Why it matters
The producer
Château d'Anglès makes red and white wines in AOC La Clape from Saint-Pierre la Mer in Aude. The red wines use Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan. Grand Vin Blanc uses four white varieties, with old vine Bourboulenc at its centre.
Eric and Christine Fabre founded the estate, and both came from winemaking families. The range includes Cuvée Classique, Grand Vin Rouge and Grand Vin Blanc. Since its founding, Château d'Anglès has received 35 Gold Medals.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Saint-Pierre la Mer is the home of Château d'Anglès, in the Languedoc's AOC La Clape. The estate's 40 hectares fall within the appellation, whose name places the wines in La Clape rather than under a broader regional address.
La Clape receives over 300 days of sunshine each year. Its hard, stony, well draining limestone soil moves rain away from the vines while the long sunny season supports full grape ripeness.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
Grand Vin Rouge undergoes a 45 day maceration to extract fine flavour components. Maceration keeps the grape skins in contact with the fermenting wine, drawing colour, tannin and flavour from the fruit. The wine is clarified statically by gravity, with no fining or filtration.
Grand Vin Blanc ferments in oak barrels that are 1 to 2 years old, then spends 5 to 6 months on fine lees with stirring. Fine lees are spent yeast cells; contact with them can add texture, while stirring increases that contact through the ageing period.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range contains the red Cuvée Classique, Grand Vin Rouge and Grand Vin Blanc. The 2015 Cuvée Classique combines 40% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre.
The 2012 Grand Vin Rouge moves to 55% Mourvèdre, 25% Syrah, 15% Grenache and 5% Carignan. Grand Vin Blanc occupies the white side of the range, using a separate group of white grape varieties and the estate's barrel and lees work.