The Matthew Jukes 100 Best Australian Wines Roadshow with Noel Young, Cambridge‏

The Matthew Jukes 100 Best Australian Wines Roadshow rolled into Cambridge last night as Noel Young held a tasting at John de Bruyne's Anstey Hall.

Described by award-winning Daily Mail writer Jukes as "a legend in the wine industry", Noel had selected 40 of Matthew's 100 wines to present that evening and anyone wishing to get a sense of what Australia has to offer could do much worse than turn up at one of these roadshows.

Arriving half-way through the event, I speed-tasted my way through the wines and then had a chat with Matthew to find out more about how he choose his top 100.

Tasting 30,000 to 40,000 wines a year - that's an average of 100 wines every single day - Matthew keeps a note of all those which he scores 18.5 or over and then whittles them down to 100 by focusing on what is available for the UK market.

He does not moderate his list in any way; that is, he does not put in wines he feels "ought" to be included or add in a few worthy, but underachieving, wines to round out the list of grape varieties.

Rather, he just lists his top 100, noting that each year there ends up being a small number of fizzes and stickies, with an approximate 50:50 split for the remaining reds and whites that simply represent his personal preferences and assessment.

There is not room here to record all the wines I tried and in any case you can find the full 100 list here, but after all the tasting what struck me was that it was the varieties for which Oz is known best that generally stood out - Chardonnay, Cab and Shiraz.

I asked Matthew about his thoughts on where Australian wine is, and should be, going.

Explaining that what he admires most about Australians is their open frankness and ability not only to take criticism on the chin but also to act on it, he told me he had been invited to talk to at a marketing conference on Aussie wines not for any in-depth subject knowledge, but for his own plain-speaking no-nonsense approach.

His view is that Australia needs to continue turning away from the volume-driven supermarket turf war area and focus on its terroir and wines in the mid-range where it has huge potential - three-for-a-tenner wines, he explained, are now the preserve of South Africa, not Oz.

In short, then, Australia needs to grow up and become more serious, more European even - and whilst certain retailers' shelves may currently be awash with cheap, overly fruity and sweet Aussie plonk, this could be a final hurrah before exchange rates and rises in duty make this cease to be an attractive area for business.

He also believe that Oz's future lies in its most well-known, international varieties - he is not a fan of Spanish or Italian varieties being grown in Oz and says they usually end up being not as good as, but more expensive than, the styles they try to emulate.

However, he does believe Australian Pinot Noir is getting better all the time and is one to watch.

The full list of the wines on show that evening is here, but what follows is my condensed summary of the ones I liked.

The Wines (selection)

Fizz

NV Jacob's Creek, Blanc de Blancs, Australia - this was light, crisp and fresh with a good finish. Price not available as, bizarrely, Jacob's Creek refuses to tell Noel Young the trade price.

Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc

These wines were lean and crisp in a cool-climate sort of way; not typically Australian at all.

Shaw and Smith Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills, SA (£12.99) 2010 had a smokey, flinty nose, crisp acidity, a full palate and good length on the finish.

Tyrrell's Belford Single Vineyard Semillon, Hunter Valley NSW (£N/A) 2005 had a complex but restrained nose with hints of diesel and a ripe, linear and balanced acidity.

Riesling

There were a number of quite good ones here, but the Pikes Riesling, Clare Valley, SA (£15.99) 2009 showed perhaps the best overall complexity and balance between fullness, acidity and minerality.

Chardonnay

There were two very good Chardonnays on show - but neither cheap. Both were quite pale in the glass with great complexity and structure, toasty oak and impressive finishes; Yabby Lake Vineyard, Chardonnay, Mornington Peninsula, Vic (£24.99) 2008 and Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay, Margaret River, WA (£38.95) 2008.

Pinot Noir

The two Pinots on show were pale, almost rose-like, mushroomy and pleasant enough, but I'm not sure I quite share Matthew's enthusiasm for them at this stage.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

Unlike the cool-climate feel of the whites, the style here is still mainly New World - soft, smooth and full of blackcurrant fruit, with the odd more seriously-textured wine thrown in at the upper end of the price range.

Wirra Wirra Church Block, McLaren Vale, SA (£16.99) 2008 was good, but the Mitolo Jester Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale, SA (£12.99) 2009 made partially in the amarone style was ripe, mouthfilling and smooth with minty eucalyptus.

Also very impressive for its texture and tannic structure was a Petaluma Coonawarra, SA (£30.75) 2007.

The "weird and wonderful reds", all lighter and more fruit-driven, were a enjoyable diversion into more affordable, everyday-drinking wines before the hedonistic delight that was the final run of Shirazes.

Shiraz, Grenache, Mouvedre

Glaetzer, Wallace Shiraz / Grenache, Barossa Valley, SA (£17.50) 2009 had sweet prune fruit and minty eucalyptus.

Plantagenet Shiraz, Great Southern, WA (£24.99) 2007 had ripe prunes and plums, a soft-but-full texture and a toasty finish.

Mitolo Savitar Shiraz, McLaren Vale, SA (£29.99) 2007 had a complex mix of mouthwatering fruit, dense texture, minty blackcurrant, a toastiness and good grippy finish.

Links

Matthew Jukes - http://www.matthewjukes.com/

Top 100 list - http://www.matthewjukes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/matthew-jukes-100best-2010.pdf

Noel Young Wines - http://www.nywines.co.uk/

Full list of the wines in the Cambridge tasting - http://www.matthewjukes.com/?p=1093

A (Metaphorical) Tour Through Italy's Vineyards‏

Sadly, this was not literally a tour, but rather a lot of people crammed into an ornate central London hotel conference room with around 15 Italian wine producers and importers.

Described as the 7th in a series of events, the theme here seemed to be a focus on international (i.e. French) grape varieties rather than native Italian ones.

Whilst the location was impressive, conditions were not ideal; a noisy, cramped room, the schoolboy error of not providing proper tasting glasses, scant space to jot down notes and the presence of a few over-perfumed ladies are not conducive to the wines showing their best and I only worry that I did some good wines a disservice as a result.

Having familiarised myself with native Italian grape varieties at a recent Slow Wine event, it was interesting to see what traditional French grapes can do in a warmer climate, but the results tended to be generally something a bit riper and fleshier than the corresponding French wine.

Whilst there's nothing wrong in that and all the wines were well made, given Italy's heritage of native grapes and the ubiquity of French varieties in warm-climate New World countries, it did rather leave me wondering what the point was. So, in general it was the native grapes that proved most interesting and whilst all the wines here were at least pleasant and enjoyable, a few shone through as really well made and impressive.

As usual, I started with northerly whites before working south.

Veneto

A prosecco from Villa Sandi was light and fresh but well-made with a good finish; their Merlot / Cabernet Franc blend was rather lean and less impressive.

Marche

A Sauvignon Blanc from Dittajuti was fresh and full of aromatic flavours whilst also balanced and restrained, but whilst enjoyable, was rather workmanlike and did not really offer anything new.

A Sauvignon Blanc / Trebbiano blend aged in cement tanks and old oak barrels from Il Pollenza was fresh and herbaceous but also had a pleasing, ripe fatness. The Rosso, a Cabernet Sauvignon, was rich with blackcurrant, mint and eucalyptus on the palate.

The Anghels Marche Rosso, 70% Montepulciano and 30% Cab was mouthfilling and smooth, with an earthy nose of leather and bramble fruit and a good length and finish.

Tuscany

A traditional Vermentino, with 20% Viognier added, from Bruni proved to be perhaps the best white of the event and was the only one I went back to re-sample - aged in old barriques, it had a slightly toasty, oatmealy nose of white flowers and elderflower, and was mouthfilling and ripe with some fatness and white peach on the palate and a good finish.

The Scansano, 85% Sangiovese and 15% Syrah from 2007 was soft, smooth and harmoniously easy-drinking with some pleasing spice, cherry and vanilla on the palate.

The most interesting wine from Casanova di Neri was their Brunello from 2004 - with more age and from a better vintage it had more complexity and texture, with vanilla, berry fruit and some woodsiness on the nose and palate than the two other wines on show which felt a little like warm-up acts - a Rosso di Montalcino and a Brunello from 2005.

The Rocca di Frassinello from Castellare di Castellina was very impressive; with 18 months' aging in barriques, it is rich, ripe and mouthfilling with a grippy finish; there is spice, blackcurrant and hints of leather and woodsiness on the palate. It is made from 60% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot.

Two wines from Fattoria I Collazzi which seemed to be proving popular on the day were much more in the modern, soft, fruit-driven style of quaffing wines - the Collazzi Toscana (mainly Cab, but with other Bordeaux grapes in the mix) was ripe, rich and soft with lots of fruit, whilst the Liberta (a mix of Sangiovese and Syrah) had plenty of plum and prune fruit and a soft texture.

The best reds came from two producers: two Bolgheri wines (Cab / Merlot blends) from Podere Sapaio were extremely well-made, balanced, rounded and smooth with vanilla, ripe cherry fruit and spice; the superiore from 2007 was made from a better selection of grapes with 100% new oak and was a further step-up in quality.

The Carpoli Toscana 2006 from Sada, a Bordeaux blend with mainly Cab, had a nose of spice and plums, a mouthfilling texture and impressive finish.

The Integolo (Cab, Alicante and Montepulciano, unoaked) is their everyday wine; slightly lighter it was ripe and enjoyable with good fruit and a pleasing finish.

Their white, a Vermentino, was also impressive - aromatic and fresh with a rounded feel and a good finish.

The winery of San Fabiano Calcinaia aims for depth of flavour rather than complexity and had two Chiantis to show; the riserva had a nose of woodsiness, cherry and vanilla and impressive mouthfeel. Their Cerviolo (a blend of Sangiovese and Bordeaux grapes) was full of ripe, smooth fruit.

Puglia

Finally, there were two contrasting wines from Cantina Due Palme; the Canonico Negroamaro, made for European palates, had a soft texture, ripe plummy fruit and some coffee on the nose and palate.

The Primitivo, a more traditionally Italian style wine, was to me more interesting; with spice, leather and eucalyptus on the nose, it had lots of ripe, but balanced, fruit sweetness and a much more pronounced structure.

The Wines

Not all the wines are currently available in the UK as some are seeking distribution.

Villa Sandi - Il Fresco Prosecco Treviso DOC NV, Filio Merlot e Cabernet Franc IGT 2008
Conte Leopardi Dittajutti - Calcare Marche IGT 2009
Il Pollenza - Brianello Marche Bianco IGT 2009, Marche Rosso IGT 2007
Tenuta De Angelis - Anghels Marche Rosso IGT 2008
Bruni - Perlaia Vermentino Maremma Toscana IGT 2009, Marteto Morellino di Scansano DOCG, Laire Morellino di Scansano DOCG Riserva 2007
Casanova di Neri - Rosso di Montalcino DOC 2009, Tenuta Nuova Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2005, Cerretalto Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2004
Castellare di Castellina - Rocca di Frasinello Toscana IGT 2007
Fattoria I Collazzi - Collazzi Toscana IGT 2007, Liberta Toscana IGT 2009
Podere Sapaio - Volpolo Bolgheri DOC 2008, Sapaio Bolgheri DOC Superiore 2007
Sada - Vermentino Toscana IGT 2010, Carpoli Toscana IGT 2006, Integolo Toscana IGT 2009
San Fabiano Calcinaia - San Fabiano Calcinaia Chianti Classico DOCG 2008, Cellole Chianti Classico  Riserva 2006, Cerviolo Rosso Toscana IGT 2006
Cantina Due Palme - Canonico Negroamaro Salento IGP 2009, Primitivo Rosso Salento IGP 2009

Links

Villa Sandi - http://www.villasandi.it/
Conte Leopardi Dittajutti - http://www.leopardiwines.com/
Il Pollenza - http://www.ilpollenza.it/
Tenuta De Angelis - http://www.tenutadeangelis.it/
Bruni - http://www.aziendabruni.it/
Casanova Di Neri - http://www.casanovadineri.com/
Castellare Di Castellina - http://www.castellare.it/
Fattoria I Collazzi - http://www.collazzi.com/
Podere Sapaio - http://www.sapaio.it/
Sada - http://www.agricolasada.com/
San Fabiano Calcinaia - http://www.sanfabianocalcinaia.com/
Cantine Due Palme - http://www.cantineduepalme.it/

Domaine Cristia Grenache Syrah 2009 - Naked Wines

French Grenache is a modern classic of sorts - full of ripe indulgent flavours of plums and prunes and with a soft quaffable texture (especially with a bit of Syrah thrown in), it usually makes for an easy red to enjoy.

When well-enough made, there's nothing not to like about southern French reds, and although this Grenache from Naked Wines is labelled no more specifically than as a Vin de France, it's probably a safe bet that it's from somewhere in the Midi, the heartland of blowsy under-a-tenner Grenache blends.

That said, it's not completely full-on or overblown and shows enough restraint to demonstrate a bit of class and seriousness.

Straight out of the bottle, it's relatively muted on the nose and palate and starts to open up only after an hour or so, which is a pity as it is so drinkable that by that time there is not a great deal left.

Set aside and re-sampled after a further 48 hours, it shows all the joyous flavours you would expect; there's prunes and plums, some peppery spice with hints of leather, woodsiness and eucalyptus and its high acidity makes it a mouthwatering match for rich, strongly flavoured and herby dishes such as salami, sausages or tomato-based pasta dishes.

Pale purple in the glass, it is light and soft in the mouth, with a smooth texture, a mouthwatering fruitiness and some gentle tannic grip on the finish.

Like all the Naked Wines I've had so far, it's well-made, instantly appealing and very drinkable. It's also typically modern and fruit-driven, light enough to quaff but also able to match with food.

The back label reveals it's made by Grangeon et Fils based in Courthézon in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region - according to Naked's website, Dominique and brother Baptiste Grangeon are the third generation of family working at Domaine de Cristia. The vineyard was bought 70 years ago by great-grandfather Etienne Grangeon, and they started working there back in 1999, taking over from father Florent.

Dominque adds: the soils were in excellent condition thanks to Dad's biodynamic conception of agriculture, but changing old mentalities was a bit of a challenge!

We had a few problems with the first vintages we produced (bad corks being one problem), but come 2003, we started making some absolutely wonderful wine, with The Wine Advocate calling us the 'New superstars from Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

List price is £7.99 with 33% cashback for Angels.

Links

Naked Wines - http://www.nakedwines.com/

Pouilly-Fuissé "Authentique", 2009, Domaine Sangouard-Guyot

One of the first "wine facts" I remember learning is that Chardonnay is a relatively neutral grape variety and generally needs the influence of oak to make it interesting.

And whilst this is true up to a point, there are certain wine makers who feel that the New World obsession with oak has done a disservice to Chardonnay and that the grape should be allowed to express its own personality and that of its terroir.

Chardonnay produces a range of styles from steely and crisp in a cool climate to lots of exotic tropical fruits where it's hot; this one, from the southerly, Pouilly-Fuissé region of Burgundy offers something rather different from either extreme.

Made by Domaine Sangouard-Guyot, who are part of the Patrimoine des Terroirs organisation, Catherine Sangouard explained to me that the hand-harvested grapes come from "La Roche", one of the best plots in Vergisson where clay soils add to the richness and rounded structure of the wine, adding: "it is left in tanks to preserve the authentic aromas of Chardonnay. This a blend of grapes coming from very old vines (60 years on the average) giving very concentrated aromas. That is the reason why we have called it “Authentic”. It could be an ideal wine for a tasting training as we can smell and taste flavours of acacia, peaches…"

Harvesting at Sangouard-Guyot

A pale golden sandy colour in the glass, but restrained on the nose, this wine is all about structure and depth rather than variety of flavours; the palate has some good, ripe lemoniness, white peach and white flowers and hints of tropical fruit; however, what impresses most is the ripe, fresh linearity and fullness of the fruit acids together with a rich, leesy minerality on the finish.

Technically well-made, fresh and rich, this is a modern food wine - it has the depth and richness to stand up to food without overpowering, whilst its acidic structure will cut through creamy pasta or chicken in a cream and tarragon sauce.

It has a Decanter Commendation and, whilst intended to be drunk within 3-5 years, may well develop into something more complex with a few more years' bottle age.

Provided for review.

Links

Domaine Sangouard-Guyot - http://www.domaine-sangouard-guyot.com/

Patrimoine des Terroirs - http://patrimoinevin.canalblog.com/

Cotes du Rhône Village Visan, Louise-Amélie, 2009

This is the last of three wines from Domaine La Guintrandy, a member of Patrimoine des Terroirs; the first (reviewed here) was very well-made and enjoyable now and the second (here), a noticeable step up.

This third wine is really impressive, albeit not yet at its peak.

La Guintrandy is situated at the gateway to the "Enclave des Papes" in the commune of Visan and Tulette in the southern Rhône. It is a modern vineyard steeped in history; a Saracen burial ground has been discovered on the land and a well-preserved thirteenth century papal boundary stone marks the beginning of the domaine and the border between the modern Departments of the Drôme and the Vaucluse.

Made from 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah from vines aged between 30 and 50 years old and located in the warmest "terroir" and the best-yielding clay and stony soil at an altitude of 230m, the Louise-Amélie is fermented and aged in new oak barriques, then bottled with no filtration.

As a result of all this it achieves 15.5% alcohol, but does not feel overblown, and it has significant aging potential.

It seems much too early to be drinking this 2009 now - it's dark in the glass, it feels inky, dense and tightly tannic, even after an hour or so in the decanter.

There's vanilla and spice on the nose, some good red cherry fruit and prunes on the palate, a richness and depth of flavour with balanced acidity and plenty of smooth tannic grip on the long finish. It's a big wine, with lots of oakiness balanced with fruit, good extract and grippy length.

But at this stage in its evolution, the intense structure and texture dominate and it has not yet relaxed into the wine it is due to become; it's chewy, deep, and full-bodied, with copious intensity as well as texture, it feels rugged and muscular, much too early to be showing its best.

It has all the intense, youthful energy of an early Rolling Stones album, still waiting for a more loose-limbed, hip-shaking swagger to appear.

In the interests of assessing its development, we re-sealed the bottle and sampled every few days; each time, even over a week later, it showed the same persistent intensity of structure.

This, then, is a superbly well-made, impressive and sophisticated wine that thoroughly deserves its two stars from Guide Hachette and 91 Parker Points, but needs a decent amount of cellaring to show its best.

From €12.50 when purchased direct from the domaine - provided for review.

Links

Domaine La Guintrandy - http://www.vins-cuilleras.com/wine-domaine.htm

Patrimoine des Terroirs - http://patrimoinevin.canalblog.com/

Jancis, En Primeur and Free Markets

Yesterday, Jancis Robinson posted an article on the perhaps seemingly arcane issue of the timing of posting her tasting notes of en primeur Bordeaux.

For those not familiar with this process, en primeur or "wine futures", is a method of purchasing wines early while a vintage is still in a barrel, offering the customer the opportunity to invest in a particular wine before it is bottled (definition from Wikipedia).

Jancis' full article, along with comments from other eminent wine writers, is here, but the gist is encapsulated in this comment: "presumably [Bordeaux] château owners take notice of [the opinions of wine writers], and have been known to use any enthusiastic note and score to justify a hefty price. Stepping a long way back from the whole business of being a diligent reporter, I can see that I play a part in a process that really does not benefit the consumer."

Finally, Jancis ends with this; am I just wringing my wine-writing hands, or is there the germ of a sensible idea here?

My answer is "yes" to both questions. The issues to consider here are:

- Bordeaux as a wine
- Bordeaux as an investment medium
- the role of the wine critic

The wine critic visits Bordeaux, tastes samples and lets us know what he or she thinks, taking, I hope, all reasonable steps to maintain independence and judge the wine on its merits alone.

This means avoiding or at least disclosing any conflicts of interest (e.g. if you owned shares in any of the wineries or accepted excessive hospitality from a producer). It's also best practice to taste the wines blind, too, and perhaps even maintain some distance from the Chateaux.

However, for better or worse, Bordeaux has also become an investment vehicle in an unregulated market - this means that it is suitable for really experienced investors only.

Unregulated markets are not free markets and are therefore potentially more open to abuse, manipulation, collusion and cartels than regulated markets.

Compare for example the scrutiny a quoted company has to go through to get its annual accounts signed off by independent auditors and released to the London Stock Exchange with a group of (esteemed) wine critics descending on Bordeaux and you'll see that the process, from an investor's perspective, is simply nowhere near as rigorous.

So, the problem here is not the role of the critic, it's that the market for en primeur Bordeaux is unregulated.

There then follows a blurring in the role of a wine critic - are you merely assessing the wines or could you be perceived as offering some investment advice ?

Jancis notes that, due to the influence of people like herself and Robert Parker, a favourable opinion has the potential to affect prices upwards ("château owners ... use any enthusiastic note and score to justify a hefty price").

However, if you have maintained your independence as outlined earlier, other people's subsequent second guessing of comments or use of scores to add a few extra (hundreds of) pounds to the price of a bottle is not something the wine critic can either be held accountable for or should feel the need to wring hands over.

Rather, if the rise in productivity in China brings about more Asian billionaires who want to invest in London property, luxury yachts and top Bordeaux, putting it out of the price bracket of "ordinary consumers", then that's the global free market economy for you.

Basic economic theory posits the following equilibrium - as demand increases, prices rise; as prices rise, supply increases.

However, supplies of top Bordeaux cannot increase due to limited vineyard area, so prices will simply continue to increase with world demand, and demand can be driven by the tides of fashion as much as by wine reviews.

So, the reviewer's role is as a critic of wine, not as an investment advisor; given this, it is important for critics to understand their role as merely commentating on wine, not influencing or attempting to prices - either upwards or downwards.

What the consumer needs is objectivity, honesty, transparency and information, not critics trying (naively, but for all the right reasons) to manipulate prices downwards for their supposed benefit. Moreover, investors need the same things, too - but from experienced investment advisers, not from wine critics who are not in the business of giving investment advice.

That is not to say that, once a price is established, a critic cannot or should not give an opinion on whether it represents good value for money; that is, offering an opinion about a wine's price-to-quality ratio right now but specifically not a forward-looking statement about the likely changes in its market value.

However, to address the specific concerns that Jancis raises about the Bordeaux market in general, I suggest those critics with influence should promote greater transparency and regulation in the en primeur market; a good place to start would be banning all cartel pricing (Jancis' comment that "Prices are eventually decided ... after long discussions between all parties involved" sounds like cartel pricing to me) and establishing a Chateaux Code of Conduct on en primeur tastings, pricing and selling in general.

What is really needed is someone with a legal or business background, who understands how markets work and need to be regulated but also understands the wine trade and has influence, to get involved.

The closest to this is former lawyer Robert Parker who makes something of a half-cocked response to this, essentially filing it under "too difficult to deal with": according to Jancis' article, Robert Parker is sympathetic but argues it's too late to change the status quo and that critics acting co-operatively would smack of 'collusion' - though admits it may be his lawyer's training kicking in. 'I prefer to remain independent of both the wine producers and the wine journalists....thanks for sending...', he signs off.

Links

Jancis Robinson's original article - http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a201103204.html

French Artisan Wines and Terroir - Interview with Patrimoine des Terroirs Founders, Alain Vautherot and Céline Malfait

One of the most interesting aspects of writing a wine blog for me has been the opportunity to make the acquaintance of many artisan wine-makers and producers and gain a real understanding of some of the subtle nuances of terroir which one simply cannot expect to find in more everyday wines or from those whose job it is simply to sell the stuff.

Artisan wine-makers face particular challenges in that, by definition, they do not make wines in mass-market, supermarket-friendly quantities yet they are not able to command the kinds of price premiums that are attached to top Bordeaux or Burgundy, for example.

Sitting in the mid-level, the domain of independent wine merchants, they face perhaps the biggest challenge in persuading people to pay a bit extra to buy their wines, as they have neither the name of a world-famous Chateau nor deep pockets to spend on marketing and promotion.

One solution that I have seen increasingly is for groups of artisan wine-makers to combine forces on the business side to benefit from some economies of scale on promotion, marketing, distribution and admin without having to sacrifice any of their values as winemakers.

This is, broadly, the idea behind Patrimoine des Terroirs and, having reviewed a number of their wines and been impressed, I wanted to find out a little more about the organisation.

The name translates as "Heritage of Terroirs" and it was set up in 2006 by founder Alain Vautherot with a vision of promoting the wines of the 30-or-so winemakers from almost all regions in France including Champagne, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone and Provence who make up the group.

A common feature of all the wines I have had from Patrimoine des Terroirs is a richness and depth of flavour that speaks of a natural approach to vineyard practices and an attention to detail in the winery, as well as a good linear structure of complex fruit acidity that makes them very food friendly.

They are currently looking for representation in a number of markets, including the UK, but I started by asking Alain and Céline about what the organisation actually does:

PdT: Formed in 2006, Patrimoine des Terroirs is an ethical group of independent winegrowers; our goal is to promote the richness, diversity and history of French wines to professionals both in France and abroad.

We are able to offer a full range of wines, Champagnes and spirits from throughout France - sustainable, organic, biodynamic and Fairtrade wines.

We promote the incredible diversity of each region; you can buy a wide range of fine French wines direct from the vineyard, made by passionate and independent French wine-growers. Our selection of wines uniquely combines premium quality and reasonable prices.

We carry out commercial and marketing initiatives (wine fairs, events, reception of buyers, marketing documents) and our logistics operations allow producers to enjoy the benefits of our scale with a single warehouse. This allows us to offer mixed pallets and therefore reduce storage fees and shipment costs.

TL: Describe your role at Patrimoine des Terroirs ? What happens on a typical day ?

PdT: Firstly, our role is to organize the life of Patrimoine des Terroirs: to keep in touch with our contacts, to track the sales of our wines in different markets, organising events, fairs, deliveries of samples and/or the preparation of orders. As a single point of contact, we try to be close to each partner. Secondly, we help our producers in their commercial and marketing policy.

TL: What are the main aims of the organisation ?

PdT: We share the same values, and the same objectives - to make quality wines. We believe that to make a great wine, we have to respect our terroirs, work our soil. We take great care to allow the environment, as well as the land, to express itself and present its full richness.

We guarantee an ethos of quality, authenticity and respect for our terroir; we are very proud to keep offering the widest and best diversity, as well as great service in order to promote together real and independent producers; it's an "Authenticity Wine Label".

TL: How would you describe the key characteristics of a typical Patrimoine des Terroirs wine ?

PdT: They are produced with consideration for the environment, have an excellent price-quality ratio, have some characteristics of flavour which make the wine particular and different and have some characteristics such as a typical blend or a specific grape variety.

Domaine Sangouard

TL: What gave you the idea and the motivation to establish Patrimoine des Terroirs ?

PdT: During our childhood, our parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts taught us how to appreciate good things, to discover local specialities, to listen to and discover nature. But can we  now find that quality that our relatives used to talk to us about ?

Patrimoine des Terroirs is our motive: to share with people this quality, this savoir-faire, all these specialities that we appreciate so much.

Our ambition ? To demonstrate to a wide audience what our French soils and gastronomic culture has to offer.

Guintrandy

Our goal?  To never disappoint anyone, to give everyone the proof that it's still possible to make "good things" and bring people to the pleasure of tasting and sharing.

TL: What do you look for in a winemaker before inviting them to join Patrimoine des Terroirs ?

PdT: To be a member of Patrimoine des Terroirs, it's first about being an artisan with the will to promote their terroirs and to develop them. It's also a constant research to work with a respect of the spirit of nature, favoring good sense over chemical practices, following a certain rigour of approach and striving for progress.

Being an association representing a group of producers, we also have the possibility to exchange ideas and experience - not to work as an individual, but to share the results of experimentation, knowledge and discoveries, for everyone's benefit, from the domaine to the client.

The domaines are all united by common origins: their passion is to make wines that are related to their personality, their land.

Bringing to people a pleasure during tasting is above all else how our success is measured. Each member engages himself to receive, transmit, welcome and share the essence of his passion, in the best climate of friendship, and offer to the enthusiast, the wine-lover and to professionals all the richness of his wines.

All domains demonstrate their passion through a constant improvement of the quality of their wines, from their work with the vines to the final bottling, respecting the identity of their appellation and the personality of the creator.

TL: Patrimoine des Terroirs is now five years old - where do you expect it to be in another five ? And at fifty ?

PdT: During the next five years, our wish is to expand internationally and to build strong and effective relationships with our partners for the long term. Our goal is to increase our sales to 500,000 bottles per year. To build strong business relationships that will help us to promote the wines, to develop relationships between producers and wine professionals in order to explain each domain, their wines and their specific qualities.

Moreover, we would like to be recognized as an authentic label of quality with environmental values which are seen as "real French terroir wines".

At fifty, we hope that the new generation will follow our values and approach.

Sangliere

TL: What factors or changes do you see having the greatest impact on your business and wine-making in general over the next few years ?

PdT: The economic crisis and the wish by consumers to find more natural products is in general opening new doors for us.

Firstly, we offer the possibility for wine merchants to order either in mixed pallets from different producers or to have a pallet from just one producer. This allows us to reduce distribution costs, to increase the sales of each wine and to reduce the impact on cash flow.

Secondly, Patrimoine des Terroirs reduces its emissions and environmental impact through having a single warehouse and with all our producers following sustainable and / or organic practices. Our wish is to work in the spirit of the respect of the nature in our vineyards, cellars, and during the deliveries of our wines.

TL: What has been your greatest success so far and what was the greatest challenge you have had to overcome ?

Our greatest success is our increase in sales over the last six months. Our approach, our concept and our domains have been appreciated by more and more buyers, journalists, bloggers such as you, Tom, and we are obviously very happy about that.

For example, we now sell wines in Mongolia, Brazil, USA, Belgium, Sweden, Hong Kong, South Korea, Germany, Czech Republic and China, and we are having active discussions with importers in Australia, Ireland, Denmark and Singapore.

However, the most important thing for us is to be recognize for our authenticity, our quality and the values we share. Moreover, we aim to be always the best in our values, in our concept to be recognized as a Authentic Wine Label and to stay in the leading position for that.

Links

Patrimoine des Terroirs - http://patrimoinevin.canalblog.com/