Tag: France

Carcassonne Drive

Carcassonne is a wonderful place to visit but it does get very busy. Combining a visit to the city with a drive in the surrounding countryside is a good way to get away from the crowds and get a feel for the local area. If you are short on time this trip can could be done in half a day if you wanted to combine it with a morning visit to La Cité or you can take your time and explore a little more of some of the towns and villages en route.

Leave Carcassone on the D6113 and head to the village of Pennautier. As you enter you will see Chateau Pennautier which has buildings on either side of the road. To the left is the tasting room and restaurant. Here you can taste a selection of the property’s recent vintages and purchase the wine. Next door is the restaurant which is a lovely place for lunch. They also do tours of the winery but they require prebooking, especially in the summer months.

Head back to the D6113 and then take the D629 to Montolieu, a hill town which is known for the large number of secondhand bookshops, fifteen or so at the last count! It is very a haven for writers and artists and well worth a visit. The road through the town is narrow and steep in places but don’t let that put you off. its well worth the effort.

From Montolieu carry on on the D629 to Saissac. Here you will find superb views of the Vernassonne Gorge and a ruined Cathar Castle which can date its origins back to the eleventh century although the ruins on view date from the sixteenth.

Leave Saissac on the D103 for a very pleasant drive to St Papoul. The Abbey of St Papoul is a Benedictine abbey which was first appears in documents in 817. The cloister here was built in the early part of the fourteenth century, it is a lovely, quiet place to spend a few moments.

Heading back onto the D103 will bring you to the town of Castelnaudary which is home to the French Foreign Legion and lays claim to be the World Capital of Cassoulet. You can certainly eat a lot of cassoulet here if you so choose. Castelnaudary is also on the Canal du Midi and the banks of the canal are great for walking and cycling. Just outside the town is the village of Mas Saintes Puelles where you can pick up signs to Poterie NOT Frères which occupies a charming location on the bank of the canal next to a stone bridge crossing. This is where you can see the traditional vessel for cooking cassoulet being made and you can even buy one as a souvenir to take home.

From Castelnaudary you can return to Carcassonne either by the D6113 or take the much faster A61 autoroute.

Carcassonne La Cité

Carcassonne is in the Languedoc region of south west France and is about an hours drive from the city of Toulouse. It is in reality two towns that sit side by side. La Cité is a medieval fortification that once defended the old border between France and Spain. Located on a hill it gives commanding views of the surrounding countryside. At the foot of the hill sits the ‘new town’ but which is itself also pretty old, dating back to the thirteenth century.

La Cité can trace its origins back over two thousand years when it was a defensive position against the Roman Empire. Over the following centuries it was occupied by many different tribes. It was the principal stronghold of the Cathar religion in the late twelfth century. Followers were seen as challenging the authority of the powerful Catholic Church and the fortress was besieged by the Papal crusaders in the early part of the thirteenth century, sent by Rome to bring the Cathars back into line.

The city’s fortunes were to diminish by the end of the seventeenth century and it began to fall into disrepair and eventually ruin. Eventually the decision was made in the nineteenth century that is should be demolished. Much to the surprise of the authorities there was a ground swell of protest which led to reversal of the decision and the drawing up of plans to renovate the site. The restoration took over 50 years and resulted in the fortifications we can see today. This is how the citadel would have looked in the thirteenth century.

In 1997 it was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status and has become France’s second most popular tourist attraction (after the Eiffel Tour), attracting over three million visitors a year, that’s an average of over eight thousand a day! Not surprisingly it is well geared up for tourists and there are some souvenir shops that are perhaps best avoided but there are also some others which make a real effort to show the best that the city and region has to offer.

Things to do in La Cité

  • Visit Chateau Comtal. The chateau dates from the twelfth century and is well worth the 9 Euro entrance fee. Indeed once you have paid you can leave and return later in the same day if you want to take a break for refreshments. Audio tours and guided tours are available.
  • Walk the Ramparts. For superb views of the city and the surrounding countryside you can’t beat a walk on the ramparts. Access is included with your ticket to the Chateau. It is a lovely walk but quite strenuous in places with steps up and down.
  • Walk the Lices. La Cité is surrounded by a double wall, the inner wall being up to a thousand years older than the outer. In earlier times the space between had dwellings built against the inner wall but today all that remains is a wide grassy area between the two walls and that makes an excellent place for a gentle stroll.
  • Basilique St-Nazaire. Built on the site of a former fifth century church this gothic style building dates back to the twelfth century. It has some very nice stained glass windows.
  • Lady Carkass Statue. Wife of a Saracen king and the one that gave the city its name. Located ext to the Porte Narbonnaise it is not the original statue but is still pretty impressive.
  • Wander the streets. The streets of La Cité are perfect for wandering around. The Place Marcou is jam packed with cafés but there are also many others and some nice restaurants dotted across the city. There are also some really nice shops.

Most people visit either by car or on a coach tour. The best time to arrive is early, before the crowds, if you prefer a slightly quieter experience. There is plenty of parking adjacent to the Porte Narbonnaise and a further car park just a short walk away. Both are pay on exit and the machines take card payments.

Carcassone railway station is in the new town and is served by TGV services from Toulouse, Lyon and Barcelona as well as intercity services from Bordeaux, Montpellier and Marseille. There are also local services from Narbonne and Limoux.

Domaine Le Clos des Cazaux

I was at a recent Wine Society tasting of the wines of the Rhone valley when I came across the wines of Domaine Le Clos des Cazaux. I enjoyed the wines very much and loved the passion and philosophy behind the wine making that I thought I’d write a short post.

Clos des Cazaux is a family run domaine in Vacqueyras in the Southern Rhone. Established by Gabriel Archimbaud and first planted with vines in the nineteenth century it is run to day by Jean Michel and Frederic Vache. The estate now measures 48 hectares, with 25 in the Vacqueyras appellation. Annual production is around 1300,000 bottles.

Grape varieties are as you would expect for the southern Rhone. For the red wines it is principally Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre. For whites it is primarily old vine Clairette along with some Rousanne, Grenache Blanc and Viognier.

Everything here is done with respect to the land and environment. Biodiversity is encouraged by retaining hedges and trees around the property. Soil health is important and respected using natural composts and products to encourage the development of a healthy microflora in the soil. In the vineyard there is no mechanisation, everything is done by hand including all harvesting. In the winery fermentation is temperature controlled and uses only wild, indigenous yeasts.Maturation is in stainless steel or concrete for at least 18 months. This allows the wines to undergo natural clarification thus eliminating the need for fining and resulting in only a light filtration. Oak ageing for between 12 and 30 months is used only for those wines judged to be capable of the greatest ageing.

Take a look at their website, it gives a good, detailed explanation of their philosophy and wines. There are also some wonderful photographs which make you just want to visit and see the place for yourself.

Les Clefs d’Or. Vacqueyras Blanc. 2016. You don’t tend to see a lot of white Vacqueyras around but at Domaine Le Clos de Cazaux it is a really important part of their portfolio thanks to some old Cairette vines. Made from 70% Clairette and 30% Rousanne with no malolactic fermentation. This wine has a lovely floral, citrus nose and is nicely balanced with a good finish. very nice.

Vieilles Vignes. Vacqueyras Blanc 2016 (Magnum). 50% Clairette, 30% Rousanne and 20% Grenache Blanc. This wine has lovely texture and balance with lemon citrus and a toasty nuttiness. Reminds me of good white Burgundy. An excellent glass of wine.

Wine Society’s Exhibition Vacqueyras. 2016. This has bags of plums and cherry fruit with lots of peppery spice. Excellent value.

Saint Roch. Vacqueyras. 2013. 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah. This is super drinkable Vacqueyras. Soft, round juicy with a touch of savoury pepper.

Grenat Noble. Vacqueyras. 2015. Spicey, peppery black fruit and plum with a lovely freshness and intensity. Drinking really well. Very good.