CIVL buyers' trip: Laurent Chaniac

Published: 07 November, 2012

Next up in our CIVL buyers' trip series, Laurent Chaniac, food and wine consultant to The Cinnamon Club & Kitchen in London, tells Harpers which wines and producers stood out for him and why carbonic maceration is a real turn-off.

What were your preconceptions of the Languedoc before the trip and how did these change?

"Wines are not as cheap as they used to be and this repositioning on the selling price will now put Languedoc wines against far more competition, especially from the Rhône Valley as they tend to have many grapes in common. I am not sure that it will help them to showcase their product. In the mid-range is where you could find some special lines of wines. The region, being a hot one for France, is more inclined to have viticulture that is bio driven and biodynamic. The wines tend be fresher and more complex, whereas cultivated yeast and systemic chemicals tend to impoverish the soils in the long run."

What is your overall impression of the wines coming out of the region?

"Corbières is the largest sub-region and you need to look for, search and taste a lot to find wines that stand out. Domaine du Grand Moulin was special. The best appellations for me are Saint-Chinian, Pic St Loup, Faugères, Minervois, Saint Saturnin and Montpeyroux."

Were there any particular producers or wines that stood out for you?

"Virgile Joly's wines were made with flair and had depth, especially from the mid-range. Domaine des Soulie, biodynamic since 1967, did not wait for bio viticulture to be fashionable to deliver wines that are terroir driven. The wines have depth and an incredible freshness and minerality. The wines from Bagatelle, across all the lines, combine rich fruit and tannic structure that is well integrated and I will be working with that producer in the new year, as well as Domaine de Cambis."

How has the trip made you consider your Languedoc offering differently?

"There are more premium wines on offer but those will be slow movers as they now compete with neighbouring regions. I will see what I can do with the wines mentioned above. This will depend on the price structure that is offered."

What did you learn from the trip and what knowledge will you be imparting to customers?

"Carignan and Mourvèdre are the special grape varieties, especially Carignan not produced with carbonic maceration. If the Carignan is not under idric stress and has had the chance to ripen, it can be very special, but please easy on the carbonic maceration! When the tannins are too vegetal it never tends to go away, once in the bottle the wines will always be tainted with unripe tannins and taste green."

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