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A brief guide to our favourite French producer and their amazing wines

– Rob Hoult

August 2023

Domaine Terres Georges is situated in the tiny town of Castelnau d’Aude which is just south of the stunning walled city of Carcassonne and is surrounded by some of the most beautiful and rugged countryside imaginable.

We first discovered the wines in 2005 and they were good then but with every passing year the wines improve as Roland’s skill as a winemaker improves. At their heart these are wines which embrace the simplicity of winemaking, they are produced using grapes from vines whose roots delve deep into the soil in search of nutrients and so it is no surprise that the wines should reflect the land. This is a tiny property producing a small amount of wine that is a perfect example of just what treasures are available in France if you look hard enough and venture off the beaten track a little bit. So read on, find out a little more, and then try the wines for yourself, you’ll be impressed.

A little history

Roland Coustal is the son of a gendarme and studied wine making in Bordeaux, and on returning home he found both work and a wife. Anne-Marie’s father Georges was a farmer of vines, who harvested his grapes and sold them on to the local co-operative. Anne-Marie has helped in the vineyard since the age of 5 and so she knows her vines very well. Anne-Marie met, fell in love with and married Roland and when Georges died in 2000 they took over the vineyards and decided to make wine themselves. They named their new enterprise Domaine Terres Georges in honour of Anne-Marie’s father.

Hard work makes great wine

Great wine is made in the vineyard and the pair make sure that the vines work hard for their flavour so there is no irrigation at all. The vines are pruned regularly and any bunches which are not up to scratch are clipped and left on the soil to act as a sort of vinous fertiliser. Pest control is natural so there are plenty of ladybirds. Harvesting is done by hand and Anne-Marie and Roland also do grape selection by hand to ensure that only the very best fruit is used, this is a minimal intervention view of the vines.

All this requires hard work and effort and so there is only one week of the year that Anne-Marie and Roland are not in their vineyard, which may explain why they are now the only wine producers in Castelnau. If you want to see first-hand the vines and the land then they have a very lovely, and blessedly air-conditioned ‘gite vigneron’ on the property where a glass or two of wine will never be far away.

THE WINES

‘et Cetera’ Minervois £13
This wine is the approachable easy-going face of Minervois. Predominantly Carignan with a good chunk of Grenache and just a tiny amount of Syrah which means that the wine is softer and much more easy drinking than you might expect Minervois to be. Rustic charm by the bucket load but it also very obviously a well-made wine. Fine for drinking on its own but I love it with homemade stew and dumplings.

LuLu £16
A white wine! I remember seeing the young Vermentino plantings for this wine a few years back and with every passing vintage those vines are producing more expressive fruit. The wine is a Mediterranean classic with that deliciously fresh Vermentino given a lovely savoury touch from some Roussanne and then a delighfully lifted finish from just a dash of Muscat. A terrific wine and named in honour of Roland’s mother-in-law, so it must be good.

Rose £14

The south of France has become synonymous with the elegant, pale, subtle and really rather delicious style of Rose that we seem to have fallen head over heels for. This is just that sort of wine but with a little added wow factor. Dangerously easy to drink, you have been warned!

Camelion £16
Named Cameleon because this wine can change it’s blend from vintage to vintage just as long as the finished article is as close to perfection as possible. This wine is so voluptuous, velvety smooth and elegant, this wine doesn’t shout at you, it just whispers nice things in to your ear.

‘Quintessance’ Minervois £20
This is the show wine of the estate and has received rave reviews from Decanter and has a gained star in multiple editions of the French wine bible, Guide Hachette. Predominantly Syrah so the wine is a lot more fulsome and structured with real depth. Again,this is a wine designed to go with food to temper the tannins and soften out the palate. “Rich and supple with ripe, spicy raisined fruit. This packs a punch but has bite and complexity” Four stars Decanter.

Racine £20
Racine means root and this wine is not only about old vines but the fact that the roots of the vines are also the roots of Anne-Marie and Roland’s winemaking lives. Yes, it has weight and fruit but it also has elegance and freshness. The fruit comes from very low yielding 60 year old vines and Roland keeps things as simple as possible to allow the wine to tell the story of the land. Treat this wine properly and let it breathe in a decanter and it will reward you richly. One of the true stars of the Languedoc.

Rueda, Rioja, Campo de Borja and Catalunya

– Bridget Hoult

June 2022

So the kids have complained for a number of years that all we ever did was go on holiday to France (easy to drive to, and I love France). One year when we were down in the south of France staying near Carcassonne, the conversation came up again – “Why couldn’t we go to another country?”. So, Rob and I hatched a plan and, feeling particularly proud of ourselves, the next day, we drove the kids down to Le Perthus and across the border into Spain – then, at the first services, we turned around and drove back to France – problem solved the kids have now been to Spain as well (apparently, we aren’t funny!)

When I was offered the chance to go to Spain on a wine trip, I jumped at the opportunity, in particular, to visit Northern Spain to help me understand more about the areas for some of the lovely wines we sell and to visit some amazing wineries. We flew into Madrid, and the first thing we did was drive for 2 hours to Valladolid; I will be honest, a place I had never heard of before – but what a stunningly beautiful city. I would fully recommend going if you get the chance, and I will definitely be persuading Rob that that is a place we need to go to. Now, what do you need to do when you’re on a wine trip? ‘Tapas Crawl’! After a number of bars and trying lots and lots of different wines and tapas, I can safely say I was very much looking forward to the next 3 days of this trip.

The next morning

We had a little 45-minute drive to our first winery ‘Diez Siglos’, formed in 2010; this is a collective of around 70 small to medium growers working together to continue winemaking traditions in Rueda. The vines we visited were on an old riverbed; the stones from the vineyard absorb the warmth from the sunshine in the daytime and then help to keep the vines warm in the cold evenings. Due to the high winds in that area, in particular around the time of flowering on the vines, and the hot days and lack of rain, they need to pick the grapes at night to get the best aroma and crispness from the fruit. Verdejo is the stand-out grape variety from this area. A couple of wines that stood out for me – Diez Siglos Rueda Verdejo 2021, 13% ABV, Vegan and 100% Verdejo. This wine is clean, crisp, and fresh. 3 to 4 months or lees before bottling, tropical flavours and lemon zest, and this is very easy to drink. My second recommendation is not one I expected to say but Diez Siglos Rueda Sauvignon Blanc 2021, 13% ABV, Vegan and 100% Sauvignon Blanc. They have to pick the Sauvignon Blanc before they pick the Verdejo from a single vineyard. An intense grassiness and tropical flavours, a Sauvignon Blanc from the area where Verdejo is at the heart – this is something you have to try for yourself.

We had a bite to eat before leaving and heading to our next winery, Bodegas Menade, 1 kilometre west of the village of Rueda. This winery was established in 2005, the vineyard and family are steeped in history, and whilst they are committed to upholding the traditions of the past, they also are looking to the future for inspiration. Run by three siblings, Richard the winemaker, Marco the viticulturalist and Alejandra, who looks after exporting and communications. All their wines are certified organic, and fermentation is done using only natural yeasts present on the grape’s skins. The winery incorporates a cellar hewn out of the solid rock of La Seca at the beginning of the 19th century. Whilst we visited the cellars, they gave us a light lunch, ok I like food, so no complaints; we then got to the winery and looked around before sitting down to a 3-course lunch (yes, more lunch!!) Luckily we tried the wines at the same time – I have never had 3 lunches before – the wine helped to counteract the food! But what about the wines? I have to start with Adorado de Menade (1967 Solera Verdejo Palomino Fino) NV, 15.5% ABV, 50% Verdejo and 50% Palomino Fino and only available in 150cl Magnums. The ‘mother’ solera dates to 1967, but the first new production was in 2018; this shows the family’s regional roots. The grapes are all hand-picked and pressed in historical vertical presses dating back to the 1900s. Taking place in the cellars we visited, a proportion of the wine (saca) is removed from the end of a series of butts and is replaced proportionately along the line. This allows the wine to be released each year identically. The naturally developing flor adds a ‘rancio’ aroma, earthy, mushroom, nutty flavour (mainly from its time in oak), with notes of dried fruit. Savoury, complex and after we put this on in a tasting, I can safely say you either love it or hate it – very unusual and if you want a talking point at a dinner party – this is one to go with. But if you want to go for something safer and not as out there, then go for their flagship wine Menade Organic Verdejo 2021, 13% ABV, Vegan and 100% Verdejo. Stone fruit, fennel, white peach and thyme, crisp acidity and minerality – beautiful to drink and really shows off what they want to achieve.     

They need to pick the grapes at night to get the best aroma

Yet more food!

To recover from all the food, we returned to the hotel for the evening in Haro, a beautiful town if you ever get the chance to visit the heart of Rioja Alta. Then went out for dinner with some of the lovely people from Gomez Cruzado – yep, more food!

After a very much-needed sleep the next morning, we went to visit the winery for Gomez Cruzado (5 min drive). The winery dates back to 1886. It was at that time that trade between Rioja and France passed along the Tudela-Bibao line, and the key Rioja wineries were located around the station of Haro. 

Gomez Cruzado is one of 7 wineries in this area and is the 3^rd oldest. It was sold back in the 1980s to a company that didn’t care much about its history or its principles of wine, but the winery was bought again by a family that wanted to bring back the beauty of the name and bring the quality back to Gomez Cruzado and wow have they achieved this. A real highlight of the trip for me. Gomez Cruzado Rioja Reserva 2014, 14.5% ABV, 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano & 5% Garnacha. Sourced from 30 yr old bush vines, hand harvested and 18 months in French oak before 2 years bottle ageing. Black cherry, brambles, black plum, cedar, spice and black pepper – loved this so much – brilliant wine. Then something a little different Linea Karman Rioja Clarete 2021, 13% ABV, Vegan and 70% Viura and 30% Garnacha. This rose is beautiful, with red currents and strawberries; this pale rose is beautiful throughout the whole year, soft fruit and a slight acidity. Well worth visiting this winery if you get a chance.

More food!

We then had a lovely lunch provided by Gomez Cruzado before setting off to our next winery, Bodegas Borsao, about 2 hours drive heading towards Zaragoza. The winery was established as a co-operative in 1959, and in 2001 it joined forces with 2 other co-operatives in the Campo de Borja region to become Bodegas Borsao. Grapes are sourced from over 375 member growers covering 2,400 hectares – nearly 1/3 of the region’s total. The climate in the area can be severe, with hot, dry days, cool dry winds (Cierzo wind) and cool nights. But this helps to maintain the acidity levels in the grapes. They have lots of different vineyards at different altitudes. This allows them to have easy-drinking, inexpensive wines as well as premium wines, the superior wine for me is their multi-award-winning Tres Picos 2019 (No, the label isn’t of the Yorkshire 3 peaks no matter what we tell you), 15.5% ABV, 100% Garnacha. From Borsao’s oldest vines (up to 60 yrs old), full-bodied, brambles, ripe strawberries, vanilla and liquorice spice. Elegant and velvety. We then had our second lunch of the day (food was a definite theme).

Mas Macia released its first cava back in 1936

After spending our last night of the trip in Zaragoza – and yes, more food and wine were had. We started our last day with a 3-hour drive to Fermi Bohigas (Mas Macia), Northwest of Barcelona and 10km from the foothills of Montserrat. The winery dates back 800 years and is still in the same family. In this area, Cava is king. Mas Macia released its first cava back in 1936, with the majority being sold to other Catalan producers, but in 2000 they invested in their cellars with an emphasis on high-quality estate-bottled wines. Bohigas Brut Reserva Cava NV, 12% ABV, 55% Xarel-lo, 30% Macabeu and 15% Parellada. Green apples, pears, and a lovely biscuit, creamy note. Nearly 20 months on lees gives you the balance you want from this lovely cava. Mas Macia Xarel-lo 2021, yep, a still wine, not sparkling! 12% ABV, Vegan and 100% Xarel-lo. Xarel-lo is one of the main grape varieties in Cava but makes a lovely still wine as well. Ripe apples, flint, ripe lemons, and peach with a gentle finish. Lovely summer wine. 

We then had a beautiful lunch at Mas Macia before driving to our last winery. Ca N’Estruc. This estate dates back to 1548 and is nearer to the slopes of the holy mountain of Montserrat. The estate has a unique microclimate with vineyards planted to protect the vines from the cold north winds whilst optimising the sunshine to ensure the full ripening of the grapes. They are currently in the process of getting fully organically certified. They have some amazing wines, and this was a brilliant winery to finish with. The two wines I loved were Ca N’Estruc Idoia Blanc 2020, 13% ABV, 55% Xarel-lo, 17% Grenache Blanc, 15% Chardonnay and 13% Macabeu. The vines are between 20 to 50 yrs old, and the wines are matured for 5 months in Allier oak barrels. Pineapple, toffee apple, vanilla and toast and the flavours just keep going on to the finish. A lovely balance with a slight minerality to it, and my final wine of the trip was Ca N’Estruc l’Equilibrista 2016, 14% ABV, 55% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 15% Samso (Carinena). With 14 mths in new French barrels. Bright red cherries with blackberries with a hint of coffee and mocha. A lovely acidity and spice. Beautiful. And what better way to finish the trip but our 2^nd lunch of the day (I didn’t need to eat for about a week after this trip).

The cellars at Ca N’Estruc

Visiting Araldica, Il Cascinone, Poderi Colla and La Battistina

– Bridget Hoult

October 2019

Italy is somewhere that has always intrigued me, I will be honest that my idea of Italy is Tuscany, the history, the hills, sitting on a beautiful veranda with a glass of chilled white wine and the vista bathed in sunshine! So now let me tell you about my first ever trip to Italy.

The idea of going to Italy for 3 days on a wine trip was amazing, landing in Genoa and then heading up into the hills to try some terrific wines, what is not to look forward to? We flew into Genoa with the sun shining down, what should have been my biggest clue on what the weather was going to be like was all the clouds I could see, rather than me thinking, doesn’t it look beautiful the way the hills are being eaten up by the clouds.

We all climbed into the vehicular delight that is a minibus (in total there was about 10 of us heading out for this adventure). We then set off on our drive up into the North of Genoa into the Piemonte region and headed to our base for the 3 days, Il Cascinone. Il Cascinone is a vineyard which was acquired by Piemonte producer Araldica back in 1999, in the Monferrato hills. This exceptional estate has undergone extensive restoration and replanting, around 70ha of the total 120ha in full production. The warmer, southwest-facing slopes are used to grow Barbera, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and the northeast slopes are more ideal for aromatic varieties such as Brachetto and Moscato, along with Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.

My visions of rolling hillsides and sun baked vistas was shattered

As we drove into the estate, Craig, the gentleman that had arranged the trip, kept telling us how beautiful the views were as we were right on top of a beautiful valley. We had to take his word for it, as it was raining cats and dogs and you couldn’t see more than 2 metres in front of you due to the fog. My visions of rolling hillsides and sun baked vistas was shattered and I now understand what the weather is like in this area in October.

That evening we went out for an amazing meal in Nizza Monferrato. Beautiful food and more importantly we got a chance to try some wine! The 2 that really stood out for me that evening were the Avamposti Pinot Nero ‘Ventura’ 2016 a Pinot Noir from Il Cascinone’s northeastern cooler slopes. 13.5% ABV, vegan and 100% Pinot Nero, this wine is raspberries, cherries, blackberries and a hint of spice, soft and lovely balanced tannins, perfect with the Piemontese agnolotti al plin dish we had. The second wine was Rive Barbera d’Asti Superiore, 15% ABV, Vegan and 100% Barbera from the oldest vineyards of the Il Cascinone estate. Hand-picked grapes, this wine is a deep ruby colour, black cherries, prunes, chocolate, spice, and toast oak and aged for 18 months in 2/3 new oak and 1/3 1 year old French oak barriques. Rich, voluptuous but with balanced acidy and tannins – stunning with the meat course, but just as lovely by itself. A brilliant end to the first day.

Day Two:
Poderi Colla

Morning of the second day we had a massive treat and we went to Poderi Colla, about 1 hour away from where we were staying, near Alba, the valleys were beautiful (still raining and misty) but as they explained that when the hail hits, it can destroy a vineyard, but it can be very localised, so whilst it can destroy vines on one side of a valley, it doesn’t touch the other side – it must be heart breaking when that happens.

Poderi Colla was established in 1993 by Tino Colla (brother of the legendry Beppe Colla) and his niece Federica. The earliest documents attesting to the presence of the Colla family as wine-growers and makers dating back to the early 18th Century. Poderi Colla is very much a family business and continue the Colla family’s three centuries of winemaking heritage. Tino and Federica believe in a non-interventionist approach to winemaking, to give each wine its own unique take on its site, vintage and environment. With the keywords of the Colla family’s production philosophy being naturality and originality, integrity, and purity.
Poderi Colla includes four estates with a total of 28ha of vineyards, Cascine Drago Estate, Tenuta Roncaglia Estate, Dardi Le Rose Estate and Bricco Bompe Estate, covering nearly the entire spectrum of Alba styles.

The wine that stood out for me from the wine tasting we did with Poderi Colla was the Colla Langhe Riesling 2018, 12% ABV, vegan, 100% Riesling from a small plot of 30-year-old vines from the Cascine Drago Estate. With notes of lime, citrus, delicate floral and honey. The mineral and green apple notes add a complex but not overpowering element, will age brilliantly for 10 to 15 years and just improve with patience. This wine is where I really started to begin my love for Rieslings.

Another favourite was Barbera D’Alba Costa Bruna 2017, 14.5% ABV, vegan and 100% Barbera, this wine has aromas of red fruit but when you start to drink it the plum and black cherries start to come through, this is a big hug in a glass. It isn’t as refined as some other Barberas but what you do get is a lovely rustic edge which just makes you sink back into your chair and relax, great with parmesan as it really brings out the dark fruit flavours. Finally the Dolcetto d’Alba ‘Pian Balbo’ 2017, 12.5% ABV, vegan and 100% Dolcetto, when you smell this wine you get plum, cherries, violets, dried herbs and a sweet spice. Beautiful light red which has a lovely youthful note to it which gives a depth and personality of its own. Brilliant with pasta and a ragu.

Finally, the clouds cleared
enough for me to get a picture
of the vines at Il Cascinone.

Day Three: Plan was to Gavi to visit La Battistina

By the time the morning of the 3 day came around I was very glad I had gone to bed a little earlier then everyone else as a few people who had started on the Grappa and were a little late for breakfast!

So the plan for the last morning was to head off to Gavi to visit La Battistina – however, there was one minor issue, the road we needed to take had washed away due to all the rain – so that wasn’t going to happen. Instead we managed to get some of the wines brought to us so we could do a lovely tasting at Il Cascinone and also include some wines from Araldica and Adria as well as La Battistina.

Finally, the clouds cleared enough for me to get a picture of the vines at Il Cascinone.

We started the tasting with wines from Araldica, this is one of Piemonte’s most forward-thinking co-operatives, it is situated in Castel Boglione, in the heart of Barbera d’Asti territory. They work with 230 grower members which allows them to source quality grapes from around 690ha of vineyards. Many of the members joined back in the 1950’s and have long and valued relationship with the winery. They produce wine from Piemonte’s main DOC/DOCG regions – mainly Barbera, Gavi and Moscato, but it also includes Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero Arneis. Founded in 1954 by Livio Manera, the father of the current Managing Director and winemaker Claudio Manera, Araldica has developed over the last 60+ years to become a major winemaking force in Piemonte. We also tried wines from Adria Vini, established in 2003, Adria Vini is a winemaking venture jointly owned by Boutinot (an English importer) and Araldica. This venture was aimed at production of well-priced still and sparkling wines from local grape varieties. A range of private growers and co-operatives allows them to source the grapes that they think best suits this aim. Mainly sourcing from Veneto, Friuli, Lombardy, Sicily, Puglia, Abruzzo and Sardinia.

Some of the wines that stood out for me, Araldica Asti Dolce NV, 7% ABV, Vegan and 100% Moscato Bianco. The grapes are hand harvested and the fermentation is deliberately stopped by chilling and filtration to retain the luscious natural sweetness of the wine. Peaches with a hint of honeysuckle, drink this chilled on a warm day as an aperitif or after dinner as an alternative to a dessert wine. Alasia Barolo 2017, 14% ABV, Vegan and 100% Nebbiolo. Hand harvested, de-stemmed and then crushed in small fermenters for 12 days with daily pumping over. This wine has 3 years maturation in 50hl Slavonian oak casks and gently fined, as such it is always worth decanting this wine before drinking. Dark plum, leather, violets with woodsmoke and spice. This is a great example of a Barolo, ripe tannings, rich, powerful and complex. Great with roast red meats and finally Da Vero Biologico Catarratto IGT Terre Siciliane (Organic), 13% ABV, Vegan and 100% Catarratto. Whilst this isn’t from Piemonte, this is from Adria Vini and Sicily. The vines are grown in high altitude vineyards with chalky soil. Bright, with lemon, grapefruit citrus flavours with a delicate fennel note, fresh with crispy acidity. Amazing with risotto and seafood.

Finally, we got to try the wines from Gavi. La Battistina estate consists of 26ha of mature vineyard. The property was acquired by Araldica in 2002, establishing their reputation as a Gavi specialist. The unique combination of limestone and clay soil with the vines of average age of 35 year old.

La Battistina Gavi 2018, 12.5% ABV, Vegan with 100% Cortese. Zesty nose of apple, limes, and white flowers. Lemon and green apple with minerality, wonderfully crispy. A brilliant example of a Gavi. We then got to try Nuovo Quadro Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2018, 12.5% ABV, Vegan with 100% Cortese. From a single estate at the foot of Battistina Hills, this Gavi di Gavi, is hand-harvested, gently crushed and after fermentation, kept on its lees for a min of 6 months. Stunning is all I can say, hints of pears, limes and minerals (from the chalky soils), beautiful and elegant. And my other hit from Gavi was Santa Seraffa Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2018, 12.5% ABV, Vegan with 100% Cortese. This Gavi is a little bit sharper than the Nuovo and more mineral (a bit more clay in the soil for these vines) but slightly more floral aromas and green apple, but complex with a beautiful weight and finish, surprisingly for a wine from where it is, this works brilliantly with seafood – a great combination.

So, after a very tough couple of days (you don’t believe me do you!!) we had to pack up and get back in the minibus to head back to the airport (after getting lost a couple of times on the way back), we made it back to Genoa. I am very much looking forward to going back again at some point and actually making it to Gavi, but as a first trip to Italy it was amazing and the people were so lovely, but let’s be honest I’m still holding out for Tuscany.