Domaines Calendal and Escaravailles
2024 Rhône Summary
The spring of 2024 varied from wet to very, very wet throughout France and even the southern Rhône didn’t escape. Many properties suffered from fungal diseases such as mildew, resulting in crop loss, although some areas were more affected than others. A hot summer with good conditions during harvest has produced some excellent wines characterised by good aromatics, ripe fruit and lovely balance with soft, appealing tannins. A small vintage, but one well worth investing in. The wines will drink early but do have the wherewithal to age well, too.
Domaine Calendal are releasing their 2024 soon; the wines from Escaravailles are from the recently released and very good 2023 vintage.
I intend to ship from these amazing properties below after the 2024 wines are bottled at the end of February or early March; the other factor involved is that I do have to obtain enough orders to make it worthwhile shipping, so I cannot give an exact shipping date at this point.
Price is GBP Per Case 12 x 75cl or 6 x 150cl under bond UK. All orders are subject to final confirmation. Prices exclude any duty, Vat, or transfer charges. Shipping dates are not available yet. E & OE
Domaine des Escaravailles & Domaine Calendal,Rasteau
‘Readers should be on the lookout for the wines from this superb estate’ – Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate
I have known this wonderful southern-Rhône winery for many years and tasted their wines with Gilles Ferran and the renowned French oenologist and larger than life bon viveur, Philippe Cambié, who very sadly passed away in 2021. Apart from the wines of Domaine des Escaravailles, Gilles and Phillipe also created a brilliant wine called Calendal from a separate vineyard of old vine Grenache and Mourvèdre. I have an opportunity to work with the domaine again and I intend to take advantage.
Founded in 1953, the domaine name (Occitan for ‘beetle’) comes from the historic nickname for the local monks who appeared as tiny specks from this altitude as they wound their way up to the hilltop monasteries. I remember two things very clearly from my first visit to Escaravailles: one, I was very glad I had a car and not relying, monk-like, on a donkey; two, the stunning views across to the Dentelles de Montmirail mountains were in stark contrast to the estate itself which, from the outside, looks a tad Heath Robinson. Once inside, however, the winery is a lesson in function; a spotless workplace where the third generation owner and hugely talented winemaker, Gilles Ferran, can produce his magic. Laurence and Gilles’ daughter, Madeline, has been heavily involved since 2018.
Escaravailles has vineyards in the Côtes-du-Rhône villages of Rasteau, Cairanne and Roaix where the vineyards are covered in stones, some really quite large, and the underlying soil is clay (good for water retention). The yields from the, mainly, old vines are kept low to ensure that only the highest-quality grapes are produced. The elevation of their vineyards is essential to retaining the grapes’ natural freshness and elegance – the wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Domaine des Escaravailles, Rasteau
Blanc
2024 Rasteau Blanc ‘La Ponce’ – £192
A blend of 30% Roussanne, 30% Marsanne, 20% Clairette, 20% Grenache blanc. Partly aged in amphorae. It has always been difficult to sell white wines from the southern-Rhône and I’ve really no idea why, but there has been a reluctance amongst the UK public to try these wines since I have been in the trade. They are delightful, they pair well with food and are inexpensive compared to white Burgundy of the same quality.
Winemaker’s note: The flagship white of the estate. The nose reveals juicy white peach and lemon zest. The palate is refreshing, vertical, and crisp, with saline notes. A mineral, airy, and finely crafted white wine. This will drink well for two to three years
2025 Côtes du Rhône Blanc la Galopine – £265
A blend of small plots of marl soils, bordered by woodland and located at an altitude of 400m, in the lieu-dit Combe de l’Eoune. A blend of 50% Roussanne, 45% Marsanne, 5% Viognier, partly oak fermented this is more structured than La Ponce. As usual, the grapes are harvested before sunrise, ensuring that the grapes retain their natural acidity and balance.
Winemaker’s note: The nose is elegant, with floral notes, thyme, and fresh almond. On the palate, there is a harmonious balance between acidity and roundness. A delicate and chiselled white wine, perfect for gastronomy, with great aromatic finesse.
Rouge
2023 Rasteau Rouge ‘La Ponce’ – £168
This wine comes from a clay-limestone vineyard called “La Ponce”, behind the winery, on the heights of the appellation of Rasteau, between 310 and 340m of altitude. One could easily argue that this is one of the best-value Rhônes available: the wine has exceptional quality, it is expressive and vibrant when young yet will age and gain complexity for ten to fifteen years.
The 2023 Rasteau la Ponce opens with a slightly reduced bouquet of dark cherries, crushed violets, wild berries, and warm spices. Medium- to full-bodied, seamless, and enveloping, it is built around a fleshy, sapid core of fruit and framed by powdery, well-integrated tannins. The finish is long, fresh, and delicately spicy, delivering the balance and energy that mark this vintage. This is a finely judged, elegant expression of Rasteau that should evolve gracefully over the next 5–8 years. This is a blend of 80% Grenache Noir and 20% Syrah. The Wine Advocate RP 92 Reviewed by: Yohan Castaing Drink Date: 2025 – 2040 Published: Oct 16, 2025
2023 Roaix ‘Les Hautes Granges’ – £282
A lovely vintage for this wine. Old-vine Syrah, from a vineyard called “Les Hautes Granges” in Roaix with clay-limestone soils. The grapes are hand picked and sorted at the vineyard then fully destemmed and fermented in concrete tanks followed by ageing in oak barrels (225L) for nine months. I am a huge fan of Syrah, especially Syrah this good, always a favourite of mine. Winemakers note: Superb deep red wine colour with inky reflections. Elegant and graphite nose of violet, cherry brandy, and eucalyptus. The palate is full and round, with cocoa aromas combined with liquorice and white pepper.
For food pairing the winery team suggested jugged hare with chocolate sauce – Pheasant cooked with mushrooms – Regalis blue sheep cheese – Dark chocolate mousse. Jugged hare was a favourite of my father’s but I am sure he never tried it with chocolate sauce.
2023 Rasteau ‘Heritage 1924’ – £282
This wine comes from a single vineyard of Grenache called “Les Fouquesses”, planted in 1924, with blue clay soil. It is another high-altitude vineyard so the cool night temperatures slow down the ripening process and give the grapes their natural freshness and balance. Heritage has always been a wonderfully pure expression of old vine Grenache. The grapes are hand picked and sorted at the vineyard. They are fully destemmed then fermented in concrete tank. Vatting time is between 25 to 28 days with gentle extraction. Then ageing in concrete tank for nine months to keep the purity of Grenache. It needs a little time in the cellar but worth the wait many times over. For me, this has always screamed lamb, but there are many options that will pair well with this marvellous wine.
Crafted entirely from Grenache Noir planted in 1924 on blue clay soils, the 2023 Rasteau Heritage 1924 is, as ever, the densest and most powerful wine in the range. Offering up aromas of dark cherry, rose petal and warm spices, it is medium- to full-bodied, concentrated and enveloping, with a fleshy core of fruit and a structured mid-palate, framed by velvety, nicely integrated tannins, concluding with a long, fresh finish. Élevage took place exclusively in concrete tanks. The Wine Advocate RP 93 Reviewed by: Yohan Castaing Release Price: NA Drink Date: 2028 – 2040
Domaine de Calendal, Rasteau
2024 Plan de dieu Rouge – £276
This is Gilles’ and Philippe’s pet project which became an almost overnight success once launched. Made from old vine Grenache (70%) and Mourvedre planted in 1964 and 1968 in a vineyard called Velage, which is composed of clay-limestone soil with round polished stones on the surface. Extremely low yields. The grapes are hand picked and sorted at the vineyard. They are fully destemmed then fermented in concrete tanks. Vatting time is between 28 to 35 days with daily grape-treading and pumping-over. Ageing is then in oak barrels (225L) for nine months.
It sees a little new oak but the oak never dominates. I have often written “delicious” as a descriptive when tasting the young wine from barrel or tank there and, although that’s a bit lazy, it just always is. The fruit is sublime in its purity and ripeness, the tannins soft and the balance excellent. It is just an exquisite wine. Winemaker’s note: Deep red colour. The nose is complex and elegant with blueberry jam, thyme, and “Zan” aromas. The palate is silky, with blond tobacco and licorice notes. A full-bodied and fleshy wine. Elegant, with a beautiful tannic structure. This bottle is true velvet. I have enjoyed this with lamb, pork, roasted Mediterranean vegetables and cheese. I have also enjoyed it on its own, may Madeline forgive me. This will drink now and over the next eight to ten years.
Rediscovering French Regional Wines
I remember a conversation, a couple of years ago, with a Barolo producer who was bemoaning the fact that the majority of British wine drinkers had no knowledge of the different areas of Barolo as they did, for instance, of those of Bordeaux (or Argentina, for that matter) so that Barolo is often perceived as one, homogeneous wine. That point could be made even more strongly for the much larger area of South-West France, a region that is rapidly growing in both the number of appellations and the quality of the wines that they produce.
It’s an area that is hugely popular with us Brits, and I can’t imagine anyone who doesn’t enjoy all the various local foods and wines served up in restaurants or on the terrace of one’s holiday home, especially if sitting in the evening sun overlooking the beautiful landscapes. Yet, I also believe that most people do not seek out these same wines once home; even if they do, all they usually find is a poor example which would put anyone off spending more time on a Languedoc treasure hunt.
There is also, unfortunately, still a hangover from the past. These wines (the good stuff) were historically not shipped to Britain and so are little known. The ubiquity of the Carignan grape made them difficult drinking for those brought up on the refined tones of good claret and the reputation of Languedoc as a ‘wine lake’ has persisted, despite most of the ‘rubbish’ vines having been pulled up.
Things are changing, however, and have been for quite a while, so we thought that it might be a good idea to remind you of some of the highlights from an area that is producing outstanding wines that are very rarely overpriced.
Wines are due in mid-May-ish. Price is per case of 6 inclusive of Vat. Orders under £200 are subject to a delivery charge, otherwise free within England. There is a further 5% discount on orders of three cases or more, which may be mixed.
White
Domaine Font-Mars, Pinet, Languedoc
Picpoul de Pinet is one of my “go to” wines when I’m in southern France. Excellent with seafood, or on its own, it always hits the spot and without breaking the bank. Quality varies, of course, and whilst the larger co-operatives provide quantity, one has to look further afield to find the true essence of Picpoul de Pinet.
Over the years, Jean-Baptiste de Clock has run this lovely 8-hectare property right in the heart of Picpoul de Pinet country, 38km south west of Montpellier, very close to the town of Mèze and right by the coast. The grapes are picked manually at night when it is much cooler, de-stemmed and fermented at a low temperature for 20 days. The wine is then kept in stainless steel tanks and bottled in the January after the harvest. A perfect example of good single-domaine Picpoul with just a single gram of residual sugar left in the wine.
The wine comes in the traditional tall green bottle and is bottled under screwcap.
2024 Picpoul de Pinet – Opening Offer £83.70 RRP £89.70
Bottled in January and as fresh as can be, quite delightful. White flower, peach and citrus on the nose which carries on into the mouth. Lovely flavours, vibrant and with good, crisp acidity to balance the fruit. A perfect wine as an apéritif, or with light meals or seafood; served well-chilled.
Red
Château de la Négly, Fleury d’Aude
Situated in the village of Fleury d’Aude, in the region known as La Clape, Château de la Négly has 25 hectares under vine, overlooking the Mediterranean near Narbonne. Narbonne, by the way, is one of my favourite French towns and worth a long weekend of anyone’s time. Owner Jean Paux-Rosset and his talented consultant oenologist, Claude Gros, produce sublime, natural, unmanipulated wines from low-yielding, super-ripe, hand-picked fruit.
The vines are planted on limestone soils in sight of the sea, on what was an island a couple of thousand years ago, and benefit from cooling breezes that moderate the ripening of the grapes and without which the wines would be jammy and lack complexity. All Négly’s wines have a wonderful vivacity and freshness to them and are a delight to drink.
2022 La Côte – Opening Offer £1113.70, RRP £119.70
A blend of Carignan, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, usually varying between 14 and 14.5 %, yet never feels anything other than elegant and easy to drink. It’s all ripe red and black fruits with savoury undertones and spice – the tannins are silky and the acid balance is excellent. All aged in tank. Great with a meal or just a simple baguette and cheese, delightful.
Château la Bastide, Escales
I haven’t visited this lovely part of France for a couple of years now. How time flies – I really must return. The vineyards and the château, which has been there since 1770, are situated at the very northern tip of the Corbières, just to the south of the Minervois.
2021 Corbières Tradition Rouge – Opening Offer £87 RRP £93
Corbières Rouge is a blend of 60% Syrah, 20% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre. All grapes are destemmed and then aged in stainless steel for 12 months. Terrific value for this quality. Syrah produces a lovely, rounded supple wine, aided by four months ageing on the lees. 20% of the juice is aged for twelve months in barriques.
Corbières seems to have gone out of fashion and I don’t really understand why. Yes, as with any region, and I include all countries and regions, one gets what one pays for, except, I believe, that the investment/pleasure return on these slightly out of favour French Country wines, like this lovely Corbières, is greater than most.
Château Bouscassé, Maumusson-Laguian
Alain Brumont is something of a legend in France and highly respected far beyond its borders, not only as a renowned winemaker, but also as a man whose passion has, almost single-handedly, brought the Tannat grape and Madiran wines back to life and prominence, as well as being a pioneer of quality Côtes de Gascogne wines. Alain has now been joined by his stepson, Antoine Veiry, who is bringing new ideas gained from his time working in Bordeaux and Burgundy – he is certainly a huge talent, so the estates are in good hands.
Château Bouscassé is Alain’s original family home. The soil here is different from that of Chateau Montus, which he bought in 1979, being clay, limestone and grès, a sandstone rock. The vineyards are planted with 70% Tannat, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, all old vines aged between 60 and 85 years old.
2019 Château Bouscassé Madiran – Opening Offer £150 RRP £159
Château Bouscassé is made up of 70% Tannat, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, picked by hand, de-stemmed, with a cuvaison of 4 weeks then ageing in one- or two-year old barrels for around 12 months.
Tannat, especially, needs some time and offers little except tannin when young, but once it emerges from its shell it all makes sense as this 2019 proves most eloquently. All in all, it’s a terrifically flexible food wine and very good value.
The 2019 Château Bouscassé, a blend of 70% Tannat, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon picked at the same time and co-fermented, possesses a perfumed, fresh bouquet of dark wild berries, spices, flowers and mulberries. Medium to full-bodied, polished and fleshy, it’s layered and enveloping with a charming, seamless profile for a Madiran that segues into powdery tannins and a long, mineral finish. It demands some patience. The Wine Advocate RP 93+ Reviewed by: Yohan Castaing Release Price: NA Drink Date: 2024 – 2044
Château Montus, Castelnau-Rivière-Basse
Montus was a vision purchased in 1979 with 12 hectares and today expanded to 45 hectares. Unlike most of Madiran, the soil at Montus is similar to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, large pebbles or galets some 20in to 6ft in depth over a clay soil, and the slopes are steep. The grape varieties are 80% Tannat and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, low yields and harvesting by hand. Visually, the property is more akin to a great Bordeaux Château than the usually much more humble property found here.
2019 Château Montus, Madiran Opening Offer £203.70 RRP £210
Château Montus is a blend of 80% Tannat and 20% Cabernet Franc, total de-stemming, a 5-week cuvaison and ageing in oak for 12 months, 20% of which are new and 80% one-year old. This has more weight than the Château Bouscassé, the tannins are a little rounder – there is nothing in Bordeaux that offers as much as this wine does for a similar price.
The 2019 Chateau Montus demonstrates this property’s evolving style, exhibiting more density and seriousness without more extraction than its 2016 counterparts. It offers up aromas of loamy soils, blueberries, mulberries, spices and pencil lead, followed by a round, enveloping, charming palate with a layered core of fruit and a long, velvety and penetrating finish. This blend, consisting of 80% Tannat and 20% Cabernet Franc, showcases the roundness and fleshiness of clay soils. Keep it over the next decade and beyond. Reviewed by: Yohan Castaing 94 + points Drink Date: 2024 – 2044
Clos la Coutale, Cahors – Organic
The historic town of Cahors has been a centre of trade since Roman times – it’s not my favourite town by any means but well worth a day if one’s in the area. The wine and the river Lot, which meanders its way along the valley floor through some quite stunning rock formations and cliffs, have made me return more than once.
Cahors is the home of Cot, more widely known as Malbec, and, despite its great history, it’s odd to think that if one mentions Malbec most people these days would assume it came from Argentina. The Bernède family’s Clos la Coutale is one of the region’s oldest domaines, founded sometime before the French Revolution and today it is run by the oh so talented winemaker and inventor, Philippe Bernède. Philippe’s sixty hectares of vines sit upon the gentle slopes that rise up from the River Lot. The soil is alluvial and rich in silica, clay and limestone, and under his guidance and constant attention to detail I doubt that the estate has ever made better wine.
2022 Cahors – Opening Offer £83.70 RRP £89.70
Philippe has gradually change the blend to what it is now – at times the Cot could make for an overly rustic wine, certainly before it had some time in a cellar, so now the wine is made from 80% Cot/Malbec and 20% Merlot; the character of the Cot is still there, elegant, earthy – but its rusticity has been toned down, the tannins are softer and rounder now. It’s a super wine, full of character and flavour and a bit of a bargain. Drink or cellar,