Arthur Sellers Bulletin Archive
“The wine of Uzès is the best in the realm.” (Racine – 1661)
Every once in a while we discover a ‘new’ winery that seems almost too good to be true. Such is the case with Domaine Camp Galhan, producers of divine red and white Vin de Pays Duché d’Uzès and Vin de Pays d’Oc from the heart of the Languedoc. As Robert Parker remarked in issue 173 of his ‘Wine Advocate’ (he always seems to discover notable wines before I do), “Lionel and Alain Pourquier defy their entitlement to only a Vin de Pays appellation with wines of extraordinary value.”
We met Lionel Pourquier, (owner and operator of the winery along with his brother Alain), a couple of years ago when he was sharing a booth with Patrick Chabrier of Domaine Chabrier Fils at the VinIsud wine fair in Montpellier. As is the norm with Patrick, things were completely chaotic at his side of the booth, so we decided to try some of Lionel’s wines to pass time till some sense of calm returned. We were completely enchanted by these fresh, flavourful, obviously well-made wines. To be certain that we weren’t being influenced by the prevailing mayhem, we subsequently asked Lionel to provide us with some samples to try under more tranquil circumstances. This we did a couple of months later in Sarlat in the Dordogne while scouting out that locale for Hélène’s tours of France. Consumed with some simple fare (yah, right – figs stuffed with foie gras, roast duck, local pâté, fresh baguette, etc.) we found them to be even more enjoyable than before! We are delighted to offer them to you a second time – a cry-out for summer Rosé, two fresh and zesty whites, two full and satisfying reds and a special mixed case of all five. Bring on the foie gras stuffed figs! We hope you enjoy these marvellous wines as much as we do.
Domaine Camp Galhan
Located near the village of Ribaute les Tavernes, not too far from bustling Uzès, the Camp Galhan vineyard is situated high above the banks of the Gardon River in the foothills of the bucolic Cévennes Mountains. The winery gets its name from the Roman camp, “Galhan”, that was located next to the present winery. The 40 hectare property and vineyards have been in the Pourquier family since the early twentieth century and they have long been renowned for their superb grapes that were sent each year to the local co-op. But Lionel tired of giving his great grapes to the co-op only to have them make mediocre wine. So, in 2001 he built a modern winery into the side of a hill, designed so that gravity moves the grapes and juice during vinification (thus avoiding the use of much harsher mechanical pumps) and started to produce his own wines.
By the way, in addition to great asparagus, Lionel also grows durum wheat in the valley which he sells to high-end pasta producers, mostly in Italy. He is currently president of the durum wheat growers association for the region.
The Glorious Wines of Domaine Camp Galhan
We are truly delighted to bring you the vinous treasures from Domaine Camp Galhan. There are a 2013 Rosé; two whites – the 2013 Amanlie Blanc and 2013 Ripa Alta Blanc; two reds – the 2012 Pérassières Rouge and 2010 Les Grès Rouge, and; The Camp Galhan Sampler that gives you a taste of all five. Each is drinking wonderfully now, but the reds will reward you with a year or two of patience. They come in convenient six-bottle cases. We will be taking your orders for these really, really good wines to the LCBO on Friday, April 11th.
The LCBO is the only entity authorized to sell beverage alcohol in Ontario. Arthur Sellers & Company and Arthur’s Cellar Wine Club do not sell or markup beverage alcohol, but rather, arrange for customers to purchase it from the LCBO. Our prices indicated above and on our website include the LCBO sale price plus a fee to cover the cost of sourcing, handling and marketing the wine. The LCBO’s sale prices are available on request.
A Post-Tasting Lunch … in the Middle of Nowhere!
After a recent visit morning to Domaine Camp Galhan, we bade Lionel a fond farewell and were off again on the back roads of Provence. A few moments later, Hélène plaintively proclaimed the oft heard refrain, “J’ai faim!” “There won’t be a restaurant for hundreds of kilometres,” I opined, hoping to get back to civilization before dusk. “Oh no?” she squealed in glee, “What’s that?” Lo and behold, in the distance there appeared a long, low wine coloured edifice bearing the words BAR HOTEL PIZZERIA and RESTAURANT ‘du PONT de NERS’. Large boulders were decorously scattered about its perimeter. Obviously, locals had the annoying habit of crashing into it whilst in postprandial torpors.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” I was thinking to myself. But, long experience has taught me that in these dire circumstances, the starving damsel in distress never kidded. So I parked our rental car and with large measures of fear and trepidation ventured into the gloom of the establishment. What I saw inside reinforced all my fears. A gaggle of locals was gathered at a rough bar, sipping their noontime Pastis. In unison they gave me that glare of suspicion reserved for only the most noisome of intruders. The large, joyless dining room was filled with empty, haphazardly arrayed Formica-topped tables. It reminded me of a Legion hall that had seen better days. But, things did smell rather good!
The deserted patio looked more promising, so we settled in at the least offensive table. Spiffy paper place mats touting local enterprises festooned our places and a wad of folded paper placed under a leg greatly reduced the nautical sway of our table. Pizza didn’t appeal so we resigned ourselves to the daily prix fixe luncheon option. Three courses – 12.3€! I asked the very pleasant server if that included all three courses. ‘Oui, bien sûr, monsieur.” I then asked if we might have a jug of Rosé and how much it cost. ‘Mais oui monsieur, et bien sûr, c’est compris.
Well, lo and behold, all three courses were terrific and the Rosé more than quaffable! The resurrected Hélène opted for a cup of coffee bringing the total bill to 25.8€, ($36.89 Canadian at the then prevailing exchange rate) and that included tip and taxes. One of the many reasons we love Provence.
What happened to Domaine Chabrier Fils?
Ah, the best laid plans of men and mice … The Chabriers make very, very good wine, but their administrative routines leave a little to be desired. Fortunately, Corrine is usually there to make sure our orders get processed with a minimum of fuss and bother. However, Corrine is going to be absent for a couple of weeks, right when your orders would have been ready to be shipped and she has implored us to wait till her return. Thus we have decided to postpone the Chabrier offer by a couple of weeks (it will be worth the wait!).
If you know anyone who would be interested in some glorious wines from the south of France, we would greatly appreciate it if you would pass this bulletin on to them.
Cheers,
Jim and Hélène
jaswalker@arthursellers.com www.arthursellers.com hbuisson@ofrance.ca www.ofrance.ca
