Libre Cours Rouge 2015

"I think I'll be somebody else, or else a madman, it's no time to be 21" raged an ancient punk rocker on a record from 1977. He wouldn't have been so upset if he'd just developed a fascination for wine, like Samuel Delafont did when he was that age. Then he could have founded his own wine export agency, and established a winery to produce some of the finest wines of the Languedoc, instead of splitting his band up and becoming a folk singer. And people would have said "mmm, delicious Pinot Noir/Grenache blend, juicy and flavoursome with a lovely long finish" instead of "21 my eye, mate you must be pushing 60!"

"Samuel Delafont worked as a wine consultant for ten years, from 2000 to 2010. He Established Maison S. Delafont in 2010, having decided to create his own winery to highlight some of the best wines of Languedoc. His first releases were from Pic Saint Loup, La Clape and Limoux, and since then he has added a Minervois, an AOP Languedoc range and most recently the Vin de France range, Libre Cours. Maison S. Delafont is family owned and produces a total of 45,000 bottles per year.

Maison S. Delafont is a négociant-éleveur, which is to say they don't just purchase and bottle fruit or juice from the best Domaines of the Languedoc, but they blend and improve on it at their own winery. They select only growers who employ biodynamic, organic or sustainable farming methods. Meticulously attentive to blending and ageing, they strive for balance between elegance and extraction and between typicity of terroir and final wine style, seeking an ideal blend of freshness and fruitiness.

Samuel Delafont became enthralled by the wine world at the age of 21. Four years later, in 2000, he set up an export agency called Vinipartner, advising southern French winegrowers on how to perfect their range and maximise sales. After ten years of working with wineries in the Languedoc and Rhône he wanted to roll up his sleeves and get involved with wine production, setting up his own winery and assuming the role of winemaker/merchant. He now has the freedom to create and develop great Languedoc wines.

70% Pinot Noir and 30% Grenache, the wine has a bright ruby colour and intense aromas of red fruits and cherries. On the palate it is supple and fruit-driven, with gentle tannins giving a lingering fresh finish."