Maison Ventenac, L'Intrus

The Intruder. 

It may have seemed like a funny idea to plant Cabernet Franc where they did, the wrong grape in the wrong place, but they felt the influence of the Atlantic in their vineyards, and believed that the grape could deliver freshness, elegance and vivacity. Which it does, in spades!

Gracing the sun-drenched lands of the south, this is a wine that anyone can see is full of focus and flavour, texture and pleasure. Black cherry and crunchy berry flavours, the freshness of bramble fruits and a hint of bell peppers make this a Cabernet Franc that delivers in typicity in both grape and region.

Made and aged in concrete tanks, this vintage was a continuation of the Ramé family's organic viticulture, making this almost 'natural' in creation and seriously complex along the way.

It is the stepping stone to their iconic 100% Cabernet Franc wines that we think is superbly well-priced and seriously tasty.

Maison Ventenac is a young and dynamic project based in the vineyards of the Ramé family in Cabardès, north of the city of Carcassonne, at the (fairly wild) west of the Languedoc. Characterised by the split in place between Atlantic and Mediterranean bodies of water, their vineyards are likewise split between the Atlantic (Cabernets, Merlot and Malbec) and the Mediterranean (Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvedre). Limestone forms the sub-soil in the best parts of the family's vineyards, together with their dense planting of vines and the relatively wet winters in the region, there is a real sense of excitement for the future of the region.

In organic conversion, the rewards for this winery are only beginning to be seen. What we really like about them though is their honesty - they love all that they do, but what they like most is Cabernet Franc - certainly not a Mediterranean grape and the third grape of the Atlantic, this variety seems to really blossom in the hands of the Ramé family. Sorry that this variety is missing from this wine, but the stylistic traits of Atlantic winemakers is evident here - tension, freshness and terroir as opposed to sun-drenched and over-heated...

This sense of discovery and integrity is present in all they do, from respect to terroir, to the non-use of chemical sprays, to admitting their own prejudices, to celebrating underdog varieties - it's clearly a key part of their success.