Grenache with 30% noble rot. Yield: 20 hl/ha. Aging: 36 months in old oak barrels and enamelled vats. “This cuvée is the result of extraordinary climatic conditions. The first cuvée produced in 1992 owes its birth to the violent storms and floods which affected the region (and more particularly Vaison la Romaine). The days which followed were radiant and embellished with Mistral, and we were therefore able to continue the harvest or rather the remains of a rotten harvest ... but noble rotten! Following our first involuntary test in 1992, we wanted to try to reproduce this wine; but we had to wait until 1995 to succeed in isolating the plots (completely different from 1992) capable of producing noble rot. Unfortunately, the “noble” phenomenon does not happen every year despite late harvests (October 15). Obviously manual harvest, gravity vatting without crushing or destemming, fermentation lasts 2 or 3 weeks depending on the vintage.”
A rich, full-bodied southern Rhône wine made up with 100 percent Grenache (50 years old vines) ; 30 percent of the grapes was affected by noble rot (pourriture noble, botrytis cinerea). It was aged for three years in large old oak casks. Intense garnet-red in color and an enticing nose of ripe cherry and raspberry fruit, kirsch liqueur, pencil lead and a hint lavender. The powerful but elegant palate offers concentrated black stone and plum fruit, sweet spices, a well-balanced structure and lively but quite suave tannins. Solid aftertaste. Let the wine breathe one hour before serving. Although still young, the wine is already well drinkable now, but it should develop nicely with 2-4 additional years of cellaring.
