Grande Réserve du Taleyran 2007

Robust and indulgent old-vine red from the heart of France's sun-strewn Corbières.

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Tasting Note
Description
Awards
Mixed Cases
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Tasting note
Colour - Deep blackish ruby.

Aroma - Complex black fruit, spice, minerals, smoke and black pepper.

Taste - Intense and chewy blackberry, damson and spice over firm, but rounded, tannins.

Type:Still Red Wine	Country:France	Appellation:Corbières AOC
Grape Type:Syrah-based blend	Drink Before:End of 2010	Body:Medium Bodied
Alcohol:13%	Bottle Size:75cl	Bottle Code:60774

Serving suggestions
A dense, fruit-rich, characterful red - great to serve with hearty dishes. Crack open a bottle with lamb, a robust cassoulet, sausage and bean casserole, or quality bangers and mash.

Description
Corbières is a rough and rugged, mountainous region, just east of the Minervois and the medieval fortified town of Carcassonne ... where wild boar outnumber the people and ravens circle the craggy peaks. Wine-wise, it is one of the leading lights of the Languedoc, producing really interesting, terroir-driven reds from a whole range of microclimates.

One of the first to have the quality of its wines officially recognised, the area was awarded VDQS in 1951 and full AOC status in 1985, when the appellation vineyard area was reduced by nearly 50%, eliminating inferior vines grown on the plains.

This is an excitingly rich and intensely flavoured red from Gilles Cutillès, using select parcels of old-vine grapes from a single estate in the heart of the Corbières, in the village of Tailaran.

Firstly the age of the vines - 30 years for the Syrah and Grenache and over 50 years for the Carignan - results in particularly good concentration, as each vine only produces a small quantity of fruit. The high altitude of the vines - they are grown at over 300 metres above sea level - means that nights are cool, which draws out the ripening process and gives extra depth of flavour.

Hand-picking ensures only the finest, healthiest grapes are included in the wine, while yields are tiny - sometimes as low as 35 hectolitres per hectare - much lower than many Grand Cru Classé clarets.

International Wine Challenge 2008, United Kingdom