Yellow Road
 Sylvie MILHARD Yellow Road marks its first anniversary. May cycle completes Chateau from France, Bordeaux region. We are publishing a short interview with Château Vieux Mougnac owner Sylvie MILHARD . And we hope for the cooperation and participation of the Chateau in some cultural projects.
1 - Why is your vineyard called «Château Vieux Mougnac»?
Because Mougnac is the name of the place where the Château was build.
2 - Please share the story of your favorite white (yellow) wine.
Our favorite white wine story is the story of our white sweet wine. Indeed Milhard-Bessard family has been working in a respectful way with the rhythm of seasons and with nature for 5 generations. Our sweet wine is produced from a small plot of old vines only the sunny years. The small yield gives us a high quality white sweet wine thanks to the noble rot, limited to 5 000 bottles per year.
3 - Do you prefer (this is important to you) the color of the wine?
We are wine lovers so we like every type of wine but must of all we are looking for the wine grower story.
4 - Why did you become a winemaker?
Our familly is winemaker for 5 generations it means since 1870. So it is important to us to transmit our know-how and our passion to the next generation.
 Château Vieux Mougnac  Cellar in Château First wine, our Château Vieux Mougnac red wine 2010. Amazing vintage full powerful with strong tannins and complex aromas as prune and candied fruit.
Next our Château Vieux Mougnac red wine 2012. Our first certificated "organic" red wine. We are really proud of this vintage which is really fresh and fruit and perfect matches with all aperitif !
Finally, our Château Vieux Mougnac white sweet wine 2015. As explained before, it is the results of a hard work and it is a wine with honey, pear and lychee flavors which pairs with all the sweet and sour dishes.
You have different pictures of our wines in our Instagram account (vieux mougnac) and you can use it if you mention our account on your article.
6 - Share your successes in winemaking, if they already have.
We have a lot of award thanks to our work as the Best of Wine Tourism and we have been selected for the Oenotourisme Trophée.
7 - What is your favorite wine (red or white)? And why?
Our favorite wine is our old vintage red wines as our 2006, 2007 or 2008 because they are typical of our know-how and our terroir..
8 - Do you have a favorite restaurant near the winery? What is the most delicious dish in your opinion?
We really love the little restaurant in our small town, it is really typical of our region. And you also have a great restaurant close to our Château called La Fleur de Roques (check on internet). The best dish remains a big plate of different variety of cheese perfectly matching with wine.
9 - You can offer the most beautiful view (favorite point) of the vineyards or the surrounding landscape. May I ask you to take one or two photos of your favorite places? What does your castle look like?
Find enclosed
 Red rose  Red rose and Horse
10 - What is your choice for "Yellow Road"?
We choose Château Vieux Mougnac White Organic Sweet wine 2014
 Château Vieux Mougnac White Organic Sweet wine 2014
11 - If it's not a secret, tell us about your plans for the future ....
We are planting more white grape variety (Sémillon) this year.
12 - What white wine producer (from France or another country) would you recommend for Yellow Road?
We recommend Domaine de Valjulius
13 - What cultural event would you like to see at home: an exhibition, an opera, a ballet, something else or just your own events?
We are open to all type of events.
Sergey Evtuhov, author of the project "Yellow Road".
evtuhov@yahoo.com
If you move from Bordeaux to the south, then forty kilometers from Bordeaux you can find Château Jouvente. The owners of the Château Jouvente, son and father became real winemakers recently, but their achievements are impressive...
 Benjamin and David Gutmann INSTEAD OF EPIGRAPH
"As lovers of wine, we wanted to build a family company around three important factors: land, life and the development of a fine product. We fell in love with the Château Jouvente for the quality of its wines coupled with the technical team’s expertise. In June 2016, our dream of owning it became a reality.
The Château Jouvente lies in the heart of Illats, a town within the Graves appellation. The vineyard produces red wines of extraordinary character, elegance and fruitiness, as well as dry white wines that are fresh, aromatic and complex. Our wine variety is both typical and representative of the quality of wines produced in this beautiful region.
At the estate, you will see for yourself the level of passion and precision that go into this work. The two types of soil – clay/gravel and sand/gravel – are treated with sustainable agriculture methods. The core of the work is thus carried out by hand. Each Château Jouvente vintage exudes the elegance that characterises a great Graves wine.
The Château Jouvente team welcomes visitors interested in discovering its latest and old vintages on any day of the week. Tours are organised by Olivier, our technical officer, or Nathalie, our Graves wine specialist and are aimed at passing on knowledge. Each tour begins with a visit of the vineyard, the storehouse and the cellar and ends in a wine-tasting session of the estate’s produce as well as the Château Roumieu Sauternes wine belonging to Olivier".
David and Benjamin Gutmann
 Benjamin The questions of "Yellow Road" answers Benjamin Gutmann, co-owner of the Château Jouvente
1 - Any beautiful story has its beautiful beginning ... Your family in 2016 buys a Chateau Jouvente in the Bordeaux region, near Sauterns ... Why did the choice fell on this chateau?
My father wanted a place which would be a place for family gathering and for production. My father is a real amateur of wine and, once, we got the opportunity to visit some vineyards. The objective was to see if it was possible to buy a vineyard, even if I couldn't believe in this project. We had to spend few days in Bordeaux and Château Jouvente was the first vineyard to visit. We had a crush and we came back to Paris. It was in May 2015, Jouvente became us in June 2016. Why we did have this crush : beautiful and recent tool of production, high quality of wine, technical personnel who wanted to stay with us, nice house. Even if I couldn't imagine I would become a winemarker a day, it became suddenly natural... I started again my studies.
 In the cellar of the Château Jouvente  Château Jouvente (le Blanc 2015 de Château Jouvente a été médaille d’or du Concours général de Paris. Le Rouge 2014 et le Blanc 2015 Château Jouvente ont été lauréats du Trophée des Grands Crus des Graves.)
Very good question ! And the answer is yes. We had specially a crush for the white wine (15 to 20 % of the production), around only 8.000 bottles. We tasted the white wine 2014 : it was full of fruitness, with a good length in the mouth and the possibilité to recognize the different wine varieties we use (Sauvignon, Semillon and Muscadelle). When we had the first tasting, the owner put the red wines in the fridge. It was really difficult to judge them because they were too cold/
 White wine from Chateau Jouvente  Red wine from Chateau Jouvente Le Trophée des Grands Crus de Graves is, according to us, the most important award even if the recognition of this award is very low. Indeed it is the inner competition in Graves Appellation and the firsts phase of selection is realized by the winemakers of Graves themselves. That means that our wines is high quality and has a great typicity !
4 - Is your previous profession related to winemaking?
Absolutly not. I was working in the French Administration in International Relations. Anyway it learnt me how to build strategy and tactics.
5 - Now, a couple of years after you became a professional, can you already distinguish outstanding wine from the average?
Yes, the most important thing is the balance between the different wine varieties that are used, the length in the mouth, the fruitness and the flowerness, which means the maturity of the grapes during harvest. The wine is well-balanced between acidity and sweetness.
 White Grape Harvest  VIPs Chateau
6 - Where can I try your white wines? (countries, restaurants, etc.)
You can taste it mainly in France, but also in Asia (Hong-Kong, China and Taiwan). We chose to work directly with our clients. So I love to work and to meet great Chefs in restaurants (gastronomic and starred restaurants), and in wine-cellars.
 Still Life by Benjamin Gutmann It is a typical house of the 19th century. I send few pictures of our veranda.
 View of the castle  Veranda Chateau Red 2012, White 2016 and Red 2016. Those wines have a great typicity of Graves wines : elegant, fruitful, slightly with some touch of flowers and with character (fine structure, length in the mouse). The other wine I would advise you is Cuvée Solal 2016. The malo-lactic fermentation was done directly in oak barrels. The wine has suppleness, is very fuity and complex. The blend is : 50% merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petit Verdot.
 Vineyard Decoration OK
 Landscape number 1  Landscape number 2 Blanc 2015 and 2016 have great structure but it remains only 240 bottles of each. Blanc 2017 is more lightful because of the vintage (we got frost at the end of april and then the weather in september was humid...) but keeps a lot of freshness and fruitness (lemon, mandarine, peach).
11 - If it's not a secret, tell us about your plans for the future
We want to develop our exports and to develop our presence in gastronomic and starred restaurants. Indeed we would like to go on working with Chiefs and to know better their work. For the estate by itself we want to enhance our artistic and cultural program.
 Benjamin and Olivier  Harvest in good hands
12 - What white wine producer (from France or another country) would you recommend for Yellow Road?
For sweet wine : Château Roumieu, in Barsac, owned by Olivier Bernadet.
13 - What cultural event would you like to see at home: an exhibition, an opera, a ballet, something else or just your own events?
- exhibitions mainly on bodies. We welcome Caroline Desnoëttes paintings between October 2018 and April 2019.
- cultural events gathering people of the village : writing workshop, slam, poetry.
- concert : senegalese concert on the 5th of July, etc.
Furturmore we have a tasting place in Paris where we start to organize tastings, cultural events and exhibitions. For example we welcome Marie Casays last December and beginning of June we welcome Louise Mezel.
Last but not least, we ask to some artist to create our new labels : Marie Casays offered us a drawing for our second wine La Source de Château Jouvente, inspired by a painting named La Source from Dominique Ingres. Caroline Desnoëttes offered one of her more well-knowm painting : the head of a Panthere for our cuvée. This cuvée is only made when a baby from the new generation is born (5% of the red production). Solal in 2016, Noam in 2018 (integral vinification) and Elias 2019.
Sergey Evtuhov, author of the project "Yellow Road".
evtuhov@yahoo.com
On the "Yellow Road" good news: new members - winemakers from a unique region Languedoc. Languedoc are the Cathar castles, the most beautiful places on the coast near the Spanish border and ... great wines.
I thank Laurie Bousquet - Le Clos d’Elle - for the serious assistance she provided to us in preparing this publication.
 BEN, CLAUDE AND MATHIEU I hope this interview with Laurie will please our readers.
1 - What did Claude Bousquet do before 1987? And why the choice fell on Languedoc?
Claude was born in Cournonterral, in a region and a village where winegrowing and the culture of winemaking is like the air they breathe. After completing his mandatory military service in 1987, at the age 23, he returned to Cournonterral and began to slowly aquire small parcels of grapevines, among which were of course the traditional Languedoc varieties : Carignan, Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault for the reds but also Vermentino, a traditional Corsican variety, Chardonnay and Roussane. He began his work as a cooperateur, working with the large coopératives strictly as a winegrower, but he had always dreamed of creating his own wines, and thus founded his own wine cellar, Le Clos d’Elle, ten years ago. The terroir of this area is rocked between the cold Tramontagne winds from the north and the softer warmer winds that originate on the Mediterranean sea…the soil is pebbly and well drained and allows for interesting and complex herbal notes in the wines due to the « garrigue » land that surrounds the village.
 CLAUDE AND BEN
2 - Please share the story of your favorite white (yellow) wine.
Claude purchased land high in the garrigue, a parcel called « Rouviége », and planted Roussane there, using the grapes from this parcel to create a wine using classical vinification methods. When his son Mathieu rejoined the family business, he decided in 2016 to age a percentage of the Roussane in French oak barrels, creating more of a Rhone Valley style profile, adding toasted notes and complexity to the wine.
 VINE BUD  MATHIEU IN CAVEAU
3 - Do you prefer (it's important for you) the color of the wine?
The color of any wine is very important, because it gives you information about the wine : the age, the acidity, the style of wine.
4 - List, if possible, a set (gift box) of three-four own wines (red and white), which, in your opinion, can be worthy of representing your farm.
A good three bottle pairing representative of our domaine would be our Huis Clos, our Rouviége, and our limited edition Les Pontels chardonnay.
 BOTTLE RECOMMENDATIONS  BATCH(GAMME)  COULAZOU  BEN IN COULAZOU
6 - Your vineyards are located in fantastically beautiful places... What is your favorite place on the Mediterranean coast?
In our region , we like the Pyrenées Orientales and Catalogna…Coullioure is a beautiful village on the Languedoc Mediterranean coast. Nearby, we have also St Guilhem le Desert, one of the most beautiful villages in France. The ancient ruins of Château Aumelas are a special, secluded place not far from our domaine.
 COULLIOURE The Place de la Comedie, with the Opera, the Esplanade Charles de Galle and the elegant statue of the Three Graces, is one of the most iconic places in Montpellier. The Jardin des Plantes, located next to the most ancient medical school in Europe, is a tranquil oasis, where one can image Nostradamus and Balzac in their time (both students at the medical school at one time !) The Place de la Canourge is a quiet square of cafés with interesting history leading back to the Religious Wars in Montpellier and enjoys a beautiful view towards the cathedral, and the Place de la Peyrou and the aqueduct are equally iconic.
 PLACE de La COMEDIE, MONTPELLIER We would choose our Rouviége, mentioned above ; equally this year, we have introduced a small production of a single-parcel varietal wine called Les Pontels. It is exceptional.
 ROUVIEGE Every Friday during the summer, we host open events with live music, regional cuisine, local producers presenting oysters platters, tapas, and tielle (a regional specialty), dancing and of course tasting of all our wines. Occasionally as part of these events, we have art exhibitions, dance performances and even once a fashion show. We participate in numerous regional tasting events and festivals in the region as well.
10 - All dreams come true or something remains unfulfilled?
We continue to reshape our vineyard for the future as we enter our first year of our official conversion to organic, sustainable agriculture.
We hope to expand our presence in the sector of oenotourism with, eventually, the addition of a restaurant or bistro at the domaine ; we would like to also construct a glassblowing demonstration studio and education center, where guests can learn the magic of both glass and wine together.
For the moment, we just finished constructing our event hall two years ago, and will be continuing construction by creating a new wine caveau below the event hall for the vinification of our wines on site.
Sergey Evtuhov, author of the project "Yellow Road".
evtuhov@yahoo.com
 Florence Prud'homme, owner of the Château Saincrit In 2003, Florence Prud’homme took over Château Saincrit, located in Saint André de Cubzac in the north of the Gironde. This 23-ha estate with clay-limestone and sandy soil is made up of various varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sémillion, all characteristic of AOC Bordeaux Supérieur. The growing methods have been carefully considered with the aim of satisfying individual tastes without being unfaithful to the terroir. Château Saincrit offers a range of wines, from fresh, young wines to rich wines, complex in the mouth.
 Chateau Saincrit.  Florence Prudhomme,.. Chateau Saincrit The questions of "Yellow Road" answers Florence Prud'homme, owner of the Château Saincrit
1 - Why is your vineyard called "Château Saincrit"?
Vincent SAINCRIT, who was a miller by profession, decided at the end of the 19th century to replant vines instead of cereal on the hill of Montalon. He was the person who created the vineyard, of which still bears his name to this day. In 2003, I purchased the vineyard from his family and I kept the original name.
2 - Why is your area called Cubzac?
There are 2 possible origins: either CUBZAC comes from the name of a Celtic tribe that were called ‘the Cubes’ who occupied Bordeaux in the 1st century BC. Or it is a transformation based on the name of a local Gallo Roman character who was called CUPITUS.
3 - Please tell us how and why you became a winemaker?
I became a winemaker due to a desire to live a life that was close to nature. I found vines and that was it for me.
4 - Please share the story of your favorite white (yellow) wine.
In 2016, I was checking the vines before harvest and and I tasted the grapes to see if they were ripe and found them to be very sweet and subtle. I wanted to create a soft white wine, to keep the crispness of the grape and the sweetness of the pulp. From that, my wine ‘Butinage’ was born, an AOC Bordeaux moelleux.
 Chateau Saincrit, BUTINAGE
5 - Do you prefer (this is important to you) the color of the wine?
The color of the wine is very important, as it is the first spontaneous impression of the wine we have. For the whites, I prefer a pale yellow colour, which expresses the delicacy and the freshness of the wine.
6 - List, if possible, a set (gift box) of three or four of your own wines (red and white), which, in your opinion, may be worthy of the presentation of your farm
The wines most representative of my vineyard are FOUGUE, which is my flagship Merlot. LOVE & CABERNET, cuvée 100% cabernet sauvignon wich is very fruity and great of all occasions.
For the whites, L’EPHÉMÈRE consists of mostly sauvignon gray, which is full bodied and refreshing.
 Chateau Saincrit, L’EPHÉMÈRE  Chateau Saincrit FOUGUE  Chateau Saincrit, LOVE & CABERNET The vineyard has grown over the years due to several beautiful parcels becoming available near the château. With this, I immediately imagined all the new vintages that I could produce… each vintage has its birthplace.
8 - Your vineyards are located in fantastically beautiful places ... And what is your favorite place on the on the ocean coast? ? Do you manage to relax there?
The vineyards are beautifully located between Bordeaux St Emilion and Blaye. They sit on a hill called Montalon, that offers a superb view over the river ‘Dordogne’. To recharge my batteries, I walk up this hill and admire this landscape over the vineyards and water.
 Château Saincrit, Montalon  Vineyard at Chateau Saincrit
9 - Share your successes in winemaking, if they already have.
All dreams come true or something remains unfulfilled?
I prefer not to focus on success but rather my desires. The desire to create new wines, new labels as the vineyard evolves.
10 - You can offer the most beautiful view (favorite point) of the vineyards or the surrounding landscape. May I ask you to take one or two photos of your favorite places?
 Chateau Saincrit, Montalon
11 - Saint-André-de-Cubzac... Do you have favorite places there?
The hill of Montalon, it has a superb view!
12 - What is your choice for "Yellow Road"?
y choice for "Yellow Road" is my vintage EPHEMERE which is 100% sauvignon gris. However, I also do like the variation with the Bordeaux Moelleux BUTINAGE.
13 - If it's not a secret, tell us about your plans for the future ....
I never make plans, I progress with time...
14 - What white wine producer (from France or another country) would you recommend for Yellow Road?
I highly recommend my neighbours at Château l’insoumise.
15 - What cultural event would you like to see at home: an exhibition, an opera, a ballet, something else or just your own events?
I love the opera. I enjoy things when it is intense.
Sergey Evtuhov, author of the project "Yellow Road"
evtuhov@yahoo.com
 Maubats entrance  Cellar in Château les Maubats I am pleased to introduce a new member of the "Yellow Road",
Family winery Cadis Christophe and Ann Vinot
The farm, located on a hill and extending into a valley, is located in Roquebrune, in the Upper Entre-de-Mercs, between Dordogne and Garonne. The estate covers an area of 16.75 hectares, almost all of which are devoted to cultivation.
Vineyard occupies 7.92 hectares
 Christophe and Ann The questions of "Yellow Road" answers the owner of the chateau Cadis Christophe
1 - Why is your vineyard called "Château les Maubats"?
"Maubats" was the name of a small village located where is the vineyard today.
This village was destroyed during the French Revolution
2 - Christophe, you and Anna own Château les Maubats
Please tell us how and why you became winemakers?
My father loves Bordeaux wines and teach us (with my brother, when we were young adults) to taste them in good conditions.
It gives me THE reason to become a wine maker.It was 15 years ago
I was attracted than by working the vines outside, using the grapes to make the wine, and deciding which kind of wine I want to do with
So I decided to own my own vineyard. It took me 5 years to find the place of Château Les Maubats
 Harvesting in Château It is Bordeaux wines, sorry…
I have just taste one time an old bottle of 1964, from my grand mother cellar.
A sweat white wine of Château Giraud, Sauterne area.
It was a great memory
4 - Do you prefer (this is important to you) the color of the wine?
Yes. The color of a wine is the first meeting with a wine : it has to be pleasant enouigh to keep on with the tasting
 CALISTE DES MAUBATS  Chateau_Maubats_Blanc Our Bordeaux white wine 100 % sauvignon
Our special Cuvée called Bordeaux supérieur Caliste (2 years of maturity time in french oak barel)
Our Bordeaux supérieur made 1 year in oak barel too
6 - Share your successes in winemaking, if they already have.
Not yet !
7 - You can offer the most beautiful view (favorite point) of the vineyards or the surrounding landscape. May I ask you to take one or two photos of your favorite places?
 Harvesting sauvignon  Vineyard in June ---
9 - If it's not a secret, tell us about your plans for the future ....
We are just beginning to convert the viyard in organic culture. It will take 3 years to get the european certificate. That is our most important plan
10 - What white wine producer (from France or another country) would you recommend for Yellow Road?
Take your time and try to asociate french food to french white wine
11 - What cultural event would you like to see at home: an exhibition, an opera, a ballet, something else or just your own events?
We organize yet 2 events at the property :
- 9/10 june : a giant pick nick with a lot of attractions
- 5/6 october : the feast of the harvesting time
But we are open to welcome others events
Sergey Evtuhov, author of the project "Yellow Road"
evtuhov@yahoo.com
 Patrick Dursent(on right)  In the vineyard of Patrick Located in Tuire, in Aspra, between Roussillon and the high mountains of the Pyrenees-Oriental, the Architect Patrick Dürsent Domain produces wines typical of the Catalan region.
As the name implies, Patrick Dürsent previously worked as an architect. Driven by a passion for wine and a magnificent territory, which he opens with views of the mountains and the sea, he is trying to become a winemaker.
Domaine de l'Architecte is a small farm with 14 hectares of land that specializes mainly in quality and uses sustainable agriculture. In general, the annual production is 300 hectoliters, which is limited by the yield of about 20 hectoliters per hectare. Exploitation aims to produce the best wines of Roussillon. 6 different grape varieties are grown at a height on a very characteristic soil, different from the plain of Roussillon, with a cooler climate, well ventilated with tramontan and air. sailor. Harvesting takes place later than on the plain, and is done entirely by hand, with a very selective sorting of the best bunches of grapes.
 Sea Tasting , owner of Domaine de l Architecte, answers our questions.
1 - Patrick, please tell us what you did before the winemaking business. And why did you choose Languedoc?
I was Architect before working in Brest Brittany than I decided to change my life in 2013 and buy an old Wineyard in Roussillon.
Why Roussillon ? Because of the climate and the beautiful landscape between the sea and Mountains. I found in love with these parcels of sunny lands with old vines !
 Beautiful landscape between the sea and mountains...  and sheeps
2 - Please share the story of your favorite white (yellow) wine.
My favorite White wine is Grand Large Blanc a fine grenache very tasty. Expressive and well present bouquet with citrus and white flowers notes. Full and round on the palate with a nice covering length. “Grand Large Blanc” goes very well as an aperitif by itself, on a nice roasted poultry, or some goat cheese. This wine is the ideal companion for seafood and matches perfectly on a Breton lobster, pan-fried Saint-Jacques, or snacked lobster tails.
 Grand Large Blanc
3 - Do you prefer (it's important for you) the color of the wine?
I prefer White because of the aromas complexity and the numerous food paring it allows...
4 - List, if possible, a set (gift box) of three-four own wines (red and white), which, in your opinion, can be worthy of representing your farm
a gift-box of tow bottle Grand Large in Red and White !
 Grand Large in Red and White
5 - Your vineyards are located in fantastically beautiful places... What is your favorite place on the Mediterranean coast?
Collioure and banyuls-sur-mer beautiful towns over the sea
 Collioure...  Beach in Banyuls-sur-mer  Harvesting (photo 1)  Harvesting (photo 2)
7 - What is your choice on the "Yellow Road"?
--------
8 - What cultural event would you like to see at home: an exhibition, an opera, a ballet, something else or do you have enough of your own events?
An exibition would be good !
9 - Please tell us about your project "Sponsor Vines". What exactly does your sponsor get? How many bottles and how long will customer wait for your gift?..
All your dreams come true or something remains unfulfilled?
My sponsor vines project is in to ensure sponsor to get good bottles 18 /12/ or 6 over tow years with a lower price !
10 - Which white wine producer (from France or another country) would you recommend for the "Yellow Road"?
Domaine la Gémière en Sancerre !
Sergey Evtuhov, author of the project "Yellow Road"
evtuhov@yahoo.com
P.S. Collioure and Banyuls-sur-mer are located almost on the border with Spain. Banyuls-sur-mer, the birthplace of Aristide Maillol. Collioure, "homeland" Fauvism...
Colliore
“Nowhere in France is the sky blue than in Collioure. I will just open the shutters of my room, and here in front of me are all the colors of the Mediterranean "
Henri Matisse
 Colliore Beach  Henri Matisse,"Roofs of Collioure"...  Banyuls-sur-mer  sculptor Aristide Maillol, "The mediterranean"...
 Chateau Saint Martin de la Garrigue  In the courtyard of the estate Today our guest is a new member of the “Yellow Road” from Languedoc ...
Just below is a quote from the estate site ... The property has 160 hectares of land: vineyards, olive groves, pine forests and harrigues. The word "harriga" until recently was unfamiliar to me ... But, probably, its role is so great that it is also present in the name of the winery. A harriga, it turns out - just thickets of shrubs and fragrant herbs ...
“In the south of France between Béziers and Montpellier, in the heartland of the Languedoc where the Mediterranean beckons, Château Saint Martin de la Garrigue works its charms. The estate, centred around its Renaissance château, spreads out as a mosaic of ordered vineyards and olive groves, pine forest and the typical Mediterranean bushland (“garrigue”).
As the visitor arrives at Saint Martin de la Garrigue, the overwhelming first impression is of harmony between the estate's exuberant natural surroundings and the works of man. With the passage of time, successive owners have left their mark and the result today is a perfect balance between history and modernity.
Evolving continuously, the Languedoc vineyard region has recovered an identity. We at Saint Martin de la Garrigue have made our contribution to this reconstruction, fully aware of the outstanding potential of the Languedoc's terroir.”
 The manager of the estate Jean-Luc Parret The manager of the estate Jean-Luc Parret answers our questions.
1- Tell us, please, how and why did you become the manager of the chateau? Should the manager be well versed in wine?
After graduating from the Sorbonne (trade with the countries of Eastern Europe) and studying the course “Planned Economy”, my fate led me to Russia, where I was engaged in various business areas and “lingered” for a long twenty years. I was a representative of the brands associated with a beautiful and eco-friendly lifestyle - L’Occitaine, Faconable, Aigle ...
Over time, passionately carried away with wine and winemaking process. I became the representative of the company VineaTransaction, specializing in the sale of wine-making property in France. One of the clients suggested that I become an estate manager. So my dream came true, and I began to do what I loved.
2 - Please share your favorite white wine story.
When you take part in all processes and do it with love, then there can be no unloved ones as with children.
But, a special wine, with a unique history I can highlight. This is picpoul (picpoul de pinet). Wine is made from 100% white picpoul - one of the oldest varieties of France, whose history goes back over a thousand years. The vineyards are located on the hills near the seaside bay. What, together with the sandy soils of deep occurrence, gives the wines a soft mineral flavor, slightly salty taste with hints of iodine.
Picpoul is a very fragile variety and working with it is not easy. Many growers prefer to harvest in early - mid-September to avoid possible damage from rain or wind. Chateau Saint-Martin de la Garrigue prefers to wait until the berries reach maximum maturity. We harvest in October, often losing in quantity, but preserving the recognizable wine profile - the mineral wine is saturated with velvety notes of peach, acacia flowers and honey. A rich bouquet of wine appreciated by famous wine critics. In particular, Tim Atkin (Tim Atkin’s Jury, London), who recognized Chateau Saint-Martin de la Garrigue picpoul as one of the 10 best white wines of Languedoc.
who recognized the of Chateau Saint-Martin de la Garrigue as one of the 10 best white wines of Languedoc.
 Famous picpoul Chateau Saint-Martin de la Garrigue...  and map with picpoul zone This is true. The St Barth farm, which belongs to the Tarbouriech family, practices exclusive production technologies. The main feature is that mollusks in the process of growing leave "sunbathe" in the sun for several days. Before that, they “train” for a long time: them are daily lifted into the air and lowered into the water, imitating the tides of the sea, in order to strengthen the muscles of the mollusks, which in the future must resist the sun.
Due to ultraviolet exposure, oyster shells acquire a characteristic pink hue. They are much cleaner and tastier. The external beauty of the shell is enhanced by unusual taste properties - a crisp reception with an exquisite fruit and berry aftertaste, where there are notes of walnut and mango.
 Still life with oysters and wine in the estate  Pink oysters straight from the bay of To According to reviews of experts and numerous clients of the farm, the “duet” of Tarbouriech oysters with a picpoul Saint-Martin is recognized as the best.
We offer a tour of the castle and cellars with wine tasting: 7 euro / person
According to the application, we can make a wine tasting with Tarbouriech oysters in the castle: from 35 Euro / person
4 - Do you prefer (this is important to you) the color of the wine? Can picpool be called yellow wine? Is it produced in other regions of France?
I pay attention to the color of wine, but I can not say that I pay much attention to this. I am interested in the bouquet, taste and longness. Like deep rich colors. But it all depends on the varieties, the region. They are usually produced in the Jura region
Picpoul can not be called "yellow." Color picpoul: straw with green reflections
5 - List, if possible, a set (gift box) of three or four of your own wines (red and white) that you think may be worthy of the presentation of your estate.
We can offer a set of wines "bronzinelle" - this is our "premium" line (haut de gamme): white, pink and red
Often companies take our wines for gifts to VIP clients. For example, Gres de Montpellier red wine with 15 months aging in barrels, in a heavy Burgundy bottle with a “Languedoc cross”.
 Bronzinelle: white, pink and red  Red wine "Gres de Montpellier"
6 - Please share your achievements in winemaking ...
Numerous medals and certificates, reviews in wine guides tell us about our successes.
I can especially highlight:
91/100 from Robert Parker (world-renowned expert, produces the same wine guide) for our red Bronzinelle 2016 (bronzinelle rouge)
92 + / 100 from Robert Parker for the red Gres de Montpellier 2015 (Gres de Montpellier)
High marks for Bronzinelle white and red, Gres de Montpellier in the book of famous sommelier Rosemary V. Gorge
 "Harvest" prizes Chateau Saint-Martin de la Garrigue  and here too are the achievements of Chateau Saint-Martin de la Garrigue I like Languedoc. Incredible landscapes near the lake
Salagu, the endless beaches of Marseyan, the volcanic bays of Cap d Agda ...
But, being a Provencal, I still prefer native edges. There I rest there in La Poulle Mondel -a small town near Cannes. Incredibly beautiful bay between two ancient castles.
 Lake Salagou, Languedoc  Beach at Mandelieu-la-Napoule, Provence Indeed, these cities are close to the estate. But, public transport does not reach us. Customers come by car or we order a car for them with a driver.
9 - What is your choice for "Yellow Road"?
We offer our white ecological wines (certified by the ecological organization Terra vitis):
Tradition (Tradition blanc, AOC Coteaux de Languedoc) is a light, sparkling wine. We offer to take with you on a picnic or a friendly party. Also, thanks to the citrus finale, it refreshes well in the heat, “quenches thirst”.
Bronzinelle (Bronzinelle blanc, AOC Coteaux de Languedoc) is a wine that has won numerous awards (gold medals of the competition in Macon and from the guide Bettan and Desuv, 16/20 and two stars from the guide Ashett). Recommended for fish, cheese
Picpoul (picpoul, AOC Picpoul de Pinet). Gourmet celebration with oysters at the bay!
 Bronzinelle (st Martin de la Garrigue bronzinelle blanc)  Gourmet feast with oysters at the bay Yes, indeed, in the castle were shooting several TV series, as well as the film Les vieux fourneaux (a possible translation, Old bastards) with Pierre Richard.
Before each difficult scene, he asked the assistant to bring a glass of red Bronzinelle! It was an honor for us to treat the Master.
 Pierre Richard and Jean-Luc Parret in the courtyard of the chateau  Pierre Richard with friends on the set of the series in the castle of Saint-Martin de la Garrigue
11 - If it's not a secret, tell us about your plans for the future ...
Expand the estate. Currently, we supply wines to different countries of the world - USA, Japan, Europe, China. So far, the wines of Saint Martin are not represented in Lithuania. Let's set such a task!
12 - What white wine producer (from France or another country) would you recommend for "Yellow Road"?
I really love Meursault from Burgundy. I recommend to extend the road there!
Sergey Evtuhov, author of the project "Yellow Road"
evtuhov@yahoo.com
 Basile, Roman, Gael & Samuel Guibert  Winery Mas Daumas Gassac Today is a meeting with the last participant of the Yellow Road this year - the legendary winery from France Mas de Daumas Gassac. France has already been represented by winemakers from Burgundy, Nantes, Provence and Bordeaux. Now the region Languedoc.
So, the first results of the project ... Twenty-six participants from Italy, France, Spain and Switzerland ... But most of all there were participants from Italy: Veneto, Friuli-Venezia-Julia, Piedmont, Tuscany, Umbria, Sardinia, Sicily ... And even two (special guest ) guest of the road who did not have white wine (or was, but in a small amount), and there was olive oil of the highest quality, and even one guest with red wine.
In total, for the first six months of work, the site was visited by about 70,000 people. Immediately after the New Year, the author of the project will try to organize for his Vilnius friends an amateur wine tasting from the “Yellow Road”. And for winemakers - participants of this competition prizes will be prepared: 3-5 pictures, photos of which will be published here on the site. The winners awarding scheme will be very simple: three, five or six participants, whose wine we like more than other wines, will all be named winners of the competition. And the first issue (gold) chooses a picture that he likes more than others. The second number (silver) chooses from the remaining 2- 4, etc. Those winemakers who have sent their wine for tasting have already been allowed to participate in the competition automatically.
 Daumas Gassac Exterior terroir  Landscape with a horse
France’s legendary winery Mas de Daumas Gassac is expanding its presence in Asia and is releasing its latest vintages for 2018.
(press release for 2018, which I saw on the company's website)
Despite its modest designation and location in the South of France, in the Languedoc commune of Aniane, the Mas de Daumas Gassac vineyard is universally revered for its outstanding red and white wines. Out of its 2016 vintage, only 7,500 cases were produced, with some set to be released in spring 2018. The family winery, founded by Véronique and Aimé Guibert – and now run by their four sons Samuel, Gaël, Roman and Basile – has single-handedly rewritten the history of winemaking for the region of Languedoc. Known for a century as a place where only cheap table wines were produced, the Guiberts were instrumental in showing that this region in the south of France could produce world-class wines. For 2018, the winery is presenting its Red Grand Vin 2016, produced with the estate’s new press which has allowed for unparalleled extraction. This wine, produced from 40-year-old vines, has a high freshness, and tastes of ripe fruits such as cassis. To be drunk while young, this is an explosive vintage not to be missed. The estate is renowned for its whites and for 2018, it is releasing its White Grand Vin 2016. It features the Mas de Daumas Gassac white signature: exotic fruits and light sap notes; a fresh finish and a dash of saltiness. This well- carved profile is made up of 8.1% rare grape varieties. Mas de Daumas Gassac’s wines are grown on a “magic” terroir strikingly similar to the best of Burgundy, and cool microclimate gifting finesse and complexity to its vintages. It is here that Véronique and Aimé Guibert, first- time wine-makers, made their home and developed the Mas de Daumas Gassac wines, which are today still grown on 52 small vineyard plots amongst 3,000 hectares of protected forest. Their sons still see to the old ways of winemaking, ensuring that the wine is conceived and aged following European traditions with the highest standards. The estate has earned a rare “cult” status since being founded in the 1970s. French gastronomic guide Gault & Millau hailed the winery as the “Lafite Rothschild of the Languedoc”, and The Times compared its vintages to “Latour”. British wine critic Michael Broadbent ranked its vintages among the 10 best in the world, while wine guru Robert Parker applauded them as “exceptional”. In 1991, the estate also debuted its Moulin de Gassac selection, which was voted the world’s best wine by the International Wine Challenge in London just two years later. These compelling, single vineyard wines are the estate’s range of accessible vintages that combine elegance and freshness, and reflect the Mas de Daumas Gassac philosophy and craft. These are now marketed in 90 different countries.
 Basile, Roman, Gael & Samuel Guibert The questions of "YR" are answered by the Samuel Guibert, owner/winemaker of the MAS DAUMAS GASSAC
1 - What can the readers of the "Yellow Road" learn about the owners of the vineyard MAS DAUMAS GASSAC?
The Mas de Daumas Gassac estate was founded by Aimé & Veronique Guibert in the late 60’s and became the pioneer vineyard for Grands Crus wine quality in the region. Daumas Gassac is now ran by the 2nd generation (since 2000) - Basile, roman, Gael & Samuel Guibert (4 brothers)
2 - You have two vineyards: DAUMAS GASSAC and MOULIN DE GASSAC. Is there a significant difference between them?
The Mas de Daumas Gassac is the original Grand Crus vineyard, founded by Aimé & Veronique Guibert in the late 60’s and pioneer of the fine wine of the Languedoc region. these vineyard are located on the unique and “magic” Gassac terroir, organically farmed since the beginning of the 19th century. Our vineyard is organic because our spirit and our beliefs lean naturally toward respect for and protection of the earth, the environment and nature. No insecticides, weed killers or chemical fertilisers have ever been used at Daumas Gassac. Horse and sheep manure are the only organic supplement enriching the earth. The birds from the hedgerows and the scrub surrounding the vines are our natural pesticides.
 Samuel Guibert The Moulin de Gassac vineyards were founded toward the end of the 80’s from some of the best stony hillside vineyards overlooking the Mediterranean sea (Villeveyrac area), this beautiful area of old vines is known for producing some of the lowest yields resulting in generous, original wines. These wines enable you to discover the fascinating terroir and diversity of our region and offer some of the best value for money wine one can find.
 Daumas Gassac Blanc  Daumas Gassac Rouge
3 - What is your favorite wine (red or white)? And why?
The Mas de Daumas Gassac white because it allies everything - explosive aromas, very complex and lengthy palate, freshness and ageability.
Four noble grape varieties, all estate farmed, dominate: Viognier from the Rhône, Petit Manseng from the Pyrenees, Chenin from the Loire and Chardonnay from Burgundy, (20 percent of each) completed with about 15 grape varieties from some of the most famous wine regions around the world. They merge brilliantly to create the outstandingly well balanced white Daumas Gassac. The blend of these 20 grape varieties gives birth to a Grand Vin, pure and fresh, with mouth-watering fruity savours and a voluptuous texture.
 Daumas Gassac Emile Peynaud  Daumas Gassac Frizant
4 - List, if possible, a set (gift box) of four own wines (red and white), which, in your opinion, can adequately represent your farm.
Mas de Daumas Gassac rouge
Mas de Daumas Gassac blanc
Mas de Daumas Gassac rosé Frisant
And cuvée Emile Peynaud (only a production of 200 bottles every 5-6 years)
 St-Guilhem-le-Desert
5 - Your vineyards are located in beautiful places. Have you thought about building your own tourist way.. What will be the length of the route? And what attractions in your area would you recommend to visit?
We already have our own touristic & cultural way with most people visiting the Mas de Daumas Gassac estate, usually continue to discover the stunning village of St Guilhem Le Desert (from the 8th century) and magnificent Heart valley.
This can be done in half a day
 Ham, melon, goat cheese, fig... Picture of Daumas Gassac white wine with food
 Landscape in Daumas Gassac  Landscape in Daumas Gassac  Team from Daumas Gassac
7 - You can offer the most spectacular view (favorite point) on vineyards or the surrounding landscape.
50 ha of deep and well-drained soil, free of pesticides, fertilisers and chemicals, the terroir of Mas de Daumas Gassac, similar to
the best parts of Burgundy, was rediscovered in 1971 by Henri Enjalbert, Professor of Geology at Bordeaux University, who considered the Gassac valley to be “the ideal and unique terroir to produce a Grand Vin”. The Estate is divided into more than fifty-two
small vineyard plots amongst 3.000 hectares of protected forest.
8 - If it's not a secret, what are your plans for the future?
Further the distribution of the Mas de Daumas Gassac wines throughout the world and continue bringing Excellency to all the wine lovers from our estate.
 Roman & Samuel GUIBERT Our Favourite restaurant in the vicinity is called “De Lauzun” , located in the little charming town of Pézénas, one star Michelin. Authentic Mediterranean food with a marvellous local wine list.
10 - What kind of platform can you offer for the cultural program Yellow Road: exhibition space, cinema hall, etc. Or do you have your own cultural projects?
We collaborate every year with Cinemed: International festival of Mediterranean cinema. We are also sponsor of the Music festival from our village Saint Guilhem le desert. And every summer we have an evening concert in the estate inviting some international Jazz groups.
For us, it is extremely important to promote our Mediterranean culture, our patrimoine and of our course our lovely wines from Languedoc. We created also a wine festival “Festival des vins d’Aniane” which is becoming bigger every year in order to invite the best winemakers from our village Aniane and showing the quality of our fabulous wines coming from Aniane terroir.
11 - Which white wine producer (from France or another country) would you recommend for the Yellow Road?
Raveneau from Chablis
Sergey Evtuhov, author of the project "Yellow Road" and Victorine BABE, export area Manager (Mas Daumas Gassac).
evtuhov@yahoo.com
 Maria Rossella Bencini...  and her Red Vineyards As I promised you in the article “Will the Yellow Road through Livorno pass? ..”, the owner of the wonderful Tuscan winery Fattoria di Bacchereto Mrs Maria Rossella Bencini will answer the questions. Fattoria di Bacchereto is located very close to Carmignano. And to Florence only 40 kilometers! ..
Fattoria di Bacchereto is situated on the wooded hills that cover Montalbano. The estate has been owned by the family since the 1920s.
The vineyard area is 8 hectares, olive trees are planted on 60 hectares, and the remaining 90 hectares are forests and chestnut groves. All in all, Fattoria di Bacchereto has about 160 hectares of land.
 Alberto Harvest What distinguishes the production of Fattoria?
Careful care of the vineyard without the use of herbicides, chemical fertilizers or pesticides, traditional winemaking practice without the addition of yeast, when the future wine is aged in small oak barrels of 350 liters.
What grape varieties? .. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Black Canaiolo, Tuscan Trebbiano, Malvasia del Chianti
About 20,000 bottles are produced annually.
 View of Carmignano  Apartments in Fattoria di Bacchereto Fattoria di Bacchereto has its own apartments, so they can be easily found on TripAdvisor. I could not resist and just copied one of the reviews on this site:
"This is such a beautiful place that we chose it for our wedding. Wonderful reception. Mrs. Rossella is simply charming. They produce award-winning wines (and we understand why), they are absolutely biodynamic. All guests liked their wines, and the lucky ones who stayed overnight They even got a very good breakfast the next day. With very tasty Tuscan sausage, jams, etc. Excellent butter and honey too. The place is beautiful, with a breathtaking view of the valley of Bisenzio. And the rooms are in typical Tuscan style. "
 Rossella Bencini...  and Evening landscape with wine (full version) The questions of "YR" are answered by the Rossella Bencini, owner of the Fattoria di Bacchereto.
1 - The history of creating your favorite white (yellow) wine.
The history of our white wine is very simple: all our white grapes are old varieties of typical Tuscan grapes “Trebbiano Toscano” and “Malvasia del Chianti” coming from an old vineyard 50 years old, so we decided to produce also white wine, as we did with the red, with ancient methods, avoiding chemicals at all..and we obtained a White Wine very structured and refined both at sight and taste
2 - Do you prefer (it's important for you) the color of the wine?
The color of wine is very important because It represents the first thing that we can see.. as it happens for people, also for wines the look is the first thing that affects us .
Our wine, as every good wine, has a beautiful and bright color.. and particularly the colour of my natural White wine is sparkling gold yellow.
 Sassocarlo Terre a Mano - Bianco IGT Toscana  Terre a Mano - Carmignano DOCG  Vin Santo di Carmignano DOC We produce only four kinds of wine, Red, White, Vin Santo and RedPassito. Each of them rapresent my farm but maybe,the most representative could be the red wine Carmignano Terre a Mano, red wine.. because it is the wine with which I started my hard work with biodinamic approach and we grew up together
4 - Your company produces several wines, olive oil and it seems honey.. ... Did you have a desire to concentrate on one thing?
I love what I do , that’s my agricultural work,so I’d like to do more things, not less… The country side life is a multitasking life, It could be impossible to do only one thing ,and not useful : specialization is typical of industry, and of current era, but the agricultural craft must not follow the laws of mechanical and chemical industry, because it deals with the nature.. that is living … so it must free itself from a mechanistic vision and rediscover a vision linked to the reality of natural phenomena, that are complex and have their own laws that’s impossibile to change.
 Team of Fattoria di Bacchereto: nice,  ...brave,  ...energetic
Can a tourist live in your hotel? Is it convenient for them to travel to the famous Tuscan cities?..
Everyday we guide some wine tours here and people enjoy it very much. They can walk around vineyards, hear how we produce different kinds of wines, and taste ours products. It’s a beautiful experience! Tuscany is a rich region and the people that visit it are very lucky!
Yes, tourists can stay in our Fattoria di Bacchereto: we have some simple, fully equipped , typical Tuscan apartments to rent for holidays- the place is very quiet, surrounded by vineyards and woods , and people can visit a lot of wonderful cities ,that are very close, like Florence,(25 km) Lucca, Pisa and Siena but sleeping in a natural oasis!
It’s very easy to travel to the famous touristic destinations : we are located on a hill, but only 6 km.far from the plain, where after 6 km.more we could reach the Autostrada to go everywhere: in one hour we could also go to the sea and the beaches of Viareggio and Forte dei Marmi!
6- You can offer the most beautiful view (favorite point) on vineyards or the surrounding landscape?
 Beautiful land 7 - Your choice for the "Yellow Road"?
8- What cultural event would you like to see at home: an exhibition, an opera, a ballet or something else? A fan of what kinds of art you are?
I love all kinds of art….Winemaking is an art.. I sometimes hosted several kinds of arts in my farm, the place lends itself especially to theater performances and concerts.
9 - You have a vineyard, there is wine, what would you like to add to this picture? Expand the vineyard, improve the wine, increase sales? If it's not a secret, what are your plans for the future?
The nature is dynamic and full of life, so I’d like to add to wind, clouds and sun also also animals as cows, sheeps, goats and chicken, to recreate a really true to nature, complex, agriculture
10 - Which white wine producer (from Italy or another country) would you recommend for the "Yellow Road"?
I recommend every producer of my group “Renaissance des Appellations” and particularly the Founder of the group, who is Nicolas Joly : he with his family produces a wonderful, shiny as a blade, White Wine in his exceptional vineyard la Coulée de Serrant, located in the Loire Valley of France.
Sergey Evtuhov, author of the project
evtuhov@yahoo.com
 Owner Alina Pinelli and her daughter Stella cooking pasta during a cooking a class These are not my words, this is a review of one of the visitors to the estate of Il Fontanaro. I myself was not in Il Fontanaro, so I cannot confirm or refute the words of a culinary school student. Fontanaro has its own wine, but Fontanaro’s specialty is a culinary school and olive oil production.
 Still-life from Fontanaro  Evening at Fonte della Pace Il Fontanaro is an Organic Olive and Grape farm, Villas, Olive Oil Slow Food Presidium and Culinary school
There are few places where you can find serenity, explore medieval hill towns, Etruscan art, and historic cities, and enjoy great food and extraordinarily welcoming hosts. Fontanaro offers all that and much more. The Country slow Living estate has five luxury locations, and can accommodate to more than 50 persons. All have AC, WIFI and infinity swimming pools. They are: Fontanaro, Tartagli, Fontegirasole, Fonte della Pace and Fonte Cicerum.
 Culinary school students at work  ...and after work The main Fontanaro estate was built in 1893 and contains a beautifully restored two story stone farmhouse with two separate luxury homes. Located in Umbria, the green heart of Italy on the border of Tuscany, the property is set on 40 acres with 3.000 olive trees and a small vineyard.
 In the daytime in the Fonte della Pace  The Entrance in the Villa Fonte Cicerum The view lends itself to rolling green hills facing breathtaking sunsets and sunrise like a Perugino’s painting. There is a bread oven, a Weber barbecue and a large private Infinity swimming pool with high-performance salt chlorinator (14 x 6m) with a maxi Jacuzzi.
 Fontanaro Gold Medal Awards 2016, New York
2018 Gold Medal Awards, New York (please look at the link)
https://bestoliveoils.com/brands/olio-fonte-della-pace
 ...2016 London
2018 Gold Medal Awards, london (please look at the link)
http://www.londonoliveoil.com/awards-results-2018/#(grid|filter)=.gold
 Il Fontanaro, view from above
Plants from which we extract Fontanaro olive oil are grown on sunny slopes, far from factories and traffic congested roads, in an unpolluted natural environment.
We recycle all the garbage and we don’t use any chemicals.
We return the residues of the oil processing as natural fertilizer to the soil.
Our oil has a very fruity taste with bitter and spicy notes and is very rich of unique flavors. In our own mill, the cold press process is applied within 6 hours of the olive picking to guarantee the very best quality oil."
Alina Pinelli
Sergey Evtuhov, author of the project "Yellow Road"
evtuhov@yahoo.com
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