Caravan - North Wales

For as long as I can remember I’ve taken holidays in the wilds of North Wales and  growing up in the Midlands I’m sure I’m not alone in this experience. It’s a place of breathtaking beauty and extremes – if the sun shines its idyllic however if it decides to rain, its well, the reverse.

My parents have a static caravan that has to still be painted green to ‘blend in’ with the country side on the North coast of the Llynn peninsula, it’s nearly all owned by the National Trust so it’s a case of no (white) blots on the landscape.

I spent my childhood on the spectacular beaches and now my children do the same – nothing appears to have changed in the last 40 years and all still seems reassuringly familiar.

On heading off last week I had packed my holiday wines – I’d not tempted fate and had my usual selection of southern Rhone reds – no whites or rosé, as that would have suggested that I was expecting the sun to shine at least once during the week and recent experience had indicated warming reds would be more appropriate.

I suspected that my Welsh wine experience would be a fairly solitary one but once you’ve got wine under your skin it seems to appear when you least expect it. We met another family with small children on the camp site (again borrowing their parents caravan and with a good 20 years of holidaying there under their belt) and during a chat over an impromptu BBQ Jeremy asked if I’d like a drink – and then went on to say, I really only drink wine and I love French wine – small world. So, we set about my holiday consignment and over the next few days we dispatched my Vacqueyras: Cuvée Spéciale 2003, Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau: Saint Gayan 2006 and a few others, including my last bottle of Vin de Pays Duché d’Uzès: Camp Galhan Pérassière 2007 that I’d left there from my last visit.

Slate - Blaenau Ffestiniog

Later in the week we were on a small beach called Towyn that has always had a small shop (or ‘shed’) on the cliff top that sells ice creams and other beach paraphernalia – but this year had diversified into general random Welsh products – I’ve always liked the ‘unusual’ so was intrigued to see, for want of a better word,  a “lump” of Welsh slate by the assorted Ben 10 surf boards – but slate with 3 holes drilled through that I decided had to be made for wine – and it was!

The slate was from the, now closed, Blaenau Ffestiniog quarry so there was never going to be another one – in the same way that wine vintages can never be repeated it was a must have – my wife was not as keen it has to be said – but anyway it’s now safely back in Wiltshire.

So, once you’ve got the wine bug – it catches you out when you least expect it!

Maxime and Alain Graillot

On Day 3, we were up and at ‘em with a climat by climat barrel-tasting of the 2007 Hermitage at the Rhône valley’s most prestigious address – Domaine Jean-Louis Chave in the village of Mauves. The Chaves farm just under 14 of Hermitages precious 131 hectares and have an unbroken ‘de père en fils’ lineage stretching back to 1481. They have vines in 9 different sites on the hill of Hermitage so this was quite a protracted tasting. Here Jean-Louis Chave patiently explained the different attributes of fruit from different parcels of vines in what amounted to a masterclass in the concept of terroir or the impact of location on taste. Jean-Louis told us that 2007 is ‘Un bon millésime’ for his Hermitage – not a blockbuster but a vintage of flesh and fruit ‘a bit like 1997 or 2000’ that should drink well soon after bottling – we wouldn’t disagree.

Our final tasting of the trip was with Alain Graillot and his son Maxime at Les Chênes Verts on Le Chassis plateau of Crozes Hermitage. The Graillots 2007’s are bursting with black fruit flavours and one could happily drink them right off the bat. Despite the current economic gloom Graillot ‘Père et Fils’ are upbeat about business explaining that demand for their relatively inexpensive, early-drinking Syrahs is strong at the moment as people are looking for value on restaurant wine lists and aren’t buying grander bottles. This has always been a modern, forward-thinking operation and there is much evidence of innovation and re-investment. A substantial new cellar and wine store are being excavated to increase capacity for Maxime’s new négociant projects in Saint Joseph and Cornas. Also Alain’s superb, mineral-edged white Crozes’ has been bottled under screw-cap for the first time in the 2008 vintage which should show its clean apricot fruit to full advantage.

After our tasting and tour we headed back into Tain’ for a wonderful al fresco lunch of modern Mediterranean cuisine on the terrace of Le Quai restaurant where we enjoyed a bottle of Jean-Louis Thiers’ 2007 Saint Péray Nature and Alain’s own 2007 red Saint Joseph – which is supple and sapid and ideal for outdoor drinking.

After lunch we piled back into our rented ride and headed south for Avignon. There we checked into the basic but central Hotel Garlande and strolled around the town for an obligatory look at what’s left of the Pont.

Our mission completed with myriad tasting notes, a raft of photographs and a few very fine meals under our belts it was a pleasure to sit in the sunshine in the Place de l’Horloge and sip a glass of Domaine Maby’s delightful 2007 Tavel rosé which La Civette Brasserie bangs out at a not unreasonable 19 euros a bottle. It’s a tough job – but someone’s got to do it!