Clos Marie ( Pic Saint Loup )

Clos Marie , the chai

Back from our Languedoc expedition . Little roads , cold wind , scenic landscapes and deserted villages . Sleeping in different places, always on the move, with adventure and wine on the road ... First of several articles about wine in the Languedoc region .
Our first visit to a winery was at Clos Marie , the wines of wich we first encountered at a Caves Augé wine tasting event . It is located in Lauret in the Pic Saint Loup appellation . Pic Saint Loup is the name of a mountain ( alt 658 m ) 20 km north of Montpellier, wich is central to the small adjacent wine region . By the way , pictures seen here and there often misrepresent Pic Saint Loup, showing instead the characterisic Mont Hortus, the cliff-looking mountain ( alt 512 m) wich lies next to Pic St Loup .

Pruning and burning, near Lauret , on Terret vines . Background : Pic St Loup on left , Mont Hortus on right

Clos Marie was created in 1994 , beginning with 8 hectares , 75% of wich were uprooted and replanted . It is today a 20 hectares vineyard , all in biodynamy. The chai is right in the village , with a small vineyard spot , in lyre tresilling , at the back ( just for a try, here ) .Winter is very cold this year . Last night minus 8°C here . Clear blue sky today . This time of the year is the time for pruning and de-earthing . Christophe Peyrus , who manages the Domaine with Francoise Julien ( she was the one we saw at Augé ) receives us and we head to the underground cellar , wich was built in 2000 . Stable temperature at 10-12°C , 5 meter deep , with no air duct nor ventilation with the ground level, so as to keep it cool in summer . In this present cold winter , it also prevents the temp from dropping . We now taste , with Christophe Peyrus explaining his work . He takes samples from casks with a wine thief ...

The magic of Tasting from a cask...
__1 Red . L'Olivette 2004 . Syrah , Grenache and a little of Cinsault and Mourvedre . Partially blended in vats . was vinified together . 100% destemmed here ( changes depending of conditions , no fixed rules ) . Will be bottled nov 2005 . What we taste here is in fact only part of the final "L'olivette" assemblage . Comes from spots on quaternar hard limestones , compact debris . 2004 was a classical year . No excess volume except on some rare spots . From the start it was a very good year as rain was plentiful at the end of 2003 . Except some high points at the end of july , the summer temp was good . In this region backed to the mountains, there is a sharp drop in temperature each summer ( between aug 15 and sept 1st ) wich is one of the terroir features here , that finds its way in the wine . Typical of the Pic St Loup appellation . The plateau north from here is very cold in winter . It went as low as minus 30° in neighbouring village St Martin de Londres , during the famous 1956 winter . Harvest for most of the vineyard is sept 15 - oct 15 . Mourvedre the last . This grape variety is difficult here because the region is quite septentrional for it . That's why the exposition of the spot and the soil composition is important : Very deep soils so as the roots go deep . And with lots of stones wich keep both humidity and heat . This type of soil is called " La Gravette ". Strange , why do the vines seem to love so much these rocky soils , this gravel ?...

Lots of drinking... __2 Red . L'Olivette 2004 . Grenache 70% , Cinsault 30% . From a cask to . So, this is the 2nd part of the future "L'Olivette" , and will be assembled with the first wine we just tasted . C.P. says 2004 made the best millesime of the Domaine . Blended 1 or 2 months before bottling . Note, he says, that from the first second it is assembled , the result has always been tasted instantly , plain and solid . But they wait 1 or 2 months just in case , before bottling . Mint-pepper note . Floral . Cinsault brings a peach skin note . __3 Red . Simon 2004 . Syrah - Grenache . Vinified separately, and also separatyely for the different spots . Simon is on the slopes at the bottom of Pic St Loup, when L'Olivette is in the lower part , more like flat spots . Here we taste the Syrah part of the future Simon 2004, but from the Syrah spots that are on clay-alluvial soil .Everything was well balanced in 2004 : The grapes , the skin , the stems . __4 Red . Simon 2004 . Now, the Syrah from spots on clay-limestones soil , in the same type and make of casks ( Saury ) . Maturing in different casks ( you also can have different qualities in the same make ) can distort the comparison and appreciation . He adds that they keep the pressure on the coopers to be sure the right quality of wood they chose is implemented, cask after cask . About the wine : Also superb . Certainly differences, but I would not tell wich . Also a citrus note, he says , here . In these two Syrahs , 20-25% with the stems . Vines between 10-12 years to 40 years old, on Simon .Christophe Peyrus __5 Red . Metairie du Clos 2004 Old Grenache part , with 10% Syrah . Vines about 40 years old . Comes from a 4 to 5 hectares vineyard they rent from an old vineyard owner . Exceptional terroir . Old vines . Will be assembled with the old Carignan part . First year they rented this vineyard , they de-earthed quite deep to cut surface roots and force roots go deep . The old man ( the owner ) was upset at first , but soon understood and saw the results in the wine . About yields in the Domaine : About 35 hectoliter/hectare _6 Red . Metairie du Clos . Old Carignan part . In 600 liter 1/2 muids . Vineroots from 1929 , wich partly froze in the harsh 1956 winter . Superb ( I know , I often say superb...) . Tannins a little "rustic" . Will be worked-on during maturing . The bigger cask size allows looking more for the fruit . Makes also a harmonious patina on the wine . __7 Red . Les Glorieuses 2004 . Syrah-Grenache . On 1,5 hectare , equally distributed . Small volumes , vinified together . On the deepest soils , with very small stones . 100% with the stems , here . Very beautiful . Everything we tasted has no sulphur at all for maturing . Only small sulphur correction will be made for bottling . For the work on the Domaine , 7 persons altogether , the two owners included . 2 temporary workers join from march . The wine is also exported . Among the exporters, Michael Sullivan ( Beaune Imports ) . The village of Valflaunes, close by

Comments

[Mike]

Found this just as we were about to open a bottle of 2006 Close Marie in our effort to learn more about Langeudoc region. Thanks!