Château Camplazens Visit October 2007
Philippa Vanham, Manager, Majestic Preston
Recently I was lucky enough to visit a relatively new producer in the Majestic range. At present we stock two wines from Chateau Camplazens, a Syrah and a Marselan. Susie, John, Alun and I arrived around tea-time at Perpignan airport and, after a drive along the coast of about 45 minutes through the wine producing areas of Corbieres and Fitou, we arrived at our destination. Camplazens is situated near the town of Armissan in the Languedoc and is nestled in the mountain range known as La Clape where the surrounding area is well known for ‘La Garrigue’, the wild scrub of gorse, thyme, sage, juniper, lavender and other herbs.
We were met by our hosts and owners of Chateau Camplazens, Peter and Susan Close, an English couple who bought the property 7 years ago, and were taken without further ado to the tasting room - more like a trophy room displaying all their recent, impressive accolades - to sample the range of wines they produce. The fragrances of the surrounding area really come through in the wines. The Syrah is a real alternative to those who like the flavour of Australian Shiraz but not the weight, this wine offers the ripe forest fruits, warm pudding spice and smooth, rich palate expected from a Syrah but with a level of elegance not found in most New World Shiraz. The Marselan is a real treat too. An unusual grape variety that has been around since the 1960’s but one that is only really making itself known now. It is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache and offers rich black cherry and blackberry fruit with an almost Italian-style bitter dark chocolate character and a lovely silky smooth mouthfeel. It certainly was one of the favourites on the trip. After the tasting we were treated to Peter and Susan’s hospitality with a wonderful traditional French meal at their table where the talk was easy, the food delicious and, of course, the wine flowed freely.
The next day we had a tour of the winery and had a tasting of several of the wines out of the tank with the winemaker, Yann. Some had only been fermenting a few days and the flavours were fresh, fruity and spicy but the individual grape varieties were still distinguishable. After a long leisurely lunch we were taken to an experimental vineyard and winery called Pech Rouge where we were shown new equipment and techniques, such as flash evaporation, all of which were eye-opening and a real learning curve for us. We also heard how they are experimenting with ways to remove alcohol from wine without taking away its flavour or body….fascinating! Afterwards, a quick drive to the seaside for a paddle before returning to the Chateau for our evening meal.
The next day was Saturday and much of the Close’s land was turned over to the hunters for their annual wild boar shoot. Partly for our own safety we decided to take a trip to the beautiful medieval city of Carcasonne, where the castle was used for much of the filming of Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. The restoration has been impeccable and is a must-see for anyone visiting the area.
Lunch today had a real community feel. We were invited to the Bergerie where the hunters and many of the Close’s friends and neighbours had gathered to celebrate the end of the shoot (despite not actually catching anything!) We had aperitifs and nibbles outside in the beautiful sunshine before being seated with about 80 other people for a 5 hour lunch of locally-caught seafood, paella, cheese, desserts and, of course, more wine. We were made to feel so welcome and it really hit home for me how Peter and Susan had made such an effort to get involved with the local community and how everyone rallies round to help out. There was also much banter about the rugby between England and France; I hope they don’t hold it against us too much that we won.
Our final day was more casual. Following a hike in the mountains, were then taken to a traditional French family restaurant for Sunday lunch before heading back to the airport. The whole trip was wonderful, Susan and Peter are fabulous hosts and really made us feel so welcome in their home. It was informative, fun and above all friendly and I hope to visit again sometime.