Our previous tasting in June occurred during an unseasonable cold spell. Since then we’ve had no less than two heat waves, so it was with lovely south‑of‑France weather on a warm and sunny evening that we gathered together in Harrogate to sample a selection of wine from Southern France, appropriate as the day was Bastille Day. The wines were presented by Paul Tate–Smith of Derventio (Tate–Smith) of Malton. Little did we know at the time that they were soon to become nationally famous, but more of this later.

Whilst having a broad range of wine sold through their shop and direct to the trade, tonight’s showing consisted of diverse wines from regions of southern France but all from within the portfolio of a single wine conglomerate.

The welcoming wine, Salasar Crémant de Limoux Brut (£12.50), met with almost universal approval. A blend of mostly Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc with a little of the local variety Mauzac, it proved to be fresh with good body and depth of flavour.

The first white wine was a Picpoul de Pinet, Foncastel (£11.50). Made from Picpoul Blanc, a grape prone to disease and therefore difficult to grow, this wine comes in unusual tall green bottles with a crest. It was golden in colour with good fruit and balanced acidity; the freshness made for easy drinking and it was suggested as an ideal compliment to mussels.

The second white was a Viognier, Domaine de la Baume (£12). It had a full upfront bouquet typical of Viognier that was matched with very good fruit, body and length. With balanced acidity this was full‑flavoured and a delight to drink. Early‑morning harvesting by hand, but without oak, made for an excellent wine almost universally liked.

We were then treated to a rosé from the Côte de Provence: Château Galinière Sainte Victoire Rosé (£15). This is the area famous for rosés from the likes of Kylie Minogue and Whispering Angel. It was fashionably very light pink due to a very short time in contact with the grape skins. This can sometimes indicate a lack of flavour in a rosé wine due to there not being enough time on the skins to extract flavour and body. However, this proved to be better than that and, after a limited nose, it delivered strawberries in the mouth, good flavour, acidity, balance and length.

The first red was Domaine Pont Major Red (£14). From the Aude Valley in the Limoux/Carcassonne region of south‑west France, this wine of 50% Merlot with Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon was aged for nine months in new and old oak barrels. A really rich deep red wine with a full fruity nose and spice in the mouth, it was very soft and easy drinking, filling the mouth with gorgeous flavour. Unfortunately, the 2022 vintage is the last vintage of this wine.

Our second red of the evening was a Côtes du Rhône, Beauchene Les Terroirs (£15). A blend of 60% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre and 15% Syrah, it is made from 30‑ to 100‑year‑old vines. A very dark black colour, the oak ageing in barrels for 6 to 8 months produced a full‑bodied, long‑length, mouth‑filling wine, with dry tannins that will give this wine ageing potential.

The final wine was Château Belles Eaux Les Coteaux (£13). Made in the heart of the Languedoc, it is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan. Having spent 15 months in a mixture of new and used French oak, it is another dark black wine. This was less forceful on the nose but came with good balance and made for very easy drinking — a wine that demanded another sip, another glassful, another bottle. A wine one could easily drink too much of!

The wines tasted during the evening were almost all well liked and scored highly. However, overall feedback suggested that the outstanding wines of the evening were: for the white wine, the Domaine de la Baume Viognier, and for the red, Château Belles Eaux Les Coteaux. Both proved to be excellent value for money and crowd pleasers.

I promised earlier to talk about the recent fame that Derventio wines have since established. For those of you that are fans of the programme “Saturday Morning Kitchen”, you may have heard of them during an episode a couple of weeks after our tasting. During the programme the presenters and guests tasted a range of “summer reds”. The overall winner was a sparkling red from Australia called “Chill Bill”, sourced from Derventio Tate‑Smith. It’s definitely a fun wine with a picture of a surfboard‑riding penguin on the label. From personal experience I can recommend this wine as a great easy‑drinking, back‑garden, barbecue and sunny‑weather wine — a wine to share with friends that all will like. Since their appearance on the programme, Derventio have sold numerous cases to a growing and appreciative fan base, but I believe they still have some stock left. Their shop in Malton is definitely worth a visit.

After an evening of truly delightful wines, our tastebuds were further delighted with a lovely meal of cold roast beef with piccalilli, followed by peach, raspberry and almond tart.