Winemaker Notes
Château Vignelaure owes its existence to Georges Brunet, one time owner of Bordeaux third growth Château La Lagune who established the estate just north of Aix-en-Provence in the 1960s. Choosing a site of clay, limestone and gravel covering some 60 hectares of beautiful Provençal countryside 350 metres above sea level, he set about planting cabernet sauvignon using cuttings taken from his Bordeaux estate. Despite the difficulties of ripening cabernet fully in this setting, and despite being embraced by protective hills, he made high-quality wines. In 1985 the region as a whole was approved for appellation contrôlée status as Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence.
The estate is now owned by Swedish couple Bengt and Mette Sundstrom, who fell in love with the place while looking for a retirement home in the south of France. These days syrah, grenache, cinsault and carignan have been planted or acquired alongside the vines introduced by Brunet, and white varieties roussanne, rolle (aka vermentino) and semillon have now been planted in a higher part of the vineyard where it was realised that the red varieties were not so suited to the terror. Early vintages of white wines are very promising indeed, and they have recently begun making excellent rosé, but the reputation of the estate rests on the red wines. These are fermented in stainless steel before 12 to 24 months’ maturation in oak (one third of which is new) in underground cellars, before a further 18 months minimum in bottle.
The four years that the wines often spend in the cellars before release is an illustration of director Phillippe Bru and winemaker Sigvard Johnson’s desire not to compromise and to make a wine that reflects the terroir and to age it for release when it is ready rather than make a softer, more approachable wine that would be more approachable when young. As a result they have earned an enviable reputation as one of the best estates in the south of France, let alone Provence.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
A fantastic source of dry rosés from the usual red Rhône varieties, Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence is a coastal, hilly region whose variations in elevations and microclimates make it ideal for viticulture. Red and a small amount of white wines, also made from Rhône grape varieties, are found here as well.