Three ‘Hot Takes’ from a brilliant tasting!
Thank you to everyone who joined us in London last week, for the Independents’ Day trade event. Blue skies, a full room and a very good day’s tasting! For those who made it and those who couldn’t, here are our three hot takes:
1. Terrasses du Larzac keeps delivering.
We have flown the flag for the Languedoc’s premier region for some time. The enviable trio of Grange des Pères, Montcalmès and Mas de Daumas Gassac were joined last year by one of the region’s new kids on the block, Clos Constantin, to a fantastic reception from press and trade alike.
Showing three reds in sequence, what struck us was their shared purity of fruit, the aromatics and the sheer drinkability. The stunning precision and balance of the Arjiès allowed it to sit comfortably beside two of the area’s finest. The Montcalmès is in a lovely window now, complex and supple, while the 2018 Grange des Pères knocked everyone’s socks off, as it should!
Don’t sleep on the whites either, due AOC status from the 2025 vintage. The ‘Strate’ 2024 from Clos Constantin was mineral, smoky and tense, and the 2014 Gassac Blanc has aged very gracefully.
• Clos Constantin: Languedoc ‘Strate’ Blanc 2024
• Clos Constantin: Terrasses du Larzac ‘Arjiès’ Red 2024
• Domaine de Montcalmès: Terrasses du Larzac Red 2022
• Mas de Daumas Gassac: Blanc 2014
• Domaine de la Grange des Pères: IGP Hérault Red 2018
2. An exciting new generation at Jasmin.
Our connection with the Jasmin family goes back 50 years. Robin Yapp first met Robert Jasmin in the 1970s and his son, Patrick, took over the estate in 1999. Elodie and Coraline, Patrick’s daughters, represent an exciting third generation, having taken many ideas from their extensive wine travels. It was a delight to have them pouring their own wines on the day and hear about the momentum at this elite domaine.
The current 2022 Giroflarie is drinking beautifully, with fine-grained tannins, bright acidity and wonderfully layered fruit, while the ‘baby Côte-Rôtie’, IGP ‘La Chevalière’, was elegant and sleek as ever and a veritable bargain.
• Patrick Jasmin: IGP ‘La Chevalière’ 2024
• Patrick Jasmin: Côte-Rôtie ‘La Giroflarie’ 2022
• Patrick Jasmin: Côte-Rôtie ‘Oléa’ 2022
3. The 2023 Northern Rhônes are singing.
The 2023 Northern Rhône wines we showed were absolutely triumphant. Juicy, vibrant and jumping out of the glass, we were taken aback by how well they are drinking this young. A proper, approachable vintage for the table now, with the structure and fruit for medium-term cellaring.
• Domaine des Lises: Crozes-Hermitage ‘Dom des Lises’ White 2023
• Jean-Louis Chave Sélection: Saint-Joseph ‘Offerus’ Red 2023
• Domaine Alain Graillot: Crozes-Hermitage Red 2023
