trip through Tavel

no high speed internet so no photos yet. winter in the vineyards is a beautiful time.

the wine purpose of this entire visit to learn more about Tavel and hopefully to taste some 2010's which had recently been assembled; then there were those who thought it was all about new year's eve in paris. the celebration on the champs de mars lasted only a few minutes and the walk down the champs elysees was where the real party was. most important, making the january 1 train to avignon.

monday's plan was to begin at 1030 with a visit to Trinquevedel. i have looked forward to this for a number of reasons. first, Guillaume is exceptionally personable and communicates information about his property, his wines, and the region well. second, the property is beautiful and i expected would provide a great opportunity for pictures. Finally, i was looking forward to the wines.

Guillaume had surprises for us.

the first wine was his 2010 Tavel/Chateau de Trinquevedel which he had drawn off of the tank for us this morning. the wine had been assembled within the last month and is waiting to be bottled in march. the wine was a robust pink throughout the glass and clear. the aromas were of flowers and red fruits. the taste was flowers, red raspberries, strawberries, and a hint of white pepper. the finish was a wonderful balance of mineral and acid. it is young and will evolve further on the fruit and flowers side in the months before we see it. i look forward to enjoying this during the coming year.

the second wine was 2009 Tavel/Chateau de Trinquevedel. we have had this wine for the last 7 months and it was a favorite. it is a very similar pink throughout the glass and clear. the fruit and flower aromas are complex, with an enticing floral beginning followed by impressive fruit. the taste backs this up, and again there is a subtle finish of white pepper. the balance on the finish is crisp acid and mineral with a perfect balance. i am glad i have several bottles of this left in the cellar.

the third wine was Guillaume's gastronomic wine, Tavel/Les Vignes d'Eugene 2008. we previously have tasted the 2007 and have some of it in our cellar. this wine spends a year aging in cement tanks before being bottled. the wine is not as intensely pink toward the edges of the glass as the previous wines, probably because of the nature of grenache and its age; the color is beautiful. the nose is of red fruits with a background of flowers. the taste is raspberry, strawberry, and a touch of garrigue. the balance of mineral and acid is smooth. the wine coats the mouth with a feeling of fullness and lasts for several swallows. Guilaume explained that he allows this wine to undergo a malolactic fermentation. the wine is designed to age and for food. i am excited to see this again- i am planning the tasting this summer with the full list of wines above from my cellar.

as a surprise, Guillaume has produced a late harvest wine from a parcel of grenache blanc and clairette on a sandy hilltop. the grapes were harvested in mid-october with a single pass through the vineyard. some of the grapes had botrytis (he had identified the potential for this in the plot he had chosen). harvest was at 22%. the wine is a pale yellow and has a sweet and fruity nose. the taste immediately shows the honeyed nature of the botrytis, along with white fruits. the balance on the finish is a luscious blend of sweet, acid, alcohol, and fruit. and, the wine is called VENDAGE OUBLIEES, the forgotten harvest. this is a great aperitif or dessert wine and i look forward to watching it evolve. as it was just bottled there are no other reviews on it- you see it here first. Guillaume produced only 1000 bottle of this nectar, and 6 fewer remain as of this writing. this is a wonderful wine and i think represents a creative effort from the producer.

the final wine was 2009 Trinquevedel Cotes du Rhone Rouge. this is 100% grenache from Guillaume's plot in Lirac. the wine is a robust garnet color to the edges of the glass. it has a fruity nose and a light and fruity taste. the finish is smooth. it was not intended to be a wine to age, it is to drink now while the other's age and it meets the purpose for which it was designed precisely. this wine will change in the next 2 years as Guillaume has planted mourvedre in Lirac and once it is producing suitable fruit the wine will be changed into an AOC Lirac.

i am going to save other Tavel wines for a later post. the exceptional wines, extraordinary hospitality, and creativity shown at Trinquevedel merits this discussion be limited to the single producer. i purchased a number of wines to use for future tastings and enjoyment on this visit. remember, VENDAGE OUBIEES. photos to follow.