Recommended Red Wines. Just what the doctors ordered in Faugères and fireworks from Italy’s Alba

Recommended Red Wines 

Just what the doctors ordered in Faugères

and fireworks from Italy’s Alba 

Leonides Météore Faugéres (AOP) 2018, 14%, 

€18.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Just what the doctors ordered.

From the steep-sloped schist outcrops of the Cévennes, where the vineyards of Faugères are planted, comes this excellent blend of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault.

Colour is a mid to dark ruby. Aromas are quite assertive with strong notes of blackcurrant and hints of the garrigue (thyme, balsamic). No shortage of spice on the velvety palate but also fresh and fruity and well balanced and definitely digestible, a word I’ve heard Le Caveau’s Pascal use quite often, and accurately I think, in regard to organic wines. 

An excellent wine, with a long and fruity finish, it is Very Highly Recommended. And you won’t need a prescription! Try in the weeks and months ahead with an Irish stew or a French style cassoulet or with some of O’Flynn’s Gourmet Sausages (especially the spicier ones).

The domaine, certified organic, has been recently purchased by Paul Jenkins and Paul Jarman, two London-based doctors and wine enthusiasts, who have known the area well for many years. Passionate about the possibilities presented by the Faugères schist terroir to create truly compelling wines, they spent a long time searching for a vineyard with the right potential, history and a truly unique setting. When they found Domaine du Météore, they knew they had found the right land and vines to create the wines they wanted.

And the vineyards name? Well many thousands of years ago, a meteor struck the land here and left its mark by way of a crater, a depression where their vines grow very well indeed. Oh yes, you may well notice a streak of minerality!

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Top Wines 2022. With Reviews & Irish Stockists. 

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Ciabot Berton Fisetta Barbara D’Alba (DOC) 2017, 14% ABV

€20.65 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Barbera is full-bodied, has high acidity and higher-level alcohol, is dry with low tannin, and is the go-to red-wine grape of Piedmont in northern Italy. It is also grown in neighbouring Lombardy and in Emilia Romagna . These three Italian regions account for most of the world’s Barbera crop.

Our Fisetta has a dark colour; you see it immediately on the bottom of the cork where it looks like blackberry. The nose is rather dense and fruity (blackberry jam). May not be as full-bodied as some but no shortage of flavour (cherry, blueberry). And there’s quite a kick of spice as well through the medium long finish. Highly Recommended.

The ‘Fisetta’ cuvée is produced from a small plot of young vines and the vineyard claim the result is freshness, good acidity and distinct hints of fresh fruit. Serve it at 18 degrees and you’ll find “it perfectly accompanies cured meats, light pasta dishes courses and fresh cheeses”. Wine Folly suggests trying it with roasted and vegetable-driven dishes. I reckon our bottle would be just perfect with a Pepperoni Pizza!

The name Fisetta (which means fireworks in Piedmontese) stems from the small building (ciabot, in Piedmontese) found on the site, which belonged to a certain Berton, who, in an attempt to make his own fireworks, caused a fire. Even today, from the cellar you can see the ruins of the building after which the winery is named.

The aim at Cabot Berton is to produce wines that express their vineyard terroir, unique in each vintage and with the stamp of the family’s way of working. “These methods are primarily the use of organic techniques in order to attain and maintain equilibrium and healthy vines in the vineyards and an emphasis on slow ripening and allowing the grapes to hang as long as possible in order to achieve phenolic ripeness, especially for Nebbiolo.”

We enjoyed the Ciabot Berton Rutuin Dolcetto D’Alba (DOC) 2013 a few months back. Review here

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Best Value Wines 2022 Under €18.00. With Reviews & Irish Stockists. 

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Top Wines 2022. With Reviews & Irish Stockists. 

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Vins du Sud de la France. From Minervois and Faugères

Vins du Sud de la France. From Minervois and Faugères

The Languedoc is a huge wine area in the south of France. To the east it bounds with the Southern Rhone, to the west, after a couple of hours on the A61, you'll arrive in the vineyards of Bordeaux. According to Wine-Searcher, "nearly a third of all the wine-bearing vines in France" are grown here. Quite a few appellations across the area and probably the best known are Minervois, Saint-Chinian, Corbieres, Fitou, and Faugères.

Château de Girard “Cuvée Arthur” Minervois (AOP) 2017, 14.5%, €19.95 O’Briens Wines

Had this beauty not too long before and, with a generous price cut on view, I couldn’t resist going for this GSM (Grenache, Mourvèdre / Monastrell, Shiraz / Syrah) again. And glad to say this vibrant blend was every bit as good as I remembered.

Dark ruby is the colour of this supple unoaked Minervois from certified sustainably farmed vineyards. In the intense aromas you’ll find black fruits (plums, cherry). Soft, juicy, fruity, terrific balance and a long finish. This easy-drinking rather elegant wine, with silky tannins, is full bodied and lush, immediately loveable, with a persistent finish and a touch of spice, this is Very Highly Recommended. Pair with paté, roasted meats and pasta. Serve at 18 degrees.

They say: Part of the wine is vinified using carbonic maceration which adds a fresh juicy element to the blend with notes of crushed raspberries and blackcurrants. The wine is round and balanced with nice resistance and a fruity spicy finish.

Minervois is an appellation in the western Languedoc in France; its name comes a nearby village called Minerve which itself is named after Minerva, a Greek goddess. Other appellations in the area include Corbieres and Fitou, whose similar red wines are similar. Beware though, local pride is strong here so, if visiting one of the two, reserve your highest praise for that local wine!

Cébène “Les Bancèls” Faugères (AOP) 2013, 14%, €26.50 JN Wine 

Dark red’s the colour. Dark fruit too in the aromas plus a touch of the garrigue. Smooth and outstandingly spicy, fresh, with abundant fruit and fine tannins, and harmonious all the way through the persistent finish. This one’s for the leg of lamb and Highly Recommended.

You’ll find Faugères in the heart of the Haut-Languedoc Parc Naturel. Here, winemaker Brigitte Chevalier was drawn by the qualities of the terroir, its exposure (north-facing, for balanced wines) and altitude (300 metres, in the foothills of the Massif Central). She farms organically and the 2013 Les Bancèls is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre.

By the way, it is also in Faugères that you'll find Domaine la Sarabande. Here, Australian Paul Gordon and his Carlow wife Isla work. Their excellent wines are available from O'Briens.