From the atlas
Château d'Anglès
The 40 hectare Château d'Anglès estate in La Clape makes Mourvèdre led reds and a Bourboulenc led white Grand Vin.
At A Glance
| Field | Detail |
| Region | Languedoc, France |
| Appellation | AOC La Clape |
| Location | Saint-Pierre la Mer, Aude |
| Main grapes | Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Marsanne |
| Signature wines | Grand Vin Rouge and Grand Vin Blanc |
| Defining feature | Hard limestone, long sunshine and gravity clarification without fining or filtration for Grand Vin Rouge |
The Producer
Château d'Anglès makes red and white wines in AOC La Clape from Saint-Pierre la Mer in Aude. The red wines use Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan. Grand Vin Blanc uses four white varieties, with old vine Bourboulenc at its centre.
Eric and Christine Fabre founded the estate, and both came from winemaking families. The range includes Cuvée Classique, Grand Vin Rouge and Grand Vin Blanc. Since its founding, Château d'Anglès has received 35 Gold Medals.
Place
Saint-Pierre la Mer is the home of Château d'Anglès, in the Languedoc's AOC La Clape. The estate's 40 hectares fall within the appellation, whose name places the wines in La Clape rather than under a broader regional address.
La Clape receives over 300 days of sunshine each year. Its hard, stony, well draining limestone soil moves rain away from the vines while the long sunny season supports full grape ripeness.
Story
In 2001, Eric and Christine Fabre went from the Médoc to the Languedoc in search of a great terroir. Both came from winemaking families, and their search led to Château d'Anglès in Saint-Pierre la Mer. The estate became a family project in AOC La Clape, with red and white wines built from the grape varieties suited to its vineyards.
The founding choice still appears in the range. Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan form the red wines, while Grand Vin Blanc uses Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Marsanne.
Vineyards And Cellar
Grand Vin Rouge undergoes a 45 day maceration to extract fine flavour components. Maceration keeps the grape skins in contact with the fermenting wine, drawing colour, tannin and flavour from the fruit. The wine is clarified statically by gravity, with no fining or filtration.
Grand Vin Blanc ferments in oak barrels that are 1 to 2 years old, then spends 5 to 6 months on fine lees with stirring. Fine lees are spent yeast cells; contact with them can add texture, while stirring increases that contact through the ageing period.
Wines
The range contains the red Cuvée Classique, Grand Vin Rouge and Grand Vin Blanc. The 2015 Cuvée Classique combines 40% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre.
The 2012 Grand Vin Rouge moves to 55% Mourvèdre, 25% Syrah, 15% Grenache and 5% Carignan. Grand Vin Blanc occupies the white side of the range, using a separate group of white grape varieties and the estate's barrel and lees work.
In The Glass
Grand Vin Rouge combines ripe dark and red fruit with spice notes associated with La Clape. Dense, refined tannins fill the palate, bringing fullness and a long finish.
The wine also carries the darker register of black fruit, black liquorice, camphor, fresh herb, iron and chalky mineral notes. The tannins give the fruit shape without removing the wine's length.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Grand Vin Blanc. It is the estate's white Grand Vin, made from 40% old vine Bourboulenc, 20% Grenache Blanc, 20% Roussanne and 20% Marsanne.
The nose brings white flowers, white fruit, fresh sweet spices and honey. The palate is broad, highly aromatic and long, with a fresh finish. At 13.5% vol., it places the estate's white grape varieties beside its Mourvèdre led red wines in a single bottle.
Anecdote
After five years at Champagne Bollinger, Vianney Fabre joined his father, Eric, at Château d'Anglès in 2010. Eric and Christine Fabre were both from winemaking families, so Vianney entered an estate already built around family wine work. His arrival added a second Fabre generation to the operation in La Clape. The estate's range now includes red blends made from Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan, alongside a white Grand Vin made from Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Marsanne.
Final Word
Château d'Anglès makes La Clape through red blends led by Mourvèdre and a white Grand Vin led by old vine Bourboulenc, with limestone, sunshine and distinct cellar methods shaping the range.
Sources
1. https://www.abbayeschateauxenlanguedoc.com/nos-domaines/chateau-d-angles 2. https://winetrader.ca/chateau-dangles-cuvee-classique-grand-vin/ 3. https://www.vindebacchus.com/5412-chateau-d-angles-grand-vin-rouge-clape.html 4. https://www.vindebacchus.com/5411-chateau-d-angles-grand-vin-blanc-clape.html