Limoux's Domaine Bégude Blazes Their Own (Organic) Trail
The region of Limoux is best known for its sparkling wines, and in fact is said by some to have invented the method of harnessing bubbles before the Champagne region! In addition to fantastic value sparklers, there are many delicious still wines made in this Languedoc-Roussillon appellation. Well over a decade ago, we were introduced to an outlier producer called Domaine Bégude whose focus was on pure varietal still wines, all farmed organically. Vigneron James Kinglake was and his wife Catherine established this small estate in 2003 when they fled London’s financial industry and decided to take on the “low-key” world of winemaking in the south of France. Of course, the dream never starts easily, but, now on their 20th vintage, they have grown the winery, received organic certification, raised a daughter, and created one of our favorite brands from the south of France!
As mentioned the focus is on precise varietal wines with clarity. The primary grapes have always been Chardonnay—Limoux’s main grape for still wine production—and Pinot Noir. They also grown Sauvignon Blanc (a staff favorite), Viognier (look out Condrieu!), Gewürztraminer (more on that later), and Chenin Blanc. The prices have always remained accessible, and the quality has only improved over the years.
The 2022 Domaine Bégude "Terroir 11300" Chardonnay Pays d'Oc $13.99 gets its name from the local zip code 11300, a cheeky nod to the appellation, though they can’t label the wine “Limoux” since they’ve chosen not to ferment it in oak barrels. The wine ferments in stainless steel, though a portion of the wine ages in larger-format wood barrels after they have been used for their 2021 Domaine Bégude "Etoile" Chardonnay Limoux $14.99, a wine that has a deeper, but well-balanced oak signature. The Terroir 11300, on the other hand, gets a gentle kiss of wood that lightly perfumes the wine, while fresh Golden Delicious apple and accents of dried mango give this wine the ability to compete with California Chardonnay that clocks in at twice the price. This is always a steal!
The 2022 Domaine Bégude Sauvignon Blanc Pays d'Oc $12.99 is raised entirely in stainless steel tank. The beauty of Sauvignon Blanc is how well it adapts to its environment, so don’t look for Sancerre in this bottle! Rather, the flavors sing sunny notes of ripe melon and fig. It is a great summertime Sauvie that is sure to please those looking for a little richer, less grassy style.
When James had Gewürztraminer planted, it was on the sly as the grape was not legally permissible in the region! Slowly the appellation board relaxed its stance, and what once was a “secret” wine from the domaine is now one of its most popular. Recently, the Gewürz took a new step forward as James and his team began aging the wine on its skins, thus producing their first orange wine. The 2022 Domaine Bégude "Sipiona" Gewurztraminer Vin de France (Orange/No Added Sulfites) $19.99 is the second release we have had on our shelves, and it’s a great follow up to the prior vintage, which was one of the fastest of the Bégude wines to sell out last year. We received a little bigger allocation this time, and, for those exploring skin-contact and low-intervention wines, this is a great place to start. The wine sees four days of maceration on the skins giving it the classic orange hue. The texture is gentle, and the aromatics are expansive. One thing I find that most Gewürztraminer lacks is structure, but the skin contact here adds that missing component for me. The wine is filled with rose petal aromas and flavors of kumquats, young ginger, and oolong tea. This is a really fun wine to pair with cheeses, charcuterie, and, of course, some exotic spice-filled dishes. Just go for it!
The newest wine in the series is the 2022 Domaine Bégude "La Folie" Pétillant Naturel Vin de France (Natural/No Added Sulfites) $24.99. This is the first vintage of a Pet Nat from Bégude, and it is all based on Chenin Blanc. With its flavors of white peach and pear, it is crisp, clean, and extremely quaffable. The wine begins its fermentation in stainless steel, and before it finishes fermentation it is bottled. After it is done fermenting, there are just a couple atmospheres of pressure making for a dry, bright, frothy white that commands summer drinking.
As the Bégude journey continues going forward we look forward to watching this family estate grow and push new boundaries. From everyday stalwarts to fun low-intervention wines, they have challenged the market by being one of the best cost-to-quality producers in our Direct Import program.