Winemaker Notes
Situated in the South of the Rhone Valley, Vacqueyras’ vineyard is protected by the Dentelles de Montmirail and benefits from a diversity of soils and terroirs giving to the wines finesse, harmony and balance.
Organically grown
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Starting with the base 2019 Vacqueyras, this beauty offers a plump, medium to full-bodied, expansive style loaded with notions of red and blue fruits, peppery herbs, and garrigue. With loads of fruit, a ready-to-go, upfront, sexy style, and a great finish, it should certainly be an outstanding wine and have 7-8 years, if not a decade, of prime drinking.
Barrel Sample: 90-92 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre, the 2019 Vacqueyras delivers garrigue-accented notes of blackberries, blueberries and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, it shows more freshness than some of the other 2019s from Vignon, while the tannins are ripe and supple, turning silky on the finish.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
This charming appellation within the Côtes du Rhône Villages was second only to Gigondas to earn its own village appellation status. Its wines may be red, rosé or white—though hardly any is white. Its high winemaking standards follow many of the same rules as Chateauneuf-du-Pape. But for Vacqueyras red wines, half of the grapes have to be Grenache and the remainder is usually a combination of Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault.
While they can be robust and rustic in style, typically a great Vacqueyras red combines delicate aromas with intense fruit and a bright, crisp texture. They certainly don’t lack any character and show an abundance of black cherry, wild berry, plum, fig, baking spice, and a touch of game or smoke.