Vincent et Marie Tricot: a new find in the Auvergne

The problem about wine fairs is that there's just too much to take in. Even at a small fête du vin like the one we went to at the weekend at Chassignolles in the Auvergne

My normal rule is to try a maximum of four wines from any one producer so as to be able to get round as many as possible. But that can mean you miss a couple of the wines that you would have bought if you'd tasted them. As happened with the wines of Vincent and Marie Tricot

The first was La Bulleversante, a delicious, light (6%) semi-sparkling Muscat which was served at the Auberge de Chassignolles on the eve of the fair with rum babas and fresh berries - the perfect match. I failed to make the connection with the Tricots when I was trying their wines the next day otherwise I'd have snapped up a case.

The second was an equally scrummy pinot noir rosé we had for lunch on the day after the féte - a lovely pairing with a pea and broad bean soup. I think it was Le Trois Bonhommes though there's not much about the Tricots on the net apart from this report on the excellent Wine Terroirs. Again we'd have bought some if we'd tasted it the previous day.

What we did buy was two lovely 2011 reds (in the rather wonky picture above - one of the few shortcomings of the iPhone is that it's hopeless at wine bottles) - a vividly fruity pinot/gamay blend called Les Milans (€6.50) and a low-yielding old-vine gamay that was so peppery it tasted almost like a young syrah. That was just €7.50.

Anyway you can find them if you're in France at the Rue des Percèdes 63670 Orcet
Puy-de-Dôme Tél : 0033 (0)4 73 77 70 67 or in London at Gergovie wines who are back in business in Maltby Street from the end of August. Obviously their prices will be higher to reflect transport costs and UK tax and duty.

More about the Chassignolles Fête du Vin shortly. And my tasting with Thierry Germain.