Wine Club 027 Winner

The October edition of Highbury Library Wine Club was an opportunity for me to focus on some southern French winemakers that I have been able to visit this year as well as taste some new arrivals from further afield.

We kicked off with Totem 2023 from Mataburro down in the depths of Roussillon. Feeling like the perfect Autumnal red, this blend of Mouvèdre and Grenache from very old vines was a big hit thanks to its depth and precision. You can read more about our visit to winemaker Laurent here.

Moving slightly further north to the Gard in Languedoc, we tasted Sa Fille 2023. Light and juicy but unmistakably southern, the dark fruits are complimented with bright acidity. You can see why winemaker Ferg Clague describes this as "Breakfast Grenache".

Moving further north still and increasing in acidity once again, we sampled a new cuvée from Yann Durrmann in Alsace. Rouge Gorge 2023 is a wine made with Pinot Grapes purchased from a neighbour. Created in the Carbonic Maceration style and clocking in at just 10.5% alcohol this is definitely a Vin de Soif. Natural wine lovers enjoyed the rustic, funky aromas which proved too much for those more into clean and precise wines. 

After the reds we went to North East Italy to Il Roccolo di Monticelli in Veneto. Silvia Tezza only makes Bianco di Rado 2021 in special years when the weather conditions are perfect. Garganega and Trebbiano grapes are kept on the vine to achieve further ripeness. After fermentation, the skins stay in contact with the juice for no less than 6 months! She then ages the wine in bottle for 2 years before release. A very special cuvée that offers layers of complex fruit, herbs and minerals. It turned out to be a bit of a marmite wine, maybe something for those deeper down the natural wine hole!

The next bottle took us back to the south of France to taste a white from natural wine godfather Jeff Coutelou. Blanc is a cuvée made from a blend of Grenache gris, Macabeo and Muscat from across the 2019 and 2021 vintages. Rich and round, the wine was displaying amazing balance and beautiful honeyed notes along side citrus fruit and minerals. I was fortunate enough to visit Jeff at the beginning of this year and witness his amazing cellar...

Finally, we drank a new arrival from one of the biggest natural wine names in the Loire Valley, La Grapperie. La Bueilloise 2022 is a Pet Nat produced from Renaud Guettier's youngest Chenin Blanc vines and aged for 1 year on the lees. The result is a fruit forward wine that manages to display some of those savoury Champagne style notes at the same time. Tasters loved the rich style and many said they would prefer this over a classic Champagne.

It was a tight vote at the end of the night but just out in front was Jef Coutelou's Blanc! The bad news is, at time of writing, we only have 2 bottles left in stock and the importer is sold out. So if you want to experience this alluring wine, you better be quick!

Hopefully see you at a Wine Cub soon, and happy drinking!