Clos Fantine is situated in the village of Cabrerolles near Faugeres to the north of Beziers in the Languedoc. The domaine is run by Olivier Andrieu alongside his two sisters, Corine and Carole. There are 22 hectares in total, all farmed biodynamically. Harvesting is manual and yields are low. The main grape grown is Carignan (40%) with the addition of Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvedre and a little Syrah and the vines are up to 80 years in age. The 'Faugeres Tradition' is a blend of 40% Mourvedre, 25% Carignan, 25% Grenache and 10% Syrah and is neither filtered nor fined. It also sees no oak.
A dark garnet in colour. The nose suggests dark spiced fruits with bags of smokiness and earth. On the palate, the red and black fruit flavours are layered and the texture smooth leading to a lingering finish with a mineral streak. Try with one-pan roast chicken with beetroot, carrots and potatoes, roast tenderloin of turkey with new potatoes and a tarragon broth or gardiane a la Camargue, a rich stew of beef shank, local herbs, orange and olives.