Château de Lastours Grand Vin 2018
Corbières AOC, France

The sun-blessed south of France is home to some lavishly luxurious wines, deeply aromatic and layered with complex flavours. Today we head to the prestige Corbières appellation to discover a magnificent 2018 Grand Vin laden with deep, rich, velvety black fruit and wonderful garrigue characters – this is a must-have!

Château de Lastours is a beautiful, historic estate, dating from the 12th century, when it was a fortress keeping watch along the Domitian Way. Peaking at 300 meters above sea level, today it has 100 hectares of vines amongst its extensive swathes of hilly scrubland and olive groves, all tended organically, with a strong focus on biodiversity.

In 1989 its Grand Vin was awarded ‘Best Wine in the World’ by wine writer Robert Joseph. And when you taste the magnificent Grand Vin here today you will understand why – it’s superb. A classic mix of Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache and Carignan from their oldest vines, it was matured for a year in part-new barrels, and another six years in the bottle. Now, at seven years old, it’s showing its silky, complex, magnificent best.

Pour, and relish a lavish aroma of luscious black fruits, wild herbs and spice. Taste, and savour the lush blackberry, cherry, black plum and raspberry fruit with lovely clove and vanillan spice and gentle wild herb notes on a long, luxurious, opulent finish. This is beautiful. It’s a seductive match with a fine lamb roast, studded with garlic and rosemary. Delicious!