Castelmaure : La Grande Cuvée 2015

Characteristics and tasting tips for La Grande Cuvée 2015 by Castelmaure

Tasting

Colour
The wine has a deep, dense red colour, enhanced by delicate purple highlights.

Nose
Powerful and expressive, the bouquet opens with notes of ripe small black fruits such as blackcurrant and prune. It then gains roasted and toasted nuances of coffee and cocoa, complemented by subtle hints of caramel and vanilla.

Palate
The attack reveals an ample, dense texture. The palate stands out for its controlled power and silky texture, supported by beautifully integrated tannins. The wine stretches out elegantly towards a remarkably long finish.

Food and wine pairing

This characterful red wine is an ideal match for flavourful meats such as rib of beef or grilled duck breast with green peppercorns, as well as game dishes such as flambéed woodcock. It also pairs beautifully with lightly caramelised dishes in sauce.

Serving and ageing

For optimal enjoyment, La Grande Cuvée 2015 is best served at around 16°C. Simply aerating the wine in the glass or briefly pouring it into a carafe is sufficient, and there is no need to decant it beforehand.

The power and complexity of a red wine from Corbières

The estate

Officially founded in 1921 in the heart of the Languedoc, the Castelmaure cooperative winery is located in the village of Embres-et-Castelmaure. It was born of the winegrowers' determination to become independent in the face of successive wine crises and quickly established itself as a benchmark for quality, bottling its own wines as early as 1967. Now chaired by Marc Labatut, the cooperative brings together some sixty passionate member growers. As the true backbone of its village, Castelmaure stands out for its boldness, its prestige cuvées and its deep commitment to the authentic expression of its terroir.

The vineyard

Located in the Hautes Corbières, on the Durban terroir, the vineyard enjoys an unspoilt setting amid the Mediterranean garrigue. The vines dedicated to this cuvée thrive on a geological mosaic of half schist and half limestone, which brings both richness and freshness. Farmed according to the principles of sustainable agriculture, with carefully controlled yields, the plots are tended with meticulous care. Harvesting is carried out exclusively by hand, using secateurs, and the grapes are transported in small bins to preserve the integrity of the bunches.

Vinification and ageing

On arrival at the cellar, the grapes destined for La Grande Cuvée 2015 are destemmed and then pneumatically pressed. Fermentation takes place in vats under strict temperature control at around 25°C. Maceration lasts about fifteen days, with regular pump-overs and rack-and-returns to extract the wine's substance gently. After two rackings, the wine is carefully aged for ten to twelve months in French oak Bordeaux barriques, around 25% of which are new, before light fining and moderate filtration.

Grape varieties

This wine is a blend of Syrah and Grenache.