If you are a wine grower in Sancerre you generally deal with one grape variety and one soil type the same relative restrictions apply to the vineyards of Hermitage, much of Burgundy and the Loire. Here in Coteaux du Languedoc however you enter the world of the Master Blender. Here a myriad of different soil profiles and an eclectic mix of grapes and some very old vines by the winemaker’s alchemy are turned into some of Southern France’s most exciting and innovative wines.
A group of 6 of us from O’Brien’s were fortunate enough to witness, first hand, exactly what it takes to blend great Languedoc wines. At the tail end of January we were warmly welcomed to the highly regarded Domaine de Nizas nestled in the rolling hills of Pézenas. This estate is part the global fine wine family of Goelet Estates (Clos du Val and Taltarni being the older siblings) and since John Goelet purchased it in 1998 it has developed into the leading estate in the Languedoc “Cru” of Pézanas.
Here the wine maker and viticulturist Bernard Meunier and winemaker/Estate Director Arnaud Deville are responsible for turning an incredibly complex patchwork of vines into a range of quality wines. We as a group were invited to take part in just such a tasting/blending session on the first morning of our visit and what an incredible experience that turned out to be!
Arnaud with the winning blend
Divided into two teams and using several measuring beakers we adjusted the percentages of Syrah versus Carignan and Mourvèdre, working our way through a wide variety of possible blends. All the time tasting (and spitting!), all the time trying to work out what to increase or increase in order to improve the blend. Not only did we have wine from different grape varieties to work with we also had wines from the same grape but from different vineyards. The difference in structure and taste between the Syrah from the Jordy vineyard and the Syrah from the Janas vineyard was quite remarkable, same grape, made in the same way but from very different soils. Anyone who doubts the concept of “Terroir” need only taste these two wines side by side!
Throughout the blending session we were advised and informed by Arnaud and Bernard who explained why different soils and vine age led to different wine styles and what the different grape varieties contribute to the blend as a whole. One thing that became very apparent was that while the individual Carignan, Grenache and the Syrahs were good wines in the own right, when they were blended together the resultant wine was in a totally different league. It is no accident that the great estates of the Languedoc have always favoured blending grape varieties/vineyards to create their top wines.
A solitary Carignan vine at Domaine de Nizas
Having arrived at our final blend after a humorous/competitive blind tasting (well done to the winning team!) Bernard then brought us on an eye-opening tour of the vineyards. Here we could quite clearly see the patchwork of soils that made up the different vineyards, walking through the sticky black basalt soil of the Janas Syrah vineyard contrasted starkly with the Jordy vineyard with its overcoat of large white pebbles. We could now also see how the personalities of the two Syrahs we tasted earlier reflected this difference in soil. The Janas was dark and rich in flavour from its heavy basalt base whereas the Jordy – warmed by its large heat reflective pebbles – was ripe, fruit driven and juicy.
Here in Pézanas certain grapes suit certain soils and vineyard positions, it is the task of the grower to know which combinations produce the best grapes; do you plant you’re Grenache on the large pebbly vineyard on the hillside or cross over the road and plant it in the clay/limestone plain? Winemakers here have an almost infinite number of possibilities to work with and only through years of experience and a lot of hard work and tasting does an estate arrives at the wine which best represents its style.
Having immersed ourselves in the Nizas terroir for an entire day all that remained was for us to taste the wines in the arena they were designed for: the dinner table. What we experienced that night in one of Montpellier’s leading restaurants deserves a whole new blog entry! Suffice to say the array of Nizas wines we tasted entered a new dimension of flavour when paired with the extraordinary food that we were treated to.
Domaine de Nizas wines are exclusively available at O’Briens and include Domaine de Nizas Red, Domaind de Nizas Rosé, Domaine de Nizas ‘le Mas’, Domaine de Nizas ‘Le Mas’ White and produced from 50 year old vines like the one pictured, the exceptional Domaine de Nizas Carignan VV.
Astrolabe Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Astrolabe Pinot Gris -2008 
Astrolabe Riesling 2008
Astrolabe Awatere Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Astrolabe Pinot Noir 2007
On Tuesday 17th November we were lucky enough to host a Masterclass with one of the most famous names in Cognac at the Westbury hotel, brand Ambassador to the House of Hennessy, Marc Boissonnet.