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2018 Corbières Rouge

Domaine de Fontsainte
Discount Eligible $16.00
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Domaine de Fontsainte is seemingly impervious to Mother Nature’s whims. Heavy rains battered southern France during the spring of 2018, creating perfect conditions for one of wine’s fiercest villains—mildew—and this vintage could have ended catastrophically for Bruno Laboucarié in Corbières. Indeed, he says that his young shoots and buds were threatened from spring through much of the summer. And yet, tasting his 2018 Corbières rouge—as delicious as ever—you would think conditions had been excellent from start to finish. How did Bruno achieve such a magical feat? To start, the excellent terroir at Domaine de Fontsainte allowed him to avoid most problems with the rain, with the vineyard’s slight elevation and southeast exposure that provided as much sun as possible to the wet soil and vulnerable vines. Expert vineyard management also proved crucial; Bruno’s decision not to till the soils prevented additional mildew pressure from the moisture released by this process. The resulting 2018 Corbières rouge is as complete and consistent as ever, with notes of black cherries, blackberries, and garrigue. This wine is a meal unto itself, but it will pair beautifully with a wide range of grilled meats and vegetables.

Tom Wolf


Technical Information
Wine Type: red
Vintage: 2018
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: 60% Carignan, 30% Grenache Noir, 10% Syrah
Appellation: Corbières
Country: France
Region: Languedoc-Roussillon
Producer: Domaine de Fontsainte
Winemaker: Bruno Laboucarié
Vineyard: N/A, 46.2 ha
Soil: Silica, clay, limestone (gravelly with large galets, or rounded stones)
Aging: 60% of wine ages 8-12 months in French oak barrels, remainder in cement tank
Farming: Lutte Raisonnée
Alcohol: 14.5%

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About The Region

Languedoc-Roussillon

map of Languedoc-Roussillon

Ask wine drinkers around the world, and the word “Languedoc” is sure to elicit mixed reactions. On the one hand, the region is still strongly tied to its past as a producer of cheap, insipid bulk wine in the eyes of many consumers. On the other hand, it is the source of countless great values providing affordable everyday pleasure, with an increasing number of higher-end wines capable of rivaling the best from other parts of France.

While there’s no denying the Languedoc’s checkered history, the last two decades have seen a noticeable shift to fine wine, with an emphasis on terroir. Ambitious growers have sought out vineyard sites with poor, well draining soils in hilly zones, curbed back on irrigation and the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and looked to balance traditional production methods with technological advancements to craft wines with elegance, balance, and a clear sense of place. Today, the overall quality and variety of wines being made in the Languedoc is as high as ever.

Shaped like a crescent hugging the Mediterranean coast, the region boasts an enormous variety of soil types and microclimates depending on elevation, exposition, and relative distance from the coastline and the cooler foothills farther inland. While the warm Mediterranean climate is conducive to the production of reds, there are world-class whites and rosés to be found as well, along with stunning dessert wines revered by connoisseurs for centuries.

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Sampling wine out of the barrel.

When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:

1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.

Inspiring Thirst, page 174