Le titre de ma chronique de ce matin était le titre de l'article de Jacqueline Friedrich en avril 2003 dans le New York Times. L'hérétique dont il est question c'est ma pomme. Faut bien que je fasse ma promotion chers lecteurs ! Dans cet article Marc Parcé " the owner of Domaine de la Rectorie, a winery in the Roussillon region, supports Mr Berthomeau but said : " He bothers the right because he doesn't talk about government subsidies. He irrates the extreme left because he talks about reality of the marketplace, and then he bothers other people because he points out that some wines have no business being in appellations at all." En français de France : je suis l'emmerdeur de service. A l'université d'été de la Confédération Paysanne, en 2001, à Montbazillac on était pas loin du bucher (pas vrai Marc et Patrick...). Si j'évoque ce souvenir aujourd'hui ce n'est pas pour vous persuader que je vis dangereusement (bien que j'ai vu des cagoulés à la TV menacer le gouvernement de représailles si le prix du vin ne remontait pas dans les semaines qui viennent...) mais pour évoquer un livre de Jacqueline Friedrich " The Wines of France " publié en 2006 en Californie et distribué en Australie, Canada, Nouvelle-Zélande, Afrique du Sud et Grande-Bretagne. 15 euros 60 sur Amazon.
Pour l'illustrer je vous propose deux rubriques de 2 étoilés de son livre : Miren de Lorgeril (Pennautier) et Marc Parcé (La Rectorie). Ils sont membres de Sans-Interdit ce qui ne les empêche pas de faire des beaux vins. A noter $ = vins à moins de 10 $ / $$ = de 11 à 24 $ / $$$ = de 25 à 55 $ / et $$$$ = plus de 55 $.
Château de Pennautier, BP 4, 11160 Pennautier ; 04.68.72.65.29 ; www.vignobles-lorgeril.com
Wine : Cabardès, Minervois -la-Livinière, and Vin de Pays d'Oc. $ to $$$
This is a dynamic and important growner-négociant house run with acumen by Miren and Nicolas de Lorgeril. The domaine produces two and a half million bottles yearly - 90 % of it red - at all price levels and always offering value for the dollar. At $ for a bottle, the Lorgeril wine sold in large grocery chains is pratically a steal. The most interesting wines come from the vineyards the Lorgerils own : three in Cabardès (Château de Pennautier, Château la Bastide Rougepeyre, and Château de Caunettes) and one in Minervois-la-Livinière (Les Hauts de la Borie Blanche). There are several cuvées under each label. The Cabardès Collection Privée, in contrast to its exclusive-souding name, is $, inviting you to its supple, generous fruit. Esprit de Pennautier is the top of line here. Unifined end unfiltered, it is a luscious oaked blend of syrah and merlot, the Médoc meets the Midi. The Esprit de Bastide, ablend of côt and syrah, is equally delicious, a big, smooth red with notes of black pepper and mint. In Minervoid, La Borie Blanche, chiefly syrah, is a succulent - and characterful - crown pleaser.
Domaine de la Rectorie *
66700 Argelès-sur-Mer; 04.68.81.02.94 ; larectorie@wanadoo.fr
Wines : Collioure, Banyuls, and Vin de Pays. $$
I have long been en admirer of the Domaine de la Rectorie's wines, first having been impressed (at a wine bar in Strasbourg) by l'Argile, a frarant, subtle food wine based on lightly oaked grenache blanc and gris. Then there was La Goudie, which may be the best rosé I have ever tasted. The three Collioures - Col del Bast, Le Séris, and the top, La Coume Pascole - are all deeply satisfying reds. Fragrant and supple yet structured, nuanced, and terroir-driven, with succulent fruit, they are reds you can drink young yet still sense the depth of the wine. Marc Parcé and Vincent Legrand, his son-in-law and the son of the great Paris caviste Yves Legrand, run La Rectorie, and it is worthwhile noting that they don't seek overripeness or hyperconcentration. The wines are always fresh and gracious. They also make lipsmacklingly good Banyuls and experiment with various types of Vins de Table or vins de liqueur. They more recently entered into a collaboration with growers in the Fenouillède, the Preceptorie de Centernach, where they make good Maury, a very ripe and self-assured white Côtes de Roussillon Terres Nouvelles, and a very alcoholic red Vin de Table L'Oriental, which makes me think of Amarone.