It was Andree first took me up to Embres et Castelmaure. It's the remotest wine village in the Corbières. It lies on the other side of from the mountain from Opoul in the Roussillon. (And there is a rough track just about navigable in a 4x4 between the two. Don't try it.)
Embres – pronounced 'ambress' in the local 'accent' (pron 'axanne') – was a poor village. And like many other such in the area seemed destined to die. The natives would leave and the houses fall into ruin or become holiday homes for Belgians.
Then along come two men. One a big hairy mountain winemaker called Bernard, the other an artist and romantic businessman called Patrick de Marien.
The former took over running the only enterprise in the village; the little wine co-operative, the latter became its President. Odd couple. But they determined the village would be saved by its wine, Which was - on account of the extreme conditions - always good.
But 'good' wasn't good enough. Cultivating the steep, schiste strewn vineyards was a hands-only job and they had to be tough old hands. Such a wine could not be cheaply made. It had to win a sufficiently good reputation so as to be able to sell at a viable price. They were the first winery I knew to map and classify every inch of their member's vineyards on computer (an early Apple).
They kept meticulous vintage records and slowly, painfully ... but annually ... improved. To my embarrassment - and shame - I turned down their great work - a wine called 'Pompadour' (After a local family). I said it would never sell; too expensive. I was wrong. It was generally reckoned to be the outstanding wine of yesterday's tasting. And, yes, our Midi buyer is smarter than me. We have it in stock.
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