Opinion

Wines at Xmas #13 – Alan March [Guest Post]

For winelovers, Christmas is a time when we look forward to drinking – and even sharing – a special bottle or two.  This might be a classic wine with traditional fare or just something different we’ve wanted to try for a while.  I asked some wine loving friends what they were looking forward to and they have kindly agreed to write a blog post for me.

Alan March is different from most wine bloggers – while we wax lyrically about various bottles of wine we have tasted he is actually at the “coalface” helping to make innovative wine in the Languedoc.  His aptly titled A March in the Vines is well worth a follow.


Mas Coutelou La Vigne Haute.jpgChristmas is about family and friends, sharing and reflection on the year which is fading. My choice of wine reflects these. I have lived most of the last 3 years in the Languedoc and spent much of the time helping at and writing about Mas Coutelou.  Jean-François (Jeff) Coutelou makes a series of excellent natural wines but for this special occasion I shall choose La Vigne Haute 2013.

The wine is pure Syrah, it is labelled as a Vin De France because Jeff chooses to avoid the rules of appellation status which would, for example, mean that a single grape wine would not be allowed.  Syrah is one of the main five Languedoc red grapes along with Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre.  The grapes which make La Vigne Haute are grown in a vineyard called La Garrigue planted on two sides of a ridge, Grenache facing the southerly sun and Syrah, more sheltered and cool, facing north.

2013 was the last vintage of La Vigne Haute, if the grapes and quality are not high enough they will be used in other wines. (Happily, 2017 will see a new vintage!).  The 2013 offers warmth, long flavours of red fruits and soft tannins, great with Christmas food.  Made by my friend, shared with family and a reminder of so many happy days in Puimisson.


The full series of Wines at Xmas:

 

12 thoughts on “Wines at Xmas #13 – Alan March [Guest Post]”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *