2019
La Nuit Blanche Cabernet Blanc 2019 presented me with an unusual proposition – a grape I had never tried (or even, I must confess, heard of…). A winemaker discovered a few rows of Cabernet Blanc in the Languedoc in 2016 which belonged to a grower near Béziers who had been working with Swiss (aren’t they…
Maison de Cirque – Blanc de Blancs. Mas produced…?
Forgive the bad pun. When he started out in the late 1990s, Mas set out to make wines to export: “Selling wines to the French is like trying to sell hamburgers to the Americans.” Consequently, he exports, to 58 countries, 97 per cent of the 20 million bottles he produces annually. I think the problem…
Picpoul de Pinet 2018 – Aldi ‘Exquisite Collection’
This is not the ‘ubiquitous’ Picpoul de Pinet from the huge Costieres de Pomerols co-operative; this is from Paul Mas a well-respected producer. Tasting notes: Initial nose of green apples and citrus. Fresh & refreshing. Green apples, white flowers and citrus notes. Balanced acidity; Picpoul works best with food. Short finish, little intensity, little complexity,…
Languedoc, Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference
I have been looking at how Tesco’s updated ‘Finest’ range (which teams up with good producers and releases own-label wines that are interesting and reasonably priced) compares with Sainsbury’s ‘Premium’, Taste the Difference range. As a punter, it pays to seek out the maker’s name. Few winemakers are more consistent than Paul Mas. My…
A Time for Wine 