Natural’s Not In It, aka Dead or Alive in Minervois

I don’t drink wines from the Mediterranean areas of France with anywhere near the regularity that I once did. It’s only by odd coincidence that I recently had two wines from Minervois within just a few days of each other. Read the literature on these wines from Domaine Khalkhal-Pamiès and Château d’Oupia and you'll find that both estates place themselves firmly in the center of the natural winemaking camp. Natural or not, though, only one of the wines tasted alive.


Minervois "Loriza," Domaine Lauraire des Lys (Khalkhal-Pamiès) 2005
$15. 13.5% alcohol. Cork. A Thomas Calder Selection, Potomac Selections, Landover, MD.
This bottle passed all my usual inspection parameters – a clean bottle and label, perfectly spinning capsule, no run-up or soak-through on the cork, good fill – but the stuff in the bottle tasted heat damaged. While I suppose a lightning fast hot flash could account for it, my gut tells me that this is just in a style that’s not to my liking or, worse yet, a wine made by careless hands. The heat damage could have occurred in the winery, caused by a fermentation allowed to run unchecked or perhaps by a facility ill equipped to fend off the heat and sun of the Minervois climate. Its color is a dark, muddy garnet, matching the soupy, muddled flavors of the wine. Flavors are of caramelized, baked fruit. Think of taking plums that have been allowed to ripen too far, losing not only their acidity but also their freshness. Stew them, add a little cracked pepper and then flambé them in brandy but don’t finish burning off the alcohol. Sound good? Not to me. This wine is lifeless.

Minervois, Château d'Oupia 2006
$12.50. 13% alcohol. Cork. Louis/Dressner, New York, NY.
As with “Loriza,” Oupia’s Minervois passed the spot bottle inspection with flying colors. In stark contrast, though, it also passed the all important palate check. This was full of crunchy, wholesome goodness. Dark and plummy in color, it had the vibrancy of tone that was absent in its stable mate. Aromas of spicy, dark earth and macerated red berry fruit were followed by a mouthful of similar sensations. Mulberries, ripe blueberries, black raspberries and, yes, a little plumminess. Though hardly a high acid wine, there was enough acidity and freshness here to keep the wine’s ample fruit feeling buoyant and snappy. Tannic structure was gentle but firm enough to lend balance. My palate told me that the alcohol was probably closer to 14% as opposed to the stated 13% but, as it was completely in check, I didn’t find it problematic. This is definitely a great value, something I’d be happy to buy by the case (even though I rarely buy anything by the case). If there were more Languedoc wines like it – bright and alive – I think I’d find myself revisiting old habits more often.