Occitanie: 25th Favorite of women in agricultural cooperation
The Richemer cellars welcomed to the Marseillan-Plage site the jury of women, journalists and influence, who distinguished four bottles out of 68 gold medals in the cooperation competition.
Stéphane Hugonnet, president of the Agde-Marseillan cooperative cellar, Les Caves Richemer, had the pleasure of welcoming on the Marseillan-Plage site the 25th Coup de cœur de femmes organized by La Coopération agricole Occitanie. “A gold medal in a national competition like this means 25% additional sales,” he explained to the jury, launching the tasting alongside Fabienne Bonet, Catalan winegrower and president of the chamber of agriculture of Pyrénées Orientales and Valérie Bastoul, general manager of the services of the Occitanie Agricultural Cooperation. In supermarkets or in wine merchants, we know that it is often women who buy. This Women’s Favorite is all the more important. ” The Richemer cellars had three wines in competition that day.
For the thirty women, journalists, business leaders, bloggers, elected officials or public figures, it was a question of judging 65 of the 101 gold medals of the Cooperation competition which took place in the spring, with the participation of 70 wineries. from Occitanie for 600 samples. These are the bottled wines that are submitted to the jury, namely 23 white, 18 rosé and 21 red, as well as three natural sweet wines.
Four trophies for four cooperative wineries
After three hours of tasting, four bottles were distinguished. The trophies designed by the artist Manyoly who dedicate his art to women, will be given to the four winning cellars.
Beauvignac dry muscat, IGP Côte de Thau white 2020 from Costières de Pomerols (Hérault). They liked “this very harmonious, fruity, sweet and intense wine at the same time. A beautiful harmony between its perfumes and its flavors. It perfectly accompanies a cuisine which combines fruit, but just as much as an aperitif. We felt the lychee, exotic fruits, an explosion of flavors. We were immediately won over by its delicacy! “
Le Fulcran Cabanon, AOC Languedoc Cabrières rosé 2020 from L’Estabel in Cabrières (Hérault). They liked “its pretty perky dress with a delicate rose petal color. Its delicious, intense, complex nose: red fruits (raspberries, strawberries), frolic with candied citrus fruits and fresh notes of liquorice. Its mouth is in perfect harmony. , both fresh and fleshy: a very nice balance and elegance. Its finish persists for our greatest pleasure on spicy aromas. It will sublimate your shrimp curries, lemon marinated chicken, goat cheese, smoked trout. “
Pride of the winning cellars
“I am super proud. It’s nice to see that this work, which is done by men and women – 53 cooperative members in Cabrières – is bearing fruit, commented Myriam Gairaud, mayor of Cabrières and member of the board of directors of the Estabel, jury. at the white table as a regional advisor. Fulcran Cabanon is an old vintage, it has evolved, changed bottle and label. It is a flagship of the cellar. And this award shows that we are on the right track. “This satisfaction is all the more important given that the Terres des Guilhem cuvée, AOP Languedoc Cabrières 2020 from its cellar was also in the final top 4.” To place two wines out of 18, it means is a strong signal for the work that is being done in our 83 year old cellar. “
The jury also liked the L cuvée, AOC Corbières red 2019 from the Chai des Vignerons de Lézignan-Corbières (Aude). They liked “this wine which is a character all in seduction but with a lot of character. The intense ruby color and, the aromas of very ripe black fruits, spices and luminous liquorice bring a lot of elegance to this powerful wine, Structured with very harmonious tannins and a fruity and spicy persistence: rosemary, thyme, savory. An invitation to pleasure that will take you very far if you have the wisdom to keep this beautiful red wine in your cellar. “
The particularity of natural sweet wines
At last, the François Arago cuvée, VDN AOP Rivesaltes tuilé 2003, from Côtes d’Agly to Estagel (Pyrénées-Orientales) was also awarded. “This very elegant and velvety wine! Its beautiful amber color with topaz reflections. Its harmony between the nose and the mouth, with notes of fresh walnuts, plums, morello cherries, mocha. The tasting ends with notes of “orangettes. To be enjoyed on its own as an aperitif or as a digestif by the fireplace! Or in association with a large chocolate or even cheese “, commented these ladies.
“It is a natural sweet wine of Grenache, commented Fabienne Bonet, the godmother, cooperator of the Estagel cellar. Macerated and aged in oak barrels with cocoa aromas. I am very happy because natural sweet wines, for PO is a peculiarity. That they are recognized by women is a source of pride. They are often little known to new consumers. Territory, make it known and recreate a dynamic. “
Discovery of the subtleties of palatable olives
This tasting was also the opportunity for Jean-Marie Etienne, president of the olive section, to introduce the different varieties of olive emblematic of the region such as Picholine, Lucques green and black, Négrette around ‘a fun tasting. The participants were able to discover the different subtleties: crunchiness, flavors and aromas. The Coup de cœur de femmes is fully in line with the “Consumers cooperative” initiative, launched in 2016 to encourage the consumption of local and fair trade products.