Wine Notes. The Society s French Full Red, Côtes Catalanes. These wine notes were created on 31-Jan-2018.

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1 page 1 memberservices@ The Society s French Full Red, Côtes Catalanes Quite rightly one of the most popular wines in our entire range. It comes from sunkissed Roussillon and is a blend of very ripe grenache, carignan and a little syrah, bought from a small co-operative in the well-situated valley of the Agly river. It is full-flavoured, fruity and round, and ideal for everyday drinking. Stunning quality at any price. Product Code FC371 Dominant Grape Carignan Grenache Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates Origin Languedoc and Roussillon Alcohol Level 14.0% Style Full Bodied Closure type Screwcap Vintage 2015 vintage Price 6.50 / Bottle Producer : Château de Pena This is one of the smallest co-operatives in the region which has been able to survive thanks to good management and a belief in quality over everything else. Like many co-operatives and estates in the Roussillon, production had historically been geared towards fortified wine but they were able to anticipate the downturn and realign themselves towards table wine which includes their flagship red from Château de Pena. Very wisely, they resisted the temptation to replant with other grape varieties and so kept their large holdings of old carignan and grenache, a good amount of it planted not on appellation land but nonetheless very good. Over the years these vines have formed the base for the very successful Society's French Full Red. There has been a change of cellarmaster in the last two years but if anything that has been wholly positive.

2 page 2 memberservices@ Côtes du Roussillon-Villages, Château de Pena 2012 Château de Pena is situated to the east of Latour de France on schistous soils in the well-placed valley of the Agly in the foothills of the Pyrenees. This is the flagship wine of the excellent local Cave des Vignerons de l'agly co-operative, which takes its name from the ruins of the castle perched above the village of Cases de Pène. The hot, arid climate in this part of France made it ideal in the past for producing fortified wines, but, as consumer demand for this style of wine has declined, those producers wedded to making fortified wines have suffered. Small and independent, the coop at Cases de Pène has survived due to its dedication to producing value-for-money table wines for everyday drinking. More and more producers recognise the potential of the region to make stunning table wines, and now the area is seeing rapid change. New appellation rules aim to improve the quality of the wines by increasing the proportion of syrah grapes used. This is blended with local grapes, grenache and carignan and sometimes a little mourvèdre and the result is a round, smooth-tasting yet full-bodied red that can be drunk at any time during the year, on its own or with a wide variety of foods. Product Code FC25481 Dominant Grape Carignan Grenache Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2013 to 2016 Origin Languedoc - Roussillon Alcohol Level 14.5% Style Medium-bodied Closure type Screwcap Vintage 2012 Price No longer for sale Producer : Château de Pena This is one of the smallest co-operatives in the region which has been able to survive thanks to good management and a belief in quality over everything else. Like many co-operatives and estates in the Roussillon, production had historically been geared towards fortified wine but they were able to anticipate the downturn and realign themselves towards table wine which includes their flagship red from Château de Pena. Very wisely, they resisted the temptation to replant with other grape varieties and so kept their large holdings of old carignan and grenache, a good amount of it planted not on appellation land but nonetheless very good. Over the years these vines have formed the base for the very successful Society's French Full Red. There has been a change of cellarmaster in the last two years but if anything that has been wholly positive.

3 page 3 memberservices@ Tannat 'Aramis', Côtes de Gascogne, Laplace 2012 The Laplace family are among the leading growers in Madiran and have a complete grasp of the tannat grape. Here they have made a fruity, rounded red from this iconic grape. Full-flavoured and brimming with fruit. Try with duck or pork. Product Code FC24411 Dominant Grape Tannat Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2013 to 2015 Origin SW France (excl. Bordeaux) Alcohol Level 13.0% Style not applicable Closure type Cork, plastic Vintage 2012 Price No longer for sale Producer : Château d'aydie - See next page.

4 page 4 memberservices@ Producer : Château d'aydie With the Pyrenees as its backdrop, Château d Aydie nestles in the hillside of the tiny commune of Aydie, just a few kilometres west of the village of Madiran in southwest France. This town has had its own AC since 1948, but the Laplace family has been making its mark on Madiran wines for three generations, since Frédéric Laplace breathed life into the family vineyards in The family has earned worldwide acclaim for its mastery of tannat Madiran s signature grape variety, which now must constitute a minimum of 50% of the blend, and the grape responsible for the AC s famous dark, deep, elegant powerhouse reds to the extent that renowned critics such as Robert Parker have claimed they are one of the best producers of red wines in southwest France. Frédéric s son, Pierre Laplace, took the helm in the 1950s, and it was he who replanted many of the vineyards and modernised winery practices. Like their father, Pierre s children (sons François, Jean-Luc and Bernard, and daughter Marie) followed in their father s footsteps, joining the team in the 1970s. It was this third generation that first experimented with planting tannat on different soil types, giving the château a head-start on many neighbouring properties, and establishing that clay-limestone soils worked best. Today, the property has 58 hectares under vine: 49 of which are under Madiran AC, and the remaining nine of which are part of the neighbouring white wine appellation, Pacherenc du Vic-Bihl. Château d Aydie vineyards possess a richly diverse array of soil types, from gravel on the hills providing good drainage, and adding a roundness to the wines to the sandy, moisture-retaining boulbènes soil on the lower lands, which gives flexible, fruity wines. The moderating influence of the Atlantic means the climate is also ideal for vine growth. Within the Madiran vineyards, tannat is the star, along with cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon, whereas in the white vineyards it is ugni blanc, petit manseng, gros manseng and ugni blanc that take centre stage. In the winery, Château d Aydie knows it needs to soften the highly tannic tannat grape, and has become proficient at doing so: the team employs uses both oak-ageing and micro-oxygenation (introducing small, controlled levels of oxygen to the wine) to create a rounder, more approachable wine that both suits modern tastes and shows the tannat grape at its sophisticated best. The whites are also aged in oak after a low-temperature maceration that retains their aromas and keeps them deliciously fresh. Maydie Tannat, the family s fortified wine, is hugely popular with members, and is a festive treat with blue cheese or Christmas pudding. The family have been experimenting with wines like this since 1941, and it has now been perfected into a delicious, decadent blend.

5 page 5 memberservices@ Minervois, Château Sainte Eulalie 2012 Full, dark and ripe but with a lovely seam of freshness. Excellent value for money. Product Code FC24871 Dominant Grape Carignan Grenache Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2013 to 2019 Origin Languedoc - Roussillon Alcohol Level 14.0% Style Medium-bodied Closure type Cork, colmate Vintage 2012 Price No longer for sale Producer : Domaine Sainte Eulalie Château Sainte Eulalie is an outstanding estate run by a young and enthusiastic couple, Laurent and Isabelle Coustal. The domaine was first established in the earlier part of the 20th century, but it has been since this dynamic pair took over in 1996 that it has gained its excellent status. The property is known as a campagne meaning that the vineyards, winery, main house, workers lodgings, and cellar are all located on one site and Isabelle and Laurent have worked hard to revitalise the entire complex. Sainte Eulalie lies in the heart of the Minervois appellation in the south of France, just above the tiny village of La Livinière. The vineyards are spread over the Aude Valley, on the south side of the Black Mountain and Massif Central and not far from the Canal du Midi. This area isn t just an idyllic, laid-back sun-trap, it s also brilliant for vines: Eulalie s terraced vineyards lie on south-facing slopes at between m altitude, where they are protected from the northern winds. The 34 hectares of vines planted on pebbly soils with a high proportion of chalk, clay and manganese are mostly over 20 years old, with the exception of two hectares of syrah planted by the Coustals in The balance of vines comprises 36% syrah, 28% grenache noir, 27% carignan and 9% cinsault. Machine harvesting is responsible for most of the picking, but once the grapes reach the winery they are sorted by hand to ensure only the best fruit is used. Grapes then undergo fermentation and are aged in a mixture of vessels. The everyday Minervois spends months in traditional concrete tanks, whereas the premium bottling, Cuvée Cantilène, which comes from old vines and contains more syrah, ages for a year in barrels, 25-50% of which are new oak, depending on vintage conditions. The rosé is much fresher, containing more grapes from the younger syrah vines, and is designed for younger drinking with fresh summer fare.

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Wine Notes. The Society s French Full Red, Côtes Catalanes. These wine notes were created on 16-Mar-2019.

Wine Notes. The Society s French Full Red, Côtes Catalanes. These wine notes were created on 16-Mar-2019. page 1 memberservices@ The Society s French Full Red, Côtes Catalanes Quite rightly one of the most popular wines in our entire range. It comes from sunkissed Roussillon and is a blend of very ripe grenache,