The lead story in this month’s Wine Spectator is all about the emerging stardom of Granache and Syrah in the USA. Hot on the heels of the Grenache Symposium , see my blog entry earlier this month, Rhone varietals seem to riding the zeitgeist. In their editorial Wine Spectator’s James Laube comments: ” It wasnt so long ago that some Californian vintners were predicting that Sangiovese would be the next great thing. Yet Sangiovese never really took hold, making it more a wine of unfulfilled promise than a substantive player. Syrah stepped in next, making a stronger case with high quality wines. Now the next big thing could be Grenache, part of the Rhone grape family……Grenache isnt considered a classic variety by many, yet it is proving to be one of the most exciting and enticing wines to emerge in California in the past decade, capable of stardom, even if only on a small stage. One hopes that when vintners describe it as the Pinot Noir of Rhone varieties , some of Pinot’s magic rubs off”. Cheers to that James! For more see www.winespectator.com

Thanks (again) to ace film makers Jon and Jess…

I am delighted to announce that the famed Chateauneuf du Pape estate Domaine de la Janesse will become part of our network this year. This large estate producing nearly 250,000 bottles annually ( though only a small part of this is CDP) has risen through the ranks over the last 20 years to the very top bracket. Consistently lauded by the critics ( et moi: see last year’s blog entry on their marvelous Terre Argiles Cotes du Rhone) this is an estate run by the Sabon family…the picture is of Isabelle Sabon..which oozes class yet without overt pretension or fuss. Not only are the CDP’s top class - their Chaupin cuvee was placed in the top 4 of 200 CDPs from the 2007 vintage tasted blind in this month’s Decanter magazine - but their extensive CDR holdings on the right of the A7 route de soleil that marks the eastern flank of the appellation ( next to Beaucastel’s Coudelet) produce probably the best Cotes du Rhone range in the area, the aforementioned Terre Argiles, the Garrigue, a tradition CDR, a vin de pays and two whites including a 100% viognier. By the way the Decanter tasting note for the Chaupin read: “Intense, touch of smoke, tobacco,black fruits and sweet spices. Dry, full bodied,soft tannins,lots of fruit and spices. The finish is long with refreshing acidity…drink from 2015. 18.9/20.00″ A near perfect note! We look forward to taking La Madelene guests to visit Isabelle and the Janesse estate later this spring.

Thanks to the indefatigable Walter McKinley our “coin” as the French would say will host the first International conference ever to focus exclusively on that great unsung hero of varietals: our very own Grenache or Garnacha. It takes place at Crestet our neighbouring village over the weekend 4th-6th June . The objective is to provide an ongoing forum for examining the challenges and opportunities facing Grenache based wines, their producers and their markets…and to showcase the quality and versatility of the grape. The Symposium takes the form of a closed session for top end wine professionals and critics on the friday, followed by two days where the public will have access to their conclusions, to network, and sample a raft of different Grenache styles from around the world…Rhone of course but also California, Priorat, Australia and South Africa. Walter has attracted some serious heavy hitters to compere the show…mister “Judgement of Paris” himself Steven Spurrier and the French wine critic/writer Michel Bettane.  Having had a sneak preview of the initial delegate list it looks like a roll call of all the wine writers I know of…well done Walter! Should be informative and loads of fun.

La Madelene is opening its doors to participants wishing to stay a few minutes drive from the conference centre La Verriere for this very special event. Contact us on rhonewineholidays@googlemail.com or 00 33 67 57 88 497 and for more detail on the programme for the weekend go to www.granachesymposium.com

To Beaumes de Venise for a rendezvous with the Bouletin family, very lovely people making wonderful wines…not particularly well known outside the area.. but on the strength of my tasting deserve to be. Jerome and Fabienne Bouletin’s 30ha estate is unusual in that it comprises Vacqueyras, dessert Muscat and from the 2009 vintage Cru level Beaumes de Venises reds all under one roof..a result of the marriage between families from the two villages. The wines are all made at the winery just on the edge of Beaumes de Venise however…around 50% of sales are from the caveau here, the balance local sales, plus export to Belgium, Holland, and just a little to the USA. I went up with Jerome to the magnificent setting for the 8ha of Muscat they own overlooking the village, sandy soils here, all white Muscat a Petit Grains. The wines: Muscats at Bouletin come in 3 cuvees, tradition, semi sweet and dry…the tradition is gorgeous, light in colour , very aromatic on the nose and the honeyed sweetness on the palate perfectly balanced against freshness, the finish clean and pure. The Vacqueyras comes in two cuvees, a tradition and an oaked aged superior version…both lovely wines , for my money the tradition a perfect example of Rhone wines at this level/price point - a melange of ripe fruit, compote and Provencal herb , smooth tannins and a little sweetness in the lingering finish. Bien fait…superb! La Madelene guests will be visiting Bouletin this year for sure.

To the village hall at Lafare in the Dentelles for a tasting of the 2009 Beaumes de Venise vintage as a guest of Camille Nosworthy from Saint Amant. And on a Monday morning too …I always have that delicious sensation of “bunking off” on such occasions and have to remind myself sternly: this is my job! We tasted a number of 2009 reds – these were all “unfinished” wines, as always not so easy to assess in their immediate infancy, due to be bottled this coming October. Amongst those Domaines we tasted were Saint Amant, Goubert, Beaumalric, Durban, Redortier and Ferme St.Martin. Overall it seeems a very promising vintage, ripe fresh cherry flavours, most with pronounced red fruit/herb and white pepper nose, already supple tannins showing in many examples – perhaps not a vin de garde 2005 but closer to 2003 or 2007.  Muscats also showed well..especially of course our favorite –Bernardins - but also one new to me: Domaine Saint-Sauveur, very unctious wine this, must revisit. To repay us for our hard work tasting we were treated to scrummy rounds of trufffled scrambled eggs on bread…good start to the week.

On a beautiful crisp morning I took myself off to meet Damian Vache at renowned Vacqueyras producer La Monardière. This is a Domaine that has risen to the highest ranks of the aoc in a remarkably short time…though wine has been made on this 20h estate for generations it wasn’t until 1998 that Damian’s parents Christian and Martine Vache switched from co-operative production to making their own wine. Damian is a young wine maker very much in the Rhone’s modern guise ie well educated, degrees in enginering and agriculture; well travelled (stints in Burgundy, Roussillion and Joseph Phelps in California); and even 4 months selling wine retail. Now back on the family estate he has just completed his third vintage, mainly looking after the vines and the commercial side whilst assisting his father in the wine making.

The wines: the range comprises three red Vacqueyras cuvees, a red Vin de Pays, a rosé, and a white. The latter Damian is especially proud of…only around 4000 bottles made but that’s still more than 10% of production, high for the appellation…and it sells out quickly, even at €18 (many CDPs charge less), and mainly to the restaurant trade. The cepage is Roussanne, Grenache blanc and Clairette – the wines are aromatic, full bodied and rich in white stone fruit flavours and gentle toastiness (maturation is in 550l demi-muid) but with good acidity and freshness coming through from the Clairette. There are plans afoot to step up the level of production on this already successful white. The Vacqueyras reds start with Les Collades, younger vines designed for early drinking and lively fruit. Next the standard cuvee: “Les 2 Monardes” currently the 2008 vintage, 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, from vines up to 40 years old, elevage in a mix of concrete cuve and demi-muid. This wine had a lovely fruity/herb nose, very fresh/lively with soft tannins, good acidity/structure and a ripe red cherry character on the palate, good length. A first rate lunchtime food wine. The “haute de gamme” here is the Vielles Vignes this time from 60 year old vines, 18 mnths in demi-muid, and with 20% Mouvedre in addition to the Grenache (60%) and Syrah (20%). The character here is very different: the nose a little closed (though Damian’s cold cellar wasn’t helping!), but the palate concentrated, a little spice and pepper and rich – this was the 2007 so the tannins already quite manageble- flavours of cherry kirsch, black olive and herbs. The perfect wine to accompany a winter daube. So, a first rate producer of a fascinating appellation. The Vache family keep good company too. They are leading lights in an association of the so called “Les Toqués des Dentelles” which loosely translates, rather strangely, as the Dentelles Crazies, 13 vignerons in and around the Dentelles hills that share a common passion for making wines with personality – the group includes other favorites of ours such as Domaine La Ferme Saint Martin, Chaume-Arnauld at Vinsobre and Domaine de L’Oratoire Saint Martin at Cairanne.

In the UK Monardière is available from OW Loeb….Loeb have a strong Rhone list which includes Grand Tinel our latest CDP partner and Montirius (www.owloeb.com)

La Madelene Rhone Wine Holidays will be taking guests to visit Monardière in 2010 for sure. You can discover more about these wines at their web-site: http://www.monardiere.fr

That tireless Rhone taster and author John Livingstone-Learmouth selects his best value Rhone wines in the February issue of Decanter ( www.decanter.com) Magazine. Pleasingly our tastes coincide: amongst the 10 wines that he highlights 8 are from the Southern Rhone and these include some of our absolute favorites, regulars on the dinner table here at La Madelene: Domaine St.Gayan Gigondas ( their Rasteau is top notch too);Domaine de la Janesse Cotes du Rhone “Terre Argiles” ( raved about by me in a previous blog note); Domaine Oratoire St.Martin at Cairanne ( the best Cairanne?) and Chaume-Arnaud at Vinsobres - John name checks their entry level red, for my money their white is even better. John’s full tasting notes are at www.drinkrhone.com

At least that’s according to our neighbouring farmer…we certainly have a white out here in Malaucene…as the old lady who I passed en route to the village today said:”c’est jolie mais ce n’est pas practique”…too right madame, we have had a 40 hour power cut meaning no central heating or hot water since friday morning, and we cant get the cars out past the snow/ice to the road…hence the shot of Jude on the long trudge into the village. Lily at least is happy…no school last friday and looks like we wont make it tomorrow morning. At least the fridge and the wine cellar are full!

With snow all around us and a temperature of -3 degrees, our Christmas party on saturday night kick started the holiday season….around 40 friends gathered in La Madelene’s chapel to eat, drink and boogie…..amongst our many guests were the vignerons Philippe Gimel of Saint Jean de Barroux, the Gely’s of Champ Long, Vincent Rochet of Roche Audran and the Cartier family of Domaine Goubert. All great fun!…well worth sunday’s sore head.