Château de Villemajou Grand Vin is the fruit of the encounter between an exceptional terroir, Boutenac, indigenous grape varieties Carignan, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and the grower’s know-how. Situated inland in the Corbières appellation, this estate is unique for its very old Carignan vines, a Mediterranean variety that has been rehabilitated in order to produce great Languedoc wines.
The exceptional soil allows the roots to grow very deep, thus protecting the vineyard from the climate excesses of the Mediterranean (water stress, violent storms). This cuvée derives its remarkable quality from the exceptional grapes. The estate has 80-year-old Carignan vines and 30-year-old Syrah. Yields are controlled (25 hl/ha) with the help of green harvesting which reduces the load on each vine stock and thus produces a homogeneous level of maturity. Harvests are manual and begin when the berries have reached ripeness (berries are regularly tasted for each plot to determine the harvest date). Some of the Syrah and Carignan are vinified with carbonic maceration (whole bunches). Traditional maceration is used for other varieties. The wines are blended after malolactic fermentation and then transferred to 225 liters Bordeaux barrels in our cellar and allowed to mature for a period of 12 months. The wine is neither clarified nor filtered before bottling and is then stored for 12 months prior to being sold.
With a deep garnet color, Château de Villemajou reveals notes of toast, licorice, and clove, offering powerful and elegant aromas of stewed fruits, sweet spices, leather, and roasting. Decant and serve at 16°C with a rack of lamb, game, or mature cheese.