Lawther’s picks: 12 top Corbières reds to try

1 Maxime Magnon, La Bégou, Corbières 2016 95 £28.99 (2015) Handford One of the most stylish whites in the Languedoc. Mostly old-vine Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc from schist soils. Broad and expressive on the nose. Pear, apple and vanilla notes. Fine texture and taste. Long, fresh, stone-sucking finish. Drink 2019-2022 Alcohol 13% 2 Château Ollieux Romanis, Atal Sia, Corbières-Boutenac 2015 93 £ 19-£ 22.90 Exel, Les Caves de Pyrene, The Wine Society Selected parcels of old-vine Carignan, Grenache and Mourvèdre with a dash of Syrah. No oak, but creamy and profound. Lovely fruit density, smooth on the palate a mineral note adding freshness and tension. Delicious. Drink 2019-2025 Alc 14.5% 3 Les Clos Perdus, Mire La Mer, Corbières 2013 93 £ 10.83 (ib) Justerini & Brooks Ample, complex and amazingly youthful. Garrigue, dark fruit, olive notes. Firm, long and structured with freshness on the finish. 70% Mourvèdre with Carignan, 100-yearold vines. You can feel the low-yielding, old-vine density. Drink 2019-2028 Alc 14%

4 Domaine Le Champ des Murailles, Grande Cuvée, Corbières- Boutenac 2016 92 £ 19.95 Davy’s A blend of the four principal red varieties including 45% Carignan. Dark fruit with a roasted, coffee note from oak ageing (30% new oak). Good depth to the palate, with the rounded tannins lending structure. Slight saline finish. Drink 2019-2026 Alc 14.5% Domaine des Deux Clés, Corbières 2016 90 £ 15.95 Vin Cognito Fresh and minerally on the nose, silky and structured on the palate. Fruit lifted by the acidity. Measured weight and style. A blend of 50% Carignan with equal parts Syrah and Grenache. Drink 2019-2024 Alc 14% Cave d’Embres- et- Castelmaure, La Pompadour, Corbières 2016 89 £ 14.04 Vinatis UK A yearly success for the co-op. Carbonic maceration Carignan (50%) with Syrah and Grenache. Round and fruit-driven with supple tannins. Cherry, chocolate and eucalyptus notes. Gourmand. Drink 2019-2023 Alc 14% 5 Château d’Aussières, Corbières 2015 89 £23.25-£28.95 (2014) Amps, The Oxford Wine Co, Waddesdon Manor Syrah-based (60%), plus Mourvèdre and Grenache. Sleek and well groomed with red fruit, spice and liquorice notes. Lacks the wild side of Corbières, but dense and rounded with fine tannins. Drink 2019-2024 Alc 14.5%

Clos de l’Anhel, Les Terrassettes, Corbières 2016 89 £ 15.07 Vine Trail Dark fruit with a touch of herbs. Truly the wild side of Corbières. Smooth and round with a little mid-palate sweetness and a chewy freshness to the finish. Authentic, vat-aged wine. Drink 2019-2021 Alc 14% 6 Domaine de La Cendrillon, Inédite, Corbières 2014 89 £ 16.90 Tanners Serious and structured in style. Red fruit and a peppery, spicy note from the Syrah (60%). Rounded attack with a little mid-palate sweetness, then a menthol-fresh finish. Drink 2019-2022 Alc 14.5% Domaine 2015 Sainte Croix, Le Fournas, Corbières 89 £ 13.99 Cambridge Wine Merchants Great value, vat-aged Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre blend. Juicy fruit with a stony, terroir nuance. Pure pleasure. Drink 2019-2022 Alc 14% La Baronne, Les Lanes, Corbières 2015 88 £ 10.99 Nothing But The Grape Pure, digestible and easy-drinking. Accent on the fruit. Cherry and raspberry notes with a touch of tapenade. Good value entry-level wine from this biodynamic producer. Drink 2019-2020 Alc 14% Domaine Sainte Marie des Crozes, Les Mains sur les Hanches, Corbières 2017 87 £ 15.11 (2014) GP Brands Grenache with a touch of Syrah. Less typical Corbières, but pleasing. Red fruit expression. Round and gourmand. Drink 2019-2022 Alc 14.5%