2016 Chateau Saint-Roch Kerbuccio Maury Sec Languedoc-Roussillon France 750 ml

In the South of France, in the shadow of the Pyrenees, the little village of Maury and its profound, opulent reds are commanding the attention of the entire wine world. Napa vintners like Abe Schoener, Dave Phinney, and Kimberly Jones are now developing brands here, and it was the incomparable Bordeaux négociant Jacques Boissenot who championed the quality of these wines early on, leading the way for their appellation status. 

We could not be more thrilled to offer Wine Access members a glimpse of this spectacular terroir seen through the lens of a true master. This absolutely dwarfs similarly priced bold reds from Napa, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Priorat, you name it… 

Decanter went as far as to say, “This extraordinary zone in the central Agly valley has the potential to be one of the rare ‘grands crus’ of the South of France.” 

Leading the pack amongst Maury’s enviable producers is Chȃteau Saint-Roch, owned by master vintner Jean-Marc Lafage. Lafage’s Kerbuccio bottling—named after the Quéribus, the ancient castle that overlooks the Agly valley—tells the story of this untapped terroir like no other. In four straight vintages between 2013 and 2017, Kerbuccio has earned scores between 93-96 points, including today’s 96-point 2016. 

From the top, the deep ruby-hued 2016 explodes from the glass with, as Decanter wrote, a “Lovely kirsch nose with bags of ripe and authentic Maury fruit.” There is wild complexity in layers of leather, tobacco, garrigue, and the typical schist-driven minerality that defines Maury. On the palate, the 2016 Kerbuccio is full-bodied, polished, and balanced, brimming with generous black and blue fruit. As Jeb Dunnuck concluded, “you can’t go wrong with this wine.” 

Walking along the rough lanes that lead to Chȃteau Saint-Roch, wild sage, lavender, and the entire range of herbs de Provence overflow into the roadway, perfuming the air and providing a blanket of green camouflage over the area’s signature schist soils. The obsidian-black stones break like glass underfoot, hinting that there’s more than untamed foliage covering the rolling landscape. 

The delicate black stones form the backbone of Lafage’s robust and structured red. A blend of 75% Grenache, 20% Carignan, and 5% Mourvèdre, the 2016 Kerbuccio was grown on 60-year-old vines planted on Jean-Marc Lafage’s 100-acre estate. As Decanter confirms, “There is a scorpion-like mineral asperity lurking at all times behind these wines which gives them a seriousness and a dignity which eludes more voluptuous competitors from elsewhere.” 

For now, Maury is an oasis where quality and price meet in an unimaginable ratio. At this price, our cases are poised to deliver more than the greatest bargain Napa or Châteauneuf-du-Pape could offer. While Robert Parker hailed the 2016’s finish as “near endless,” our small allocation is nothing of the sort.