The South West of France is a region packed with small appellations and lesser know grape varieties. Many of these varieties appear together in blends, where their differing characters support and enhance each other to jointly produce a sum which is greater than the parts.
This is good, but it would be a mistake to conclude that a grape excellent as a minor blending partner is incapable of stepping in to the limelight and playing a lead role. Think of Pete Postlethwiate.
In Mardiran, Tannat (the only palindrome in the varietal cast list) is the major player but can be powerfully tannic, which is to say almost undrinkable, without a little help from his friends. One such friend is Fer Servadou who this week we call forward to take a bow.
Week F (2014) is Domaine Du Mioula, Marcillac AC, 2010. £12.15 The Sampler.
Fer Servadou, also known as Mansois in these parts, is named not for the iron-rich limestone in which it grows, but for the nature of the vine's wood said to be as hard as Iron. (Fer means Iron in both Latin and French.) It is a dark skinned grape, but with soft tannins and a peppery-redcurrant character.
The AOC of Marcillac comprises eleven communes around the village of Marcillac-Vallon, a steep-sided area on the western edges of the Massif Central. The vineyards are terraced into the valley sides between 350-500m above sea level where they avoid the frost risk lower in the valleys and benefit from great sun-ripening and South-facing slopes.
The Domaine Du Mioula has existed in one form or another as a grape growing location since the 12th century and was fortunate to escape the infestation of the root destroying louse Phylloxera Vastatrix which caused so much devastation across the majority of Europe's vineyards from the mid-19th century onwards. As a result, the Fer Servadou vines from which this wine is made are ungrafted, that is they remain on their original rootstocks; a claim that many winemakers would like to be able to make. The current vines are between 5 and 30 years old.
It is a medium intensity purple in colour and very light on the nose. The flavours that appear first are red fruits, mostly raspberry and redcurrant, followed by some gentle peppery spice. It has moderate acidity, smooth tannins and medium alcohol (12%).
All of this combines into a well balanced and pleasurably easy to drink wine. It has a medium body and unusually for a medium priced wine, had a significant deposit that made the last glass unexpectedly crunchy!
This is good, but it would be a mistake to conclude that a grape excellent as a minor blending partner is incapable of stepping in to the limelight and playing a lead role. Think of Pete Postlethwiate.
In Mardiran, Tannat (the only palindrome in the varietal cast list) is the major player but can be powerfully tannic, which is to say almost undrinkable, without a little help from his friends. One such friend is Fer Servadou who this week we call forward to take a bow.
Fer Servadou, also known as Mansois in these parts, is named not for the iron-rich limestone in which it grows, but for the nature of the vine's wood said to be as hard as Iron. (Fer means Iron in both Latin and French.) It is a dark skinned grape, but with soft tannins and a peppery-redcurrant character.
The AOC of Marcillac comprises eleven communes around the village of Marcillac-Vallon, a steep-sided area on the western edges of the Massif Central. The vineyards are terraced into the valley sides between 350-500m above sea level where they avoid the frost risk lower in the valleys and benefit from great sun-ripening and South-facing slopes.
The Domaine Du Mioula has existed in one form or another as a grape growing location since the 12th century and was fortunate to escape the infestation of the root destroying louse Phylloxera Vastatrix which caused so much devastation across the majority of Europe's vineyards from the mid-19th century onwards. As a result, the Fer Servadou vines from which this wine is made are ungrafted, that is they remain on their original rootstocks; a claim that many winemakers would like to be able to make. The current vines are between 5 and 30 years old.
It is a medium intensity purple in colour and very light on the nose. The flavours that appear first are red fruits, mostly raspberry and redcurrant, followed by some gentle peppery spice. It has moderate acidity, smooth tannins and medium alcohol (12%).
All of this combines into a well balanced and pleasurably easy to drink wine. It has a medium body and unusually for a medium priced wine, had a significant deposit that made the last glass unexpectedly crunchy!
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