VINE LINES - JULY 2009

The long arm of cyberspace reached out and gave us a big virtual pat on the back this month. Subscribers to Jancis Robinson's 'Purple Pages' may have already seen her survey of almost 400 wines from Languedoc-Roussillon, "source of some of the world's best-value, hand-crafted wine if you know where to look". The two highest-rated wines in this collection of tasting notes were both red, with 18 points each, followed closely by a single white wine with 17.5 points: AOC Limoux chenin blanc, Dédicace 2006 from Chateau Rives-Blanques. We are glad to the point of overjoyed that the undisputed Queen of the Wine World knew indeed where to look for a best-value hand-crafted white wine : Limoux, of course....

Another resounding pat on the back came our way this month, from Belgium's Financial Times, de Tijd, which devoted the entire front page of its Weekend section to the white wines of Limoux, the best from the South of France, they said. "The majority of Limoux's most interesting wines comes from the minority of its producers - the small, independent, family-run vineyards," they added, singling out one bottle to illustrate the originality and elegance of these white wines: the AOC Limoux mauzac Cuvée Occitania 2008 from Chateau Rives-Blanques. We are absolutely delighted that the de Tijd's highly respected wine writer/critic, Frank van der Auwera, also knew where to look for another best-value hand-crafted white wine: Limoux, of course....

But there were pats on the back all round when a bunch of women got together and got things going this month, by registering a new organisation for and about women in wine: VINIFILLES OF LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON, counterpart to similar setups in other parts of France and the world. Their aims are multitude and varied, and they include making more visible the women in wine, and more accessible the wine to women. Clearly the VINIFILLES also knew where to look for two of their founding members (one of whom happens to be the female half of Chateau Rives-Blanques) : Limoux, of course.

After all that, you may well be wondering what's going on at the vineyard itself. In short: not much, which is good news. The weather continues up and down, hot and cold, and generally humid, but the vines motor on, unperturbed, and at least the month ends on a high of hot sunny weather. The grapes are turning soft and translucent as we speak, pencilling in the harvest start-date for 15 September. Our fate is now in the lap of the gods, so we're heading off for a change of place, space and pace on the Irish Sea : sailing Blanquette rather than selling it. In the office is our new English intern Danielle, a highly qualified wine professional, happy to help in any way she can. And we are so thankful that in her search for hands-on experience, Danielle too knew where to look ....

(Limoux, of course.)

 

 

If you are going on holiay, we wish you bonnes vacances too, and we'll be back this time next month. Unless, of course you say takemeoff@rives-blanques.com

July 31 . 2009