In this land of Corbières dominated by the Château de Quéribus, the Terroirs du Vertige apply to the full expression of wines from altitude vineyards.
Contrasting altitudes
The announcement of the name immediately places the vineyard: Terroirs of Vertigo. If the Mediterranean remains close as the crow flies, the altitude is very present here. The castle of Quéribus, Cathar fortress, dominates Cucugnan on a rocky peak reaching 728m in height. At its feet extends the vineyard, divided into plots on rocky slopes. Further down, around Talairan, the vines occupy a slightly more settled area. On this terroir shared between Mediterranean influences and temperance of the altitudes, the grapes ripen slowly but surely. Drawing its strength from the clay-limestone and schistous substrates of the Corbières, it draws from the climate a dense and fruity expression, well served by a flexible palette of grape varieties. On these 850 hectares coexist Grenache, Merlot, Cabernet sauvignon, Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache blanc, Marsanne or Chardonnay.
A sought-after balance
The vineyards of Terroirs of Vertigo benefit from this plot distribution between calm reliefs around Talairan and expressive altitudes around Cucugnan. The configuration gives the wines of the cooperative a latitude of nuances which reconcile the full expression of the fruit with the solid minerality of the terroir. The solidarity of the winegrower, served by favorable soils, gives Terroirs of Vertigo a well-deployed production capacity. The wines bear witness to a rigorous balance which is an ambassador of the charm of these high altitude Corbières. The focus is primarily on the aromatic freshness resulting from the mastery of maturation. The differences in level and the subtle climatic variations that they generate determine the coherent nuances of the different vintages. We find in each one the mastery of silky tannins served by a balance of fruits and flavors which are the common core and the bias of all the wines of the Terroirs of Vertigo.
Wines in relief
The choice to place the expression of fruit in the foreground is literally expressed with the range Freshness. It comes to seek its expressive dominant in Grenaches, nuanced by Syrah for the reds, Marsanne for the whites and Cinsault for the rosés. Pushing the potential of the terroir a little further, the cuvée Dizziness leads a Syrah, which has become the majority, to take precedence over the bursts of Grenache. From a traditional vinification, wrapped in a deep purple robe, it comes to seek this typical marriage of ripe red fruits enhanced with peppery and spicy flavors. This full expressiveness finds its peak with the two flagship cuvées of the Terroirs of Vertigo. The first one, Rock of Bonelli, borrows its name from a rare eagle, pushing Syrah and Grenache to seek their peaks after 12 months of barrel aging. The second, named Corvaria, draws its name from the essence of the Corbières. It is adorned with a deep garnet where the dominant Syrah, enhanced in the barrel, matches with a Grenache preserved in its full freshness. If in an altitude vineyard balance and strength are guarantees of full expressiveness, the Terroirs of Vertigo perfectly reach the expected heights.