2021 Domaine Fond Cyprès - Cyprès de Toi Premier Jus

Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Certified organic, 60-80 year old vines on calcareous + blue marl soils; Carignan sees two days of whole cluster fermentation, then submerged in fermenting Grenache juice and pressed immediately; aged 6 months in barrique before bottling, unfined and unfiltered, with no added So2: zero-zero; 11.5% ABV

From the Brigitte Bardot of Corbières and her endearing husband come the wines of Fond Cyprès.  The couple, whose real names are Laetitia Ourliac & Rodolphe Gianesini, is intent on producing wines that express their sultry slice of the Languedoc — specifically, Escales, in the northernmost part of the Corbières AOC. Their domaine begins at the end of a road lined with Cypress trees and extends in either direction across 15ha of lush vegetation, a secret garden of olives, tomatoes, eggplants, wild herbs, and newly-born kittens.

In 1998, they bought a forgotten 18 hectare vineyard in Escales, in the Corbières appellation.  Their vineyard has calcareous soils (high levels of magnesium carbonate and calcium reduce soil acidity), and is influenced by cold northwest “vent Cers” winds, and the humid air brought in by the vent Mediterranean.  Over the next six years, the two trained as winemakers and slowly began to re-work their land in the old way, building terraces and planting vines, and getting to know their terroir. By 2004, Domaine Fond Cyprès was born.  In the 16 years since, Laetitia and Rodolphe have continued to experiment and evolve as winemakers. They’ve gained a deeper understanding of their land, grapes, and style.
 
Seriously chuggable, this zero-zero blend Carignan and Grenache falls on the spectrum of chillable red and a dark rosé. The fruit, all sour cherry and pomegranate, leans rustic but the mouthfeel is silky and the alcohol refreshingly low.  Something this light and fresh demands a slight chill, but beyond that, it's super easy and flexible, pairing brilliantly with everything from roasted veg, anything smokey (Romesco sauce!) or spicy avocado toast (tested!) to grilled proteins to nothing at all (a great starter red).  Pure addictive glou.