【Pre-order Special】12 bottles of Year of the Snake Cabalié for just $1,388, plus you'll receive 3 extra bottles and two engraved glasses (view details)
'Vertiges' translates as 'fear of heights'. Apt for a wine made from grapes gathered on precipitous slopes by Peyrepertuse Castle. 500m above sea level on a ragged Pyrenean peak, the vines produce a wine with luscious, ripe, silky flavour.
Nicolas and Miren de Lorgeril bought this beautiful property, tucked away in the rocky Languedoc hills, in 2007 and have devoted their lives to upgrading the château and vineyards. Their scented hillsides are strewn with vineyards and ‘garrigue’, the natural olive, pine and wild herb flora that can’t help but lend this wine its own special wildness.
Saint Chinian is renowned for deep, dark, spicy reds based on Syrah and Grenache. Sometimes Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault are added, but there is always a refreshing mineral quality, and you’ll find that in this superb red. Winemaker Bernard Durand uses his New World winemaking experience (in Argentina and New Zealand) to make the fruit sing out. A top choice with coq au vin or lamb dishes.
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There are documents showing that wine was made at this beautiful property as early as 1172, when it belonged to Ermengarde, Countess of Narbonne. We don’t know the exact style and quality then, but today it is exemplary – Corbières at its sensuous best! The estate has been in the same family now since 1803 – seven generations of women and now Guillaume Allien, the eighth generation. Despite being in his final year as a medical student, Guillaume gave it all up to restore the family estate and learn winemaking.
He works with consultant Gilles Dejean to make this luscious, dark-fruited red, which speaks clearly of its stony soils, the herbal-scented garrigue and its Corbières provenance. A warming red that’s perfect for a rich casserole.
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Scattered on the high-altitude slopes of the Cévennes foothills, lie the vineyards of Terrasses de Larzac. The top wine from there fetches £100 a bottle. Nearby are the other Languedoc crus - Montpeyroux, Pézenas and Pic Saint Loup. Tucked away among them and in the shadow of the great Mont Baudile lies a forgotten IGP, named after this towering mountain.
Cave Fonjoya boasts 90% production of this tiny area and the very finest grapes are reserved for this wine. A classic blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre, it's a sumptuous, smooth red, with polished tannins and deep black fruit with herbal nuances. Pure charm and a great partner to grilled meats, ideal at a barbecue, or with a rich, garlicky, herby casserole, veggie or not!
A fear of heights is a non-starter for those working in the vineyards of Vallée du Paradis. They perch perilously on the slopes below Peyrepertuse, an ancient Cathar fortress some 800m high in the Pyrenees. So collecting the intensely fruity, aromatic grapes is not for the faint-hearted. Luckily, winemaker Benjamin Andrieu is willing to put fear aside to tend them.
?The result is a really appealing red, with bright fruit and seductively spiced notes. Syrah brings ripe blackberry, herbs and liquorice notes, while juicy Grenache and peppery Carignan add even more depth and body. A top choice for those who love smooth, silky reds with the warmth of southern France. Great with grilled meats, pasta with pesto, aubergine bake or on its own.
Exceptional southern French red, with a touch of Pomerol class! Faugères is one of the finest and best-loved appellations of the Languedoc, as you'll taste in this authentic, herbal-scented 2016, made by a former 100pt Pomerol winemaker.
Writer Hugh Johnson called the Gassac estate "a Château Lafite Rothschild in Languedoc", while Robert Parker described them as "exceptional." Pensée is an exclusive cuvée for us, with juicy ripe black fruit, herbal hints and a touch of oak.
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We are flying the flag for one of France’s newest appellations – showcasing a French red of sophisticated quality and exceptional value. We trust you will be as excited about this wine as we are.
The Pic Saint-Loup was elevated to AOC status in 2016 in recognition of the region’s consistently outstanding wines. Named after the peak which bears the same name, the waters here are pristine, and the south-facing vineyards embrace the cool breezes of the Mediterranean.
La Closiere is an 80/20 split of the region’s iconic Syrah and Grenache. Small barrels are used for the Syrah (half of them new), while the Grenache is left to its own devices in larger 2,000L foudres. At 15% alcohol level, this is a hefty beast of a red but retains a beautiful elegance thanks to exquisite craftsmanship.
Château Lavabre La Closerie 2018 has been racking up some excellent scores from the world’s top wine critics…
“… a blockbuster bouquet of black fruits, camphor, graphite, ground pepper, and cured meats. With a touch more finesse and focus compared to the appellation release, it's full-bodied and has a beautifully balanced, concentrated, elegant mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish…”
“Blueberries, blackberries and licorice notes mark the nose, supported by hints of crushed stone and spicy oak. It's full-bodied and ripe but still balanced, with a more streamlined feel than the other Lavabre reds, along with silky tannins and a long, licorice-laden finish.”
“Opulent! Incredibly concentrated… Lots of sweetness but at the same time it isn't sweet. Fig molasses. Coal dust. Graphite. Caraway. Lots of texture on those tannins… Huge power and broad, glossy, muscled shoulders. Nothing understated about this wine."
