More than 1500 winemakers were present at their tasting table, all distributed by lot, with more and more foreign wines, a flawless organization and well ventilated spaces, very well regulated services and 3 days filled with ever more refined « bachique » discoveries.

For this 30th anniversary, I chose a « cuvée » per estate from among 30 different properties trying to create an original menu of poetic flavours, where the sommelier will be happy to share the essences with his guests.
Reds, whites, bubbles, various grape varieties with a plus in the Languedoc region highlighting the birth of this wonderful salon, an adventurous kaleidoscope was my guide for this new visit of the eco-exhibitors.

The importance of the terroir and the know-how of the winemaker is crucial to make his identity wine without artifice, but rather in passion and knowledge.

Resident in Bordeaux, the first visit of Hall B2 at the Parc des Expos in Montpellier, took me to the table of Mathieu Verhaeghe where I enjoyed his red with the powerful finesse of merlot and cabernet franc, raised without sulphites in stainless steel tanks, coming from Château Forge Céleste 2018 in Saint Emilion on a siliceous soil in the basement of clay and gravel with a high presence of iron oxide.
An accomplished range of red and white wines, by Sylvain and Kim Destrieux at the Clos de la Molénie, located in Bordeaux Est in Ruch, charmed me by its great quality very inspired. I chose their 2020 Bordeaux, 100% sauvignon blanc, aged in vats, acacias barrels and stoneware eggs. A delight of aromas and fresh flavors emerges during the mouthing, a reconciliation with the Bordeaux whites accessible to all.

Then let’s start with the southern circuit, at the table of Marie Chauffret of the Domaine de la Réserve d’O en Terrasses du Larzac, I remembered the delicious red cuvée with fresh and complex aromatic, from syrah, grenache and cinsault: La Côte d’Arboras 2019 raised 22 months in amphorae.
By following, raised in stainless steel vats, the excellent red vintage of old carignan majority Belle Lurette of the Domaine de Cébène of Brigitte Chevalier in Faugères 2020 on a soil of schists, made me salivate the taste buds like the rest of the rich range of flavors.
Mas Combarèla and its spicy cuvée Lueurs d’Espar 2020 en Terrasses du Larzac, of which Olivier Faucon is the winemaker, spoiled me with the tasting of this Mourvèdre majority, ultra low yield, high 30 months in new oak barrels, from a clay-limestone terroir.

In the Rhone Valley, Natasha Chave and her divine 2021 Aléofane cuvée, where I chose the one in Saint-Joseph rouge, will continue the dynamic selection. A silky syrah cacaote with paprika and nutmeg spices, from a clay terroir with granite with large crystals, is aged for 12 months in semi-muid and burgundian mixed barrels.

Again in Terrasses du Larzac, my AOC fetish, the Mas Cal Demoura where the Goumard family makes crazy cuvées, I chose that of the Feu Sacré 2021, the blend of grenache majority on clay-limestone combined with syrah and carignan on limestone pebbles, 12 months in half-muits and in lightning, then 4 in stainless steel tanks. The tasting reveals a fresh wine, of magical tension, with fruits and flowers in the right balance, with deep complexity.

On the Côte Roannaise, the unmissable Domaine Sérol, made me taste its line of cuvées always adjusted, I selected Chez Coste 2021 with the unique grape variety of gamay St Romain grown on an atypical soil of gorrhe rich in manganese at 400m altitude. The result is a wine of great purity with an extreme tannic finesse. It was raised in amphorae for 6 months without suffering then 6 months in slow maceration.
In the Ardèche region, the Saladin family estate managed by 2 women of taste, delighted me with this Haut-Brisson 2020 bottle in Vin de France, where the old black Grenache aged in concrete vats, coming from a terroir of rolled pebbles, is expressed by a racy taste, saline and fresh very appetizing.

The Clos de la Bonnette of the Guiller family and its Condrieu 2022 Legend Bonnetta still baby, delighted me with its aromatic power of pear, vine peach, quince, exoticism and dried fruit, the whole is governed by a well suspended mineral tension for this vine viognier in the image of the terroir of «chaillas» with strong slope full southwest. The breeding is 12 months in 228 l barrels. It is a wonder in its mythical appellation.
The Domaine Vendome for the 2021 Les Coulaires cuvée in Croze-Hermitage offers a 100% syrah red from a clay-limestone terroir, rolled pebbles and loess, aged in raw concrete tanks for 10 months: a wine of very nice fruity freshness very successful.

Domaine Chapoutier, presented by Soria Naas, captivated me with the 2019 Pie VI cuvée in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, composed of grenache and syrah on rolled pebbles, raised in concrete vats. A full mouth, velvety, with spicy black fruits, crowned with bitter cocoa seduced me by its inspiring and balanced complexity.
La Côte-Rôtie du Domaine Clusel-Roch with a micro-cuvée Le Champon 2020 delivers a mirific syrah, aged 2 years in 228l oak barrels, from a terroir of ferrous micaschistes. It is a must in its appellation.

Cédric Ferry from Mas des Bressades once again propelled me into the powerful, complex and perfectly balanced taste delight of the syrah grape for this new micro-cuvée 2020 named Les 2 Massifs made by the inspired winemaker Cyril Marès. A complete wine with atomic olfactory and gustative sensations. A terroir of rolled pebbles and limestone soil in Costières-de-Nîmes, an extremely low yield of the very careful vineyard of 40 years, gives a great wine of elegance after aging in barrels of one year.

In the Roussillon region, I enjoyed the Muscat de Rivesaltes in natural sweet wine from the 2021 Joia cuvée of the Domaine des Schistes, where a wide, deep and alpine floral ballet turns in the mouth.

In Occitanie, the black wine paired with syrah for the 2022 cuvée Le Poulpe Magique made by the Arbeau family in the Frontonnais, is a success of vigorous fruity flavors, like the smart bottle label signed Vincent Pousson. To be enjoyed in his youth, to each his keel for a frugal and musical aperitif!
In the Côtes du Lot, in Cahors, the king of the malbec, Le Cèdre, has released a new signature called Extra-Libre 2021, from a terroir in limestone scree cone, raised without sulphites for 18 months in lightning and barrel. The wine without any residual sugar, manages to make us fantasize of happiness during its tasting. A well mastered juice, where the balance of fruits, flowers, the minerality of the terroir are expressed in natural beauty at the tasting.
In Corsica, Yves Leccia and his cuvée Era Ora! 2019 in the Patrimonio, made of niellucciu majority and grenache, releases us a remarkable complex tannic weft in spicy red fruits, after 18 months of aging in 500 l barrels.

We climb in La Loire, to taste 2 beautiful achievements, one in Sancerre on a terroir of clay-limestone flint, signed by the winemaker Vincent Gaudry, with the sublime cuvée Mi-Chemin 2021 of sauvignon high in barrels and vats, where the mineral tension with smoky notes are wicked of purity at tasting!
The other in Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil, at the Clos des Quarterons, Xavier the master on board, pampered me with Le Vau Renou 2019. A sensational Cabernet Franc from a land of tuffeau and green flint clay, which receives a long technical ageing between different barrels and amphoras of more than 24 months. The result gives us a vintage with very fine tannins and enveloping black chalky fruits with menthol notes.

In the East of France, the Fleury Champagne and its ultra refined range delighted me as usual and I chose the black white BdN raw from the 2017 harvest of pinot noir with a method of Soléra (perpetual reserve in lightning). Low in dosage, this well-tended vintage combining white fruit and iris flower, is tasted without moderation.
Then the Chablis of Domaine Bernard Defaix no longer present themselves, I have kept in memory that of the 1st Cru Vieille Vigne 2021 in Terroir de Côte de Lechet. A pure chardonnay, mineral with citrus zest, the exquisite beverage is aged in mixed method, oak barrels and vats for 12 months.

Then the wines of Alsace from Paul Ginglinger to Eguisheim are just perfect with for example, the Grand Cru Riesling Pfersigberg Ortel Vieilles Vignes 2020, with finely hydrocarbon aerial mineral notes, fruity sensations of fishing and exoticism. A limestone terroir is exposed East in altitude and the breeding is 8 months in lightning.

The Jura wines from Domaine Berthet-Bondet and Château Chalon have a lot more for me overall and I had a hard time choosing a cuvée given the concept one cuvée per domain: the Savagnin 2018 in Côtes du Jura will be this one. It comes from a terroir of iridescent marls, the wine is aged 3 years in oak barrels under veil of yeast. Fans of the style will delight in tasting this delicacy of oxidative purity very well controlled.

Finally 4 wines selected abroad, the first 2 are from the Priorat in Spain of the Pardelasses Celler Aixala Alcait estate which produces a cuvée named Clivelles de l’Alzina 2019: a red wine chiseled mix of 2 varietals carignan and grenache peluda or hairy, very well balanced between power and acidity, fluid and tense.

Close to the Spanish border, the dashing Catalan estate, Terra Remota en Empordà, rich in exceptional cuvées, made me appreciate the cuvée Camino 2020, a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 12 months in oak barrels. From a granitic terroir, the wine of excellence gives us a fresh, salty and long power.

The third in Portugal of the Quinta do Outeiro for Casa de Mouraz, piloted by winemaker Antonio Lopes Ribeiro and his wife, rich in a wide range of well-designed wines, I chose the one of the mono white grape variety Encruzado 2017 in the Dào. This mineral beverage is accompanied by an interesting, well-governed aromatic palette of peach, lime, tangerine and orange blossom, followed by a salty finish. Raised 5 months on lees, it comes from a terroir of granite and clay.

The fourth, coming from Italy, Lucrezia Povero treats me to his divine crus of Cascina Vèngore. This property organized geologically like a vast splendid natural amphitheatre in the heart of Terra d’Alfieri. I chose the cuvée Mignane 2020 pure nebbiolo for its precision balanced between floral, spicy and fruity aromas. Aged for 10 months in amphorae, this elegant wine comes from a soil of sand, clay, limestone and silt.

These 30 selected wines inspired me to create a musical journey of 30 tuned pieces respecting the Wine4Melomanes concept.

Each wine, its musical composition of the same vintage, emphasizing the complex, sensual, rich, lively and harmonious world of the two worlds: wine and music, a contemporary poetic ensemble where emotion is based on desire.
Thus the arrangements, the orchestrations, the voices, the solo instruments, the magical melodies come to blend with the appetizing tastings of the fairy philtres, when combined.
Good listening, good tasting

To all the music-loving winemakers, here is the musical journey to your particular attention, whose meaning of the pieces mixed by numbers of wines is written below:

3-4-7-27-11-19-2-15-12-24-13-26-30-16-22-20-18-6-21-14-10-28-23-9-8-1-17-29-5-25

It aims to bring together these talented winemakers and why not, to exchange between them their bottles, in order to discover themselves by listening to a Bachique poetry.

 

 

1-Château Forge Céleste 2018 Saint Emilion

Adrien Younge « Silhouette dreams » 2018

2-Clos de la Molénie Sauvignon blanc 2020 Bordeaux

Ricardo Richaid « O Velho Cai » 2020

3-Domaine de la Réserve d’O La Côte d’Arboras 2019 Terrasses du Larzac

UNKLE « On My Knees (feat. Michael Kiwanuka) » 2019

4-Domaine de Cébène Belle Lurette 2020 Faugères

Vladimir Cetkar “In the Open Space” 2020

5-Mas Combarèla Lueurs d’Espar 2020 Terrasses du Larzac

Mariana Zwarg Sexteto “Pra Ele” 2020

6-Natasha Chave Aléofane rouge 2021 St Joseph

Sitka Sun “Dauntless” 2021

7-Allegria La Belle Histoire 2021 Côteaux du Languedoc

Pluma “Mais do Que Eu Sei Falar » 2021

8-Alain Chabanon Trelans 2018 Pays d’Oc

Aquaserge « Si tu t’en vas » 2018

9-Mas Cal Demoura Feu Sacré 2021 Terrasses du Larzac

Nick Walters « Volta Region » 2021

10-Domaine Sérol Chez Coste 2021 Côte Roannaise

Jim “Falling That You Know” 2021

11-Domaine Saladin Haut-Brisson 2020 Vin de France

Palavras « Caixa Cubo part. Zé Leonidas » 2020

12-Clos de la Bonnette Légende Bonnetta 2022 Condrieu

Sault « Still waters » 2022

13-Domaine Vendome Les Coulaires 2021 Croze-Hermitage

Alfa Mist “Run Outs” 2021

14-Domaine Chapoutier Pie VI 2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Theo Croker « Getaway Gold (feat. Rose Gold) » 2019

15-Domaine Clusel-Roch Le Champon 2020 Côte-Rôtie

Jordan Rakei – Wind Parade 2020

16-Mas des Bressades Les 2 Massifs 2020 Costières-de-Nîmes

Web Web « Warlock » 2020

17-Domaine des Schistes Joia 2021 Muscat de Rivesaltes

Scrimshire feat. Nat Birchall & Faye Houston « I Hear You, I See You” 2021

18-Famille Arbeau Le Poulpe Magique 2022 Frontonnais Vin de France

Kraak & Smaak « Sunflower Suite » 2022

19-Le Cèdre Extra-Libre 2021 Cahors Côtes du Lot

Gretchen Parlato « Roy Allan » 2021

20-Yves Leccia Era Ora ! 2019 Patrimonio Corse

Ivan ‘Mamão’ Conti « Aroeira » 2019

21-Vincent Gaudry A mi-chemin 2021 Sancerre

Akira Kosemura « Kosemura: Hidden Waltz” 2021

22-Clos des Quarterons Le Vau Renou 2019 Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil

Michael Kiwanuka – Hard to Say Goodbye 2019

23-Champagne Fleury BdN brut 2017

Goldie “Horizons (Feat. Terri Walker & Swindle)” 2017

24-Domaine Bernard Defaix 1^er Cru Vieille Vigne Terroir de Côte de Lechet 2021 Chablis

JAB « Game, Set, (Checkmate) » 2021

25-Paul Ginglinger Grand Cru Riesling Pfersigberg Ortel Vieilles Vignes 2020 Alsace

Marker Starling « Silk Rock” 2020

26-Domaine Berthet-Bondet Château Chalon Savagnin 2018 Côtes du Jura

GoGo Penguin « Bardo » 2018

27-Celler Aixala Alcait Clivelles de l’Alzina 2019 Priorat Espagne

David Versace « Love Expressions » 2019

28-Terra Remota Camino 2020 Empordà Espagne

Malcolm Strachan « Better Late Than Never” 2020

29-Casa de Mouraz Encruzado 2017 Dào Portugal

Nick Hakim « Green Twins » 2017

30-Cascina Vèngore Mignane 2020 Terra d’Alfieri Italie

Triorität  « Death Pacito » 2020