Château de Lascaux
The Languedoc is a vast area under vine with a mind boggling number of producers and with the full range of quality levels from the very basic to the top notch. Château de Lascaux is a well-respected domain very firmly at the quality end of the scale and has built up a reputation over the years for super wines. Winemaker and owner Jean-Benoit Cavalier has been responsible for expanding the sites, converting to organics and producing consistent quality and excellent value. The vineyards are totally integrated into their richly diverse natural environment populated with oak, pine, laurel, thyme and rosemary, and scents of these neighbouring plants can be traced in the wines.
The jewel in the crown is their plot in the Pic Saint Loup appellation which is one of the best in the Languedoc.
Pic Saint Loup, lying just north of Montpellier and named after the dramatic peak that frames the region, is an exciting sub-appellation that is putting out beautifully fresh, complex and balanced wines, that in a number of cases have a decidedly northern Rhône-like profile. Despite being just 14 miles off the coast, the vineyards sit at an elevation of 1500 feet and are surrounded on three sides by the Cevennes Mountains. With peaks topping out upwards of 3,000 feet, this cold, mountainous air flows into the region during the nights and causes temperatures to plummet. While Grenache and Mourvèdre play a role here, Syrah is the undisputed king. The appellation is also notable for its long hang time, with the Syrah harvest not starting until early October (similar to the Northern Rhône.) Other notable AOCs near here include Saint-Drézéry and Saint-Christol. Top producers from these regions include Château de Lascaux, Clos Marie, Domaine de l'Hortus and Puech Haut. (Jeb Dunnuck, erobertparker, May 2014)
Lascaux Domaine Cavalier Blanc 2014
Bottle Price: £9.75 / €14.50 Offer Price: £8.29 / €12.32
A white blend predominantly made from Sauvignon Blanc with some Roussanne and Marsanne added to give a more rounded flavour and ripe fruitiness. Seriously tasty and deservedly popular.
Lascaux Pierres d’Argent White 2010
Bottle Price: £17.50 / €23.49 Offer Price: £14.87 / €19.96
A delicious blend of Roussanne, Marsanne and Vermentino creating a rich and voluptuous wine with plenty of ripe apricot, peach, vanilla and honey flavour. This is a rich, full bodied white that is just superb with cheese and white meats. Now at the peak of perfection.
Lascaux Pic St Loup 2013
Bottle Price: £12.99 / €19.99 Offer Price: £11.04 / €16.99
Rich, ripe fruit combined with earthy notes of garrigue and wild herbs. It’s a generous and textured wine with smooth, integrated tannins and a long finish. Ideal with red meat, especially when served with red wine gravy.
A selection of wines from Château de Lascaux will be open for tasting in the shop on Saturday 3 October.
