CAZES INVESTS IN COLLIOURE

One of Roussillon's leading wine producers, Maison Cazes, has acquired its first vineyard in Collioure. The tiny, one-hectare plot is planted with Genache Noir and Grenache Gris and is situated beneath the Dugommier fort, which overlooks this historic coastal town.

Cazes has had a very close association with the Collioure appellation since 2009, when it was the driving force behind the setting up of a heritage association, ‘Nôtre Dame des Anges, Terroir et Patrimoine’, named after Collioure's most important landmark (see photo). This association raises funds for the restoration of 'casots' (tiny winegrowers' shelters, of which there are some 1,200 dotted around the Collioure appellation) and the 6,000km of stone walls or feixes, which cover the terraced vineyards.

Funds for this restoration programme come from the sale of a limited-edition cuvée, Nôtre Dame des Anges, made according to Maison Cazes’s specifications by association members (The Dominicains Cooperative and individual producers). Cazes also ages the wine in its own cellars and looks after the sales and marketing of the 13,500 bottles produced annually.

The grapes from Cazes's new Collioure vineyard will be vinified by the Dominicains Cooperative before going into the 2012 vintage of Nôtre Dame des Anges. The 2009 vintage can currently be bought from Bordeaux Index (www.bordeauxindex.com) at £13.75 per bottle/£165 per case, plus VAT and delivery.

THREE WINE MEN TO VISIT EDINBURGH

The Three Wine Men, Oz Clarke, Tim Atkin MW and Olly Smith are to hold one of their popular shows in Edinburgh's Signet Library on 23rd and 24th June to 'show you how much fun wine can be'. 200 Early Bird tickets - saving 37.5% - are now available by calling See Tickets on 0844 858 6759 or online at www.seetickets.com/Tour/THREE-WINE-MEN - enter the discount code 3WINE32759. The minimum order is for two tickets.
For more information, visit: www.threewinemen.co.uk.

ROUSSILLON....BEGINNING TO THAW...

We arrived in Roussillon just over a week ago and have not felt warm since, while, ironically, Edinburgh is basking in temperatures that we can only dream of. Although much of the snow that fell over the weekend of 4th/5th February has thawed, patches linger stubbornly in shady corners of our garden, along with some lethal sheets of ice. More importantly though, our reservoir has managed to empty itself completely after a frozen valve burst, orange and lemon trees - in full fruit - look otherwise desperate, along with many other plants, trees and shrubs. The vines nearby, however - mostly now pruned - seem unperturbed by the general brouhaha that this weather - the worst since 1985 - has caused. The sun has been shining almost without a break since we arrived but to little effect, until today, when the mercury crept above zero and I was able to remove just one layer of clothing. Things may be looking up.

As I write, I am drinking a glass of Domaine de Caledroy, Rosée des Vignes, 2010 in honour of St Valentine's Day, while my other half prepares dinner. The wines of Caledroy - just along the road from us - have improved enormously in the past five or so years. This rosé, principally from Grenache Noir, is delicate but still packed with lively, fresh fruit flavours. The back label says "ce pur rosé fera l'agrément idéal de vos fêtes et en toute saison..." but I somehow don't think they had in mind weather such as this.

TOM CANNAVAN'S TOP 50 PORTUGUESE REDS

The Wine Gang's Tom Cannavan held a trade tasting in Edinburgh recently of his Top 50 Portuguese wines. It took Tom 8 months, many visits and much tasting, to narrow down his selection to 50. He was looking for freshness and elegance and good representation from Portugal's many indigenous grape varieties and wine regions. If you are bored with Bordeaux reds, do try those from the Douro in particular.

Here are the stars of the tasting:

WHITES:

DRY: Esporão Private Selection 2009, £17.95, Great Grog, Edinburgh
A lemony, juicy, buttery white with a hint of oak; made by the talented Australian, David Baverstock.
SWEET: Quinta do Ameal, Special Harvest,2007, £44.99, contact Raymond Reynolds for stockists (www.raymondreynolds.co.uk).
Rather like a vin santo; nutty with hints of apricot and barley sugar.

REDS:
Mouchão 2006, £28.99, Forth Wines, Milnathort
A lovely, spicy, full, fruity red with a long, sappy finish and ripe tannins. Made - surprisingly - with grapes from old Alicante Bouschet vines.
BTT 2009, Luis Pato, £22.99, Raymond Reynolds
An elegant, well-balanced, meaty, stony red, with a touch of mint.
Quinta dos Roques, Touriga Nacional, 2008, £28, Raymond Reynolds
Floral character (violets), some tannin, cherry fruit flavours; very stylish.
Quinta do Portal, Touriga Nacional, 2009, £26,50, Great Grog
Aged for 9 months in new oak; wonderful nose; good acidity; bursting with luscious fruit.
Chryseia 2008, £50, Tanners, Berry Bros & Rudd
A long-time favourite Douro red; inky nose; minerally notes; long and well-balanced.
Pintas 2008, £50, Corney & Barrow
Another Douro red, from a single vineyard and 70-year-old vines; velvet smooth, fragrant; very elegant.

THE LATEST 'BESPOKE' MUST-HAVE

The wine cellar is apparently the latest 'status room' and a sure way of adding value to your home. But what do you do if you live in a modern house or don't have the space or the right conditions? Several companies now offer a bespoke service which involves drilling down under your house to form a cylindrical cellar, complete with spiral staircase to access your wines easily. This type of cellar can also provide the perfect conditions (stable year-round temperature and humidity, darkness etc.).
For more information, visit the following websites:
www.bespokecellars.com
www.spiralcellars.com

If you don't want the expense of creating your own cellar, but would still like to invest in wine long-term, it is much easier nowadays - and surpisingly reasonable - for private customers to use dedicated wine storage facilities in the UK, such as Vinotheque (www.vinotheque.co.uk) - see also Majestic entry below - and Octavian (www.octavianvaults.co.uk).

MAJESTIC LAUNCHES FINE WINE PLAN

I have written about the benefits of Fine Wine Plans in the past and am pleased to see that Majestic Wine has just launched its own, in conjunction with mail order and en primeur specialist, Lay & Wheeler, which Majestic acquired in 2009. The Plan is an affordable and simple way to build up your own fine wine collection, based on monthly contributions, from as little as £50. You can also take advantage of good-value wine storage at Vinothèque, an exclusive bonded storage facility in Burton on Trent and advice from Lay & Wheeler's dedicated fine-wine team. As a member of the Fine Wine Plan, you are sent regular, exclusive offers, have on-line access to your collection, free delivery (UK Mainland) when you decide to withdraw a case, a £25 voucher at the end of your first year and a free 6-bottle case of Croix de Beaucaillou 2009, worth £150, added to your reserves, when you commit to a monthly direct debit of £100 or more. Members can stop subscribing when they wish and get a full refund of any outstanding credit. This is a great idea for those wanting to invest in wine who don't have the time or knowledge to do so.
For more information, visit: www.majestic.co.uk.

Two great buys from Majestic - both from New Zealand's Marlborough region - for drinking now:

Southbank Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Wither Hills Chardonnay 2010

Both £7.49 per bottle or Buy 2 save 20% (£5.99)

WINE GANG HITS EDINBURGH

The Wing Gang, is a fraternity of well-respected wine writers (currently - L-R in photo - Tom Cannavan, Joanna Simon, Anthony Rose, Jane Parkinson and David Williams) who've set up a members-only website with news and reviews from the world of wine. They also put on the occasional wine fair and, for the first time, are holding one in Edinburgh on 12th November, at The Merchant Hall. Basically, they invite a range of wine retailers and you come along and taste your way through the wines on offer - some 300 in all - which will often be discounted on the day. The Gang is also offering free, conducted Wine Walks and a series of Masterclasses. The list of those exhibiting is available on The Gang's Events page (see below for details of the website). Tickets are £15 per person at 'Earlybird' prices, but members pay £14. Masterclasses cost £10. In these, Anthony Rose will be showing some of Argentina's best Malbecs and Tom Cannavan some of his finds from Portugal, while Jane Parkinson will demonstrate Chile's regional diversity and Burgundy guru Martin Strauss will feature a range of Chablis.
Tickets for the Fair and Masteclasses are available from : www.ticketsoup.com/tickets/the-wine-gang-christmas-fair-2011-2011-12925/default.aspx.
For the list of exhibitors and more information on The Wine Gang itself, visit: www.thewinegang.com.