Few wine areas can have had a
speedier change of image than
the Minervois: from gut rot (from
the Aramon vine) to quality in one
generation is quite a success story.
The Midi, of which the Minervois
is a part, was the ‘wine basket’ of
France, producing the daily vin
ordinaire. Now shrunk to 15,000
hectares, a third of which is AC, the
Minervois has seen real progress,
having brought in quality vines
from other regions and kept the
best of its own local varieties.
There are three ACs
(Minervois, Minervois La
Livinière and Muscat de Saint-Jean
de Minervois) plus several regional
and local vins de pays. Prices range
from €3 to €15 a bottle.
Although the Minervois AC
allows white wine, 90% is red or
rosé. La Livinière is red and Saint-
Jean is solely Muscat-based Vin
Doux Naturel (VDN).
Le Chai Port Minervois in Homps
sells 150 local wines at producer
prices. Accessible by car and boat
(the Canal du Midi runs through
Homps) the chai also runs a mail
order service.
(Laurent de Roulhac, 04 68 91 18
98 www.lechai-portminervois.com)
For Easter we have selected
four wines illustrating the quality of
wines from the area.
A muscat and two contrasting reds
The Domaine de Barroubio, close to
the Upper Languedoc regional park, has
been in the Miquel family more than 500
years. Raymond Miquel, who has
modernised the whole property – some
60 hectares of vines – says “My wines
are for current drinking or short term
storage, using modern techniques but
with a quality image. This is what my
customers demand and expect.”
Muscat Sec 2006 Vins de Pays
d’Oc – 14% alc. Using low temperature
fermentation this muscat is dry, crisp,
clean and grapey, an ideal chilled
aperitif. Dry muscats are very much in
the ascendant in Europe.
The two red wines show the
difference between the old and the new
style wines.
Minervois 2005 AC - 13.5% alc.
is made from approximately one third
each of carignan, grenache and syrah,
grown on chalky clay. Both carbonic
maceration and traditional vinification
methods are used, and the result is
blended. Medium bodied with aromas
of berries, spice and red fruits and a
long finish it is an excellent partner to
lamb.
Cuvée Marie Thérèse – 2005 AC
Minervois – 14% alc. Although also
produced using a combination of the
two fermentation methods, this wine
is made up of 75% syrah and 25%
grenache. Much fuller on the nose and
with stronger tannins, spicy and
peppery, here the comparatively
recent concentration on the syrah
really comes into its own. Ideal with
game and beef, it will benefit from
two or three years’ storage.
A lingering finish
Nicole and John Bojanowski, both
Narbonne born, made their first
vintage at their estate in 1999 and
have gained a worldwide reputation
for wine quality whether red, white or
fortified.
At the Clos de Gravillas in Saint-
Jean de Minervois, they produce an
AC Muscat VDN by adding grape
spirit to the fermenting juice thus
stopping the fermentation (often
called the Port method).
Douce
Providence 2006 AC Muscat de Saint-
Jean de Minervois – 15% alc.
This muscat VDN makes an ideal
accompaniment to chocolate. Aromatic
on the bouquet, lusciously sweet with
hints of pineapple and tropical fruit, it
has a long, lingering finish. Try it, too,
with roquefort cheese.
www.barroubio.fr
www.closdugravillas.com
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Downtime 
