After the
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine La Martinelle in Lafare, Ventoux, with Owner/ Winemaker Corinna Kruse Faravel - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
and before the
Cellar Tour and Tasting, including from Barrel, at Domaine Marcel Richaud in Cairanne, Southern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker Claire Richaud
we had lunch at Lunch at Restaurant Le Mesclun in Séguret, Southern Rhône.
Before lunch, we had time to wander around. Séguret literally hugs the hillside topped by the ruins of its feudal château. Séguret is one of the official "most beautiful villages in France", and thoroughly deserves this distinction. You cannot withstand the charm of this medieval atmosphere and the historical treasures of this village.
Séguret
Séguret could be described as “vertically challenged”! Classified “most beautiful village in France”, it demands strong legs and a good pair of lungs. Narrow alleys, little stone houses, tiny sun-drenched squares… it is a place that has preserved all its ancient charm. Séguret in fact means “safe” or “secure” in Provencal. And there is another reason for which this village, which has enjoyed appellation status since 1967, wins the hearts of its admirers: its wines.
Less powerful than those of its close neighbours at Cairanne, Rasteau, or even Plan de Dieu, the appeal of its reds lies in their elegance and freshness, qualities much appreciated in these southern vineyards. Most Séguret wines include grapes from the three terroirs associated with the appellation: the fertile terraces of the valley of the Ouvèze, the clayey-limestone slopes around the village itself and, behind the village, the poorer arid soils of the steeper hillsides. This diversity of soils is exploited by the wine-growers to produce wines with the complexity and balance required by the canons of the appellation. The rosés and whites also have a distinctive freshness, with notes of exotic fruits and white blossom.
Séguret AOC red wines are made from a minimum of 70% Grenache grapes, together with Syrah and Mourvèdre (making up at least 20% of the blend). These are sombre, deep-red wines, which sparkle in the light. The bouquet is redolent of vanilla and mocha, followed by the aromas of jam and liquorice. On the palate, the wine is initially smooth and concentrated, the tannins persisting with hints of roasted coffee.
The main constituent of rosé blends is the Grenache grape, associated with Syrah and Mourvèdre (more than 20% of the blend), with other varieties permitted by the appellation (Cinsault…) restricted to 20%. The resulting wines are non-sparkling, a light pink in colour. The nose is a cheerful combination of peardrop and crushed strawberry, while in the mouth the wine is mellow with notes of red-berry fruits.
The appellation’s whites are made mainly from Roussanne and Marsanne grapes. They are an attractive straw colour with a gentle, very floral nose suggestive of peach, pear and citrus fruits. The attack is full-bodied, developing delightfully subtle flavours.
Signs of the Roman colonisation at Séguret provide the earliest evidence of viticulture in the region. The archaeological finds include an altar to Silvanus, represented with a cooper’s mallet. The presence of vineyards in the region is first documented in the founding charter of the Monastery of Prébayon (611).
Séguret’s vocation as a wine-growing area developed, from the 10th century, under the authority of the counts of Toulouse, then the princes of Orange. In the 13th century, the County became papal territory. Writings of the period mention wine from Séguret as being much in demand, a sign of its growing reputation.
The first wine-growers’ confraternity headed by a woman, the ‘baylesse’, was founded at Séguret in 1685. The local wine-growers revived this association in 1985 as the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Gouste-Séguret Compagnons de Saint-Vincent!
The area was granted its Côtes du Rhône Villages Séguret appellation in 1967.
Lunch at Restaurant Le Mesclun in Séguret
We enjoyed the gorgeous view from the restaurant’s terrace to the vineyard covered valley below and the fabolous lunch.
Le Mesclun - Gault/ Millau 11/20
Sur les hauteurs, la table offre en intérieur comme en extérieur, un cadre des plus agréables. Depuis la terrasse aux murets de pierre, la vue panoramique est un plaisir inaltérable ; tandis que la salle minimale aux accents scandinaves respire d’une belle couleur, entre bois clair et bel usage de l’espace. Chez Christophe et Lucie, la saveur est à la fois d’ici et d’ailleurs, dans un esprit qui joue entre les partitions fusion et les souvenirs du terroir. Dressées avec goût, les assiettes délivrent ainsi le foie gras « aux effluves des souks de Casablanca », le cabillaud et ses légumes dans un court bouillon thaï, le pigeon aux herbes du maquis. Service souriant.
Plat - Dessert
Bye-bye
Thanks Chef Christophe Bonzi for an outstanding meal.
Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France (Already Released and Forthcoming Postings)
Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
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Lunch at Restaurant Le Mesclun in Séguret, Southern Rhône
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