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Chateau de Durfort Corbieres

2021

Comes across like a soft, super ripe Bordeaux.

The Chateau de Durfort Corbieres vines grow in rocky schist soils in the craggy uplands of Cathar country. This blend of Grenache and Syrah displays a combination of ripe, brambly fruit aromas with supple ripe tannins and a refreshing acidic core.

Notes of blueberries, strawberries and cassis are supported by a silky creamy, vanilla and mocha finish. On the palate there's more dark smoky cassis fruit, some creamy blueberry and plum, with a pleasant bitter savoury contrast to the ripe fruit. After a few minutes in the glass, this Durfort starts to unravel and becomes incredibly moreish.

Languedoc-Roussillon (often called "the Languedoc") is a historical coastal region in southern France, extending from Provence to the Pyrenees Mountains and the border with Spain. The area is a major wine producer, with Vin de Pays d'Oc and sparkling Crémant de Limoux among its best-known varieties. The Languedoc-Roussillon region is dominated by 740,300 acres (2,996 km²) of vineyards, three times the combined area of the vineyards in Bordeaux and the region has been an important winemaking centre for several centuries.

The Mediterranean climate and plentiful land with soil ranging from rocky sand to thick clay was very suitable for the production of wine. The climate and strong winds, which help prevent pests and disease by giving natural protection to the vineyards, contribute to the region’s ability to sustain a high level of organic production - 36 percent of all organic French wine comes from the Languedoc - making it the country’s leader in this category.

The majority of Languedoc’s wines are red blends, but rosé and still white wines are produced here, as are sparkling wines made in the traditional method. Their flavour profile is dominated by red fruit and spices and is often associated with an herb blend called garrigue, containing rosemary, thyme, sage, lavender, and juniper, that is typical of the region. Red wines make up 60 percent of the Languedoc’s total production. Rosé wines represent 19 percent, and white wines, 20 percent.

Details

More Information
Wine Type	Red wine
Closure	Natural Cork
Alc. Vol	14.5
Units	10.87
Region	Languedoc
Country	France
Grape Varietal	Grenache, Syrah
Food Pairings	Duck, Game Birds
Oak Length	14 Months
Oak Type	French Oak

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Languedoc-Roussillon

Languedoc-Roussillon in the south of France stretches from the Rhône valley in the east to the Spanish border in the southwest. The region of Languedoc has belonged to France since the thirteenth century and the Roussillon was acquired from Spain in the mid-seventeenth century. The two regions were joined as one administrative region in the late 1980s.

Dominated by 300,000 hectares of vineyards, it is France’s largest wine producing region. Vineyards are often called ‘patchwork’ because so many different grape varieties grow together, and many producers make blends instead of single varietal wines. Reds are rich with Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre as major components. Whites are unoaked and zesty, made mostly with Picpoul and Grenache Blanc.

Important appellations include Minervois, Corbières, Picpoul de Pinet and Terrasses du Larzac. Blanquette de Limoux and Crémant de Limoux are popular sparkling wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

France

France – the home of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne – is arguably the world's most important wine-producing country. For centuries, it has produced wine in greater quantity – and many would say quality – than any other nation, and its attraction is not just volume or prestige, but also the variety of styles available.

The diversity of French wine is due, in part, to the country's wide range of climates. Champagne, its most northerly region, has one of the coolest climates, whereas Bordeaux has a maritime climate, heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and the various rivers that wind their way between vineyards. Both in stark contrast to the southern regions of Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon, which enjoy a Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot summers and mild winters.

Terroir is also key. From the granite hills of Beaujolais to the famous chalky slopes of Chablis and the gravels of the Médoc, the sites and soils on which France's vineyards have been developed are considered of vital importance and are at the heart of the concept of terroir.

Grenache/Garnacha

Grenache (aka Garnacha) is a black grape variety that has been championed by the French in the Southern Rhône Valley, however its original home is in Spain. It typically has high levels of sugar (and therefore alcohol) and low acidity. Due to its thin skins, Grenache’s tannins tend to be on the lower end of the spectrum, making way for all the juicy red fruit flavours (strawberry, plum, red cherry).

Grenache is often blended with other grape varieties, such as Syrah in France and Tempranillo in Spain. Many are unoaked, but high-quality wines are matured in barrels to add complexity. These will happily age in-bottle developing meaty, earthy flavours over time. You’ll also find Grenache in a lot of rosé wines.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhône is probably the most highly prized Grenache, where you can expect more smoky herbal notes in the wine. Spanish Garnacha contributes fresh fruit to the wines of Rioja and Navarra, but the most powerful and full-bodied Garnacha-based wines can be found in Priorat.

Syrah/Shiraz

A rich, powerful, and sometimes meaty red wine that originated in the Rhône Valley of France. Syrah is the most planted grape of Australia, where they call it Shiraz, and the Barossa Valley is home to some of the oldest Syrah vines.

Syrah is responsible for some of the darkest full-bodied red wines in the world, and it has dark fruit flavours that go from sweet blueberry to savoury black olive. Grown across the globe, it can be used as a single variety or as part of a blend.

Old World Syrahs from Italy and France tend to have more acidity and earthy-herbaceous aromas. New World-styled Syrah wines from Australia, The U.S. and South America usually have more fruit-driven characteristics with lots of spice.

Some of the most famous (and most expensive) Syrah is from the 340+ acre Northern Rhône appellation called Hermitage. Elsewhere in the Rhône, you'll mostly find it blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre (GSM Blend).