Famille FabreIn the heart of Cathars country, in Languedoc, France sits Château De Luc. The Fabre family has owned the Château, among other properties since 1878, which they have preserved and restored. It’s vineyards are situated on Alaric soils, producing concentrated and very well balanced wines. At Château De Luc, you will find underground cellars, which create perfect conditions for the production of the Fabre family wines!

The Fabre family owns four estates, which include: Château De Luc, Château Coulon, Domaine Grande Courtade, and Château Fabre Gasparets. 

I had the pleasure of meeting Clemence Fabre over lunch while she visited NYC. We tasted through Château De Luc where I immediately fell in love with the 2016 AOC Corbièrs Château De Luc Rosé. This wine is made from Cinsault and Grenache with limited maceration. The maceration of the cinsault is much shorter due to the grapes being so large. This wine is then blended with grenache, and Famille Fabreexpresses notes of rose petals, peaches, delicate dark fruits, and some limestone qualities. The soils here are clay and limestone dominant, which gives their wines really nice mineral driven aromas.

We sat down to a pleasant lunch with Ahi Tuna burgers and spiced french fries. This meal went incredibly well with the rosé as well as the 2016 AOC Corbièrs Château De Luc Roussane/Grenache Blanc. This white wine is complex and fun with notes of honeysuckle, white flowers, and a delicate finish. The grapes for this wine are harvested at night. The grenache is fermented in barrels, while the roussane is aged on fine lees. This wine is unique and fun to pair with seafood as well as spiced fries; so overall the pairing worked very well.

I also had the pleasure of tasting the 2015 AOC Corbièrs Château Coulon Red Blend. This blend is made up of Syrah, Carignan, Grenache, and Mourvèdre, and is full of black olive notes, spiced cherry aromas and flavors, and soft delicate tannins. The tuna burger was cooked medium rare, so it also paired beautifully with the red blend.

The Fabre family has always been concerned about the environment and preserving the rich history of the Languedoc. Château Coulon (another Fabre property) was one of the first wineries to produce and pursue organic wine production, and now today all the properties under the Fabre family practice organic farming and production methods.

If you’re seeking some great wines to bring to backyard bbq’s, picnics, and more this summer, I recommend picking up some of the Fabre family wines! They are beautiful, approachable, and food friendly.

Always remember, eat what you like and drink what you love. Please pair responsibly!