Domaine De Fontsainte Corbieres Rouge 2023

Grapes: Carignan, Grenache, Syrah

Region: Corbieres, France

Farming: Sustainable

Through the iconic Kermit Lynch portfolio you can count on just two hands the growers they have worked with for four decades or more. Joining such families as the Peyrauds (Domaine Tempier) and Bruniers (Vieux Télégraphe) in that company are the Laboucariés of Domaine de Fontsainte, who, for years, have crafted ethereal and delicious rosés and soulful, terroir-driven reds in the Languedoc’s Corbières appellation halfway between Montpellier and the Spanish border. Their vineyards surround the hamlet of Boutenac in one of the sunniest stretches of Corbières. But when you taste the family’s lively rouge, you might be surprised to find this is not a robust wine concentrated by long hours of intense sunshine. Boutenac’s warmth is balanced by cooling sea breezes and by Fontsainte’s old vines whose roots dig deep for water and keep the grapes refreshed. As a result, this Corbières rouge epitomizes finesse and charm. Bruno Laboucarié blends two parts Carignan with one part Grenache and a splash of Syrah to produce a vibrant country red that mixes the trademark notes of the South—black cherries, spice, and brambly fruit—with beguiling elegance and drinkability. Bring a bottle or two to your next barbecue for a smash hit.