2009 Maxime Magnon Campagnes
From the scrubby hills of Corbières….this is a 100% Carignan from up-and-coming winemaker Maxime Magnon.
Maxime rents around 11ha of vines around Villeneuve des Corbières within the Terroir de Durban…. one of the 11 Terroirs or sub-regions of Corbières. The time he spent working for Beaujolais guru, Jean Foillard certainly shows through in this wine which seems to show a distinct tip of the hat to the Gamays of that region.
Corbières is big…..around 13,500 hectares and it supplies 46% of the total production of the Languedoc-Roussillon. The vast majority of the production is red wine (80%) and vines have been planted in this arid region since the Roman times.
The Campagnes comes from a 100 year old plot of Carignan planted on decomposed, schistic soils and it was first produced with the 2005 vintage. No pesticides of herbicides are used in nay of Maximes vineyards….nada.
The grapes are hand harvested and cooled before an initial wild yeast, whole bunch carbonic maceration before continuing in open wooden fermenters. Pigeage takes place once a day and elevage takes place in concrete tanks and old oak casks. Of course, all the ferments take place using indigenous yeasts and the wines see no fining or filtration.
Slightly turbid and grapey purple/red in the glass. Great clarity on the nose with vivid, macerated wild cherry, plum and blackberry fruits. It smells heady and pure with hints of graphite, crushed rocks, violets, grilled nuts and spice with a slight ferrous edge, but the overpowering aroma is the concentrated essence of wild cherry….very alluring and perfumed.
It possesses a beautiful weight on the palate and the wines texture is all velvety, dreamy and creamy. Although it displays a pleasing turn of freshness the fruit is voluptuous with ripe, dead-sexy wild cherry and blackberry fruits underscored with exotic spice, stone, minerals, grilled meats and violets. There is a slight, bucolic, untamed edge to the wine as it flows, richly across the back palate….all fine, ripe tannined and seductive. Lovely wine.
Price: $65 – Closure: Cork – Alcohol: 14% – Source: Cellar – Importer: Andrew Guard Fine Wines
It's got a lot of funky shit goin on!
Hi Dave,
) Where do you get them!? They are so freaky, but at the same time to the point! haha
I’m very fond of Corbière wines and like your comments on this wine..this year I’m travelling through the south of France (on my way to Spain) and I will definitely will make a stop at the Maxime’s domaine! I also think the pictures you use very hilarious
Bye,
Steve
Hi Steve,
Well worth seeking out Maximes wines or trying to arrange a visit….he’s doing some great stuff.
As for the pictures….lot’s of trawling around the internet and weird tastes pretty much sums it up!
cheers
Dave
haha ok Dave,
Thanx for your reply! Keep up the good work!
Have nice day!
Steve