Chateau Fontareche “Vieilles Vignes” Corbieres

Southern France has a special allure all its own, especially when it comes to its wines. Impossibly robust, dense, rich, spicy and yet fresh, floral and lifted. In a region that would otherwise be oppressively hot and arid, what makes the wines of this region so special has a lot to do with the legendary winds that blow all the way from the north coast of France, down through regions like Languedoc to the Mideterranean coast. The “Mistral” wind, as it’s called (“master” in English) is a big reason why the vineyards of southern France (from the Rhone Valley to Provcence, and areas like Corbieres in between) are able to produce wines that are high in alcohol, yet still deliciously vibrant and drinkable.  

Corbieres is a very good region for a number of your classic “GSM” grape varieties (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre). But it’s a great region for Carignan, which Chateau Fontareche has been specializing in for hundreds of years. That’s a lot of generations-worth of time to perfect a variety. Try the wine and see for yourself. There’s a good chance you’ll end up wanting a few more bottles to set aside for later.