David visits Calmel & Joseph in the Languedoc

This year has proved to be an exciting year of travel within the Love Wine team with the aim to bringing fresh vintages to our shelves for you to enjoy! In this blog you can read about the first hand experiences of 'life in the vines' through our Sales Manager David Lamy who has just come back from Languedoc-Roussillon.

Domaine Calmel & Joseph

Domaine Calmel & Joseph, formerly a typical Languedoc farmstead, offers four sites to accommodate you in the heart of the countryside. Sheltered in a valley of the Val de Dagne, at the foot of the Hautes Corbières the Domaine is surrounded by picturesque landscapes just a few minutes from the World Heritage sites of Carcassonne and the Canal du Midi.

Laurent Calmel & Jérôme Joseph of 'Calmel & Joseph wines' played host to a fabulous two day experience. On arrival, David was presented with a welcome drink and lead directly to the tasting room... These guys meant business!!

To help paint a picture of the amount of tasting and the sheer scale of tasting David underwent I have included a link to a map illustrating the scale of the vineyard sites owned by Calmel & Joseph within the region.

http://www.calmel-joseph.com/en/our-wine-region/

Once the tasting had finished David and the rest of the guests were treated to a Segway race up and down the lavender bushes followed by a tour of the vines.

Each grape variety is matched to its terroir and the geographical situation of the estate, which is why you will find typically Mediterranean varieties such as Grenache Noir or Grenache Gris, Syrah and Roussanne, but also Pinot Noir which offers magnificent expression in this type of cool climate, The white grapes are on slopes at an altitude of 200 meters and the red 300 meters.

Vineyard management is governed by a constant concern for the respect of the plant and yield control. The soil is hoed on the surface, with no deep ploughing, and between the rows are sown with cover crops such as faba beans, oats or other pulses depending on the previous years soil analyses. Calmel & Joseph work to create life in the soils and thus reinforce the plants own immune systems. Harvesting starts only when perfect balance is achieved.

Red wine tasting early evening soon turned into a lovely family meal. Food with a Spanish influence, beautiful cheeses, cured meats, Oysters and bbq food.

'What really stood out from this trip besides the excellent wines was the sheer beauty of the area, how hospitable the people were and their passion of looking after their land, very environmentally friendly, very low sulphur use. For anyone visiting France I truly suggest looking into booking the Calmel & Joseph experience, I had a fantastic time and was left blown away by the beauty of the place.' Cheers Dave!