The drive over to Maury from Latour was quick and easy, which meant we arrived at the Cave Cooperative with plenty of time to check out the wines – and our memories, as it’s been a good few years since we were here last!
Turning down the offer of a degustation at 10:30am, we did our best to remember what we had liked so much about the wines from this area, aided by a very helpful assistant who tried to find us on their computer system (no joy) and the tasting notes (luckily for us – also in English!).
We think one of the reasons we love the wine here is that it is predominantly Grenache noir grapes, grown on soil with the ‘schiste’ characteristics that make it very similar to Priorat from Spain, one of our all time favourites! Although Maury is also famous for its own vin doux, (similar to Rivesaltes and Banyuls) we much prefer the ‘dry’ reds as they are known here.
We have tried to learn about the wines in the regions we have travelled through over the years, and although our understanding is quite limited, it has made tasting the very different wines across different regions and countries we have travelled though so much fun. The difficult bit we have come to realise, is remembering which wines are similar and the variety of names for the same grape in different countries!
Leaving the Coop with a few bottles to bring home, we were in luck at the small Cave of Elodie Grebule, open this time compared to the last two times we have visited, where we were able to pick up a box of a wine we came to love in England; Belle Enfant, taking care not to exceed our post-Brexit allowance… grrr!
The drive on towards Salies was remarkably pretty, as we meandered our way through vineyard after vineyard, with the Cathar castles looking down on us from their unfeasibly high perches and reminding us of a couple that we have yet to visit…
In parts, this route is very similar to one of our favourite routes back into France from Spain up near Puigcerda, with the roads running through old narrow town gateways, cut into the rockface, or through it sometimes! It makes for careful but exhilarating driving!
Mrs B had chosen our next stop at Montréjeau as it had a pool, which we reasoned would be welcome after our day’s drive. And what a find it was! Aptly named Camping Paradis Midi Pyrénées, we couldn’t believe our luck with the weather holding and the site’s infinity pool overlooking the mountains!
Leaving the next day for our next leg up to Salies, the picturesque vineyards were soon replaced with field after field of maize/corn, which we subsequently learned is mainly grown for bio-fuel, as the French state has invested heavily since the Ukraine war in alternative fuels. Although vehicles need to be modified, and many argue that this switch has led to a contribution to global food shortages, the trend for cheap alternative fuels in France is a growing one.
And as well as the landscape changing, the skies started to darken and take on a menacing air… and Evie started to squeak …..
S&J 27.06.23
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