Within the rugged landscape of Corbières, just north of Narbonne, one finds the Golden Crescent, the appellation’s finest and most valued sector. Here, the Domaine de Fontsainte crafts many of Corbières’ most celebrated wines. Fontsainte’s flagship rouge is a blend of 70-year-old Carignan (60%), Grenache (30%), and Syrah that speaks both of the wild and rustic Languedoc landscape and the deft, experienced touch that Fontsainte’s Yves Laboucarié imparts to his wines. The Fontsainte opens with a dense, opaque black plum robe and garrigue-infused aromas of Italian plums and spicy black cherries. On the palate, the wine accents its chewy kernel of black orchard fruits with classic Corbières undertones of black peppercorns, oil-cured olives, menthol, and herbal garrigue. Fashioned to be fresh and ready-to-drink, the Fontsainte finishes with complex impressions of lavender, peppery salumi, blood orange zest, and leather. Soft, food-friendly tannins emerge and ready your palate for another forkful of ratatouille, grilled sourdough bread slathered with garlicky tapenade, grilled lamb rib chops, or roast pork shoulder. Enjoy this delicious, approachable, and characterful Corbières now and over the coming three years.
A Kermit Lynch selection
