Spotlight on Corbières
by Chris Santini
Spotlight on Corbières
by Chris Santini
If you’d like a travel tip for France, I have a good one for you: go to Corbières! Living is good in those southern hills, with plenty of artsy villages, locavore restaurants, B&Bs with old-school charm, hikes and sites galore, and, of course—the reason we’re here—a plethora of local wines that are most often affordable and pleasantly drinkable, and, at their best, truly exceptional.
Bruno Laboucarié, our man in the north of Corbières for the last forty years or so at Domaine de Fontsainte, embodies that quality of life by permanently beaming with joy, wearing his smile from ear to ear. Maxime Magnon, our guy in the south of Corbières, on the border of Catalan country, left his home in eastern France to settle down in the bohemian-tinged village of Durban-Corbières. Both make wines full of pride, joy, and depth.
While Fontsainte may be most famous for their Gris de Gris rosé, the Demoiselle rouge cuvée has always been their hidden treasure. Gnarled vines, well over a century old, surrounding the historic Laboucarié family home reliably churn out year after year a strawberry, spice, and chocolate-toned rouge that, while rich and full, remains balanced. And their black label Corbières rouge always falls on my short list of “Old Reliable” wines, the wines you can open for anyone, anywhere, on any occasion, and you know everyone will love them. They tend to be open, pure, fun, fruity, and delicious—attributes no one can argue with.
Maxime Magnon is also an aficionado of old vines, which he farms assisted by cows, sheep, horses, and a donkey, and from which he manages to produce incredibly pure, velvety smooth wines that deeply reflect their terroirs. His blanc, La Bégou, is what I would want a Corbières grand cru to taste like, if they had that sort of thing there—regal, rich, and savory. Dark hued, plush, and full of garrigue, Métisse offers a completely different take on Corbières rosé from Fontsainte’s ethereal and crisp rendition. Maxime’s Démarrante and Rozeta rouge have a fun and uplifting Beaujolais-like black cherry thing going on at first glance, which rapidly gives way to a gutsy, intense, rock-infused soul. And, finally, the stunning single-vineyard Campagnès is sourced from vines over one hundred years old! Floral aromatics prime the palate for great expectations, and the Campagnès certainly delivers. A recent article in the French press summed up my thoughts exactly on Maxime’s wines as possessing “both density and depth, of a disconcerting ease to be drunk.”
Wines In The Collection
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A cold glass hits the spot every single time, bursting over the taste buds with bright citrus, wild strawberry, and a juicy finish.
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Just enough earthy terroir to counterbalance the chewy black fruit and mouth-coating wild brambleberry.
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Hailing from the rugged and windswept hills of Corbières, which teem with garrigue and olive groves, La Demoiselle delivers a glorious taste of the South.
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
The first thing that strikes me when tasting Maxime Magnon’s rosé is always its beautiful hue: a violet so soft and glowing it seems almost otherworldly.
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
This is what happens when the Languedoc meets the Beaujolais: old Carignan and Cinsault fermented by carbonic maceration to make something light, fresh, and delicious.
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
The Rozeta features the exuberant, inviting perfume and velvety wild fruit we expect from a wine that underwent 100% whole-cluster fermentation.
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
100% Carignan from very old vines with immense depth but the immediate drinkability of a Cru Beaujolais.
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A cold glass hits the spot every single time, bursting over the taste buds with bright citrus, wild strawberry, and a juicy finish.
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Just enough earthy terroir to counterbalance the chewy black fruit and mouth-coating wild brambleberry.
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Hailing from the rugged and windswept hills of Corbières, which teem with garrigue and olive groves, La Demoiselle delivers a glorious taste of the South.
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
The first thing that strikes me when tasting Maxime Magnon’s rosé is always its beautiful hue: a violet so soft and glowing it seems almost otherworldly.
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
This is what happens when the Languedoc meets the Beaujolais: old Carignan and Cinsault fermented by carbonic maceration to make something light, fresh, and delicious.
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
The Rozeta features the exuberant, inviting perfume and velvety wild fruit we expect from a wine that underwent 100% whole-cluster fermentation.
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
100% Carignan from very old vines with immense depth but the immediate drinkability of a Cru Beaujolais.
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