Dynamic wines from Bergerac come to Arundel

The quality of wines from the scenic Bergerac wine region of south-west France has seen a dramatic improvement in the last 20 to 30 years. The new generation of winemakers, not content with the status quo, have travelled to New Zealand, Australia, California and Chile, to name just a few countries, learning alternative techniques and methods. Back home, this knowledge has been applied to local winemaking, always in tandem with traditional know-how and understanding of the local terroir.

Add to that some considerable investment in new technology and state-of-the-art equipment and you have a recipe for producing top quality, modern wines, perfectly in tune with current consumer demands and expectations. Such are the wines of Vignobles Dubard based in Saint Méard de Gurçon, 15 miles from the town of Bergerac itself. Owned, run and expertly managed by the dynamic 46-year-old Gregory Dubard, the estate owns over 200 acres of vineyards in the Bergerac and Montravel appellations.

Talking to Gregory, you immediately sense the dynamism and passion of this young winemaker, in every aspect of his business. Having been up at 4 o’clock in the morning to work on the new vintage of his wine in Saint Emilion (he owns vineyards here too!), he was back at his base to accompany me and customers from England who had flown in for a visit – full of enthusiasm and seemingly fresh as a daisy!

Always with an eye on the future, Gregory produces a range of wines, introducing old technology as well as new. Terracotta amphoras, similar to those used by the ancient Greeks, stand alongside large old wooden casks, whilst next-door a top-of-the-range pneumatic grape press stands proudly in the winery. The over-riding philosophy is to produce fresh, characterful wines which are a true expression of the terroir from which they are produced.

The flagship wines under the Bergerac Appellation are a fresh, crisp aromatic white, made from 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon, together with a soft, fruity, red from 100% merlot grapes. Both wines are impressive and competitively priced. Such is their quality, that a number of top French restaurants – some with a Michelin star – feature them as their recommended house wines.

And now both these wines, under the name of Domaine des Gouyats can be sampled in Arundel. Indeed, the customers from England were Andy Batty, owner of the new restaurant The Steakist, accompanied by his chef Michael Lyons. After a comprehensive blind tasting, the wines were selected as the main house wines for the establishment. Imported directly by Andy from Vignobles Dubard and expressing entirely the philosophy of quality, modernism and value, they form part of the portfolio of wines from small producers, represented exclusively in the UK by the WineWyse agency.

Top quality, individual, modern wines in a restaurant with the same guiding principles, together with other Vignobles Dubard wines, such as Clos des Grands Moines Lalande de Pomerol – unmissable with a juicy, grilled sirloin steak. Keep an eye open for other wines produced by the dynamic Gregory Dubard to be added to The Steakist’s wine list soon.