Very deep colour. Classy red fruit nose, with coffee oak hints. The palate shows lush brambly fruit with ripe tannin structure and integrated oak. So well balanced. Now-2013

Product Code: DGA308

Bruno Schenk’s vines are on classic argilo-calcaire soils, with some sandstone, in the wild hills between Cucugnan and Padern, surrounded by amazing hill-top Cathar castles. It’s surprisingly cool here in these vineyards - Bruno was told when he arrived from Alsace that the land was only good for white and rosé - and this gives great finesse and freshness to all the wines. The latest developments at Grand Arc are: a) Bruno converting some of the outbuildings at the domaine into attractive living quarters - here he seeks “décompression” amidst his vines; and b) Bruno choosing to make wine in recent vintages with minimal sulphur.

As for the wines: his gentle, stone-fruited white is from Grenache Blanc, Maccabeu and Roussanne. The rosé, from Cinsaut, Grenache, Carignan and Syrah, is widely considered to be among the best in Corbières. The Reserve and Cuvée des Quarante are both aged in barrel, albeit very old ones in the case of the Reserve, which is about 55% Carignan, with 30% Grenache and 15 % Mourvèdre. The Cuvée des Quarante is also based on Carignan and Grenache but with Syrah as the third variety.