Aweek or two ago I blogged on the aging ability of red wines from Languedoc, and in the blog I said that I would come back to talk about aging the white wines of the region, So here goes.
In general most white wines from the South of France tend not to be greatly improved by aging. They tend to be rather simple and are much nicer drunk on the fruit while retaining their freshness. The majority of these are Vin de Pays d'Oc. They tend to be made from Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or increasingly from Viognier or from varieties we associate with the region like Grenache Blanc, Roussanne or Marsanne, and of course the very underrated (when it is good) Picpoul. Increasingly these wines are becoming more and more drinkable, and it is possible to find some lovely wines for early drinking. Areas I like for this type of wine include the Vin de Pays du Duche d'Uzes, Vin de Pays des Coteaux du Salagou, and the Vin de Pays des Cotes du Thongue, and AOC Picpoul de Pinet.
However there are a small number of producers who try to make white wines that will improve with age. They tend to follow the same ideas as the best red wine makers:
- They look for the "right" terroir for the variety
- They only harvest at low yields
- They are very careful in their vinification
Often these producers will use oak barrels of various sizes to ferment or age the wine. The varieites that interest these producers tend to be Grenache Blanc/Gris, Rousanne and Marsanne. There are also one or two age-worthy Chardonnays and the occasional Chenin Blanc that are fascinating. The wines will have a lovely heavyish, oilyish texture, and be full of complex white fruit, floral, melon, and tropical fruit flavours, often with some spice and occasionally a herbal note. They are always well balanced, and often have a great persistence of flavour.
The best wines will usually be made in the areas where the vines get chance to recover from the heat of the summer's day by being cooled by breezes through the night, so for example, the parts of the Coteaux du Languedoc that are nearer the mountains are a good place to look, these include the Terrasses du Larzac, and Pic Saint Loup.
White wine making, with the intention of producing a wine to age, is a relatively new thing in Languedoc, for example Pic Saint Loup has an Appellation for red and Rose wines, but must use the regional AOC Languedoc for white wine, despite it having a lovely white wine terroir - I understand that the local Producers Union has begun the process to apply for an AOC for the whites, but that it may take 10 years for them to persuade the appropriate bodies that they deserve one!
So, dry white wines from the South of France are generally intended for early but pleasurable drinking, though there are a few producers who are trying to make a longer lived wine that will develop with age. Just take care when buying to age, always take advice from a Wine Merchant or Producer you trust.
It seems sensible to point out a few of each type from the Aldeby Wines List:
Early Drinkers - Up to 3 years old
Wines to age
I hope this is of interest. Soon I will give you the low down on a new wave of sweet wines that are slowly becoming more evident in the South of France.
Ian