Notify me
2021 Corbières Rouge “Réserve La Demoiselle”
Domaine de FontsainteBruno Laboucarié
Old vines
It is hard not to open a bottle of Domaine de Fontsainte’s Corbières “La Demoiselle,” smell the garrigue, spices, and notes of dark fruit and olives soaring from your glass, and think, “Only from the Languedoc can we drink a wine made from century-old vines with this much class and ageability for less than $25.” This grippy rouge comes from Domaine de Fontsainte’s most famous parcel called “La Demoiselle,” which the Laboucarié family has farmed since the early 1970s. This year, the Carignan vines in that vineyard turned one hundred and twenty! Thanks to winemakers like Bruno Laboucarié and wines like La Demoiselle, Carignan has experienced a bit of a resurgence in the Languedoc, now receiving the respect and analysis it deserves by deft vignerons. Many of the region’s most ambitious vignerons today consider it to be the Languedoc’s unsung hero and a taste of La Demoiselle will show you why. Full of character, soul, and deliciousness, it pairs perfectly with pretty much anything right off the grill—just in time for summer!
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 60% Carignan, 30% Grenache Noir, 10% Mourvèdre |
Appellation: | Corbières |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Domaine de Fontsainte |
Winemaker: | Bruno Laboucarié |
Vineyard: | Carignan planted in 1904 |
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% |
More from this Producer or Region
2021 Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge “Les Cocalières”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Fadat’s bottlings from this terroir have proven to be among the most complex and elegant wines of southern France.
2020 Pic Saint Loup “Guilhem Gaucelm”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
One of the great reds of the Languedoc. Rhône Valley, look out!
Cap de Creus “Ranci Sec”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Evaporation over time has concentrated the wine, giving it considerable strength to go with its trademark rancio aromas of walnuts and brine.
2021 Collioure Rouge “La Pinède”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
If you can’t make it to the south of France this year, here’s a way to bring the Mediterranean sun to you.
2019 Faugères “Valinière”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Valinière is a monumental demonstration of what happens when respectfully working the earth is not just a job, but one’s whole life.
2022 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris” MAGNUM
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
This crisp and succulent vin gris is a guaranteed thirst-quencher.
2022 Vin de France Blanc
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Searching for something a bit funky to enliven your jaded palate? Look no further and prepare for an experience like none other.
2019 Corbières Rouge “Campagnès”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
100% Carignan from very old vines with immense depth but the immediate drinkability of a Cru Beaujolais.
2023 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris”
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.
2022 Vin de France Blanc de Voile
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
If you’re a fan of Jura’s vin jaune or fino and manzanilla sherry, find yourself a new friend in this rare bottling from Ludvic Engelvin.
About The Producer
Domaine de Fontsainte
About The Region
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.
More from Languedoc-Roussillon or France
2023 Pic Saint Loup Rosé
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Corbières “Rozeta”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Vin de France Blanc “Malvoise”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Cap de Creus “Ranci Sec”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rouge
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Saint-Chinian Blanc “Montmajou”
Les Eminades France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Vin de France Blanc “Assyrtiko”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Vin de France “Le Carignan”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Banyuls Vinegar
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Vin de Pays Memoire “d’Automnes”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2019 Faugères “Jadis”
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge “Les Cocalières”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Pic Saint Loup Rosé
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Corbières “Rozeta”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Vin de France Blanc “Malvoise”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Cap de Creus “Ranci Sec”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rouge
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Saint-Chinian Blanc “Montmajou”
Les Eminades France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Vin de France Blanc “Assyrtiko”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Vin de France “Le Carignan”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Banyuls Vinegar
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Vin de Pays Memoire “d’Automnes”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2019 Faugères “Jadis”
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge “Les Cocalières”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
If you're looking for value, look where no one else is looking.
Inspiring Thirst, page 211