Chateau la Voulte-Gasparets (Corbières)

This "republican" statue, in the square facing the estate family house, holds grapes in her basket...

We now head for a Corbières estate, Chateau La Voulte-Gasparets, located in Gasparets, a tiny village with two parts , the other being Boutenac . It is located between Carcassonne and Narbonne, just a few kilometers south of the motorway . We have been crossing several times the "Canal du Midi", this living wonder-waterway built in the 18th century to haul goods and raw material across the country and wich is now mainly used to visit the region on leasure barges. I guess in the past wine casks were transiting through it to big cities and make their way to other places  like Paris .

We crossed the waterway several times in the region

We reach Gasparets, a quiet little village . Standing in the middle of a square next to the domaine , a green statue erected by the municipal council may 25th 1901, to celebrate the new lever fountain beneath . In the basket that the republican statue holds dearly, I see grapes...
We ring at Domaine's family house in Gasparets at about noon, and Patrick Reverdi opens the door .
His son Laurent, who is about 30 years old, leads us to the tasting room .
They make the 3 wine colours here . The Boutenac terroir ( name of the other vilage Gasparets is tied to ) has well integrated Grenache and Carignan grape varieties . The soil is poor and thus favorable . Low  yields . Here , they embarked on the search for quality wines about 20 years ago . 7 generations in the winery . The founder of the estate, Mr Romain Pauc, built the buildings as well as organized the vineyard . Even though in the post-phyloxera era, the trend was toward productivity and high yields, he planted the Grenache and Carignan vineyards that today are the base of their best wines . Pebble soil . 63 hectares altogether . White : 3 hectares ; Rosé : 6-9 hectares ; The rest for reds . There's some work in the vineyard, of course . Pruning is important . They are not so many to do the work : Father, son, a cousin , a worker . Plus 30 people hired for hand harvest . All the vineyard harvested manually here ; Syrah first , Mourvedre last .

The chapel and vineyard near wich we had our picnic, just outside Gasparets

Their white varieties here are Grenache Blanc,  Rolle,  and Macabeu . They also make 150 hectoliter of rosé ( 20 000 bottles ). Not much even though people like rosé in summer . This is bled rosé . Low temperature fermentation in stainless vats .Reds are all made in carbonic maceration . No destemming . Their red "cuvée
reservée" stays 7 months in casks (2-3 year old casks) . The other cuvée, Romain Pauc, has 12 months in new casks ( 20% new, 80% 1-2 year old casks ) . The wine range in the Domaine is quite short : 1 white, 1 rosé , and 2 reds . It has no relation with wine , but I join this picture ( left ) of the WW1 wall monument with the names of fallen soldiers from the village . That such a tiny village lost so many sons gives an idea of the bloodshed for all of France ...
We now taste :
__1 White . Chateau La Voulte-Gasparets, Corbières, Blanc 2004 . Bottled 15 days ago . Fleshy . 2,5-3 grams residual sugar . A bit of acidity . Can wait a little . Grenache 50%, Rolle 40%, Macabeu 10% . Each year they leave a little residual sugar for the fruity, elegant side . Nose is fresh . In the mouth too . Colour : Clear, with a green touch . Macabeu brings the rounde touch , he says . This grape variety is very sweet, the grapes are very small, also . 6,65 Euro .
__2  Red . Chateau La Voulte-Gasparets, Corbières , cuvée reservée 2003 . Very very nice . Bottle opened several hours earlier . He says , better to wait 8-9 months before drinking it though . And decant 1/2 hour before . Has 4-5 years of potential laying down . This 2003 will have a higher concentration than 2002 . 7,65 Euro .
__3 Red . Chateau La Voulte-Gasparets, Corbières, cuvée Romain Pauc 2002 . 4 to 8 years potential laying down . Stayed 2-3 years in casks . Dark red colour . 20-25 hectoliter/hectare . Very nice wine . Truffle notes, says B. Not yet reached full maturity , out host says : Needs a few more months . 15 Euro .
We thank Laurent Reverdi for his time and head for a nice place to picnic : This is the first day of our trip the temperature allows it . We drive to an old chapel 500 meters from the village, seat along a vineyard and eat under the sun . Total quietness . Smoke in the distance points to someone burning vineshoots .

Death in the vineyard...

I finish eating, walking along a freshly plowed vineyard, where signs of a favorite activity in the french countryside rust on the ground . A used cartridge , wich missed or hit, who knows ?  The pebbles are so round , they look as if they come from a river bed .
Chateau La Voulte-Gasparets . Phone 33(0)4 68 27 07 86 Fax 33(0)4 68 27 41 33
[email protected]

Comments

[mary richardson]

About 8 years ago, I found a wonderful Ch. Gasparets at source; having kept it for 6 years, it was superb. Is there something similar to collect now (or could I buy the same thing there, now - and at what price?)?

[Ms Mary W Coleman]

Hello
I am searching for a particular white wine that is offered during
religious services at my church, I am Catholic. I know that the
exact wine they serve during mass cannot be sold to the general
public, what I am hoping to find is a wine similar in taste and
color. The wine at church has a very light, delicate, flowerlike
taste and it is a sweet wine and it is a white wine. The name of
the wine is Mont La Salle Altar Wine and it is called Chateau des
Freres. Do you know of a wine that would be similar in taste and color that I could purchase? Thank you, Mary W Coleman
email address [email protected]

[Pat Roney]

Mary, you can purchase mont La Salle Altar Wines by calling 707 963-2521. Ask for Cheri. Their website is montlasallealtarwines.com

[Michael Hodges]

I am interested to know if any of the white can be bought in the US. I bought some when visiting in the region and loved it.

[Cindy Lee]

Hi there, I have a 1978 harvest Domaine de La Voute-Gasparets Corbieres wine.
It is light red in colour and is bottled by Quinson son.
The label also says negociant eleveur a Fleurie, which translated is Flower Breeder Trader.

Is it worth anything? We've acquired it from somewhere, not sure where, and have had it for years.
Can't imagine the wine itself would be any good for consumption, but am intrigued because of its age and label.
Any information would be appreciated. Thank you.