Château La Canorgue

. High-Quality Wines - Wines with a Soul

The note "wine made from ecologically grown grapes" is not necessarily a guarantee of a particularly good quality. Martin and Jean-Pierre Margan were aware of this when in spite of their limited financial resources they decided 30 years ago to revive the winery which had not been farmed by Martine's parents for 20 years. At that time, winegrowing was not a very profitable activity in this region, since the Luberon wines didn't have a very good reputation, and organic winegrowing was practiced by very few people at that time. Thus a great deal of effort was necessary in order to make this project a success.


However Jean-Pierre, who is an enologist, was able to rely on his own positive assessment of the soil in the vineyards, which had not been polluted with chemicals. The soil as well as the location provided the outstanding prerequisites for ecological winegrowing.

Martine and Jean-Pierre's first meeting was the stuff of which romantic films are made - Jean-Pierre was the guide on a hike in the mountains, and Martine was one of the hikers. After their wedding, they made plans, calculated expenses, and worked hard. At the beginning, Jean-Pierre sold insurance in the mornings, Martine worked as a nurse, and from the afternoon on until late in the evening they worked in their vineyards. Of the original 30 hectares of winegrowing area, almost all of which were on low vineyard terraces called "restanques", only 2 hectares contained vines. They are surrounded by bushes, and pine trees tower above them, not only protecting the vines from the cold mistral but also giving birds and insects a habitat, thus making sure that pests do not get out of hand.


When we visited the Château La Canorgue for the first time in the mid-1980s, the first thing that impressed us was a large wrought iron gate, which prevented us from entering the courtyard of the old manor, built on the foundations of a Roman villa. Huge sycamores, which have been in the courtyard for 400 years, provide shade close to a spring-fed pond built by the Romans 2000 years ago and channeled here underground. Some years later, we had the pleasure of enjoying the view of the vineyard terraces, which are designed in the shape of an amphitheater and which slope up in the direction of Bonnieux, from the south side of the house during an unforgettable Provencal dinner.

Today, 20 years later, the Château La Canorgue still irradiates the pristine aura of days gone by. However, anyone who knows the estate as it used to be will notice the enormous changes. The makeshift wine cellar was relocated to a remodeled annex and modernized. The salesrooms, the office and storage room for the bottles have also been relocated to a remodeled, modernized annex. Nathalie Margan, who is being increasingly integrated into the management of the entire operation and who will be in charge of it in the future, now also lives in a house belonging to the Château. Martine and Jean-Pierre only live here in the summer, and in the winter they prefer to live in a heated apartment nearby, since winters in the Provence can be quite cold.

Today, the vineyards encompass an area of approximately 30 hectares. They are cultivated according to organic farming methods and to the extent that this is possible according to biodynamic agricultural methods, and the care they receive is exemplary. It goes without saying that no artificial fertilizers or synthetic chemical pesticides are used. Special care is given to the vineyard soil. This is porous, well-aerated, contains many roots and thus is able to absorb moisture. Anyone who picks up some of the soil and smells it will notice the spicy aroma of fresh mushrooms. The soil is fertilized with composted horse and sheep manure.

Combined with a limited harvest - per hectare only 30 - 35 hl, the careful work done thinning out the vines by hand in summer, in this case also removing grapes which are not growing well, a manual harvest at the right time, as well as skillful winemaking, this guarantees wines whose quality has been consistently high for many decades.Margan Nathalie Margan und Uschi

Erich Hartl
hartl@weinpur.de
www.organicwinepure.com

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A Wine Journey along the Loire

...
Two weeks earlier than usual, our return journey took us from Nantes along the Loire and the Cher (a tributary of the Loire), where we were able to visit some of our wine-growers.

While driving through the Muscadet region, we noticed that the soil of the wine-growing areas which are farmed conventionally was not "naked," as it usually is, but that it was covered with reddish brown plants. Guy Bossard, a Demeter wine-grower, explained this to us: The large increase in the price of herbicides has caused those wine-growers who use conventional methods to spray the herbicides 3 to 4 weeks later than usual. This means it was not possible to prevent the first growth of grass and "weeds," and that these were not destroyed until they had grown 10 to 20 centimeters high. While the grass and weeds are dying off, they take on a reddish brown color. All in all, these wine-growers are trying to reduce the number of times they spray the herbicides each year in order to limit costs. We found the state of the wine-growing areas a disgrace for the entire Muscadet region, in which there are only two wine-growers who produce organic wine.

Guy Bossard, who had announced our arrival by telephone to Virginie Joly (Clos de la Coulée de Serrant), told us how it is possible to preserve the environment and to grow wine using organic methods. He knew that she had planted young vines along a stone wall and advised her to collect the snails which were hiding in the wall and which would emerge when it rained before they were able to eat the shoots of the young vines.

All of the wine-growers complained about the bad harvests in 2007 (constant rain and peronospora) and in 2008 (a heavy frost on April 7 which froze the young shoots), both of which threatened their existence. They are able to cope financially with one bad year, but 2 years is more than they can handle, and they are hoping that 2009 will be a good year.

We had actually intended to visit a "new" wine-growing estate in the Appellation Vovray, but it wasn't important enough for us to want to walk through the vineyards in the pouring rain without rubber boots.

Catherine Roussel and Didier Barouillet at the Clos Roche Blanche have already rented out half of their vineyards (9 hectares) and are planning to retire within the next few years, if they are able to find a successor. The Dauny family in Sancerre has no worries in this respect, since their oldest son is presently assuming responsibility for their wine estate.

To sum up our trip: It's a good feeling to be working with wine-growers who are quality-oriented and environmentally aware and who provide us with high-quality, pure wines with strong characters. These are organic wines which we like to drink ourselves and which we can offer to our customers with a clear conscience.

Erich Hartl
hartl@weinpur.com
www.organicwinepure.com

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Natural Cork, Screwcaps, Plastic Corks or Glass Corks

...
A Never Ending Story

For more than 20 years, the wine trade has been debating on the best way to close wine bottles in order to avoid so-called cork taint. There is no question that this happens repeatedly, and it spoils the enjoyment of the wine. The unpleasant musty taste is caused by trichloroanisole, a chlorinated, aromatic hydrocarbon.

The following theories on this subject, published in various media, are exaggerated and presumably depend upon who publishes them or on whose behalf they are published. The choices here range from producers of plastic corks, screwtops, glass corks, the natural cork industry to environmentalists.

- Natural cork is affected by trichloroanisole because of improper handling (drying).
- 10 to 20 % of all wines have cork contamination.
- Plastic corks are just as suitable as natural corks for wines which are stored for many years.
- Plastic corks contain "softeners" which can enter the wine if it is stored for a long period of time and which can cause health problems.
- Wine cannot breathe and mature if glass corks are used.
- Environmental associations are afraid that the cork oak forests in Spain, Portugal and Sardinia will disappear.

None of the publications of which I am aware have claimed that the increase in cork contamination is connected with the way in which the cork oak forests are managed. Whereas 40 years ago the bark of the cork oaks was stripped at intervals of between 12 to 14 years, this has now been reduced to between 8 and 9 years with the help of strong artificial fertilization. In order to protect the cork oaks from fungal decay and mold, it is customary today to use fungicides containing chlorophenol, which presumably produces trichloroanisole during its biological decomposition.

After considering the advantages and disadvantages of the individual systems, which wine closures a wine-grower uses and which ones the wine drinker favors still seems to be a question of personal preference today.

If the owners of the cork oak forests were to switch to biological farming methods, they would be able to produce flawless corks once again.

Erich Hartl
hartl@weinpur.de
www.organicwinepure. com


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Natural cork or alternative wine closures?

...

This is an issue which is becoming increasingly important for organic wine-growers, since a wine which tastes of cork will not satisfy the customers and will mean increasing costs for the wine dealers if they have to replace cork-tainted wines.

Apart from its origin, cork, which is a natural product, is no longer environmentally friendly if you consider how it is produced using fertilizers and fungicides on the oak trees and how the bark is turned into a finished cork for a bottle of wine. The production of "natural corks" and pressed corks, which are made from waste products of natural cork, involves processes such as boiling, bleaching, coloring and sizing, which are not exactly beneficial to the environment.

In addition, these products also cause problems for getting rid of household waste, which is no longer brought to a garbage dump but is now burned, and the burning of these requires a great deal of energy. On the other hand plastic corks, made of polyethylene, produce more energy when they are burned than is required to ignite them.

Environmentally conscious wine-growers use unbleached and uncolored natural corks for their high-quality organic wines, and plastic corks are also no longer taboo.

Environmentally conscious wine drinkers do not put their natural corks into the household waste; they have them recycled as insulation material. If there is no collection point where you live, you can send us the natural corks you have accumulated.

Erich Hartl
hartl@weinpur.de
www.biowein-pur.de

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Château La Canorgue - consistently at the top for 15 years

...

Since we started working with the Château La Canorgue almost 20 years ago, we have always valued the unfailingly high quality of their wines. The quality of a winery and a vintner is not proven with one single good wine from an exceptional vintage; it becomes evident in consistently high-quality wines in continuous vintages, as is the case with the Château la Canorgue.

Medals and rewards

1993 Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon red at the Concours General Agriculture de Paris
Elected Wine producer of the Year by the Guide Gault-Millau

1994 Silbermedal for the Côtes du Luberon red at the Concours General Agriculture de Paris

1995 Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon red at the Concours des Vins de France in Macon

1996 Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon red at the Concours General Agriculture de Paris
Elected Best Rosé de France by L’Officiel des Grands Vins

1997 Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon red at the Wine Exibition in Orange
Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon red at the Concour National des Vins issus de l’Agriculture bio
Silbermedal fort he Côtes du Luberon rosé at the Wine Fair in Orange
Bronzemedal for the Viognier at the Concour National des Vins issus de l’Agriculture biologique

1998 Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon red at the Concours des Vins de France in Macon
Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon red at the Wine Fair in Orange
Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon rosé at the Concour National des Vins issus de l’Agriculture bio

1999 Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon red at the Concours General Agriculture de Paris
Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon red at the Concour National des Vins issus de l’Agriculture bio
Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon red at the Wine Fair in Avignon
Bronzemedal for the Chardonnay at the Concour National des Vins issus de l’Agriculture biologique

2000 Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon red at the Concours General Agriculture de Paris

2001 Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon red at the Concours General Agriculture de Paris
Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon red at the Concour National des Vins issus de l’Agriculture bio
Silbermedal for the Concours des Vins de France in Macon
Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon rosé beim Concour National des Vins issus de l’Agriculture bio

2002 Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon red at the Concours General Agriculture de Paris
Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon at the Concours General Agriculture de Paris
Goldmedal für den Côtes du Luberon rosé at the Wine Fair in Weinmesse in Orange

2003 Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon red at the Concours General Agriculture de Paris
Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon rosé at the Wine Fair in Orange

2004 Goldmedal for the Côtes du Luberon red at the Concour National des Vins issus de l’Agriculture bio

2005 Goldmedal for the Vin de Pays red bat the Concours General Agriculture de Paris
Goldmedal for the Chardonnay at the Fair Biofach in Nuremberg

2006 Silbermedal for the Côtes du Luberon white at the Concours General Agriculture de Paris

2007 Silbermedal for the Côtes du Luberon rosé at the Concour General Agricole de Paris
Coup de Coeur for the Viognier by the Guide Hachette


Erich Hartl
hartl@weinpur.com
http://www.organicwinepure.com/

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

WEINWELT 4 ORGANIC WINE TEST

...

For its April 2008 issue, Weinwelt (Wine World) tested 395 organic wines.
Only 29 of these received 3 stars.

The Ribera del Duero DO, Roble from the Bodega Basconcillos, which we submitted for testing, was awarded 89 points and was judged to be a very good wine. It was described as follows:

"Extremely dense and juicy, with rumpot fruits, plums, a fine spicy roasted flavor, woody, but with fine tannins."

Erich Hartl
hartl@weinpur.de
http://www.organicwinepure.com/

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

WEINWELT 3 ORGANIC WINE TEST

...


...

For its April 2008 issue, Weinwelt (Wine World) tested 395 organic wines.
Only 29 of these received 3 stars.

The Coteaux du Languedoc Gres de Montpellier 2005 "La Capitelle" from the Domaine de la Triballe, which we submitted for testing, was awarded 89 points and 3 stars and judged to be a very good wine. It was described as follows:

"Spicy, sensual, with a mineral backbone throughout (give it some air), demanding tannins, very strong!"

Erich Hartl
hartl@weinpur.de
http://www.organicwinepure.com/

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

WEINWELT 2 ORGANIC WINE TEST

...

For its April 2008 issue, Weinwelt (Wine World) tested 395 organic wines.

The Clos de la Bergerie, Savennieres Roche aux Moines 2005, which we submitted for testing, was awarded 85 points and judged to be a very good wine.

It was described as follows:
"Somewhat irregular, must; forest soil, floral, sherry, but then with great mineral vigor..."

My comment to this description: It is not Nicolas Joly’s intention, to present that is comparable with any other wine.

Erich Hartl
hartl@weinpur.de
http://www.organicwinepure.com/

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

WEINWELT 1 ORGANIC WINE TEST

...

For its April 2008 issue, Weinwelt (Wine World) tested 395 organic wines.

The Clos de la Coulee de Serrant, which we submitted for testing, was judged to be an outstanding wine. Only one other white wines was judged as outstanding.

It was described as follows.

"The highlight from the forerunner of organic viticulture: Nicolas Joly's famous steep slopes have provided this incredibly firm, big fat scorcher, which with its mature, unconventionally earthy-spicy-walnutty heavy nature not everyone may enjoy."

My comments: While it is true that not everyone may enjoy this wine, it is a wine which expresses its origins, i.e. the varietal, the location and the naturalness of a great wine.

Erich Hartl

hartl@weinpur.de
http://www.organicwinepure.de/

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Environmental Study: Presented to the European Parliament on March 26, 2008, Part 3

"Probably carcinogenic"

Certain pesticides are suspected of causing cancer and being genetically harmful. There are however still large gaps in our knowledge on this subject. Testers did find substances in the ten German wines tested from Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse or Württemberg and in Austrian wines as well which are categorized as "possibly" or "probably" carcinogenic in the USA. However, in the European Union these categories have not existed up to now. In comparison, wines from France, Italy, Chile or South Africa were shown to contain pesticides which can cause cancer, even according to the standards of the European Union.

Since the substances found did not exceed the given limits, the consequences of this study are still being disputed in the European Parliament. Hiltrud Breyer, a member of the Green Party in parliament, said these were "alarming and shocking results." She called for stricter regulations in the current legal proceedings to ban especially dangerous pesticides. Christa Klaß, a member of the European Parliament for the Christian Democratic Union, issued a warning about drawing the wrong conclusions: "According to the present law, these wines are completely harmless," she stated. Should however these be a health risk, the European Union would have to consider stricter approval procedures.

The Pesticide Action Network did not want to go as far as to advise lovers of wine to give it up: "We don't want to tell anyone to stop drinking wine," PAN spokesperson Elliott Cannell said. However, he called on all wine-growers to decrease the use of pesticides considerably. According to information given by PAN, 20 per cent of all the pesticides used in Europe are sprayed on grapevines, although these only take up 3 per cent of the area used for agricultural purposes

Source: hda/AFP URL: http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/natur/0,1518,543553,00.html

Erich Hartl
hartl@weinpur.com
www.organicwinepure.com

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Environmental Study Part 2

German Press Agency report on the environmental study presented to the European Parliament in Brussels on March 26, 2008.

Pesticides found in red wine: "Shocking" or "harmless", depending on the way you look at it.

A Spätburgunder from Baden actually contains residues of ten different types of pesticides: a real pesticide cocktail. However, the limits were not exceeded in any of the wines tested. Whereas the Green Party called for stricter laws, the government warned against causing a panic.

The study also showed that conventionally produced wines contained considerably more pesticides than organic wines did. Whereas five of the six organic wines tested contained no chemical residue, pesticide was found in all of the 34 conventionally produced wines, according to those who did the test.

The price was not a factor in these cases: pesticides were found in two bottles of highest-quality French wines which were priced at more than 200 euros. In an organic wine produced in Burgundy in France, which gave cause for complaint, the testers were able to trace the chemical residue back to the pollution of the fields located next to the vineyards

PAN, the organization who initiated the wine analysis, is a network consisting of more than 600 organizations worldwide who deal mainly with environmental protection. This study was supported by groups such as Greenpeace Germany.

Source: hda/AFP URL: www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/natur/0,1518,543553,00.html

Erich Hartl
hartl@weinpur.de
www.organicwinepure.com

Biowein Probierabonnement September 2008

Preisstufe 1 Probierpaket mit 4 Rotweinen zu € 35,75 abzüglich 10 % = € 32,18

Bordeaux, rot, 2006, Chateau Renaissance, € 8,50
Dieser schöne Bordeaux begeistert mit seinem fruchtigen Bouquet, das mit einem Hauch von Kirschkernen und Leder unterlegt ist. Im Mund ist er voll und mit zunehmender Reife weicher werdend. Seine gute Struktur und sein rundes Tannin gibt ihm einen festen, angenehmen Abgang.

Toro DO, rot, Vina Bajoz, 2005 € 9,55
Bio-Rotwein aus der authochtonen Rebsorte Tinta de Toro, mit tiefer, dunkler Farbe, ausgeprägt fruchtige Aromen, voller, kräftiger Körper, samtig weich und lang anhaltend.

Chianti Colli Fiorentino, rot, 2006, Tenuta San Vito € 8,80
Bio-Chianti aus der Nähe von Florenz von der Tenuta San Vito aus 100 % Sangiovesetrauben. Rubinrote brillante Farbe, frisches fruchtiges Bouquet, gefällig und harmonisch im Mund.

Touraine, Gamay, rot, 2006, € 8,90
Ein vorbildlicher Biowein aus Gamaytrauben mit großer Eigenständigkeit. Voll und fruchtig, zurückhaltend in der Säure, angenehm weich und rund im Mund. 17 von 20 möglichen Punkten vom Guide des Vins des Sommeliers.


Preisstufe 2 Probierpaket mit 1 Fl. Weisswein und 2 Fl. Rotwein zu € 49,55 abzüglich 10 % = € 44,60

Riesling Federspiel, Vom Stein“ 2005, Nikolaihof, € 18,50
duftender, feinblumiger, fruchtiger Riesling mit viel Rasse, feiner Weinsäure, elegante Rieslingnote, helle goldgelbe Farbe. Finessreiche Rieslingaromatik mit Steinobsttönen (Aprikosen, Pfirsich). Besonders fruchtintensiv mit viel Charme und Feinheit.

Côteaux d’Aix en Provence, rot, 2003, Domaine Les Béates, € 15,50
tiefe dunkelrote Farbe, Aromen von schwarzen Johannisbeeren, Brombeeren, gegrilltem roten Paprika, die sich im Mund wiederholen. Erfreulich offen und zugänglich aber kraftvoll.

Chianti Classico, rot, Buondonno, 2006, € 15,55
Eleganter Biowein mit Veilchen und Kräuterduft in der Nase, dezente Frucht mit komplexen Geschmacksnuancen, fein strukturiert mit mittlerem Körper.

Erich Hartl
hartl@weinpur.com
www.organicwinepure.com

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Clos de la Coulée de Serrant – Nicolas Joly

The famous Clos de la Coulée de Serrant produces three white wines which are among the very best in France.

Coulée de Serrant AOC
Clos de la Bergerie, Savennieres-Roche-aux-Moines AOC
Les Vieux Clos, Savennieres AOC

A lot has been written about these, and they have even been mentioned on television. However anyone who has never visited Clos de la Coulée de Serrant, who has never seen the location of the vineyards, the vines and the soil, cannot compare these with conventionally farmed wine estates. It is located high above the Loire Valley, the best site with ancient vines on a steep slope, separated by natural barriers or walls (thus the name Clos) from anything which could have an adverse effect on the fruits of the biodynamic work being done there. The two other sites, Savennieres-Roche-aux-Moines and Savennieres, are right above this on a somewhat flatter terrain and are surrounded completely by walls. Everything seems very well kept, but natural and full of life, the soil is loose and well aired, the earth smells fresh, in some places it smells of mushrooms.

The wine estate itself can really be called a chateau. The wine cellar is simple but serves its purpose. There are no centrifuges, filters or any kind of cold storage. This makes it clear what Nicolas Joly stands for: wines which are as natural as they can possibly be. Asked by the President of the Association of German Top-Quality Wine-Growing Estates how he obtained the characteristics of his wine, his answer was that this is done in the vineyard and not in the cellar.

Anyone who talks to Nicolas Joly personally about biodynamic viticulture will sense the enthusiasm, the knowledge, the commitment which he brings to his work. Quite a few wine-growers have found his philosophy of wine contagious and have switched over to biodynamic viticulture. It was gratifying to see how Joly’s young daughter, Virginie Joly, has become familiar with viticulture and with the work in the cellar as well so that she will be able to continue managing this beautiful estate when she succeeds her father one day.

But I haven’t said anything about the wines, and I don’t want to do. What I can say is that they are different from all the other white wines in the world. And you have to have drunk several bottles in order to understand them. Perhaps you'd like to find out for yourself?

Erich Hartl
hartl@weinpur.de
www.organicwinepure.com

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Cooking with our Tuebingen Nobel Prize Winner

Not a day goes by on television without several cooking shows. Under the guidance of professional cooks, you can see politicians, actors or athletes with a cooking spoon in their hands, and it seems that these shows have a big audience.

I do however wonder if we shouldn’t cook more often ourselves? Cook with our friends, or just ask them over for a meal – not in a restaurant, but at home. But since we don’t want to be embarrassed by our lack of culinary skills we usually don't do it.

If this applies to you, perhaps you would like to try the cookbook written by our Nobel Prize winner from Tuebingen, Christians Nuesslein-Volhard. She has been enjoying our organic wines for more than 20 years and is a wonderful cook and hostess. In her cookbook entitled “Mein Kochbuch – Einfaches für besondere Anlässe” (My Cookbook – Simple Dishes for Special Occasions) she has written down her favorite recipes, which are guaranteed to succeed and which your guests are sure to enjoy.

You can purchase “Mein Kochbuch” at a bookstore or in our store, signed by the author.

Erich Hartl

hartl@weinpur.de
www.organicwinepure.com

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -