Notify me
2018 Corbières Rouge “Campagnès”
Maxime MagnonGrowing up in Burgundy without access to family-owned vineyards presents quite the challenge to the aspiring vigneron. The prohibitive cost of land makes it virtually impossible for any start-up domaine to get established, leaving would-be producers little choice but to look elsewhere for opportunity.
Deep in the Hautes-Corbières, a wildly hilly region of the Languedoc midway between Narbonne and Perpignan, a young Maxime Magnon stumbled upon a treasure: ancient vineyard parcels in steep, rocky soils destined to be abandoned, as local farmers were unwilling to break their backs to eke out tiny yields of wine that would ultimately get lost in the town co-op’s generic blend. Aware that he would never be able to find—or afford—something like this in his homeland of Burgundy, Maxime seized the opportunity and bought the vineyards, immediately going organic.
Today, he has redefined what is possible in this rugged part of the southern French countryside, crafting wines of vibrancy and grace from forgotten vineyard parcels that only needed the right caretaker to express their true character. Campagnès is Maxime’s greatest red, a century-old field blend of mostly Carignan that is fermented whole-cluster and bottled unfiltered with very little sulfur. He counts Allemand, Barral, and Lapierre among his strongest influences, and it shows—this drinks like great cru Beaujolais infused with southern soul.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Field blend of 95% Carignan; also Grenache, Syrah, Grenache Gris, Macabou, Terret |
Appellation: | Corbières |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Maxime Magnon |
Vineyard: | Over 100 years old |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14% |
More from this Producer or Region
2020 Collioure Rouge “Puig Ambeille”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A stony, spicy cuvée full of Mediterranean sunshine, aromatic garrigue, and a hint of salinity that offers a perfect match for grilled rosemary lamb chops.
2020 Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Proof that a great site and honest farming are key to genuine, long-lived wines.
2020 Corbières “Rozeta”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
The Rozeta features the exuberant, inviting perfume and velvety wild fruit we expect from a wine that underwent 100% whole-cluster fermentation.
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Saint Jacques”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Equal parts Grenache, Carignan, and Mourvèdre, this boasts all of Maxime’s trademark elegance and silkiness.
2021 Terrasses du Larzac Rouge
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
This wine marries the sunny influence of the south with chewy mountain tannins and a fresh streak of cool stone.
2022 Languedoc Blanc “Aupilhac”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A blend of Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Clairette, and Vermentino that tastes as if bees had harvested the nectar and pollen of all the local flowers and herbs and brewed it into wine.
2019 Corbières Rouge “Campagnès”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
100% Carignan from very old vines with immense depth but the immediate drinkability of a Cru Beaujolais.
2022 Vin de France Blanc “L'Estrade”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Corbières Blanc“La Bégou”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Just different and obscure enough to deliver the thrill of introducing someone to a gorgeous wine that is familiar, but new.
2021 Banyuls “Rimage”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Imagine a red, Grenache-based Sauternes, full of earth and spice, and you’ll have a decent idea how delicious this Banyuls tastes.
About The Producer
Maxime Magnon
About The Region
Languedoc-Roussillon
Ask wine drinkers around the world, and the word “Languedoc” is sure to elicit mixed reactions. On the one hand, the region is still strongly tied to its past as a producer of cheap, insipid bulk wine in the eyes of many consumers. On the other hand, it is the source of countless great values providing affordable everyday pleasure, with an increasing number of higher-end wines capable of rivaling the best from other parts of France.
While there’s no denying the Languedoc’s checkered history, the last two decades have seen a noticeable shift to fine wine, with an emphasis on terroir. Ambitious growers have sought out vineyard sites with poor, well draining soils in hilly zones, curbed back on irrigation and the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and looked to balance traditional production methods with technological advancements to craft wines with elegance, balance, and a clear sense of place. Today, the overall quality and variety of wines being made in the Languedoc is as high as ever.
Shaped like a crescent hugging the Mediterranean coast, the region boasts an enormous variety of soil types and microclimates depending on elevation, exposition, and relative distance from the coastline and the cooler foothills farther inland. While the warm Mediterranean climate is conducive to the production of reds, there are world-class whites and rosés to be found as well, along with stunning dessert wines revered by connoisseurs for centuries.
More from Languedoc-Roussillon or France
2021 Monts de la Grage Blanc
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Vin de France “Le Carignan”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon “Les Traverses”
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Sainte Agnès”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2019 Faugères “Valinière”
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pays d’Oc Rouge “Les Vieilles Vignes de Mourvèdre”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rosé
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup “Guilhem Gaucelm”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Banyuls “Rimage”
Domaine de la Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Gard Rouge “Clausus”
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Collioure Rouge “Puig Ambeille”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Terrasses du Larzac Rouge
Les Vignes Oubliées France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Monts de la Grage Blanc
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Vin de France “Le Carignan”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon “Les Traverses”
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Sainte Agnès”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2019 Faugères “Valinière”
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pays d’Oc Rouge “Les Vieilles Vignes de Mourvèdre”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rosé
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup “Guilhem Gaucelm”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Banyuls “Rimage”
Domaine de la Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Gard Rouge “Clausus”
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Collioure Rouge “Puig Ambeille”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Terrasses du Larzac Rouge
Les Vignes Oubliées France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch