Languedoc: Famille Fabre

Now run by Clémence Fabre and husband Louis-Jacques, this centuries-old wine family owns five vineyards in the Minervois and Corbières in the Languedoc. Recent departures from traditional winegrowing include estate-grown barley and hops, which are supplied to a Béziers-based brewery; and Clémence's brother André set up a cidery producing 'real' ciders two years ago. Hence, the quirky 'Pet Nat' (pétillant naturel) Vranja reviewed in this post, a "natural sparkling wine made from quince, apple and pear..."

But to start, a new and rather delicious red wine from Château Coulon labelled under the emerging Terrasses de Lézignan appellation in the northern Corbières. This Syrah-dominant 2022 vintage red (coupled with Grenache noir) is spicy rich and dark-fruity with earthy wild herb notes, full and rounded mouthfeel with a hint of tannin. Quite serious yet 'approachable', to use the silly winewriter-speak. €16.40 in France, the Fabres are looking to export it and some of the other products featured here. In the UK, they already work with Boutinot, Ellis of Richmond and Les Vins de Sylvain.

Le Camin (2022) is a 'limited edition' orange wine (1000 litres per year I'm told), which is made from Viognier grapes undergoing three weeks' maceration on the skins before pressing (so, a white wine vinified kind-of like a red) and aged in one '1000-litre dolium'; an unfamiliar word to me, a type of large earthenware vessel similar to the Georgian qvevri. Not for the fainthearted, this wacky wine is a real success with its deep orange-brown hazy hue, quirky baked nut and orange peel nose, and slight coconut tones? It doesn't mention oak in the PR blurb, but I thought I also read something about acacia barrels on the back label? Hence the background gingery woody notes, albeit well-integrated. Full-bodied, textured and rounded with lots of intense flavours, yet tangy and refreshing too.

They suggest drinking it with 'curry or bouillabaisse' - we thought it went surprisingly well with mackerel fillets (what other wine does)! And it barely changed in character left open in the fridge for a few days, so it keeps. Camin means path in Occitan and is the name of the block where the grapes are sourced from, located in the Corbières Boutenac subzone. €23.30 cellar door. UK: Bobo Wines in 2.25 litre BIB for £54 (= 3 bottles equivalent to £18 per bottle).

Coming back to that just-as-quirky 'natural' sparkling wine / cider mentioned in the opening paragraph, it's called Vranja and is made from quince as well as apple and pear. Extremely frothy and full of flavour, this has some of those wild-side real cider edges with a lovely tangy sweet vs sour twist, a very nice alternative to more traditional cider or perry. €11.90 cellar door.

Fabre has also produced a dealcoholized Muscat called Le Rendez-vous, which was pleasant enough although a bit insipid and watery, lacking much of that seductive aromatic Muscat style I was hoping for. Oh well, you can't win them all!