The history of the estate, which sits on the site known as La Cendrillon, at Ornaisons in the heart of the Languedoc in southern France, began in the middle of the 18th century when the property was acquired by the Joyeux family. Convinced of the immense quality potential of the Corbières, Robert Joyeux and his son Hubert set out to produce grand crus of finesse and elegance.
They created wines that express all the complexity and diversity of their terroirs, whilst consciously asserting their originality by using atypical grape varieties. With the desire to preserve a healthy, living environment, the estate has cultivated its 49 hectares of vines organically since 2008
La Cendrillon at a glance:
Terroir
49 hectares of vines
49 Parcels across 5 different terroirs
17 different grapes varieties
Grapes from the Languedoc
Grapes from Elsewhere
Domaine
126,9km from mount Canigo
23,5km from the Mediterranean
14 vintages bottled with the first bottle in 2008
The entire estate was certified organic in 2013
8 wines are produced
44 vats for single parcel vinifications (26 steel, 14 concrete, 4 wood)
8 family generations
In October I attended the Languedoc world tour in London where I discovered the incredible wines of Domaine La Cendrillon. On the day I met with Paul Cambon and we tasted through the 2016 Inédite, a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre, where the Syrah and Grenache vines are over 35 years old. The red fruits, spice and soft tannins of this wine were fantastic.
In addition, we also tasted the 2016 N°1, a blend of Mourvèdre, Syrah and Grenache, the average age of the vines used for this wine is 45 years old. Dark garnet red with lots of blackberries, blackcurrant and pepper, this packs a punch and yet is soft and silky…a dangerous and delightful red if you know what I mean. My favourite wine of the day and collectively these two wines were clear standouts for me from the world tour.
Fast forward a couple of months and I wanted to share two more wines from this incredible producer, which have since been kindly gifted to me to taste:
2018 La Coume AOP Corbières Rouge.
This award-winning single vineyard wine is hand harvested from vines planted in the highest parcel of the estate. Grown on limestone clay, this wine is a blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Mourvèdre. This wine is a beautiful medium ruby hue with an abundance of ripe red and black fruits, subtle oak and persistent and pleasantly warming black pepper quality. Medium-bodied with medium acidity, this wine has a wonderful tobacco and liquorice element to it, which is present in the long and smooth finish. Delightful!
2021 Cuvee Nuance
A blend of 8 grape varieties, this fresh and delicate white blend is a fantastic example of the quality of wine we are witnessing being produced in the heart of Languedoc. Pale gold in hue with low viscosity, this wine is medium-bodied and has medium acidity with notes of citrus, green apple and peach. There’s a subtle salinity throughout this wine and a hint of tropical fruit. This is a wine that will undoubtedly have you refilling your glass time after time, fantastic!
Want to find out more about La Cendrillon? Check out their website and/or Instagram below.