Nicolas Brassou is a new wine producer in the village of Tuchan, making his very first wine in 2010, with 5 hectares of wines. His father still has vines at the Tuchan cooperative; Nicolas did other things before returning to wine. He has several different plots, at an altitude of about 400 metres, planted with 60 per cent Carignan, 30 per cent Grenache and 10 per cent Syrah. The name of the estate mean’ small hill in the sun. 

First, we tasted some vat samples and Nicolas talked about his winemaking. He too has some 100-year-old Carignan, witch he destems, and gives a pre- fermentation cool maceration for ten days in order to extract more fruit and colour. A vat sample had some fresh cherry fruit balanced by a streak of tannin. His first experiments with wood were for the 2015 vintage, and he has just six barrels, from a couple of different coopers.

His 2015 Fitou promises well, with a tannic backbone and good depth of flavour. For Nicolas, Carignan provides the typicity of Fitou, while Grenache fills out the flavour and Syrah adds a floral note. He is planning a white wine, a blend of Macabeo, Grenache Blanc and Gris, once those vines have been extricated from the cooperative. He also has some Muscat but that would be “un peu too much’ in the blend. I thought that Nicolas had made a very convincing start in his new career. 
 

Rosemary George MW, Wines of the Languedoc, Edition Infinite ideas, 2018.