Joe Breen meets a wine maker who is stirring things up in an almost forgotten corner of Bordeaux
Yves Picant is the kind of French winemaker you might imagine in a Fawlty Towers cameo. With his slicked-back hair, rounded torso, and eyes loaded with mischief and the rigours of the night before, he is just short of saying 'allo, 'allo to complete the theatrical picture.
But Picant is no joke. And though he certainly enjoys a laugh, he and his wife, Nadine, have been single-minded in their determination to make the almost forgotten Bordeaux appellation of Sainte-Foy a contender again. In 1986 they bought Château de Granges, a 42-hectare vineyard, and renamed it Hostens-Picant. Then they set about upgrading the vineyard, both in the fields and in the production process, before unveiling their first commercial wine, in 1990.
Sainte-Foy is as far east as you can go and still lay claim to the Bordeaux umbrella; it's 24km from the beautiful village of Saint-Emilion. Before the Picants came along the area was mainly producing workmanlike reds and undistinguished whites in association with the local co-op. According to a small mention in Jancis Robinson's Oxford Companion to Wine, Sainte-Foy's "red wines are very similar to red Bergerac and Bordeaux AC, while its white wines . . . are sweet and mostly undistinguished".
This certainly does not describe the three wines of Hosten-Picant. There is a very drinkable red, the Rouge 2001, with vivid, berry aromas, and an extraordinary white, Cuvée des Demoiselles 2002, which delivers a complex array of dense sweet peachy flavours, undercut by a sharp acidity and judicious use of oak. This is a blend of mostly Semillon (50 per cent) with Sauvignon Blanc (45 per cent) and Muscadelle (5 per cent), the Semillon giving the wine a fetching fatness. The Rouge is a blend of Merlot (70 per cent), Cabernet Franc (20 per cent) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10 per cent).
As with its Saint-Emillion neighbours, Merlot dominates the property's best wine, the Lucullus 2000. This is 98 per cent Merlot with 2 per cent Cabernet Franc, and the result is a special wine of smooth assurance and resounding richness. Eighteen months in new oak has given it hints of vanilla mixed with summer berries, while in the mouth it is a superb blend of concentration and balance. And, Picant says it will get better. I wouldn't doubt it. He also says that the appellation is undergoing a renewal, with more people now aiming to make better wine.
Lucullus 2000 costs €32.99-€34.99; the Rouge and Cuvée des Demoiselles cost €19.99-€21.99 and are available from Bridge House Off-Licence, Co Meath; The Naked Grape, Cork; Simply the Best, Co Kildare; The Wine Centre, Kilkenny; Redmonds of Ranelagh, Dublin 6; and McCabes, Foxrock and Mount Merrion, Co Dublin. u jbreen@irish-times.ie
CHIANTI TASTING The Institute of Masters of Wine is holding a tasting of Chianti Riserva and selected Indicazione Geografica Tipica wines from the strong 2001 vintage at the Stillorgan Park Hotel, Dublin, on Monday, April 24th from 10.30am to 2.30pm. Tickets cost €25 for members/registered MW students/friends of the IMW and €40 for everybody else. Contact Dermot Nolan MW at 01-2889651.