We really like the terroir of Vinsobres, a beautiful village located 40 kilometres north of Châteauneuf du Pape at an altitude of 300 metres, primarily on terraces. Vinsbores is particularly suitable for Syrah, giving it that great finesse we tend to loose further south.
Presentation
Presentation
We really like the terroir of Vinsobres, a beautiful village located near Vaison la Romaine; The vineyard is at an altitude of 300m and is situated for the most part on terraces. Vinsobres is particularly suitable for Syrah because it preserves the finesse which is often lost in more southern climates. It develops notes of violet, smoked meat and blackberries. Grenache is also suited to this terroir, full bodied and not heavy, with notes of black chocolate, cherry and typical Garrigue aromas.
The vintage
The 2018 vintage is characterised by exceptional weather conditions. Flowering took place in the best possible conditions, with a historically abundant grape output. A few rainy episodes at the end of the spring complicated things a little with an attack of mildew, but the good weather then settled down until harvest, which took place under idyllic conditions. The wines are beautiful.
Location
The most northern vineyard of the southern Rhône. The Perrin family owns around 60 hectares in one single plot in Vinsobres. The average altitude is 300 metres on hills and terraces.
Terroir
Stony and sandy marl on the slopes, stony quaternary alluviums on the terraces.
Ageing
The crop is manually harvested. Upon arrival in the cellar, each grape variety is sorted, destemmed and vatted separately. The Syrah is vinified in large oak Foudres and the Grenache in stainless steel tanks. The extraction is done by punching down and the frequency is determined by tasting. Blending takes place after malolactic fermentation.
Varietals
Grenache : 60%
Syrah : 40%
Syrah : 40%
Advice
Serving
It is not necessary to decant this wine. Serve at 18°C
Tasting
Beautiful, deep purple colour. The Syrah that makes up this wine brings roundness with notes of spices and fleshy red fruit. The altitude of this vineyard, also allows this wine to keep good freshness which gives it a very nice balance.
Reviews
"The 2018 Vinsobres Les Cornuds is an even split of Syrah and Grenache that just screams Syrah in its blackberry, violets, ground pepper, and meaty aromas and flavors. Concentrated, medium to full-bodied, and balanced, it's a terrific wine that’s going to keep for 7-8 years or more."
"Vinsobres is a village withing the southern Rhône that has (deservedly) worked its way up the food chain to become an appellation in its own right, alongside the likes of Rasteau, Vacqueyras, Gigondas and, yes, Châteauneuf du Pape. Whether wines from the village will ever earn comparable respect or command comparable prices remains to be seen, but what is already apparent is that it will take wines like this to achieve that result. A model of purity and poise without seeming remotely wimpy, this is fresh and elegant, with lovely aromas and flavors recalling lilac blossoms, Asian spices, red raspberries, red cherries and more, with some savory notes grudgingly emerging as this wine warms and loosens with aeration. Those savory notes will become more prominent with time, and buyers would be very well advised to cellar this for another five years to let them join the party fully. But after a year like 2020, nobody could be blamed for wanting to party right now, and this will serve the purpose if that’s your aim. But again, this is a wine that’s all about purity and precision, and if you want to know how good this appellation can be, give this baby some time to develop."
"A charming 50-50 blend of Syrah and Grenache from one of the most picturesque areas of the Southern Rhône (I once rode a horse through these lovely villages); silky, bright, juicy and a very good value."
"Ripe and expressive, with a lovely beam of plum puree and violet racing through, laced with subtle mineral and anise hints along the way. Ends with a late whiff of dried garrigue on the finish."
