I have to admit that my visit to Domaine L&R Kox was one of my favourites. I met with Laurent Kox and his daughter Corinne in their cozy tasting room. While arranging my visit Corrine mentioned that her father wasn’t fluent in English, so she would join the meeting to translate. Luckily for me, this meant that I was able to witness first hand the dynamic between this lovely duo, which made my visit a real treat. Besides the fact that the Kox family is simply delightful, the quality and range of wines they offer puts their domaine at the top of my list.
Although the Kox family has owned vineyards for many generations, the production and sale of wine first began with Laurent. When I asked Laurent why he decided to study oenology, he gave a very simple answer, “it’s what I was born to do”. After tasting his wine and Crémant, I can’t say I disagree.
Laurent spoke a lot about the importance of tradition. He has a very clear vision for his wines and he sticks to it. When creating wines he doesn’t think about commercialisation, but rather focuses on staying true to the specificity of the grape. This philosophy is reflected in the incredible variety of crémant that he makes; rather than creating one or two blends, he offers his customers a range of crémant mainly produced from one grape variety. The day I visited there were 9 Crémants listed for purchase, but in reality there were more like 11 available. My initial thought was that maybe with so much choice quality would be lacking, but in fact it was exactly the opposite. Laurent has been producing Crémant from day one and you can truly taste his expertise. If you love bubbles this is the winery for you. Laurent expertly bottles the personality of each grape in its own Crémant giving his customers endless choice.
While Laurent is a real stickler for tradition, Corinne and her siblings seem to be slowly injecting their own ideas and vision into the business. I was originally attracted to the vineyard by the “experimenting” section of their website. I was especially interested in the wine they are producing in kvevris. In 2014, Corinne and her brother convinced their father to allow them to experiment with this ancient Georgian wine making tradition. A kvervi is a handmade clay pot that is buried in the ground and filled with grapes that are left to ferment. There is very little, if any, intervention from the vinter so the result is a very natural wine with a lot of body. So far they’ve produced Riesling and Pinot Blanc using this method and the result is very promising. I offered the Pinot Blanc to four people and 3 of the tasters absolutely loved it, with the fourth taster remaining neutral. I would highly recommend giving these wines a chance, if only to treat your palate to something new.
If you’re interested in discovering all L&R Kox has to offer, I suggest paying a visit to the winery; you will find the largest selection and also have a chance to sample all the wines on offer. However, if you simply want to dip your toe into the Kox collection, you can find some of their wines, including a few bottles from their Privilège line, at the Auchan. Tastings at the domaine can be arranged by phone or email (even on the same day).
In addition to the usual wine tastings, Domaine L&R Kox offers groups of 15 people an opportunity to book a special cellar tour and tasting that includes a selection of home-cooked traditional Luxembourgish plates made with regional products. Surely this is the perfect way to spend a day out with friends.
My favorite bottles:
-Pinot Gris “Privilège”- a complex and rich wine with delicate fruity notes. This wine ages well, so if you can be patient better to save it. Recommended pairings include duck and white meat.
-Kvevri Pinot Blanc 2014. Perfect to pair with cheese, charcuterie and wild game.
-Cuvée Kox Brut- Crémant de Luxembourg has a light greenish hue with fine bubbles. Linear and fresh on the palate, lively and animating.
6a, rue des Prés
L-5561 Remich
Email : kox@pt.lu
Tél. : +352 23698494
Fax : +352 23698101
Open Monday through Friday, 8am - 6pm,
Saturday and Sunday by appointment only.
