L’Orange Courbissac (Orange Wine) 2023

L’Orange Courbissac, orange wine, organic wine, natural wine, subtle, grapey, very fresh, uplifting, delicious entry point to orange wine. The charm of this orange wine made in minuscule quantity in the Languedoc is in the natural, light grapeyness.  This comes largely from the Muscat in the wine. It has fresh and floral aromas which balance perfectly the more savoury elements of orange wine. L’Orange Courbissac is a perfect summer wine, with olives or light salads, some smoked fish or even a few red grapes and cheese.

The wines crafted by Brunhilde at the domaine de Courbissac are all delicious.  But it is perhaps her orange and white which are most notable.  Why? Well in an area so well known for high temperatures and full bodied reds, her wines have a clean, elegant freshness.  She is a committed natural grower and also employs some biodynamic techniques.  The location of the vines is also important as they lie in the shadow of the black mountain in the northern Languedoc.  They are 300 metres above sea level (nearly 1000 feet).  This makes quite a difference to the night time temperatures.  The grapes are Marsanne, Muscat, Grenache Gris and other unknown varieties.  There is a 10 day maceration which makes for a lighter fresher expression of Orange wine.  L’Orange Courbissac is often the wine we recommend to people who  have never tried Orange wine before.

Brunnhilde Claux learned about wine making with the best, at Domaine Gauby in the Roussillon. She then helped Dominik Huber to make the wines fresher and more elegant at Terroir Al Limit in Priorat. With the help and investment of German film producer Reinhard Brundig, this once abandoned and most beautiful of vineyards was brought back to life by Brunnhilde in 2014 and since then has gone from strength to strength. Brunnhilde is obsessed with freshness, with producing balanced wines with lower abv and with capturing the terroir as naturally and sustainably as possible. She has no time for bullshit, time wasters or people who tell her what her wine should be. She has her own vision and approach and it is 100% holistic, balanced and with quality in mind.

The Domain has to be one of the region's most beautiful, 40 hectares, with 17 under vine tucked away on the lower slopes of the Montagne Noir just above the village of Cesseras. The dusty winding track leads you up to around 200 metres above sea level where the old vines are dotted around the hillside surrounded by garrigue and 'sous bois'. The small team at Courbissac are working very hard to return indigenous species of trees and plant life to the domaine, to revitalise it and increase the bio-diversity. All the vineyards and new plantings are mini parcels, surrounded by fruit trees, olives, Almonds, and a huge array of local flora and fauna.

The 17 hectares are planted with the classic grapes of the region, Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, Mourvedre, with some very old vines of Cinsault higher up in the Farradjales plot. They also have white grapes including Grenache Blanc, Muscat and ninety year old vines of Listan, a white grape which is the same as Palomino in Sherry and is also widely planted in the Canary Islands. Brunnhilde loves this salty white grape as it has lower alcohol and a lovely, dry, nutty freshness. They have planted more and also some other rare indigenous varieties.

There are six different cuvees and all have a delightful personality which is both classic and new wave. The reds are incredibly elegant, made with virtually no sulphur but clean as a whistle. Brunnhilde doesn't like funky and detests the use of the word purity, for it means nothing to her. The wines are honest and real and absolutely delicious. When talking about her work, after a tasting on a sunny afternoon in April, she seems tired, but vocal;

'it is tough you know, making wine like this, it is every day, it never stops, it is a lifestyle, not a job, but you do it because you love it, nothing else.'