La Lumière

WINEMAKER NOTES

The tale of the Atelier Prestige de Foncalieu is one of a handful of producers working together to reach new heights, to strive for even greater excellence. In this sunny land in the south of France, they constantly cherish their land to stir and inspire us: artisanal work to enhance the fruit and create concentrated wines with remarkable balance and freshness. Gilles Ferrand, Fabrice Oliver and Marceau Lacombe have worked on the vine like sculptors – a work of art brimming over with the light typical of Corbières, a land shaped by the sun.

TASTING NOTES

Almost black appearance. Aromas of blackcurrant liqueur and dark chocolate on the nose. Mourvedre leaves its mark on this wine with its white pepper notes and minerality. Remarkable sweetness in the attack, and great concentration lingering into a chocolate finish. A wine reflecting Les Corbières, wild, pure, spirited.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

Enjoy with roast beef, pan-fried wild mushrooms and hard cheeses. Serve at room temperature 17°C. Cellaring potential : 10 years.

VINEYARD

Soil composed of marl, sandstone and limestone, in the Corbières terroir. Altitude: 120 metres. Mediterranean climate bringing out the richness and roundness of this exceptional wine.

VITICULTURE

Sustainable growing methods and plot-by-plot selection limiting yield to 15 hl/ha. Cordon de Royat pruning for good bunch distribution. Debudding to limit yield. Leaf thinning to improve grape exposure to the sun. Bunch thinning to enable selection of the highest quality grapes.

VINIFICATION

Upon receipt of the harvest, an automatic sorting system followed by a second manual grape-by- grape sorting at a conveyor, and a tilting press (grape crushing at the top of the vat just before vatting) to preserve the grapes’ aromatic potential. Pre-fermentation cold maceration lasting 5-6 days to gently extract the pigments and aromas found in the grape skins. Alcoholic fermentation in low-capacity temperature-controlled stainless steel vats (40-100 hl) for plot-by-plot vinification. Maceration lasting 3-4 weeks with daily punching down and pumping over to gently extract the full richness from the grapes. After de-stemming, traditional vinification of the whole grape. Aging for 12 months in French oak barrels (100% new oak), with a special selection of the finest grapes to develop the wines’ length and finesse.

PRESS

“A blend of Syrah and Mourvèdre that’s brought up in 300-liter barrels, the 2015 Corbieres la Lumiére is a ripe yet silky and seamless barrel sample that offers plenty of dark fruits, chocolate, roasted herbs and licorice aromas and flavors. It’s showing a touch of barrique, but there’s more than enough fruit, and it has terrific purity and focus. Drink this classic, sensational-looking Corbières on release and over the following 6-7 years.” – (91-94) points, Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate