Indulge in a rich and full-bodied experience with Château Fontarèche, Vieilles Vignes Rouge Corbières. The garnet hue and fragrant notes of black fruits and sweet spices are complemented by a juicy palate and a refreshing aroma. The perfect blend of Syrah and Carignan, this wine offers a harmonious balance of fruitiness and tannic structure.

Critic Review

Decanter Magazine: 88Pts
Drinking Window: 2023 - 2028

"Upfront aromas of blue and black fruit with pronounced notes of fresh earth, wet stone and dried herbs. There's a lot going on, a lot of sweet and almost over-ripe fruit, weighty and dense. Textural tannins lends a taut grippiness."
Natalie Earl

Sud de France Top 100 - 2023

One of the 100 best wines which underwent a rigorous selection process. Each of the 459 wines entered was blind tasted at least twice before Tim Atkin MW, with the help of 16 leading industry experts, selected his Top 100.

About the Producer

Château Fontarèche is one of the most historic estates in the Languedoc. It has been in the Mignard family since 1642 and is today owned by Jacques De Lamy. Vincent Dubernet is at the winemaking helm, his father preceded him as consultant winemaker.

Vineyard and Winery

Château Fontarèche is surrounded by 160 hectares of sustainably farmed vines. The grapes for this wine are sourced from the vineyards that lie beside and behind the  Château, which are classified as Corbières AOC. It is a blend of the oldest vines of Syrah, Carignan, Grenache and Marselan, the oldest being a parcel of Carignan planted in 1962. The vines sit on an ancient limestone terrace and are rooted in a combination of gravel and limestone soil covered by large pebbles. This combination of soil lends an elegance and suppleness to the finished wine.

The Syrah and Marselan grapes were destemmed and gently crushed. Fermentation took place at a controlled temperature of 28°C for 14 days, with regular punch downs to extract colour and tannins. The Carignan and Grenache Noir remained as whole bunches and was fed into vats to undergo fermentation by carbonic maceration for 9 days, at a maximum temperature of 30°C. Following fermentation, all portions underwent a gentle
fining and filtering before being blended and bottled.