Terres Fidèles, Corral d'en Pi, Collioure Grenache Noir 2022

€29.99

A powerful and focussed, concentrated red that will make you reach for the bottle to find out more about this wonderful region and its wines. It'll make you reconsider Roussillon, as well as Grenache, as your eyes are opened to this sensational and much-overlooked, classic region deep in the South of France.

It is essentially a powerful wine, but opens with freshness before delivering its amazing smooth body and texture; red and black fruit flavours with generous tannic grip and a long juicy finish. It has superb balance with the perfect amount of extraction, leading to subtle spice notes that come directly from the grapes - there is no oak ageing at all in the wine... it's frankly not needed.

The vines are grown in vineyards set in ancient, dry-stone-wall terraces and many are over 100 years old. Blended with some Carignan and Syrah, it is a wine that sees almost no winemaking: virtually unfiltered, unfined and with almost no stabilisation, it ages in vat and bottle for just over a year before release.

Very limited in availability, the production of this wine is less than 3 barrels, or about 1320 bottles.

The Collioure appellation covers the same area for the production of Banyuls (which is the fortified wine), meaning that is takes in the villages of Collioure, Port-Vendres, Banyuls-sur-Mer and Cerbère. Corral d'en Pi, or Corral of Pines, comes from the village of Banyuls, where you can pick grapes in the soaring hear and in only a matter of minutes later, be bathing in the Med.

This stunning expression of the Roussillon region in the South of France is one of our most exciting discoveries. If you know the city of Perpignan, you're a stone's throw from these terraces of ancient, often gnarled, yet wonderful vines. Grown in the most part for dessert wines, this is part of a recent push for dry, complex and concentrated reds that have for decades been overlooked. Also a matter of a few kilometres away is the border with Spain - and here, the region that continues to grow similar Grenache vineyards is Priorat, famed for quality and price! This then is an opportunity for Roussillon to become the next top region in France for the production of seriously high-quality reds. And it's an opportunity for you to get them at killer price points!

This wine comes from the French wine-making project of Allotment-friend and Master Of Wine (and general good-bloke) Fergal Tynan. He's originally from Celbridge and now has fantastic and fanatic wine making projects across the globe. Never far from Grenache or Garnacha, this particular set of wines comes from France and sits under the label they created called Terres Fidèles, which literally means "faithful lands", as a nod to authenticity, traditions and integrity of wine making styles. The team here have identified grape varieties that many others ignore in favour of middle-of-the-road commercialised styles; working with seriously small and tatty-looking plots of land, this is a labour of love and a project that will be years and years in the making before anyone makes any return on investment. But until then, we get the sensational fruit of their labours...!

This is the top range, the old-vines Grenache-based wines under the Fidèle label. The quality is off the charts; old vines, tiny parcels, micro-climates and special site selection make the fruit selection a joy (when it isn't overripe) and the triumph is the harnessing of natural extremes. High temperatures, low rainfall, strong winds and drought in the soils: the wines show incredible energy and tension and a powerful generosity.

Steep slopes? Have a look at just how steep the land is in the second photo, taken from the Tour du Madeloc in September 2023. Mind-blowing switch-back roads and terrace upon terrace that make the grape growing possible in the first place.

Region: Collioure

Country: France

Grape(s): Syrah, Grenache, Carignan

Style: Structured, Smooth, Rich, Powerful, Medium, Juicy, Intense, Full, Fruity, Elegant, Dry, Dark, Complex, Balanced

Best food matches: Veal, Tapas, Steak, Roasts, Ribs, Red Meats, Pizza, Pasta, Lamb, Hard Cheeses, Casseroles, Beef, Barbecue

Alcohol: 14%

Why buy from us?

When you buy wine from The Allotment Wine Co. you're helping a small Irish company that in turn supports small, sustainable wine producers who grow the grapes and make amazing wines. We only work with partners who share a deep respect and connection with the land and its traditions, witnessed in a firm commitment to quality and sustainability. All of which makes for better wines.

Delivery & Returns

You'll get free delivery when you buy 12 x 75cl bottles of wine online from The Allotment, saving you €7.99.

We charge €7.99 per delivery for quantities less than that.

Our hours for processing orders are between 9am - 6pm Monday to Friday.

We pack your online wine order along the following timelines:

Wine orders for delivery in Dublin, received before 12pm on weekdays are prepared so that delivery should be expected the next working day.

Wine orders for nationwide delivery, received by 12pm on weekdays are prepared so that delivery should be expected two working days later.

Customer reviews

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Great choice and excellent service. Received my delivery the next day.
Paul H.
★★★★★
Amazing service from the get go!
I emailed Chris looking for wine recommendations for a birthday gift. Got a really speedy, helpful reply and not only that but he hand delivered it on time to the birthday girl wishing her a happy birthday. Absolutely bowled over by the service. Cannot recommend highly enough.
Michelle McM.
★★★★★
Could not recommend The Allotment enough. The selection is fantastic and each wine that I've drank from them has been utterly phenomenal. Delivery was no hassle and I had the wine at my door in 2 days. Couldn't have asked for a better experience.
Luke B.
★★★★★
Good range of interesting wines. Good personal attention to their orders. Very customer focused. I would be happy to recommend this company to any prospective customer.
Jim D.
★★★★★
A great experience ordering from The Allotment Wine Company. A wide variety of wines to try something new and at good prices with super quick delivery! Really convenient too as opposed to trying to find parking!
N. Dowling
★★★★★
Delicious and interesting range of wines delivered promptly to my door. Not far off that lovely feeling of coming back laden from a good wine store but without any of the traffic or the worry of breaking the wine en route (very impressive travel wrap).
M. Dorman
★★★★★
Chris fields a fine range of excellent, keenly-priced wines. Orders are safely packaged and dispatched efficiently and promptly. Strongly recommended.
David M.
★★★★★
Great selection of wines, hassle free ordering, payment and delivery. Highly recommended.
Patrick H.
Hi, I'm Chris Gifford.

And you're very welcome to The Allotment Wine Co.

When you wine from me, you're supporting a small Irish business which in turn supports small, sustainable wine producers, as well as other small, dedicated Irish wine importers.

When selecting wines, I look for partners who share a deep respect and connection with the land and its traditions, witnessed in a firm commitment to quality and sustainability. All of which makes for better wines.