Press reviews

Rosemary George, free lance wine writer, first women to pass the master wine exam

La revue des Vins de France - february 2011

The Audace 2007 became Humeur Vagabonde in 2009 : 15/20

Sébastien Fillon, based near St Jean de la Blaquière on the Terrasses du Larzac, has conceived this wine, made of pure Carignan grapes. Very tasty, with hints of candied fruit, it's velvety, very together, a great success. Its ends full of character, reflecting the vigour of the old vines which is so apparent in the mouth. Perfect with meats in sauces.

Le Clos 2007 : 14.5/20. A success. A real discovery

We have much enjoyed the wines from this 12 hectare domaine. Taken over in 2006, the new owner launched his range with this full, rounded wine, bursting with fruit, with good acidity and a touch of citrus. It's crisp, welcoming, well balanced and ready to drink.

Grand guide des vins de France Bettane & Desseauve 2010

This young couple set up in 2006 at St Jean de la Blaquière 300 metres (1000 ft) up in the foothills of the Larzac. Their wines are delicate, delightful. A wide choice starts with a Carignan whose charm few others have matched : although the vines are 85 years old, it's delightfully young in the mouth. La Blaca, predominantly Syrah, is astonishingly attractive.
With more depth and vigour, the Maros exemplifies the potential great quality of Grenache. A Domaine to watch. This domaine gets better and better, and deserves to be promoted.

Le Clos 2009 : 15/20
Attractive wines with fine tannins, Oeillade, Syrah and Grenache, incredibly fresh, an easy drinking wine, very more-ish.

La Blaca 2008 : 15.5/20
A delightful wine, velvety nose and more structured than the exciting though exotic 2007. Well structured and truly mouthwatering, there’ll be strong demand for more.

Les Maros 2008 : 16.5/20
There’s some mineral in this deep, clean, well structured wine. The unlikely alliance of
Terrasses du Larzac structure and La Clape’s mineral quality is astonishing.

Première Audace 2008 : 15/20
Incredible wine bursting with fruit. Elegant tannins and Carignan’s natural acidity result in a mouthwatering refreshing wine.

Le Guide des vins HACHETTE

Guide Hachette 2011 - La Blaca 2008

Mostly composed of Syrah from selected schist and sandstone land parcels and vinified separately
before assembling, La Blaca is the Occitan for the white oak that marks the climate frontier between the lower hills and the high Larzac.
Balsamic notes predominate with spice and hints of chocolate and truffle. The wine opens strongly, ending on liquorice and should be kept for several months for the tannins to melt. Decant.

Guide Hachette 2010 - Le clos

'This young vigneron's love for his wines and the tenacity he puts into producing it is illustrated in this wine.

Garnet coloured with violet highlights, this wine oozes complex aromas of woody undergrowth, white tobacco and red fruit.

In the mouth it's very open, rounded with a touch of liquorice.'

Guide Gilbert & Gaillard

Gold Medals : scores over 80/100

Guide 2011 Gilbert & Gaillard

PREMIERE AUDACE 2008 : 86/100
Deep coloured with violet highlights. Expressive nose reminiscent of fruit with kernels, olive tapenade and soft spice. Full mouth, strong yet fresh, with persistent, distinctly Mediterranean, aromas. A wine which is a great credit to the grape.

LE CLOS 2007 : 86/100

Deep colour, young. Delicate nose evocative of blackcurrant and bergamot, there's spice in the background. Powerful and expressive in the mouth with sleek tannins . A thoroughbred wine with true Languedoc character , still young.

LES MAROS 2007 : 88/100

Deep colour with garnet highlights. Delicate nose reminiscent of olive tapenade and fruit with kernels. Concentrated, powerful mouth, with peppery spice underpinned by fruit. A thoroughbred wine which deserves to be laid down for several years.

PREMIERE AUDACE 2007 : 86/100

Deep coloured with violet highlights. Expressive nose reminiscent of fruit with kernels, olive tapenade and soft spice. Full mouth, strong yet fresh, with persistent, distinctly Mediterranean, aromas. A wine which is a great credit to the grape.

Revue du vin de France 'best wines at reasonable prices 2011

New talent Discover wine. LE CLOS 2008.
This wine is delightfully fruity and thoroughly vigorous. Light, well balanced tannins, it ends exceptionally clean. A good fruity wine, from a
Domaine with a future'.

LE CLOS 2009 15.5/20.
There’s real fruitiness in the mouth. Overall it’s soft, gentle with great length, yet beautifully fresh and ends on a thoroughly elegant, well balanced note. Get to know it.'

Revue du vin de France 'best wines at reasonable prices 2009'

Red wine La Blaca 2008 - Best wines, 2008 selection.

Very expressive on red fruit, cherries and spice, the wine opens very full with a great deal of fruit and intense savours. A rich wine, deep and polished, very expressive. Though softer, the Le Clos wine is also a great success.

Grand guide des vins de France Bettane & Desseauve 2009

A very good wine - a fine example of the quality of its origins. 15/20.

An incredible wine bursting with the fruit that is typical of the 2007 vintage; very more'ish.

Red wine "Première audace" 2007.

Bronze medal in the national competition of independent wine producers. Red wine "LES MAROS"2006

The spectator magazine : Simon Hoggart choose LE CLOS.

« Finally the silky, spicy Languedoc wine from Le Clos du Serres, 2007. This is a cunning blend of different grapes, all grown under the Larzac plateau, which despatches cooling winds to temper the summer heat and creates a wine of great power, and, dare I say it, dignity. Velvet, fruit, herbs - you'll love it »

La Gazette du 18 septembre 2008 : Les meilleurs vins à moins de 8 €

La France, december 2007
The spectator, may 2007

Best sommelier of France 2008 - Revue des Vins de France. December 2008. Jean-Luc CHAUVET- Onologue

guide.chauvet@laposte.net

'We tasted these blind. I have rarely had such sensual pleasure from southern wines, not simply are they rounded and rich, but brilliantly harmonious and, remarkably, ready to drink immediately. On a didactic note, whilst the grape varieties were definitely reflected in the wines' blends, the producer's choice of grapes to reflect the land on which they grow added to the wines' characters.

"Killing off" your wines at home over several days allowed us to judge not only that they kept well, but that their character evolved depending on the room temperature and the choice of accompanying dishes; most noteworthy was they always retained their basic character.'

Journalist - DECANTER & other publications Andrew Jefford.

Blog November 2008

http://www.andrewjefford.com/node/311

'I left Pézenas for a close look at Terrasses du Larzac. Where is the greatest terroir in Languedoc ? You could make a case for Faugères, for Pic St Loup, for parts of St Chinian, for Minervois La Livinière, maybe for La Clape, but after my trip I have to say that if you were to write me out a cheque for a million euros and tell me to go to find somewhere to make great red wine, I would look most closely of all at Terrasses du Larzac. '

L'express « spécial vin ». September 2008.

'The concentration of quality producers mean you must absolutely set out and discover the Terrasses du Larzac.'

Slow Food member. An enlightened enthusiast for southern wines. January 2009.

Igor Gourevitch. The blog's worth a detour . http://lebloguedigor.free.fr/

'As a client of your off-licence and a wine lover, I know you are always on the lookout for up and coming domaines and centres of excellence . The domaine "Le Clos de Serres" - recently taken over and re-launched by Sebastien Fillon and Béatrice at St Jean de la Blaquière - fits the bill perfectly. I noticed their wines a year ago at the Fête de la Lucques and re-discovered them on the same occasion this year. A second tasting confirmed my first impression that here we have a new, absolutely first class domaine. Their internet site is worth a visit as it's full of interesting information.'

Client of the Cave Occitanie wine store, St Jean de Védas. January 2008. January 2009. Alain G.

'I've been interested in Languedoc (and Roussillon ) wines for a good ten years and (without showing off) have a pretty good idea of what's best. And, often, what's best is also the most expensive. But not always.

The cave d'Occitanie recommended Le Clos 2007, which I would class as a 'pleasure' wine. I look for fruit , whatever the wine or the price, and this wine is full of it. As for the price, it's a delightful surprise, a real stroke of luck. Bravo.'

Arnaud Fabre of the Château d'Anglés at la Clape :

'I've re-tasted your wines and must admit I like them a lot. The family, which includes several onologues, was unanimously enthusiastic about them too for their clarity, their delicate notes of tannin, their full yet fresh character . Bravo'

Old and new discoveries in the Languedoc. Some (excellent) new domaines are coming to light among the more established ones -Jacques Dupont - Le Point -novembre 2009.

Olivier Jullien suggested we tasted Sébastien Fillon's wines. This one, made from Grenache grapes grown on high altitude land parcels at St Jean de la Blaquières, is in a different world from the somewhat caricatured image that red wines made from the grape often suggest.

We very much liked the Maros 2006; the 2007 is perhaps a touch better : it's rather fresher. The fruitiness of this beautifully open, full wine (80% Grenache) is reminiscent of a Burgundy , it's elegant with great length.