2017 Château d’Aussières Corbières

Domaine d'Aussières is located in Narbonne in Southwest France. It is less than 50 miles from one of the most charming villages in all of France, Carcassonne.  The Château is owned by the Domaines Barons de Rothschild, the owners of none other than the world-famous Château Lafite Rothschild. Lafite is a Bordeaux First Growth classified Château, and one of the most iconic, sought-after, and loved wines of all savvy wine drinkers.

Domaine d’Aussières dates back to Roman times, in fact, this Château became the “Official Wine Supplier” for all of Rome. Aussières passed through different owners, especially Abbeys such as Mont Laures or Fontfroide, and its most emblematic owner Count Daru, who was Minister of the Estates of Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1790 Count Daru acquired the property and restored the vineyard. However, his achievements were overshadowed due to the decline of the Languedoc as a wine-producing region. 

It was thanks to its exceptional location, vineyards, history, and its beautiful landscapes that the Rothschild family set their eye on the property. In 1999, Lafite immediately updated and improved the vineyard and property. Currently, there are more than 400 acres planted with varieties such as Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay.

Aussières has a long story to tell, but thanks to everything that this region had to go through, today it is considered a pioneer in the revival of the Languedoc area. Baron Eric de Rothschild refers to Aussières as: "A place of wild, natural beauty, that emanates tremendous power, and whose terroir has exceptional potential." 

2017 Château d’Aussières Corbières is the top-notch wine of Aussières, the crème de la crème, and it is a wine made with careful selection of the best parcels of the vineyard and aged for 12 to 16 months in 40% in new oak barrel.

 Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan. Notes of fruit black fruit and spices. The tremendous richness of the Mourvèdre combined with the balance of the Syrah and the finesse of the Grenache gives this wine a very elegant tannic structure. Well-integrated notes from the barrel aging mingle harmoniously in the long, lingering finish. Pair this wine with South France typical dishes like a rack of lamb and cassoulet. 

In 1999, the Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) acquired this estate, 1,359 acres of forest, Mediterranean scrub and gardens buffering 412 acres of vines. This is the estate’s top cuvée, a strict selection made even stricter in 2017 by two frosts at the end of April that devastated close to a third of its vineyards. The final blend, based on syrah with 33 percent mourvèdre and 10 percent grenache, is as elegant as its ruby-red color predicts. Rather than promoting size, it’s focused on finesse, with lean, lithe cherry flavors framed in spice and earth. The tannins have the meaty texture of cherry skins, ripe and flavorful, giving the fruit a succulence that lasts for minutes after each sip. ~95 Wine & Spirits

A really good example of warm, ripe fruit from the south of France with good integration of oak, lots of red fruit, and chocolate character. No rusticity here, generous and very appealing. Dark cherry notes, a hint of floral characters on the finish. ~95 Decanter

This is really balanced, with pretty currant and blackberry character. Hints of slate and graphite. Some dry earth, too. So delicious now. Can age, but why wait? ~93 James Suckling

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