I SNEAK PEEK I Calmel &
I SNEAK PEEK I Calmel & Joseph spices things up with new wines and graphics The micro-négociant, headed up by Laurent Calmel & Jerome Joseph, will be presenting several new bottles alongside its new and improved Terroirs range after another strong year of sales and awards. Founded in 1995, Calmel & Joseph produces terroir-driven wines from Languedoc-Roussillon. Despite the many challenges, compounded by drought and frost in Languedoc, Calmel & Joseph's annual turnover has jumped 15% for the second year running. It also received a number of awards and medals for its wines, which come under the AOP, IGP and Vin de France designations. Most recently, La Madone 2020 and Le Saint Festin 2020 won gold medals at Challenge Millésime Bio in January 2022, the world's largest organic wine competition. Overall, the company now produces 1.5 million bottles a year from 25 Languedoc-Roussillon appellations, which are sold both in France and abroad, with exports accounting for 85% of sales. It's Villa Blanche Syrah 2020 also took first place at the 15th edition of the Syrah du Monde competition which saw 100 tasters weigh up 287 bottles of wine over two days at Château d’Ampuis. The company's also produces a small range of flagship wines on 20 hectares of organic-certified vineyards at its headquarters Domaine Calmel & Joseph, a 200-hectare estate near Carcassonne. All the latest vintages and new products will be presented at Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2022. Among them will be Les Frères d’Armes - Minervois 2020, Le Bric à Brac - Saint-Chinian 2019, La Fabrique - Vieux Carignan 2020, L’Aventure - Corbières 2019, Le Gaillard - Faugères 2019 and last but not least, Le Petit Miracle - Cotes de Roussillon Villages 2019 Hall 4 / Stand EF-160-05 Pierrick Harang Wine has market sussed with organic and naturally lower alcohol ranges Pierrick Harang, a fifth generation wine merchant, who graduated top of his class from the Oenology and Research Centre of Montpellier, has partnered with Les Celliers Jean d’Alibert in Rieux to create his pioneering wine - from the ground to the glass. Instead of family castles and extensive vineyards, Mr Harang relies on his technical expertise and scientific mastery of winemaking to create wines which are in touch with the times. Pierrick Harang Wine's vins plaisir, Le Petit Balthazar, which comes in red, white and rosé, are naturally lighter in alcohol (11 % vol.) and calories, for those in search of a healthier option. Noir, and a white combining Vermentino, Grenache Blanc and Marsanne. A Syrah and Viognier make up Pierrick Harang Wine's high end Cuvée Balthazar, which is geared towards those who are looking for more of an extravagant taste, as well as Le Grand Balthazar made from Grenache Noir, Syrah, Merlot and Mourvèdre, a combo dubbed GSM 2 . Les Bulles de Baltazar, a 100% Chardonnay, a certified organic bottle of bubbles, is Pierrick Harang Wine's 'cause for celebration', with its strong mineral nose and hints of apple, pineapple, lemon and buttered brioche. It compliments the wine consultant's clean and fruity Minervois organic range, Le Bio Balthazar, which boasts a red blend of Syrah and Grenache All of Harang's still wines have swapped cork for a dark and stylish screw cap Hall 4 / Stand FG-124-08 14 • THE DAILY • MONDAY 7 TH FEBRUARY 2022 vinexposium-connect.com
I SNEAK PEEK I Granite soils make for mouth watering wines Le Domaine de Leyre-Loup, located in the Rhône department's Beaujolais region, was started in 1993 by two passionate winemakers, Jacques et Christophe Lanson, who have been using their savoir-faire to combine hard granite soils with Gamay grapes. Today, the domaine covers 10 hectares, divided into two plots, one of 7 hectares producing their Morgon and Viognier white wine les Granits de Bellevue, and one of three hectares for their aromatic, fruity Fleuries. Each step of the wine making process at Leyre-Loup is carried out with extreme care and precision to ensure only the tastiest grapes make it into their Domaine and Reserve bottles. order to prolong the process and bring a degree of complexity to the wine. They use carbonic maceration, a winemaking technique associated with the French wine region of Beaujolais, which involves fermenting whole grapes in a carbon dioxide rich environment. But also alcoholic or ethanol fermentation for destemmed grapes, typically used for red wines. New Bordeaux distillery presents its first batch of whiskey and 'watch this space' The Two Origins Distillery, which was recently installed in the chais - or storeroom, at château Magdeleine Bouhou, has produced its first batch of whiskey, which will be exclusively presented at Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2022. The time to harvest each plot of land is decided at the last minute, on the day, and the picking is carried out by hand in small crates to ensure the integrity of each grape is preserved. The grapes are then sorted on a vibrating table and the seeds partially removed from some cuvées in While the vineyard's Domaine wines, which are fruitier, are fermented in stainless steel tanks, their "Reserve" cuvées are matured in oak barrels for 12 to 18 months. The domaine has also received a number of accolades for its environmental efforts, including the renowned Terra Vitis certification and Haute Valeur Environnmentale (HVE). They continue to promote sustainable winemaking practices by leaving the vines to their own devices where possible, while also favouring mechanical techniques without chemicals Hall 6 / Stand GH-068-15 It's the brainchild of experienced wine maker Andrew Eakin, who came up with the idea after purchasing the château last January and realising some of its storage was not being used. The wine maker, of Irish origin, also owns the renowned château Puynard, located just 5km away in the Bordeaux region of Blaye, where he has been making wine since 2016. Building on his winemaking experience, Mr Eakin decided to launch a microdistillery, one of the first in the region, and start experimenting with a wide range of tipples. The distillery now boasts over 30 barrels, including tokay, rhum, sauternes, Margaux and Cognac, and has celebrated its first batch of whiskey, which will be presented at this year's event. But there is plenty more 'where that came from', as the château's new addition is already working on a new Gin and has planted more than 100 fruit trees. Bordeaux's right bank - clay and limestone. They produce a wide range of cuvées - Blanc de Noir, on small parcels of land of around 12 hectares using traditional blends with no added sulphides, and a wide range of containers, including cement, stainless steel, barrels, tons and last but not least jars. Going forward, Mr Eakin is looking to build an ecosystem around the production of wine and spirits, having o p e n e d lodges at both locations Hall 3 / Stand AB-172-15 Both Mr Eakin's vineyards share a similar philosophy, focusing on Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, two grapes which capture the geography and geology of THE DAILY • MONDAY 7 TH FEBRUARY 2022 • 15
