Leading French wine co-operative, Les Vignobles Foncalieu, is relaunching its L'Atelier Prestige wine range with a new look and focus on the winemakers behind the concept.
The brand was first introduced in 2008 and includes Les Vignobles Foncalieu's Grands Vins collection of wines which come from specific terroir within the co-operative's large selection of vineyards and aims to "represent the ultimate expression of the "Grand Sud" as it covers all the winemaking regions of the area covering Gascony, Languedoc-Roussillon, Côtes-du-Rhône and Provence.
Foncalieu's Isabelle Pangault
Isabelle Pangault, winemaker and brand ambassador for Les Vignobles Foncalieu, said: "We're very proud of the new label and artwork for L'Atelier Prestige, which we feel reflects the style and quality of the bottle's contents. It's a privilege to see the passion of the wine growers in action daily and we're as excited as ever to present this excellent wine."
Luc Torrecilla and Pascal Bergé winemakers behind Le Lien
The range of wines includes Le Lien, AOC Minervois, of which only 2,400 bottles are made by a partnership between winemakers, Luc Torrecilla and Pascal Bergé, who first met at school. It is available through Fine Wines Direct in Cardiff.
Then there is L'Apogée, AOC Saint-Chinian, which has a production of 8,500 bottles, made by winemaker Michel Cazevieille and Sébastien Roubichou and is also available through Fine Wines Direct in Cardiff.
Les Illustres, IPG Coteaux d'Ensérune, comes from a historical area of France which was used by the Romans at the Oppidum d'Ensérune and has a production run of 19,000 bottles and is available through Fine Wines Direct in Cardiff.
Winemakers Gilles Ferrand, Fabrice Oliver and Marceau Lacombe
La Lumière, AOC Corbières, with 6,400 bottles, is made by three friends, Gilles Ferrand, Fabrice Oliver and Marceau Lacombe from yields as low as 15 hl/ha. The 70% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre blend is almost black in appearance and is available through The Secret Cellar in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, with a RRP of £28
Les Vignobles Foncalieu wineries cover 5,100 hectares under vine and it works with around 1,000 winegrowers. Annual production is 23 million bottles of which 75% is exported to 40 countries.