Been drinking some great “nattie light” recently in vinous form with the first being an outstanding bottle of the 2007 Maxime Magnon “la demarrante” Vin de Pays de la Valle du Paradis and what a wine this was. This guy is allegedly the Marcel Lapierre of Morgon. Which I assume means he uses the “Chauvet” method to make his wines. It is some blend of mostly Carignan with the rest being Cinsault. I have always had a soft spot for traditionally made Corbieres or Corbieres-like wines. Faillenc St. Marie is always a nice go to value for the horse’s ass crowd, of which I am a card-carrying member. Apparently Maxime leases the vines to make this wine which is all the more impressive. I am assuming this is labeled a VDP for any number of reasons. Could be vineyards are right on the edge of Corbieres, something due to yields, maybe something with the winemaking process, alcohol, sugar, ph? Who knows? Those French appellation rules can be a bitch.
The wine has such a wonderful unique character but still retains the raspberry, blueberry, chorizo/savory/animal element that Corbieres typically has. The weight of the wine is almost weightless. The nose is so vivid and pure as not to be believed. Polished, like a Marcel Lapierre wine can be, but also wild, gamey, exotically fruity and full of spice and crisp, refreshing acids. The palate is rich, silky and refined with a sappy sweet fruit character that trails off into all the chorizo, raspberry and spice you could ask for. The tannins are ripe and silky with lovely palate placement and finesse. A hint of tar resonates on the finish and there is a faint floral hint that lingers. The complexity is something at this price too. On day 2 this was still roaring strong, which is a wonder too as there has to be minimal sulfur in this wine. What also amazes me about this wine is that it did not have the usual rustic weight in forms of tannin and elevated acidity that some Corbieres have, even the better made ones. It manages to transcend what one thinks of Corbieres but remains utterly Corbieres. Truly one of the more interesting and exceptional wines I have had this year. For $19.99 a downright steal.
Lyle – I think it is vdp because the vineyards are not in the Corbières appellation. Kermit does import a couple of bottlings of Corbières from Magnon, too.