Maxime Magnon, making stunning natural wines in the Corbières, Languedoc
The wines of Maxime Magnon, natural wine star of Corbières
Corbières is a beautiful wine region in the Languedoc, with some great terroirs, but in recent decades it has struggled to break away from the image of being an appellation for cheap, sunny wines. Maxime Magnon is one of the stars who is showing that this AOC is capable of great things.
Hailing from Burgundy, he’s been working in Villeneuve-les-Corbières since 2002, but this follows an amazing CV where he worked with the likes of Jean Foillard in Morgon Thierry Allemand in the Northern Rhône and Thierry Valette in Bourgogne. When he went south, he was mentored by Didier Barral of Faugères fame.
He has 11 hectares of old vines in the Haut Corbières, on a range of soils including schist, decomposed granite and limestone, and farms biodynamically, with the help of animals. Winemaking is natural, making lots of use fo whole cluster and semi-carbonic, at low temperatures, adding just some sulfites at bottling.
These are remarkable wines, and this is surely the path forwards for growers in the Languedoc – aiming for freshness and articulation rather than the power that is so easily achieved there.
THE WINES
Maxime Mignon Corbières Blanc Le Bégou 2021 France
This blends together Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc and Carignan Gris. Beautiful citrus-laced aromatics. Bright, focused and mineral in the mouth with citrus fruit accompanies by notes of wax and wet stones. Such purity and intensity. Very fine. 94/100
Maxime Mignon Corbières Campagnès 2019 France
100 year old Carignan on clay and limestone soils. Fine, fresh and linear with red cherry and raspberry fruit with lovely structure and balance. This is quite stony, with almost perfect balance. 94/100
Maxime Mignon Corbières Rozeta 2021 France
Carignan, Grenache and Cinsault from schist and limestone. Lovely vivid, waxy-edged raspberry fruit, with lovely stony mineral detail. Fine and expressive with good structure. A beautiful wine. 95/100
