Grape varieties
- Pruning
- In winter, the vines are pruned. Spidering tangles are reduced neat stumps, part of an annual cycle which has remained constant for centuries. Only the workers and the varieties have changed.
Such is the tyranny of fashion and global marketing that a Martian visiting a British or American supermarket might think there were no other grape varieties in existence apart from Cabernet, Chardonnay and Sauvignon. A visit to the Corbières is an eye-opener; although the names of the major red varieties used in the AOC wine may be just recognisable, the bewildering number of grape varieties used in white wine have wildly exotic and unfamiliar names. To a palate used to Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc these whites might at first appear weak and insipid, but it is worth persevering — the white wines from the best producers have a shy charm of their own.
Rosé in turn used to be seen as terminally uncool, but is now making a comeback, and the rosés produced here are excellent value for money; a chilled pale pink rosé sipped in the shade on a hot afternoon, or a deeper pink one with barbecued lamb both bring you a little closer to heaven.
This page lists the main grape varieties which are permitted in Corbières AOC, roughly in order of popularity. You will of course come across excellent wines made with other varieties, but the AOC rules mean they must be classified as Vins de Pays. This may seem unduly restrictive, but part of the purpose of the AOC system is to preserve the individuality of different regions.
And in a nod to the French way of looking at things, the varieties used in the blend are far from being the sole determinant of the final result. The terroir, the microclimate, the method of vinification and the skill of the vigneron(ne) him- or herself all play a vital part. Part of the pleasure of getting to know the wines of the Corbières is the diversity which can be wrung from the relatively small number of red grape varieties allowed.
Red and rosé
Carignan. This is the longest established and by far the most common red wine grape in Languedoc, having replaced the equally high-yielding and even poorer quality Aramon during the 1960s. It is highly resistant to heat and wind, and hence does well in the Corbières. A few years ago it was fashionable to denigrate it, as fit only to produce cheap, rough table wine, and to demand that it should all be pulled up and replaced. But it has its ardent defenders; old vines, on dry gravelly slopes, and vinification by carbonic maceration, can produce superb wine. It provides the deep red colour so characteristic of Corbières wine, and a tannic strength.
- Ploughing
- It requires a certain skill to pass between the rows without damaging the vines
Grenache noir. This is a grape of Spanish origin (Garnacha), which like Carignan survives heat, wind and aridity very well. It has a somewhat better pedigree, being a major constituent of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. High in alcohol and low in tannin, it brings body and that characteristic garrigue aroma to the wine. It is used in rosés and in the sweet vins doux naturels of Maury and Banyuls, as well as in reds.
Syrah (known as Shiraz in Australia). In the Rhone Valley, this grape gives us the great wines of Hermitage and the Côte Rôtie. Fruity and tannic, it evokes plums, blackberries, and occasionally chocolate or burnt rubber. The increasing proportion of Syrah planted in place of Carignan since the 1970s has played a major part in the improvement of Corbières red wine.
Mourvèdre (known in California and Australia as Mataro and in Spain as Monastrell). Another Spanish grape which likes heat but mustn’t be too dry, and therefore flourishes best in the coastal part of the appellation. It provides colour, aroma and body, and improves the ageing qualities of the blend.
Cinsault. This grape is sensitive to changes in weather, botrytis, and fungal infections, but it likes wind, sun and aridity. It is rather pale in colour and fleeting of flavour and hence is usually used in rosés.
Grenache gris. This is strictly limited in proportion for red wines, and is not recommended by the Cru Corbières. It is primarily used to make delicate, pale pink rosés.
White
Bourboulenc/Malvoisie. This grape brings body and spicy flavours to white wine and is most dominant in the wines of the small appellation of La Clape, near Narbonne. It is rarely used on its own; it is usually mixed with maccabeu and/or grenache blanc.
Grenache blanc. Like grenache noir, this is used (in modest quantities) at Châteauneuf du Pape. It is full-bodied and can be pear-scented; it is popular to age it in new oak barrels, which results in a sometimes overwhelming fresh oak flavour.
Maccabeu. This Spanish variety is used for the sweet vins doux naturels of which the Languedociens are so fond. Wind and drought resistant, it can be good quality if yields are kept low.
Rolle. From Provence, a relatively recent arrival in the Corbières which judging by some crisp, aromatic white wines shows promise.
White AOC may also include clairette, terret blanc, muscat, picpoul, marsanne, and roussanne. And not a chardonnay or a sauvignon in sight ...