The Story:

For pioneering spirit and verve, Domaine Bassac is one of the powerhouse domaines of the Côtes de Thongue and captures a lot of the spirit of the place. Yes, they grow traditional grapes, but they’re always up for something different; Francois is planning to plant touriga nacional next year. As well as their ‘regular’ blends, each vintage they make a white and a red written in Roman numerals XVIII, XIX etc. This is a unique blend to that year, depending on what’s gone well or what they feel best expresses the vintage. When it’s gone, it’s gone. This, to me, is a natural culmination of the freedom that is given to winemakers by the Côtes de Thongue terroir and the loose regulations, and happily is usually fantastic to taste too.

It’s not that it’s a new domaine: it’s been in the same family since at least the French Revolution, but quality really started in the Eighties, under the current proprietor’s father. They’ve been certified biodynamic for four decades, but they don’t make a big deal of it, wanting the quality to speak for itself.

As for the wines themselves, they make a frankly ludicrous number, more than thirty each year, at all price points between €6 and €25, and there are plenty of highlights. I haven’t tasted them all, but I’ve got a pretty good steer.

For their basic single varietals, under the name Circulades, I’d single out the Sauvignon Blanc (Price band: A). The family have plenty of sauvignon vines because their late father just liked the taste; sauvignon blanc is also the base line for the white of their new ‘Côtes de Thongue Sans Sulfites’ range (Price band B), and it’s very successful, but if anything I preferred the traditional bottle. Where they really strike gold is in their XXII Blanc (Price Band D). A sauvignon-chardonnay blend, this is an instant classic. While this blend varies year on year, it seems a blend of chardonnay and sauvignon is regularly part of the package. A beautiful nose, long aromas, complexity and yet also drinkability. Wonderful, wonderful wine.

To their rosés, and their entry level ‘Armonia’ rosé is richer, sweeter and fruitier than most, and definitely worth it. (Price band A). Their Manpot ‘rosé’ is aged in barrels, and an interestingly more serious wine.

For their reds, their Armonia Rouge (Price band A) is a typical entry level red for this area, in this case a blend of merlot, syrah, grenache and cabernet and is very drinkable. Also head for the overtly organically branded ‘Bee Rouge’, a blend of grenache, carignan and marselan’; all their wine is bee-friendly thanks to the organic production methods, but on one label, they wanted to make a thing of it. With more structure and body (though still fruity), is their Manpot Rouge (Price band B), a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and syrah. For something completely different, try ‘Je t’Aime’ (Price band B), a wine that started when Francois’ brother had the idea for the name: thinking it through, he selected a blend of cabernet franc and grenache, for a wonderfully open and approachable red. Thanks to the name (and charming label), they sell 15,000 bottles in the fortnight leading up to Valentine’s Day each year. Happily, it’s not just a gimmick but is delicious in a simple way. Of their single cepage wines, under the ‘Les Parcelles’ range, try their marselan (Price Band C), which is very fine, though quite potent (at 14.5%). It’s a testament to the success of marselan here that for their XIX, (Price band D), they chose a syrah-grenache-marselan blend, with a deep nose, mulberry fruits and a long finish. It’s tremendous, even better than other recent versions. The XX will be different again.