Discovering Montagnac Sauvignon Blanc

Montagnac Sauvignon (£4.75) is a terrific easy drinking wine made from a single grape variety: Sauvignon Blanc. It's a good wine to introduce people to French wine with and is great for first time wine drinkers. My daughter, Katie, was not a great fan of wine until she tasted the Montagnac and it's now her favourite. It's produced in the Languedoc which is one of France's up and coming wines for a while now. Famous for its garagiste wines and cult followings the Languedoc produces wines with dense and complex aromas reflecting the diversity of the terrain. Blessed with some fantastic terroirs and micro-climates this is one of the most southern parts of France, facing the Mediterranean and looking on to the Pyrenees.

Montagnac Sauvignon is made by a small co-operative, Les Vignobles Montagnac, dating back to the 1930s and the vineyards stretch from the banks of Thau Lagoon to the foothills of the mountains on the right bank of the River Hérault where the ancient river bed stones are similar to those of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The vines are grown in small parcels on old terraces on limestone and clay slopes and are pruned using the Cordon de Royat which means that a single spur is trained along a wire allowing for plenty of sunlight to ripen the grapes and greater control over yields. The co-operative's motto is “the terroir of the sea” as the warm breezes from the Mediterranean nurture their grapes.

Montagnac Sauvignon is a gem - pale yellow gold in colour, with an attractive light orange tinge. It has aromas of honey, peach, apple and orange peel, with smoky and floral hints. In the mouth it has flavours of zesty lemon, herbs and spice, and a touch of caramel and crystallised fruit. Soft, but certainly not creamy, with superb balance and a very decent length.

Languedoc itself is stunningly beautiful and the countryside is abundant in thyme, lavender, rosemary, sage, wild thyme and summer savory which all grow wild in the warm, limestone soils. Parsley, dill and fennel flourish in the cool, porous soils and the aromas envelop the vineyards with their scent and infuse the wines with hints of saffron, aniseed, cloves and juniper.

The vineyards of the Languedoc are the oldest in France, planted by the early Greeks in the 5th century BC, and had a high reputation right through the centuries. In the 14th century wines from the Languedoc were prescribed in hospitals in Paris for their "healing powers" and during both World Wars the Languedoc was responsible for providing the daily wine rations given to French soldiers. Today the Languedoc is one of the most dynamic wine growing regions in the World.

The Languedoc has its own language, Occitan, which was spoken from the 10th century until the teaching of French became obligatory at the end of the 19th century, The language which gave rise to the first poets and troubadours. In fact the name Languedoc comes from 'langue d'Oc' (d'Oc meaning yes in Occitan). Today one local in five can understand the language and it is taught in schools and universities.

The last two decades have seen a revolution in wine making here with ambitious and talented new blood entering the area who are keen to challenge the existing hierarchy. Les Vignobles Montagnac are innovative but also respect the time honoured traditions and the land. There is an openness and absence of stuffiness in the approach to wine here, which is more usually associated with 'New World' vineyards hence the naming of their wines by the grape variety rather than where they are grown. All of this makes the Languedoc a happy hunting ground for unearthing some undiscovered treasures.

Images Courtesy of www.flickr.com