New wines from Fond Cyprès

It truly feels like Spring has arrived when we receive our first shipment of the year from Laetitia Ourliac and Rodolphe Gianesini of Domaine Fond Cyprès.

From their estate in the north of the Corbières AOC, the couple have been creating a new identity for the wines of the region over the past two decades. Their 15 hectare property in Escales has been certified organic since 2006 and is planted with a mix of olive and fruit trees, vegetables and, of course, vines. The combination of its altitude and exposure to the cooling Vent Cers winds, as well as proximity to the nearby St Jaume forest, gives respite from the blistering daytime sun, allowing the grapes to retain a wonderful freshness even in hotter vintages.

While the main domaine cuvées are usually matured for a year in barrique before bottling, the joyfully easygoing 1er Jus and Cyprès de Toi wines see a shorter élevage to be released in time for the warmer months.  As ever, they all have huge drinkability and versatility at the table, providing fantastic value to boot.

The wines

Cyprès de Toi Blanc

Chardonnay grown on calcareous soils, pressed directly and aged for 9 months in cuve. A terrific value vin de table with notes of pear, citrus and Provençal herbs.

Cyprès de Toi Rosé

A firm favourite for the summer months, this direct press of Malbec is bright and fresh, and with the 2020 vintage coming in at just 11.5%, it’s a wine for every time of day.

Premier Jus

Carignan grapes were infused for two days in directly-pressed Grenache juice, then aged for 6 months in cuve. Described by Laetitia as “neither rosé nor red” — we couldn’t put it better ourselves. Crunchy and incredibly vibrant - a real wine of summer that we are very happy to have in good supply.

More information on the Fond Cyprès wines can be found on their producer page here.