Castelmaure : N°3 de Castelmaure 2016

Characteristics and tasting advice for N°3 de Castelmaure 2016

Tasting

Appearance

An intense garnet hue with violet highlights characterizes this vintage.

Nose

The nose reveals fine aromatic complexity dominated by notes of black fruits (blackberry, blueberry, blackcurrant) alongside nuances of stewed plum. With aeration, spicy aromas of black pepper, licorice and garrigue herbs (thyme, rosemary) emerge, enhanced by subtle toasted and vanilla touches from barrel aging.

Palate

On the palate, this wine is intense and concentrated, with lovely fruit-driven substance. The tannins, polished and silky, bring structure and elegance. The finish, persistent and slightly grainy, lingers on spicy and mineral notes.

Food and wine pairings

This Corbières red wine is an ideal match for a traditional cassoulet, red meats in sauce, or a leg of lamb with Herbes de Provence.

Serving and cellaring

N°3 de Castelmaure 2016 is best enjoyed at a temperature of 16 to 18°C. Decanting for one hour before serving is recommended to allow the wine to fully express its aromatic range. This wine can be enjoyed now or cellared until around 2031.

An emblematic Corbières wine by Castelmaure

The estate

Founded in 1921 in Embres-et-Castelmaure, in the heart of Corbières in the Languedoc, the cooperative winery Castelmaure brings together around 60 member winegrowers and manages 440 hectares of steep schist slopes, predominantly planted with old-vine Carignan trained in gobelet. A collective property with no single owner, it is now led by its president Patrick de Hoym de Marien, alongside oenologist Bernard Pueyo. A pioneer, it pioneered carbonic maceration on Carignan and in 2019 created a conservatory of 79 old grape varieties.

The vineyard

The vines of N°3 de Castelmaure are planted on the slopes of the Corbières appellation, on soils made up in equal parts of schist and limestone. These terroirs benefit from the protection of the Serre range to the south, creating a favorable microclimate. The vines, around thirty years old, are cultivated by hand and surrounded by Mediterranean garrigue, whose aromas naturally permeate the grapes.

The vintage

The 2016 vintage in the Languedoc was particularly successful. Favorable climatic conditions made it possible to obtain optimally ripe grapes, with lovely aromatic concentration and preserved acidity balance.

Vinification and aging

N°3 de Castelmaure 2016 is vinified using rigorous methods, including hand harvesting with selective sorting. Part of the harvest is vinified as whole clusters. Fermentation takes place under temperature control, followed by an extended maceration. The wine is then aged for twelve months in 225-liter French oak barrels, a quarter of which are new, providing a subtle contribution of toasted notes while preserving the expression of the fruit.

Grape varieties

Syrah, Grenache Noir, Carignan.