Magnum Corbières rouge Campagnès 2020 Maxime Magnon | Languedoc

Campagnès from Maxime Magnon is an exclusive cuvée from a terroir of old Carignan vines, nestled in the hills above Villeneuve-les-Corbières, in the heart of the Languedoc region. Maxime Magnon, a Burgundy-born winemaker and disciple of Jean Foillard at Villié-Morgon, has profoundly renewed the vision of Corbières through his inspired approach to natural wine, without ever denying precision. Campagnès is his tribute to Carignan, a grape variety that is often mistreated, but here brought to a rare level of expressiveness. The vines, nearly 100 years old, are planted on north-facing schist soils, giving the wine freshness and verticality. The organic cultivation also follows biodynamic principles. In the cellar, the winemaking process is gentle: whole bunches, indigenous yeasts, slow infusion in wooden vats, followed by 18 months' ageing in old barrels. Every gesture is designed to reveal the sincerity of the grapes and the soil.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin: Maxime Magnon's Campagnès is Carignan at its noblest. The 2020 vintage is a model of balance between Mediterranean power and finesse of expression. There's a rare density to this wine, without heaviness, a kind of earthy grace. It takes talent to achieve such drinkability with such a characterful grape variety. It's a great southern wine, but without emphasis, without make-up - the evidence of the right gesture. This 2020 vintage confirms Campagnès as one of the great Languedoc cuvées, at the crossroads of Magnon's Burgundian intuition and Carignan's Mediterranean warmth. A bottle to savor slowly.

On the nose, the wine reveals bewitching aromas of black cherry, crushed blackberry and dried rosemary. Notes of blond tobacco, graphite and sweet licorice enrich the bouquet.

On the palate, seductive with its supple fullness, velvety texture and aromatic openness. The tannins are fine but present, underlining a framework that is both straightforward and caressing. Black fruits mingle with accents of dried herbs, sweet pepper and black olive. The long, well-balanced finish is the hallmark of an accomplished, precise and lively wine. A wine for meditation, but also for great gastronomy. Campagnès once again confirms Maxime Magnon's singular place in the Corbières and Languedoc landscape.