2008 Vin de Pays Le Merle Aux Alouettes

From tank, Chabanon’s 100% Merlot 2008 Le Petit Merle Aux Alouettes smells of toasted pecan, cocoa powder, and fresh cherry. Eminently juicy, with salt and cherry pit lending a sense of invigoration, this finishes with satisfying length, although like its Syrah-Mourvedre (L’Esprit de Font Caude) counterpart, I question the ability of this vintage’s material to thrive with three years’ elevage. (The 2009 was showing awkwardly from barrel, which I speculated represented a passing phase. In any case, that wine won’t be released for nearly three years, so a tasting note – like Chabanon’s customers – can wait!) Montpellier-born, though raised deep in France’s Massif Central, Alain Chabanon farms well over 100 acres of vines on his eponymous estate, still widely – but since 2008 no longer officially – known as the Domaine Font Caude, which was founded in 1992 and moved into its current facilities between Lagamas and Montpeyroux in 1999. Chabanon – who cites Alain Brumont of Madiran and Comte Peraldi of Corsica as two profound influences – practices elevages of widely varying length but generally very late release. He never regulates the temperature of his ferments, even for whites. (“The course of fermentation is not for me to decide.”) He farms organically but rejects any use whatsoever of compost. “It’s worked for twenty years!” he says several times during our session with reference to one or another of these unusual practices. Chabanon’s planting of Merlot predates the classification of his parcels as Coteaux du Languedoc, but it is clear that his affection for this grape guarantees its continuance at this address. He was inspired to plant (and graft-over existing vines) to Mourvedre after tasting Laurent Vaille’s results with this grape in 1992. Chabanon’s time in Corsica explains his interest in Vermentino; but he also answered for me the mystery of so much Chenin Blanc around Saint- Saturnin. It seems that the local cooperative hit on this as a novelty thirty years ago. “You can harvest late and ripe, yet retain refreshing acidity and low pH,” says Chabanon of both of his chosen white cepages. A Thomas Calder Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011-33-1-46-45-15-29