Chateau
de Lancyre 
Well, let’s start by admitting that their best wine is not
the best wine of Languedoc – maybe in the top 20. However their
best wine is d*mn good and sells for about 1/4 the price of the top
10. What’s more important is that there are fairly large quantities
of a wide range of wines, none of which is less than excellent and
all of which are bargains.
Bernard Durand Bernard is a ruddy-faced man in his late 60’s, one of the co-owners
of Lancyre, and his roots in Pic Saint Loup are deep. Durands have
been growing wine here since the 1700’s, Bernard personally
since 1960. After 20 years, he has given up his position as head of
the grower’s association.
He has always believed that Pic Saint Loup was capable of making
great wine. He has gone about transforming his Chateau and to some
extent the whole district in a quiet but very determined way. When
he started, the family had 30 acres of vines, half in Pic Saint Loup,
which had no reputation for quality. The wines sold for 10% more than
the most basic table wines of the region. A half century later Bernard
has 180 acres of vines, half in Pic Saint Loup, now almost universally
recognized as the best district of Languedoc. Lancyre is the biggest
producer.
Regis Valentin
His name is pronounced ‘Reggie’, not Ree-jis like some
smarmy talk-show host. He is Bernard Durand’s nephew and the
co-owner of Lancyre. Regis, in his 30’s, is a true son of the
soil. Trim, calm and cheerful he rarely leaves his home valley. Four
years at the Montepellier wine school 15 miles away was a long time
and far away for him. Bernard grows the grapes, runs the business,
is the public face of Lancyre. Regis makes wine.
Regis is smart and technically proficient, a craftsman whose passion
is for consistently delicious wines. He has no interest in showboats
that stand out at tastings but tire at the dinner table. Trained to
make red and rose, he has happily accepted the challenge of Bernard’s
decision to plant Roussanne and Viognier. Few winemakers anywhere
excel so consistently with all three colors.
It’s the Terroir!
Why is Pic Saint Loup the best district in Languedoc? The answer
lies in the ‘terroir’. This French word refers to everything
that affects the vineyard – soil and subsoil, climate, slope,
exposure and the infinite subtleties that distinguish every piece
of land from every other.
Pic Saint Loup has a unique microclimate. On my first visit Bernard
drove me around in his pickup and explained. Although only 14 miles
inland from the Mediterranean, the vineyards average 1500 feet in
elevation. They sit in a hilly, irregular valley surrounded on three
sides by the Cevennes mountains, 3,000 feet or more above sea level.
The descent from the mountains to the vineyards is steep, in some
places sheer cliffs.
Days are almost as hot as the coast – as much as 105º in
the vineyards mid-afternoon in August. Down on the beach it might
be 108º. Nights are different. Cold air pours down, drenching
the vineyards in bracing mountain air. At 5:00 AM in mid-August the
temperature will usually be below 60 and can fall into the mid-40’s.
On the coast, sweltering in your cheap hotel room, you are lucky if
it falls below 80º.
The result is the longest growing season in Languedoc, giving the the
hang time so important to punters and grapes. The great varietal here
is Syrah. In a nutshell: Everywhere else in Languedoc (and the southern
Rhone) Syrah is picked in early September. In Pic Saint Loup, the Syrah
harvest starts in early October, as in the Northern Rhone. This gives
the wines of Pic Saint Loup a finesse unknown in any other Mediterranean
vineyard. Think Hermitage and Cote Rotie, not Chateauneuf-du-Pape. |
The Wines
Pic Saint Loup combines its unique terroir with some of the most
restrictive regulations in France. Yields are limited to 3 1/3 tons
per acre and these limits are more strictly enforced than in most
Appellations. Lancyre’s yields are lower still.
The Vin de Pays grapes, from about 80 of the 180 acres, are taken
to the local Coop. From 100 acres of Appellation Controlee (90 in
Pic Saint Loup) less than 20,000 cases are produced. The range is
wide. These are imported:
Chateau de Lancyre ‘Rouviere’ Blanc
Just gorgeous Roussanne spiced with a soupçon of Viognier.
Unoaked.
Chateau de Lancyre Pic St-Loup Rose
It actually tastes like Pic St Loup! A
blend of 60% Grenache, 40% Syrah.
Chateau de Lancyre Pic St Loup ‘Coste d’Aleyrac’
The
most impressive entry level Appellation wine in all of Languedoc.
40% each Syrah and Grenache, 10% each Cinsault and Carignan.
Chateau de Lancyre ‘Vieilles Vignes’
The Chateau standard-bearer – consistent
excellence and remarkable value. 65/35 Syrah/ Grenache.
Chateau de Lancyre ‘Grande Cuvee’
Awesome polish and finesse – lavishly
yet delicately oaked. 70% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre. |
