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Chateau de Ventenac Minervois ~
Ventenac
is a lovely little village located in the Minervois wine-growing
region of the Languedoc, set on the banks of the picturesque
Canal du Midi with the northerly protection of the Montagne
Noire behind. The village is only small, yet is extremely
welcoming and well worth a visit not only for its wine cave
but also for the ambiance of its setting. Here you can sit
on the banks of the canal and watch the world go by, or eat
in one of its busy, yet non-expensive restaurants, overlooking
the Canal.
In
the height of summer there is almost nothing better than to
enjoy a chilled glass of wine by the canal, maybe a slightly
blushed Rosé - a delightful assemblage of 20%
Syrah and 20% Cinsault - or a crisp and fruity Chardonnay.
As time gently passes, relax and watch the boats drift by,
ducks waddle on and the old men play boules, as you bask in
the beautiful sunshine that the region is blessed with or
daydream, away from chillier climes, under the dappled shade
of the magnificent plane trees that line the Canal.
The
village, like all of the villages in the region, has everything
needed to be independent, self governed and self contained,
it has its own post office, its own Marie (Mayors
office) and most importantly of all its own wine cave, which
dominates the village. The Chateau, prominent on the skyline,
looks down from an elevated position high on a ridge that
overlooks the canal. The original castle dates back to the
Twelfth century, when Simon de Montford captured it, in the
bloody Albigensian crusade.
As
soon as you drive towards the village and cross the bridge
on the canal, you are immediately struck by the beauty and
impressive architecture of the Chateau and the Caveau, its
turrets rising higher than anything else in view. In 1880
Madame Seguy Saint Siran bought the Chateau and built the
Caveau with the help of The companions of France. In
1938 the vine growers of Ventenac joined together and bought
the Chateau and Caveau with its extensive vineyards planted
in a vast amphitheatre of rich lands facing south.
Nestled
amid countryside of scents and flavours, the wines are indicative
to the region that they are grown in. Some of the reds are
aged in oak for up to a year like the cuvée special,
60% Syrah, 30% carignan and 10% mourdevre - having complex
flavours of wild herbs like thyme and rosemary. The white
cuvée special is also aged in oak for three months
but has more of a smokey flavour reminiscent of the wild pine
and is made from the maccabeu grapes that originally came
from Spain, an hours drive away.
For
wine dégustations, you enter through the grand oak
doors of the caveau. Once inside you have the perfect balance
of old and new, just like the Languedoc region itself. Inside
the chai you are greeted by a plethora of visual treats,
from neatly stacked boxes of wine to glass cabinets filled
with oddly shaped souvenir bottles and glasses. You are greeted
at the counter by the vignerons and their helpers who immediately
set about making you feel welcome and getting down to the
business of the wine tasting.
Neatly
tucked away behind the counter you have the modern side of
the Chateau de Ventenac,such as the computer, fax machine,
credit card processor and various other essentials for any
modern day business. All these items are neatly hidden away
as if causing embarrassment to the rest of the establishment.
In this region, modern technology is an often avoided necessity,
in many ways an unwanted modern intervention into their part
of the world.
Around
the chais (wine store) there are various artefacts
that you can purchase, from paintings of their vineyards,
to photographs of the extensive barriques kept in the
cave. Again you become part of the blending of the old, with
the new. If you are interested the vigneron can show you around
the lesser seen parts of the cave and you can discover the
wonders of the vinification process, from picking the grapes,
the vendages, through to the bottling of these lovely rich
full blooded red wines.
The wines made in Ventenac are made from combinations of grape
varieties including Syrah grape, Grinache, Mourdevre, Cinsault
and Carignan. During the degustation the charming vignerons
can answer any questions you have on the wines, their origin
and their production. They conduct you through a plethera
of wines, introducing you to the varied nuances and tastes
of these extremely palatable and well-presented wines.
However,
more interesting and indicative of the cave and the region
itself are the wonderfully packaged Carthagene wines which,
including, the enigmatically named Lor du Bacchus
(Gold of Bacchus) provide you with wonderful dry / sweet musty
aperitif or desert wines. They can be served with Fois Gras,
Jambon Payenne or just on their own. Everything in this cave
is produced with not only the finest quality but also excellent
presentation, making everything you purchase, be it a present,
for personal consumption or even just for a taste, a pleasurable
experience. If you enjoy red, white or a little aperitif you
are guaranteed to find something to suit your palate and leave
you feeling extremely satisfied with your purchase.
On
the top floor of this wonderful Chateau is their own museum,
detailing the history of the cave and the village, giving
you a valuable and extensive look into the history of the
Chateau and its present day wine production. The museum encompasses
the history of the village over the past couple of hundred
years, so for anyone, who not only loves to imbibe the wine,
but also enjoys discovering the history of wine, this is an
ideal, and as yet relatively undiscovered, place to visit,
encapsulated by the idealistic setting it has found itself
in.
This
article was provided by GoHolidayFrance organisers of Cooking
Holidays and Wine Tours in the Languedoc region of France

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