Faithful to a monastic tradition inherited from 900 years of history, the domain of the abbey of Fontfroide, in the Corbières, relaunched more than thirty years ago the elaboration of great wines. In addition to Deo Gratias, its iconic wine, a new cuvée now crowns the range: Spiritualis.
By Romain Rivière
Ora et labora – pray and work. The day of the Benedictine monk is simple: when he is not working, he prays. The liturgy of the hours allows him, at every moment, to turn to God to sing his praises. This prayer of day and night, of summer and winter, shapes his human heart and transcends his soul. It is carried by Gregorian chant, its language, which symbolizes poverty, chastity, purity, obedience, stability – it is sheltered from changing fashions, tastes, aesthetics. Far from the joys and worries of the world, the contemplative is a serene and calm man. Here, in the cool shade of Fontfroide Abbey, the regular visitor has no trouble imagining the psalms and hymns echoing on a stone polished by nine centuries of monastic life. Ora et labora. When not praying, the monk works. And here, since the foundation of the abbey Sainte-Marie de Fontfroide by the Benedictine monks at the end of the 11th century, the work is the vine.
A loving care for the earth
Faithful to the motto of Saint Benedict, the founder of the Benedictine order, the monks of Fontfroide have always endeavored, on a daily basis, with great rigor, to enhance the value of the land they farm with loving care. Integrated into the Cistercian order from the middle of the 12th century, the abbey experienced a great expansion and its lands were extended over the years thanks to various legacies. Le vignoble prend de l’ampleur. From the vineyard, the monks obtain the wine they need for the celebration of Holy Mass, but also the wine they sell in order to meet the needs of the abbey, one of whose fundamental values is hospitality. Thus, over the centuries, in the Corbières as elsewhere – in Burgundy or in the Rhone Valley – the monks have written a large part of the French history of wine.
At Fonfroide, the monks left the site at the very beginning of the 20th century, expelled by the anti-congregation laws of the Third Republic. But the vines are still there, planted around the abbey. Protected by the Corbières hills, in the heart of the Narbonnaise regional nature park and the Fontfroide massif, they extend over 45 hectares of sandy-clay soil guaranteeing an important water reserve. The scents of thyme and rosemary sometimes give way to notes of heather, very present. In this fresh terroir, the red grapes – Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Merlot – and the white grapes – Chardonnay, Muscat, Roussanne, Vermentino and Marselan – ripen slowly and allow the grapes to develop a remarkable maturity, giving the wines fruity aromas of great intensity.
Since 2004, Laure de Chevron Villette has been looking after the Fontfroide Abbey’s wine estate, where most of the restoration work was undertaken in the 1980s by her family. Anxious to be part of in the continuity of the great monastic tradition, based on a deep respect for nature and all Creation, Laure de Chevron Villette has completed, in 2020, the double Terra Vitis and High Environmental Value 3 certification, guaranteeing the success of the efforts made in favor of the preservation of biodiversity, the environment and human health. With her team, she produces 200,000 bottles of AOP Corbières and IGP Pays d’Oc each year, based on a dozen references driven by a desire for freshness, finesse and fruit.
Deo Gratias – let’s give thanks to God, in Latin, editor’s note – is the flagship cuvée of Fontfroide wines. Silver medalist at the Dacanter World Wine Awards 2020, available in three colors, it offers the experience of a terroir wine where power is mastered with elegance.` Made from the best parcels, Deo Gratias is a complex wine with aromas of black and red fruits, black currant and spices. In red, the mouth is unctuous, generous, woody. It is supported by silky tannins and persistent peppery notes. Depuis peu, a new cuvée has been added to the range of the domain : Spiritualis. This long-keeping wine, the quintessence of the best Syrah and Mourvèdre of the domain, is aged 18 months in oak barrels. Its nose is aromatic and powerful – black fruits and spices -, while on tasting it reveals a velvety mouth and a long finish. Recently, two new plots, totaling 1.8 hectares, were planted with Syrah on the heights of the estate, in order to supply this new prestigious cuvée with exceptional grapes.
