Moulin de Ciffre

Moulin de Ciffre has to be one of our best discoveries!  When we visited the Lesineaus in Spring this year they were in a state of great excitement, preparing for their daughter’s wedding, with the reception being held at their lovely house – a beautifully converted old windmill, adjacent to an equally ancient watermill harnessing the power of the Taurou river.  In spite of this, Jacques took time to show us his wines from the amazing 2001 vintage – big, ripe wines with the structure to last years.  They were all so good we ended up choosing six of them!

Jacques Lésinau left his well-established vineyard, Château Haut-Gardère in the Graves region of Bordeaux, to realise a dream in the Languedoc.  He carefully chose a site near Béziers, at the foot of the Monts du Caroux.  The vineyard is judiciously situated at the junction of three appellations, allowing M Lésinau to make a Côteaux du Languedoc, a Saint Chinian and a Faugères, not to mention his stunning Bordeaux-based super-Vin de Pays, Val Taurou. 

On the road to St Chinian

His wines are made from remarkably low yields of only 40hl/ha (the norm is 55hl/ha), which produce great concentration and allows the individual terroir of each vineyard plot to express itself in the wine.  He now destems the grapes, which reduces the tannins and the wines are noticeably silkier as a result. 

The 1999 vintage we initially bought has stood the test of time and is drinking superbly now.  The 2000's have made lovely drinking all this year.  And now we have shipped the stunning 2001 vintage, which combines the succulent ripeness of the 2000s with the concentration of the 1999s.  They are lovely now but will keep for many years.

The village of Faugères

Moulin de Ciffre 2001                                                                                                                               £5.50 AC Faugères                                                                                                                                                         Made from 20% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 40% Carignan and 10% Mourvèdre with the Carignan vinified by maceration carbonique to enhance the fruitiness.  Medium/deep in colour, this has a characteristic minerally Faugères nose.  It leads into a big mouthful of silky, plummy fruit with liquorice undertones and hints of woodsmoke.  It finishes long. 

Moulin de Ciffre élevé, en barriques 2000                                                                                            £6.50 AC Faugères                                                                                                                                                        Made from old vines and lower yields, two thirds of the wine is also barrique-aged. Much deeper in colour, it has a heady perfumed, herby nose.  It is packed full of concentrated summer pudding fruit flavours with hints of mint, vanilla and the garrigue.  It finishes with soft ripe tannins and a long minerality.  Lovely now but it will keep for at least five years.

Moulin de Ciffre, élevé en barriques 2001                                                                                               £6.50 AC Saint Chinian                                                                                                                                                 Made from 40% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre.  Two thirds of the wine is oak-aged in barriques.  It is also a medium/deep young colour, and has a beguiling soft fruit, cedary nose.  On the palate it is rich, silky and full of soft dark fruit flavours. It has ripe tannins at the finish but remains very elegant. 

Domaine de Ciffre, Val Taurou 2001                                                                                                        £7.95 Vin de Pay des Côteaux de Murviel                                                                                                                     A tour de force with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Syrah.  The deepest wine so far.  This is also barrique-aged with a mix of new and old oak barrels.  The nose is has hints of cedar, mint, blackcurrants and cloves.  It is bursting with concentrated cassis and raspberry fruit flavours.  The tannins again are very ripe and soft, and the finish is long.  Another wine to enjoy now but with the potential to age for another five years.