Domaine des Amiel is a small winery in the Languedoc, run by two brothers, Aymeric and Jordan. They are continuing deep family roots, with the Amiel family having a viticultural history in Mont Blanc dating back to the late 1400s. The brothers first vintage together was 2013.
Aymeric has strong wine pedigree, holding a Master in International Commerce of Wine and Spirits (ESC Dijon, Burgundy) and is particularly well traveled, having wine making experience in Argentina, Chile, California and 4 years in South Africa.
Jordan is a doctor in traditional Chinese medicine and holds a real interest in natural & preventative therapies- perhaps a strong influence in the natural farming and wine making methods the brothers use.
I visited the winery last week, on a recommendation from a good friend and Swartland winemaker, Jurgen Gouws (Intellego) and was extremely impressed with what the brothers are doing.
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| The cellar entrance at Domaine des Amiel |
The brothers took over 9 hectares of vineyards aged between 15-35 years in 2012, and converted everything to strict Organic farming methods. They are certified Organic by Ecocert and they also work Biodynamically without certification.
Aymeric told us how he and Jordan are 100% hands-on with all aspects of the farming, and aim to encourage as much ecological diversity in their vineyards as possible.
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| Aymeric Amiel |
This biodiversity was clear to see, with a huge variety of plant and insect life growing amidst the vines, including thistles, poppies and maritime beetroot which naturally grows due to the vineyards being within 10km of the sea.
Rather than using chemical sprays, they have ingenious methods of dealing with pests. For example, to counteract the damaging Grapevine Moth, which lays its eggs in the berries, they use a method called 'sexual confusion'. They attach tiny devices to the vines that emit sexual pheromones and prevent the moths from mating, thus preventing the pest producing larvae instead of using harsh chemical treatments to kill the larvae once they have infected the vines.
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| Plant life between the vines |
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| A block of 5 year old Vermentino vines |
The brothers are currently in the process of planting trees all around the perimeters of the vineyard plots to further encourage biodiversity, and hope to introduce a number of animals (goats, pigs, horses, sheep, pigs and donkeys) to graze in the vineyards in between growing seasons. It will be quite a special project when finished, and the roots they are setting down for the future are very encouraging. As the brothers say: "we consider ourselves to be borrowing the land from our children. We strive to make it better for them".
They grow a number of varietals, including Vermentino, Grenache Blanc, Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault & Alicante Bouschet and they plan to plant more, including Chenin Blanc bush vines. Aymeric and his dog, Gandhi, took us through some of these, before we headed back to their home to taste through the wines.
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| Gandhi |
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| 35 year old Alicante Bouschet vine |
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| Younger Vines |
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| Vines without trellising- the aim is to create bush vines. |
Their home, and the cellar is situated in the tiny, picturesque town of Mont Blanc. Alongside making wine, they are in the process of opening up a restaurant and guesthouse. After tasting through their wines (tasting notes below), Aymeric made us a delicious lunch, all from locally sourced organic and biodynamic produce.
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| The courtyard kitchen |
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| Aymeric preparing our lunch |
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| The aftermath of our tasting |
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| Starter: Beef tartare terrine with honey, olive oil & cheese |
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| Roast pepper, young cheese and sausage |
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| The restaurant under construction |
So, onto the wines. The brothers state the importance of healthy grapes in the winemaking process: "no good grapes, no good wines", hence the focus on the farming. In the winery, they are there to monitor and guide the wines, rather than 'make' them. They ferment the wines completely naturally, and don't add yeasts, enzymes or sulfites. The wines are aged in tank or old barrels- no new oak is used in the winery as they don't want oaky characteristics in the wines.
Whilst the brothers work naturally, they appreciate the importance of technological help- "to make natural wines does not mean to hate technology- when we need it we use it". It is important for the brothers to make clean, precise wines, rather than faulty wines for the sake of being natural. The wines all go through laboratory analysis, to measure sugar, acidity, polyphenols, minerals etc, and when necessary they will be filtered or have small sulfur additions. However, in general the wines have no sulfur added and are not fined or filtered. The brothers are extremely careful about their harvesting time, and pick early to ensure freshness and moderate alcohol levels in their wines.
Tasting through the range was extremely exciting. Clean natural wines with character, purity and freshness. The brothers have a very exciting future ahead of them.
Notes on the wines below, all wines except the last 2015 vintage. Apologies for the lack of accents- can't find them on this programme.
A Baia
A delicious rosé made from a blend of Merlot, Syrah and a small Vermentino addition to give acidity and freshness. Green & floral on the nose with flavours of wild strawberries and herbs. Very fresh despite a rich texture and supple tannin. Named after the latest addition to the family, little baby Baia (hence the pram on the label). 30mg sulphur added.
Premier Rolle
100% Vermentino, aged and fermented in steel tank. Picked early to retain freshness. Huge, bracing, mouth-watering acidity with bright citrus and fennel notes and a nice weight to the body. The finish is pleasantly bitter, almost quinine-esque. Perhaps a bit of a challenge without food for those who prefer softer whites, but certainly not out of balance and for an acid-freak like me this ticked all the boxes. Electric and invigorating, left my mouth fully watered and wanting more. Loved it. The name is a play on the word 'Rolle', with 'Premier Rolle' meaning the main acting role in a film, but Rolle also being a French synonym for Vermentino. 30mg sulphur added.
A Elise
A blend of Vermentino and Grenache Blanc. Aged in old oak. Deep golden in colour, the wine is weighty and powerful with rich stone fruits on the nose and an intense nuttiness. Complex and deep but still fresh and elegant. Named after the brothers' grandmother, Elise. No sulphur added.
Mounto Daballo
A blend of Cinsault and Alicante Bouschet. A vin de soif of the highest order. Juicy, fruity, spicy with the featheriest of tannin. Utterly smashable. The bottle was finished before I had a chance to write any decent notes, which tells you a lot. Loved it, loved it and loved it some more. The name apparently means 'down and up'; in other words the bottle goes down quicker than you can fill it up. They're not wrong. A case of magnums please, sir. Less than 10mg sulphur added.
A Coural
80% Syrah and 20% Grenache. Fermented and aged in tank. Dark, rich, crunchy red fruits with a beautiful flinty core. It's ripe but it has a lovely stony freshness, and all at an absolute bargain price. Bang on. No sulphur added.
A blend of co-fermented Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault. The fermentation stopped by itself, leaving a residual sugar of 12g/l. Unsure with what to do with it, Jordan convinced Aymeric to bottle and sell it; what an inspired decision that was. It may be ever so slightly sweet, but it's by no means cloying. I hadn't really tasted anything like it before. Full of redcurrant and strawberry flavours, kind of like Ribena for adults. It may have been an accident, but it was certainly a happy one. Chill it down and drink it by the gallon- or give it to people who don't like red wine, they'll love this. 'Pico Chuco' means sting and suck. Lightly filtered and 30mg sulphur added.
A l'Ouest
A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a dash of Carignan. Full-bodied and leathery with ripe blackcurrant fruits. A Bordeaux blend with a Languedoc twist- a 'Bordoc' as Aymeric called it. Big tannin and lots of crunch to work those dry gums around. 'L'ouest' meaning West, a hark to the Bordeaux varietals used, in case you hadn't already worked it out.
A Peissou
100% Syrah. Half aged in old oak and half in tank. Oo la la. Deep, inviting nose with pretty floral aromas giving some lift. It's seductive and draws you into the glass, giving an intense, powerful richness that somehow feels oh so elegant. It's full to the brim with dark fruits, but has so much more going on. Layer after layer of flavour waiting to be uncovered. Earth, herbs, stones, smoke... I guess you'd call it complexity. A serious wine. 'Peissou' means clarinet- a throwback to their grandfather who apparently was never far from his clarinet, 'a man of culture' they call him. No sulphur added.
At the moment the wines aren't available in the UK, but are exported to Japan and the USA. Fingers crossed that will change very soon. More news on that front shortly...
@bobbyfishel
http://domaine-des-amiel.com/
