I found the Domaine de Fontsainte 2007 Corbieres at a local tasting of wines from Languedoc. It's practically a given that it's imported by Kermit Lynch--it's from a lesser known French appellation, it has character, and consists of mostly old vine Carignane (60%) with Grenache (30%) and Syrah (10%) rounding out the blend. For me, this is the embodiment of what an unpretentious table wine should be. In fact, it makes me think of what a decent, everyday Zinfandel should taste like.This is unapologetically a lighter-bodied wine showing fresh red fruit character and minerality. Perhaps this has to do with the wine undergoing carbonic maceration, where the fermentation actually takes place inside the grape. Regardless, there's lively acidity and a seam of tannin, but essentially just enough structure to lend a bit of gravitas. The bouquet is a bit funky, and eventually shows more barnyardy aromas than fruit aromas. But that's just fine. This is a straightforward wine that's easy to drink or pair with food.
Not too polished, not too rustic. Simply good.
Pros: Lighter Bodied, Funky, Balanced, Easy to Drink
Cons: Not Complex
Decant: Maybe, funkier with more air time
Price: $13 from East Beach Wine
QPR: Fair/Good (out of Poor, Mediocre, Fair, Good or Excellent with Fair denoting expectations were met for the price point)
2 comments:
Sounds like a satisfying wine. I like wines like this a lot...and I don't think I've ever had a bad wine from Kermit Lynch. Interesting that it's almost all Carignan. That's a little more off the beaten path than the usual suspects.
I haven't been 100% successful with Kermit Lynch, but the one's I've been less thrilled by have at least been interesting. Never a dull moment! This is probably the first Carignan heavy wine I've had. It's supposed to be a minor grape, but old vines seem to take maligned varietals to the next level.
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