Chateau de Rouanne Vinsobres 2020

Region: Vinsobres, Rhône Valley, France

Grape Varieties: 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah, & 10% Mourvèdre

For those of you familiar with the wines of Château de Saint Cosme, this is another dynamic property headed by owner and winemaker Louis Barruol. Like the venerable Saint Cosme, Château de Rouanne is an old winery in the southern Rhône valley which allegedly dates back to the days of the Roman Empire. For many years, Louis purchased fruit from the winery for use in his negociant projects, but in 2018 he had the opportunity to purchase the Château itself and the offer was simply too good to turn down.

Vinsobres is an appellation just west of the Alps, unique among southern Rhône wine regions for its cooler climate and elevation. This makes it an ideal growing environment for the Syrah grape, which joins the ubiquitous Grenache alongside a small amount of Mourvèdre to create this wine. The youngest vines on the property are 50 years old, and Louis goes out of his way to farm as traditionally as possible, incorporating biodynamic practices in recent years. This wine is fermented exclusively in concrete to preserve the unique characteristics imparted by the terroir of Vinsobres. When you open this wine, you will want to decant for up to a half hour before serving, after which it delivers notes of fresh raspberry, dried red plum, black licorice, and black peppercorn. Drink now through 2030 with cassoulet, braised flank steak, or mushroom risotto.