The Château is surrounded by an impressive square of 160 hectares of vines, which are sustainably farmed and edged by 10 hectares of forest. The vineyards are divided by the road: those on the north side of the D11, beside and behind the Château, are classified as Corbières AOC, while those to the south of the road are IGP. The vines sit on an ancient limestone terrace and are rooted in a combination of gravel and limestone soil covered by large pebbles; water is easily absorbed but not well retained. The Mediterranean heat can therefore be challenging to manage in the vineyards and irrigation, when permitted, is widely utilised in the region.
The 2022 vintage in Fontarèche started off with a fairly mild winter. Spring was consistently rainy until late June which provided the vines with an extensive water reserve. The summer was warm, the sea breeze thankfully reduced the effect of a heatwave. The harvest started earlier than usual on 31st August.
Once at the winery, the grapes were destemmed and gently crushed. Fermentation took place in stainless-steel tanks at controlled temperatures in order to preserve the delicate aromatics of the fruit, and then bottled before release.
Pale yellow in the glass, this wine has enticing aromas of fleshy stone fruits, lychee and white flowers. The flavours on the palate are gloriously concentrated, and the wine has a silky texture that is balanced by a lifted acidity.
