Famille Perrin Vinsobres Rouge Les Cornuds - 2023

Vinsobres is a magnificent village close to Vaison-la-Romaine at an average altitude of 300 metres. Its terroir of terraces is particularly well suited to Syrah and Grenache, which thrive and give of their best here. The name of this wine, Les Cornuds, alludes to the hamlet around which our vines grow, and which is also the name for a grape picker’s carrying hod. This is a wine that is characterized by its immense freshness, thanks to the altitude of the vineyard, and the perfect balance between the Syrah and the Grenache.

2023 was a year full of contrasts, which required great composure and experience to deal with the climatic hazards. The winter was mild followed by a wet spring then a summer oscillating between hailstorms and drought, before a complicated harvest period, between August 17 and September 20. A permanent risk of rain and unpredictable weather forecasts required us to constantly adapt our plans in order to harvest our grapes, of good quality and well concentrated in sugars, at their optimal phenolic maturity. At the end of the harvest, the meticulous work was more than rewarded: this very unusual vintage proved to be very promising, perfectly well balanced across all quality indicators. In the cellar, we are pleasantly surprised by the freshness of the whites. The terroirs resisted drought and offer magnificent balance. Low temperature fermentations helped preserve the aromatics. The reds required long macerations in order to extract all the essence of the vintage. The wines from the lowlands are crisp and delicate, the wines from the hills stand out for their density and the radiance brought by the granite. The aging period has now started, the wines will improve and the textures will slowly become more complex in the cellar.

Vinsobres is the northernmost winegrowing area of the Southern Rhône. Our vines span around 60 uninterrupted hectares of terraces and slopes to the north of the appellation, at an average altitude of 300 metres. This sublime landscape is dedicated to polyculture and fields of vines, olives trees and apricots trees are cultivated side by side, in total harmony. A unique place whose altitude and geographical situation create exceptional freshness in the grapes, and indeed, when he first tasted this terroir with his father at La Bicarelle, Jean-Pierre Perrin remembers having been surprised by the freshness of the Syrahs.

Limestone clay with stony, sandy marl on the slopes and stony, Quaternary alluviums on the terraces. It is a terroir that is particularly well adapted to Syrah, which possesses a finesse here that is not to be found in the more southerly parcels, developing aromas of violet, smoked meat, pencil lead and blackberry. The Grenache is also very much at ease here, with a fullness of expression that is devoid of any heaviness, in nuances of dark chocolate, cherry, and its characteristic notes of garrigue.

On this terroir of half Syrah and half Grenache, each variety is hand-picked at perfect maturity, with the Grenache ripening later. On arrival at the cellar, they are sorted, destemmed and vatted separately. The Syrah is partially vinified in concrete vats and partially in barrel. The Grenache is vinified uniquely in concrete vats. The choice of extraction by cap punching or pumping over is decided by daily tastings. We made the somewhat unusual decision to blend after malolactic fermentation as our objective is, above all, to highlight the freshness and the finesse that are the identity of this terroir.