Fast facts:
- 2020 Les Sommets Liès Corbières, France ($6.99 @Trader Joe’s, California)
During a recent visit to my local Trader Joe’s, I overheard an employee enthusiastically recommending this wine. She was telling a customer that it was “everyone’s favorite” among store employees. Needless to say, my curiosity was piqued. So when she was free I asked her to point me to the bottling. The wine did not dissapoint, especially at the QPR-crushing price of just $6.99.
The label on this wine is pretty subdued, it would have been easy to overlook, even though we love wines from this region. Corbières is a well-known wine appellation located in southern France. (Am I the only one now thinking of SNL’s The Coneheads skit from the 70’s?) It’s one of the most popular and best in the area. The vineyards of Corbières produce red and rosé wines, as well as whites. The vines are cultivated at more than 400 meters altitude above the sea level at the foot of Mont Tauch, between Tuchan and Villeneuve des Corbières. It’s an ideal climate for cultivating wine grapes.
Tasting Notes:
Pours a light ruby red. Forward nose of strawberries, oak, leather and forest floor. Cherry, oak, plum and red fruit flavors in the mouth. Pleasant tobacco and vanilla notes on the finish. Rustic and reminiscent of a classic GSM Rhone blend.
The climate in Corbières is largely influenced by the typical scrubland vegetation found in the Mediterranean. Westernmost soils are influenced by oceanic conditions, such as humid sea winds and the exposure to the ocean. In particular, this can lead to a difference in air temperature between day and night. These diurnal variations encourage a desired balance of sweetness and acidity. Wine from the AOC Corbières can be made from a variety of grape varieties. You might find Carignan, Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Syrah or Mourvèdre. White wine is usually produced with Grenache Blanc or Maccabeu grapes.
The red wines of Corbière have inherited from its terroir a great aging potential and pleasant harmony. They are typically red, ripe, and give off an extraordinary aroma. Red wines are the appellation’s forte; they are famously rich, herb-scented wines (garrique, again) made from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Lledoner Pelut and Carignan. White wines make up only a small percentage of total output. It pays to specialize!
If your weekend finds you shopping at your local TJ’s, keep an eye out for our Lucky 13 list of TJ’s wine. It’s a shopping list comprised of our most recent reviews.
If you’re headed to Costco soon, you can find our most recent reviews of Costco wines here in our Lucky 13 list of Costco wine finds.
Happy hunting,
Cheers!
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