Notify me
2021 Corbières Rouge “Réserve La Demoiselle”
Domaine de FontsainteIt is hard not to open the Corbières Demoiselle, smell the garrigue, spices, and notes of dark fruit and olives soar 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 this price.”
From north to south, the Languedoc has made great strides in recent years in proving that it is a region full of noteworthy terroirs and outstanding wines. But, in reality, there has been proof of this for decades. Take Domaine de Fontsainte’s Réserve, for example, which Kermit began importing in the mid-eighties. It’s made with Carignan vines so old—over a hundred years—they would fill any vigneron with envy. And it comes from one of Corbières’ best sites, surrounding the hamlet of Boutenac in the area known as “The Golden Crescent.”
This swath of land is one of the sunniest in Corbières, and a nearby 500-hectare forest protects it from the region’s cold northeast winds. Hailing from a rugged and windswept hillside vineyard that benefits from just the right amount of sunlight and drainage, La Demoiselle is full of character, soul, and deliciousness. Succulent and beautifully balanced, it evokes dark fruit, leather, and spice and would pair perfectly with pretty much anything right off the grill.
—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
2022 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Its peachy-pink hue hints at what’s to come: orchard fruits and brambly wild berries, grapefruit and wet slate after a summer rain! A staple wine I can’t live without.
2019 Faugères “Jadis”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Earthy, meaty, savory, juicy, and powerful, it is a glassful of joyful, soulful goodness.
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Saint Jacques”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Equal parts Grenache, Carignan, and Mourvèdre, this boasts all of Maxime’s trademark elegance and silkiness.
2021 Corbières Rouge
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
The accents of herbal garrigue and vineyard stones offer just enough earthy terroir to counterbalance the chewy black fruit and mouth-coating wild brambleberry, making this bargain red the right bottle to uncork at any which moment.
2022 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris” MAGNUM
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
This crisp and succulent vin gris is a guaranteed thirst-quencher.
2019 Faugères
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Simultaneously rustic and graceful, dark and light on its feet, this red shows succulent notes of mixed red and black fruit, spices, and leather.
2021 Monts de la Grage Blanc
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
These ancient hillside vines yield very little, giving an intensely concentrated juice with great acidity and a textured finish. Open it alongside seafood or as an apéritif.
2022 Collioure Rouge “Puig Ambeille”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A stony, spicy cuvée full of Mediterranean sunshine, aromatic garrigue, and a hint of salinity that offers a perfect match for grilled rosemary lamb chops.
2021 Languedoc Blanc “Les Cocalières”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
One of five or six most outstanding dry whites of the Mediterranean rim, vintage after vintage and worth every centime!
2022 Pic Saint Loup Rouge
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
There is something timeless to La Roque’s Pic Saint Loup, its herbal bouquet and rich, fleshy texture, all free from any hint of modern trappings.
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
2020 Collioure Rouge “Puig Ambeille”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Faugères “Jadis”
Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Gard Rouge “Clausus”
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Corbières Blanc
“La Bégou”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Corbières Rouge
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Assyrtiko Blanc
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Collioure Rouge “Puig Ambeille”
Domaine de la Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Saint-Chinian Blanc “Montmajou”
Les Eminades France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rouge
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Cupa Numismae”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris”
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint Loup Rosé
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Collioure Rouge “Puig Ambeille”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Faugères “Jadis”
Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Gard Rouge “Clausus”
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Corbières Blanc
“La Bégou”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Corbières Rouge
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Assyrtiko Blanc
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Collioure Rouge “Puig Ambeille”
Domaine de la Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Saint-Chinian Blanc “Montmajou”
Les Eminades France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rouge
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Cupa Numismae”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris”
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint Loup Rosé
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.