02/11/2021
We swept through the French countryside like a Rootstock shaped tornado. 3 days visiting some of the most exciting wine regions, cities and staggering countryside. Dispensing with the linear I’m starting at the end.
We popped up in Ariege having visited Lyon, Beaujolais, Coteaux du Lyonnais, some of the Northern Rhone’s most illustrious appellations, Montpellier and the Languedoc.
Crossing the Garonne, turning off the D43 I noted that I’d forgotten what an incredible area this was. Equidistant between Toulouse to the north and the Pyrenees to the south there is subtle Mediterranean and Atlantic influence here.
We met Simon and his apprentice Maxim at the estate for a tour of the cellars at Ribonnet. Harvest was not long over so there were plenty of new cuvees fermenting.
We tried the Viognier 2021 which was tasting good with nice varietal character. The new Pinot was also developing nicely. Special mention to the Syrah 2020 which Simon was rightly very proud of. The sample already felt fully realised and showed incredible depth of fruit, complexity and elegance.
The bulk of the cask aged wines live in an annex of the cellar built by originator Clement Ader. Simon explained how Ader intended the unique glass lined rooms as a method of maintaining hygiene. Today they probably still have that function but they also set the area off in a distinctive shade of aqua-marine.
We wrapped up with a tasting of new wines and some interesting additions we hadn’t tried before. Very interesting to learn from Simon that nearly 50% of sales are from cellar door! The rest is from domestic sales, some to Benelux countries, a little to the far-east and of course a little to us in Blighty.
Simon brought out a cured ham a farmer friend had given him for his 30th birthday recently which was delicious and a good foil to the wines.
Many thanks to Simon for being the perfect host. We hope to get back to Beaumont-sur-Leze again soon.
Our new order should be arriving in the UK soon with the following references:
Syrah 2019
Pinot Noir 2019
Viognier 2020
Chenin 2019
Chardonnay 2019
Syrah 2019 Magnums (tiny quantities so get in quick to reserve one)
Chardonnay 2019 Magnums (see above)
