Domaine de Fontsainte

Corbieres Rouge

2006

$13.99/bottle

(10% Off This Weekend = $12.59)

A winner for winter weather, in another gem from the Languedoc. I've been back from that part of France for less than a week, and memories of the intense flavors of the Mediterranean are still pestering me. Ah well, a white bean stew embellished with sausage and rosemary, plus a glass of this wine will make it all right.

The Wine… Goblet training of the estate’s vines keeps yields naturally low, and flavors concentrated. All the fruit at this estate is harvested by hand. Carbonic Maceration creates freshness in this red. Ageing in 600 liter casks allows the wine to mellow and evolve prior to bottling. Domaine de Fontsainte’s 50 hectares of land has a large amount of limestone in the soil, a geologic trait that imparts positive mineral complexity to the wine.

The Land… The village of Boutenac is a prime slice of the vast appellation of Corbieres. Domaine de Fontsainte’s vineyards are on a southeast facing hillside with a border of pine forest to shield them from wind. Proximity to the Mediterranean aids in ripening this exceptionally savory red. Since the beginning Domaine de Fontsainte has been dedicated to sustainable farming methods, monitored and falling within Vitealys guidelines.

The Family… Yves Laboucarié launched this winery in 1971. His family have grown grapes around Boutenac since the 17th century. Relics suggest Fontsainte was cultivated by Roman farmers. Some of the vines he cultivates are a century old. Laboucarié says to make great wine one must see the land with his ancestor’s eyes, and learn the lessons offered by previous generations. Common sense in a land so shaped by viticultural history.