Paroles de vignerons - Vinparleur

Tasting of Pierres Cros’ Touriga nacional 2011

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While tasting wine, I rarely get distracted by its colour. But for this almost black Touriga nacional from the Minervois I have to make an exception. It shows deep purple hints and it seems to stick to the glass like thick ink. After this impressive visual introduction, the diffidence of its bouquet made of black fruit, ink, tar and fresh fern somehow surprises me. After a while though it opens up, showing quite some aromatic power. The black fruit divides into cassis and blackberry, tar (…) — Lire la suite.
Santa Duc - Organic certification in our vineyards and cellar

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After three years of conversion to organic farming, we have picked this year our first organic grapes, certified by Ecocert. Having abandoned methods like chemical weed control more than 10 years ago, our work naturally evolved towards sustainable use of our farmland and environment. In 2010 we choose to install VITIFIL© on our estate for wastewater treatment. VITIFIL® collects, stores and processes the residual waters, before distributing them through an irrigation system to surrounding (…) — Lire la suite.
Château du Cèdre - Tasting of the 2011 vintage

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Aged separately according to origin and ripeness, the wines of our cuvee Château du Cèdre in being divided by tasting in two groups: The first one is characterized by powerful, fruity and flowery flavours, underlined by straight and clear acidity, whereas the second one shows more spices, body and fine tannins. An interesting basis for the final blending.
Our cuvee Le Cèdre ripens in oak tanks of 5700 litres as well as in barrels of 500 litres (80% new oak barrels, 20% one year old (…) — Lire la suite.
A good glass of... Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas Prestige des Hautes Garrigues 2010

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Six months after bottling we would like to refer to a new look at our Prestige des Hautes Garrigues and the stunning 2010 vintage.
At the first sniff, the nose is rather reserved, but it opens up quickly, evolving towards intensity and aromatic complexity. A lot of fruit and wild herbs – sweet and sour cherry, blueberry and raspberry, laurel and rosemary – attest the youth of the wine in the same way as cocoa, blond tobacco and cinnamon witness its ageing in wooden tanks for 18 months. On (…) — Lire la suite.
Autumn colours in the vineyards of Château du Cèdre Cahors

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#Cahors Malbec: Cook like a Chef - video by cahorsmalbec2012

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Enjoy yummy food, truffle and Cahors Malbec wines with chef Alexis Pelissou. — Lire la suite.
2012 - a vintage of strategy and patience in the Rhone Valley

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It has been a vintage full of ordeals for many wine-growing regions in France. After the very hard frosts in February, budburst was quite heterogeneous in the Rhône valley. But due to “fertile” spring weather, full of rain and sunshine, vegetation caught up easily before flowering.
After a warm summer and dry weather in August, we started harvesting on September 17^th. Ripe and well-balanced grapes allowed picking Syrah, Cinsault and some early ripening Grenache vineyards before the (…) — Lire la suite.
Sauvignon and Soy Sauce - a taste trip from west to east

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Now and then, I like to cook something Chinese. At least that’s what we call it although I rarely follow a Chinese recipe. With respect to the ingredients, Asian cooking would certainly be more adapted to: Ginger, soy and shoyou sauce, sweet and salty, red peppers and garlic… Together with all kinds of fresh vegetables according to the season, carrots, leek, mushrooms and all kinds of cabbage, stir and fry on hot fire in a wok together with some beef, marinated chicken or tofu, noodles for (…) — Lire la suite.