Shiraz – Le Roux Vins https://lerouxvins.com Sip the essence of excellence. Tue, 14 Jul 2026 07:17:58 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 https://lerouxvins.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/cropped-le-roux-vins-logo-webshop-icon-32x32.png Shiraz – Le Roux Vins https://lerouxvins.com 32 32 239270759 La Petite Sibérie 2017, Domaine du Clos des Fées https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/la-petite-siberie-2017-en/ https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/la-petite-siberie-2017-en/#respond Tue, 14 Jul 2026 07:12:27 +0000 https://lerouxvins.com/?post_type=product&p=2941 La Petite Sibérie 2017, Domaine du Clos des Fées: The Two-Hectare Masterpiece of the Roussillon

In the mountains north of Perpignan, where the Tramontane wind scours the hillsides for 200 days a year, lies a two-hectare parcel that its former owner had abandoned. Too steep. Too windy. Too cold. Too difficult. Hervé Bizeul, former sommelier and gastronomic critic, saw something different in this deserted parcel: argilo-calcaire, slate, iron-rich mica-schist, and 100-year-old Grenache vines that nobody wanted. He bought them. Named the cuvée La Petite Sibérie — after the icy north-westerly winds that whip the parcel daily. And from them created a wine that is today the most sought-after in the entire Côtes du Roussillon appellation. The 2017 vintage — warm, precise and structured — brought La Petite Sibérie to its most accomplished form: deep, dense, yet carried by an astonishing, almost alpine freshness that has no equal in the South of France.

What's it Like?

In the glass, a deep, almost impenetrable ruby-violet with purple reflections — pure concentration, visible before you even smell it. The nose is complex and layered: ripe black fruits, blackberry, cassis, black cherry, then deeper, almost telluric tones — graphite, black pepper, licorice, bitter cocoa, dried herbs, a hint of charcuterie and burnt orange. On the palate, imposing, dense and full-bodied — but no heaviness, no heat. The tannins are numerous but of a remarkable, almost hand-polished fineness. An astonishing freshness — almost alpine — keeps everything in balance. The finish is endless, deep, mineral and aromatically persistent. The wine falls silent. Then it explodes. At least 2 hours of decanting is strongly recommended.

Serving temperature: 17–18°C · Drinking window: 2025–2038, optimal from 2026

Perfect For

A great autumnal feast. Its deep, powerful profile calls for roasted rack of lamb with herbes de Provence, a slow-braised wild boar roast, braised beef cheeks with black olives, venison fillet with sauce grand veneur — or a black truffle baked in the ashes.

The Critics Agree...

La Petite Sibérie 2017 received 95 points from Bacchus Magazine and ranks in the Top 5 Côtes du Roussillon Villages wines. The Wine-Searcher critics average stands at 95 points across all vintages — remarkably consistent. La Petite Sibérie is the most sought-after wine in the entire appellation. Connoisseurs describe the 2017 as "a force of nature — peppery and alive, with notes of charcuterie, black mulberries, five spice and burnt oranges." Robert Parker officially recommended the estate.

  • What is it? The most iconic and most sought-after wine of the Roussillon — from a single 2-hectare parcel of 100-year-old Grenache vines on slate and mica-schist soils, created by a former sommelier who redefined the world of Roussillon wine.
  • From? Côtes du Roussillon Villages, Roussillon, France (AOC).
  • Grapes? Approx. 80% Grenache (100-year-old vines), Syrah, Mourvèdre — on argilo-calcaire, slate and iron-rich mica-schist, aged 18 months on lees in barriques.
  • Tastes Like? Black mulberry, cassis, black cherry, graphite, black pepper, licorice, bitter cocoa and charcuterie.
  • Critics score? 95/100 Bacchus Magazine · 95/100 Wine-Searcher critics average · Most searched wine in Côtes du Roussillon Villages.
]]> La Petite Sibérie 2017, Domaine du Clos des Fées

Domaine du Clos des Fées: The Sommelier Who Reinvented the Roussillon

In the wine world, there are winemakers who begin with everything. Capital, land, a well-known name, generational heritage. And then there is Hervé Bizeul — a man who started in 1998 in a garage in Vingrau. With nothing but knowledge, passion and the conviction that the Roussillon could do great things.

From Sommelier to Winemaker: A Story That Begins With an Obsession

Hervé Bizeul was not a winemaker. He was a sommelier — one of the finest in France — and a gastronomic critic who for years looked at the world of wine through a glass rather than through a vineyard. He knew wine. He understood wine. He loved wine in the way one only loves what one connects to one’s soul.

In the late 1990s, he moved with his wife Claudine to the Roussillon — a region the wine world then regarded as a bulk production territory. Cheap Grenache, poor soils, extreme heat. No prestigious appellations. No fame. No story the world knew.

That was exactly Bizeul’s plan.

1998: A Garage Winery in Vingrau

The Domaine du Clos des Fées was born literally in the garage of his house in Vingrau — a small village nestled in one of the most rocky and windswept corners of the Roussillon. The first wines came in 1998. The reaction was immediate: critics were astonished. Collectors placed orders. The Roussillon suddenly found itself in the spotlight in a way it had never expected.

Why? Because Bizeul saw what others overlooked. The old vines of this region — Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre, planted before mechanisation took hold — grew on soils of incredible complexity: slate, mica-schist, limestone, volcanic rock. Yields were minimal. Concentration was maximal. This was not bulk production. It was the raw material of a great wine that nobody was harvesting.

Bizeul harvested it.

The Parcel Nobody Wanted

La Petite Sibérie is not simply a name. It is a description. The parcel — two hectares on a steep, north-facing slope near Vingrau — sits at an altitude where the Tramontane, the icy north-westerly wind of the Roussillon, blows for 200 days a year. Winters can be harsh. Spring frosts are not uncommon. The previous owner had abandoned the parcel — too demanding, too low-yielding, too uneconomical.

Bizeul saw the Grenache vines growing there — some over 100 years old — on deep argilo-calcaire with layers of red and black iron-rich mica-schist. He bought. And he understood immediately: this parcel does not give an opulent southern wine. It gives something rare — a Roussillon with alpine freshness, with the minerality of slate, with the concentration of century-old vines. A wine that understands coldness as a quality.

The Philosophy: Ambition Without Compromise

The Domaine du Clos des Fées has today grown to around 30 hectares. Seven different terroirs in the Côtes du Roussillon. Wines from Les Sorcières — the accessible entry-level wine — through to La Petite Sibérie and the emblematic Clos des Fées Vieilles Vignes. Bizeul, considered one of the pioneers of “viticulture réelle” and who has kept a blog about his work since the 1990s — open, humorous, sometimes provocative — has put the Roussillon on the international wine map.

But La Petite Sibérie remains his heart. A maximum of 2,000 bottles per year. In some years fewer. In some years none. The Tramontane decides. The vines decide. Bizeul then decides what enters the bottle — and what does not.

That is La Petite Sibérie. Small in quantity. Immense in the glass.

]]> https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/la-petite-siberie-2017-en/feed/ 0 2941 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge 2013, Domaine des Tours https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/vin-de-pays-de-vaucluse-rouge-2013-domaine-des-tours-3/ https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/vin-de-pays-de-vaucluse-rouge-2013-domaine-des-tours-3/#respond Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:04:56 +0000 https://lerouxvins.com/?post_type=product&p=2898 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge 2013, Domaine des Tours: The Vintage That Demands Patience — and Rewards It

2013 was not, in the southern Rhône, a year for the impatient. A cool, wet spring, a capricious summer, a long, late autumn — a vintage that forced winemakers to choose: harvest early and play it safe, or wait and hope. Emmanuel Reynaud waited. He always waited. And what emerged from that waiting is a Domaine des Tours Vaucluse Rouge that is, of all the estate's vintages, the coolest, most taut and most mineral — the least southern in character, drifting furthest towards Burgundy or the northern Rhône. A wine for connoisseurs seeking precisely that: tension over warmth, finesse over fullness, depth over immediate accessibility.

What's it Like?

In the glass, a pale, almost delicate ruby — even lighter than the warm vintages, with a hint of garnet. The nose is complex and quiet: red cherries, sour cherry, pomegranate, fresh herbs, moist tobacco, a hint of forest floor and a mineral depth that immediately evokes granite and limestone. On the palate, lean, precise and electrifyingly fresh — the texture is silky but taut as a bowstring. The tannins are fine and firm, the acidity lively and structural. The finish is long, mineral, almost saline — and evolves in the glass for hours. At least 90 minutes of decanting is strongly recommended.

Serving temperature: 16–17°C · Drinking window: now through 2027, optimal today

Perfect For

A considered, elegant dinner. Its cool, taut structure pairs beautifully with a herb-roasted leg of lamb, a grilled entrecôte with herb butter, a goat's cheese soufflé, or a powerful Comté — dishes that need structure to honour the structure of the wine.

The Critics Agree...

The 2013 Domaine des Tours Vaucluse Rouge is described by connoisseurs as one of the most intellectual vintages from the estate — cooler, more austere and more mineral than the warm years, with a depth and tension that sets it apart from the crowd. CellarTracker entries praise its "astonishing freshness and tension for the region" and its "almost Burgundian minerality." For those seeking Reynaud in his purest, most uncompromising form — this is it.

  • What is it? The coolest, most taut and most mineral vintage of France's most fascinating country wine — Emmanuel Reynaud in the year of patience.
  • From? IGP Vaucluse, Southern Rhône, France.
  • Grapes? Grenache, Merlot, Counoise, Cinsault, Syrah — old vines, organically farmed on black sand and gravel.
  • Tastes Like? Sour cherry, pomegranate, fresh herbs, moist tobacco, granite and salinity.
  • Critics score? Insider's recommendation — praised for "almost Burgundian minerality and electrifying finish."
]]> Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge 2013, Domaine des Tours

The Difficult Vintage: Why 2013 is the Most Honest Year from Domaine des Tours

In the wine world, there are easy vintages and difficult vintages. The easy ones make every winemaker look brilliant — warmth, ripeness, concentration, applause. The difficult ones sort things out. They separate winemakers from farmers, patience from impatience, conviction from adaptation.

2013 was a difficult vintage. And Domaine des Tours 2013 is perhaps the most honest wine Emmanuel Reynaud has ever made.

A Year Against the Current

The spring of 2013 in Provence was cold and wet. The flowering was irregular. The summer was capricious — warm, then cold, then warm again. Many producers in the South harvested early to avoid the worst. Reynaud did not. He waited for autumn — for those final October weeks when the weather finally cleared and the grapes found the last ripeness they needed.

The result: grapes with unusually high acidity, less concentration than in warm years, but a minerality and freshness that gave the wines a tension rare in the southern Rhône. This is not a wine you love immediately. It is a wine you understand — and then cannot put down.

What “Natural Acidity” Means

In the age of climate change, natural acidity in the South of France is a rare commodity. Most modern wines from the Vaucluse or Côtes du Rhône are acidified with purchased tartaric acid — a legal, widespread practice that is technically clean and yet misses something fundamental. The acidity must come from the grape. From the vine. From the vintage.

In the 2013 Domaine des Tours, it comes from exactly there. And you feel it. The wine has a tension, a vivacity, a precision on the palate that cannot be bought. You can only let it grow — or wait until it is there.

Reynaud waited.

The Paradox of the Cool Year in the Warm South

Here lies the paradox of 2013: in a year that the wine world labelled as difficult, Reynaud made a wine that cannot be born in many other years. Not because he did something exceptional — but because he did nothing against it. He let nature be what it was that year: cooler, more taut, more mineral than usual. And he waited until it was finished.

That is the true lesson of Domaine des Tours 2013. Not “a good wine from a difficult year.” But: “A different wine from a different year — and that is not an excuse, it is a quality.”

Anyone who knows all four vintages in the range — 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018 — drinks four different versions of the same philosophy. Four different answers to the same question: what can Grenache from Sarrians truly be? The 2013 gives the coolest, most austere and perhaps most thoughtful answer of all.

]]> https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/vin-de-pays-de-vaucluse-rouge-2013-domaine-des-tours-3/feed/ 0 2898 Côtes du Rhône La Pialade 2015, Emmanuel Reynaud https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/cotes-du-rhone-la-pialade-2015-emmanuel-reynaud-3/ https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/cotes-du-rhone-la-pialade-2015-emmanuel-reynaud-3/#respond Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:58:21 +0000 https://lerouxvins.com/?post_type=product&p=2893 Côtes du Rhône La Pialade 2015, Emmanuel Reynaud: The Grapes That Rayas Didn't Want

There is a sentence Emmanuel Reynaud is said to have uttered about La Pialade — sober, laconic, typically him: "This is the wine made from the grapes that didn't deserve to become Rayas or Fonsalette." The "petit vin." The modest one. And then you drink it. And you understand what that says about Rayas.

The 2015 vintage in the southern Rhône was warm, sunny and opulent — one of the most structured and expressive vintages of the decade, with perfect ripeness and a freshness that, despite the summer heat, preserved the wines' vivacity. For La Pialade — vinified in the cellar of Château Rayas itself, from a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah from Rayas and Fonsalette — 2015 was a vintage that brought out the best from this "little wine": warm, fruity, caressing, immediate. A Côtes du Rhône that needs no explanation — it drinks itself.

What's it Like?

In the glass, a pale, lightly saturated ruby with slight garnet nuances — the unmistakable Reynaud transparency, even here. The nose is delightful: candied red fruits, strawberry, raspberry, dried rose, lavender, white pepper and a delicate hint of bitter cocoa and spice. On the palate, silky, round and extraordinarily caressing — a ribbon of silk that unfolds with freshness, red fruits, bay leaf and fine spices across the palate. The tannins are fully dissolved, the acidity lively, the finish aromatic and persistent. A wine that requires no thought — a wine to be enjoyed, now, without ceremony.

Serving temperature: 15–16°C · Drinking window: now, at its peak — don't wait too long

Perfect For

A relaxed dinner with no occasion required. La Pialade is the wine you open when you simply want to drink something good — with a royal couscous, a daube provençale, a grilled herb chicken, a cheese board, or simply on its own, at the table with good friends.

The Critics Agree...

La Pialade holds cult status among collectors and connoisseurs of the Reynaud universe — not for its points, but for its origin. Insiders describe it as "incredible for the price — the 'little wine' of Rayas, better than the selection of most others." The perfect entry ticket into the Reynaud universe: immediately accessible yet carrying its unmistakable character.

  • What is it? The "little wine" of Château Rayas — made from the grapes of Rayas and Fonsalette that Emmanuel Reynaud deemed insufficient for his great wines. What that says about his great wines, one can only imagine.
  • From? Côtes du Rhône, Southern Rhône, France (AOC) — vinified in the cellar of Château Rayas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
  • Grapes? 80% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 5% Syrah.
  • Tastes Like? Candied strawberry, raspberry, dried rose, lavender, white pepper and fine spice.
  • Critics score? Cult status in the Reynaud universe — the most accessible gateway to the wines of Château Rayas.
]]> Côtes du Rhône La Pialade 2015, Emmanuel Reynaud

La Pialade: What Happens When Rayas Sorts

In every great estate in the world, there is a selection. A quiet but consequential decision: these barrels will become the great wine. These will not. The rejected grapes — not concentrated enough, not ripe enough, the wrong parcel in this particular year — become something else.

In most great estates, that means a second wine. At Château Rayas, it means La Pialade.

The “Rejects” of Rayas

Emmanuel Reynaud is known for making no compromises. Every grape that does not pass selection for Rayas or Fonsalette ends up in La Pialade. Not because it is bad — but because it does not meet Reynaud’s standard for those wines. The benchmark is Rayas. And those who know Rayas understand: that benchmark is absurdly high.

The result is a wine that insiders describe as the most generous secret of the southern Rhône. A Côtes du Rhône better than nine out of ten Châteauneuf-du-Papes on the market. Not because of the appellation. Not because of the terroir. But because of the hands that make it — and because those hands have already taken the best for Rayas, and still leave this behind.

Vinified in the Cellar of Rayas

This is not a detail — it is the heart of the story. La Pialade is not born in a separate cellar, not in a different facility. It is born in the mythical cellar of Château Rayas itself, with the same old foudres, the same spontaneous yeasts, the same temperature, the same care. What the wine loses is the status of the grape. What it keeps is everything else.

Spontaneous fermentation. No temperature control. Long ageing. No filtration. No fining. The result is a wine that — despite its modest appellation — carries the full Reynaud craft: transparency, freshness, floral finesse, a lightness that deceives.

A Wine for Every Evening — and for No Special Occasion

There are wines you keep. For special evenings, for grand occasions, for guests who understand. And then there are wines you simply open. Because it is Tuesday. Because dinner is ready. Because you want to drink something good without thinking about it.

La Pialade is that wine. And that is not a comment on its quality — it is a comment on its character. It is the friend in the Reynaud universe: accessible, warm, immediately understood. Where Fonsalette makes you think and Rayas leaves you speechless, La Pialade simply makes you happy.

And sometimes that is the greatest thing of all.

]]> https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/cotes-du-rhone-la-pialade-2015-emmanuel-reynaud-3/feed/ 0 2893 Côtes du Rhône Rouge 2012, Château de Fonsalette https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/cotes-du-rhone-rouge-2012-chateau-de-fonsalette-en/ https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/cotes-du-rhone-rouge-2012-chateau-de-fonsalette-en/#respond Mon, 18 May 2026 10:36:46 +0000 https://lerouxvins.com/?post_type=product&p=2847 Côtes du Rhône Rouge 2012, Château de Fonsalette: The Côtes du Rhône That Surpasses Everything

Directly outside the boundaries of Châteauneuf-du-Pape — literally a stone's throw from the mythical Château Rayas — lies an estate that has fascinated and bewildered the wine world for decades. Château de Fonsalette is a Côtes du Rhône. On paper. In the bottle, it is something else entirely. The 2012 vintage in the southern Rhône was warm and dry, with excellent natural ripeness and a freshness that lent the vintage genuine elegance. For Emmanuel Reynaud, who vinifies Fonsalette with the same hands, the same philosophy and the same cellar as Rayas, 2012 is a vintage that perfectly captures the classic Fonsalette signature: a rich nose of ripe red fruits, flowers and spices, a palate of exceptional silkiness and finesse. A wine to which its appellation label is entirely indifferent.

What's it Like?

In the glass, a luminous, medium-deep ruby. The nose is a captivating bouquet: ripe red fruits, cherry, raspberry, rose, wilted violets, licorice and a delicate hint of garrigue and spice. With air, it opens further — moist tobacco, forest floor, a nuance of leather and truffle. On the palate, exceptionally supple and silky, with a freshness and vitality that makes it electrifying despite its age. The tannins are fully integrated, the finish long, complex and aromatically persistent. A wine that unfolds in the glass like a flower — and that presents itself after two hours of decanting in a completely different way than at the first pour.

Serving temperature: 16–17°C · Drinking window: now through 2028, optimal today

Perfect For

A classic southern French feast. Its floral, earthy profile with delicate spice calls for a herb-roasted leg of lamb à la Provençale, a charcoal-grilled entrecôte with herb butter, a wild boar ragù with black olives, or a well-aged goat's cheese such as Pélardon or Picodon.

The Critics Agree...

The Fonsalette Rouge 2012 was awarded 93 points by Wine-Searcher critics — exceptional for a Côtes du Rhône and proof of this wine's extraordinary character. Connoisseurs describe it as "nearly parallel in quality to Rayas itself — beyond the quality of any Côtes du Rhône before or since." Jancis Robinson praised the Cinsault component as "very pretty, floral and spicy." A wine that makes you forget its appellation status entirely.

  • What is it? The greatest Côtes du Rhône in the world — vinified with the same hands, the same cellar and the same philosophy as Château Rayas.
  • From? Côtes du Rhône, Southern Rhône, France (AOC) — directly outside the boundaries of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
  • Grapes? 50% Grenache Noir, 35% Cinsault, 10% Syrah — old vines, minimal intervention.
  • Tastes Like? Cherry, raspberry, rose, wilted violet, licorice, garrigue and fine tobacco.
  • Critics score? 93/100 Wine-Searcher critics average.
]]> Côtes du Rhône Rouge 2012, Château de Fonsalette

Château de Fonsalette: The Secret on the Other Side of the Boundary

Boundaries in wine are strange things. One metre of difference in location can be the difference between a simple table wine and a legendary Grand Cru — not because of the soil, not because of the grape, but because of a line that humans drew on a map.

Château de Fonsalette lives on the wrong side of that line. And makes of it one of the greatest estates in France.

1945: The Purchase That Started Everything

Louis Reynaud, grandfather of the current guardian Emmanuel Reynaud, acquired Fonsalette in 1945 — shortly after the end of the Second World War, in a France slowly rebuilding itself. The estate lies near Lagarde-Paréol, in the Côtes du Rhône area, directly at the northern edge of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. 120 hectares in total: forests, olive groves, agricultural land — and just 12 hectares of vines. This modesty of surface is not a weakness. It is intention.

The soils are complex: sand, clay, limestone — similar but not identical to the famous gravel soils of Rayas. Old-vine Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah for the reds; Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Marsanne for the whites. All harvested by hand. All vinified with the same methods as Rayas. All aged in the same cellar.

One Cellar. Three Legends.

This is the key to understanding Fonsalette: the wine is not vinified at Fonsalette itself. It travels to Emmanuel Reynaud — to Château Rayas. There, in the same mythical cellar, under the same direction, with the same old foudres and the same philosophy, the Fonsalette Rouge is born alongside the Rayas, alongside the Pignan. No temperature control. No filtration. Spontaneous fermentation. Long ageing.

What distinguishes Fonsalette from Rayas is not the method. It is the terroir — the other side of the boundary. And that makes it one of the most fascinating wines in France: a wine one does not drink because it is cheaper than Rayas. One drinks it because it is different. More deeply rooted in Cinsault and its floral lightness. Broader in its Grenache base. More accessible, but no less complex.

Cinsault: The Forgotten Pearl

In a world that worships Grenache and Syrah, Cinsault is the forgotten grape. Too light, some say. Too little colour, too little extraction. And yet: in Fonsalette, the Cinsault — up to 35% of the blend — gives the wine something Grenache alone cannot provide. Flowers. Rose. Violet. An airy lightness that keeps the wine from ever feeling heavy despite its depth. It is this lightness that distinguishes Fonsalette from every other southern Rhône wine — that Burgundian bearing that runs through every vintage.

The Price of Integrity

Fonsalette is one of the most sought-after Côtes du Rhône in the world — and one of the most expensive. Bottles from the great vintages change hands for more than 500 CHF on the secondary market. Not because there was a plan to create a luxury Côtes du Rhône. But because Emmanuel Reynaud simply does the only thing he knows: wine of absolute integrity, regardless of what is written on the label.

That is the paradox of Fonsalette. The label says Côtes du Rhône. The wine says: I am what I am. And that is enough.

]]> https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/cotes-du-rhone-rouge-2012-chateau-de-fonsalette-en/feed/ 0 2847 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge 2018, Domaine des Tours https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/vin-de-pays-de-vaucluse-rouge-2018-domaine-des-tours-3/ https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/vin-de-pays-de-vaucluse-rouge-2018-domaine-des-tours-3/#respond Wed, 06 May 2026 12:04:03 +0000 https://lerouxvins.com/?post_type=product&p=2827 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge 2018, Domaine des Tours: The Sunniest Chapter of a Silent Legend

2018 was a year of warmth, generosity and exceptional ripeness in the southern Rhône — one of the most generous vintages of the decade. Perfect conditions throughout the growing season, without the extreme heat spikes that unbalanced other years. For Emmanuel Reynaud, who farms his old Grenache, Merlot, Counoise, Cinsault and Syrah vines organically on the black sandy and gravelly soils of Sarrians, harvesting as late as possible, it was a dream year — not for a heavy, concentrated wine, but for something rare: a full, warm wine that still carries Burgundian finesse and a finish that perfectly preserves the year's sunshine. The 2018 is the most opulent of the three vintages in the range — and the most immediately accessible of its generation.

What's it Like?

In the glass, a slightly deeper ruby than is typical for the house — the warmth of the vintage is immediately visible. The nose is seductively rich: black cherry, ripe plum, blackberry, pomegranate, violet, dried herbes de Provence, a delicate hint of cocoa and moist tobacco. On the palate, full-bodied, silky and caressing — the tannins are ripe and round, the acidity fresh enough to carry the fullness. The finish is long, warm and aromatically persistent. A wine that does not wait or struggle — it gives itself completely, immediately, generously. At least 45 minutes of decanting is recommended.

Serving temperature: 16–17°C · Drinking window: now through 2026, at its peak today

Perfect For

A festive autumn or winter dinner. The opulent warmth of the 2018 calls for braised beef cheeks with olives and orange zest, a wild boar ragù with forest mushrooms, a grilled leg of lamb, or a powerful aged cheese such as Comté or Tomme de Savoie.

The Critics Agree...

The Domaine des Tours Vaucluse Rouge 2018 earned 91 points from the Wine-Searcher critics average — identical to the elegant 2016, but reached from an entirely different angle. Connoisseurs describe the 2018 as the "most perfumed and most opulent" of the recent vintages — a wine that expresses the full warmth of the South without ever losing the elegance that is Emmanuel Reynaud's signature.

  • What is it? The most opulent and warmest vintage of France's most fascinating country wine — from the hand of Emmanuel Reynaud, guardian of Château Rayas.
  • From? IGP Vaucluse, Southern Rhône, France.
  • Grapes? Grenache, Merlot, Counoise, Cinsault, Syrah — old vines, organically farmed on black sand and gravel.
  • Tastes Like? Black cherry, ripe plum, blackberry, violet, garrigue and moist tobacco.
  • Critics score? 91/100 Wine-Searcher critics average.
]]> Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge 2018, Domaine des Tours

Time as Ingredient: Why Reynaud Waits When Everyone Else Rushes

In the modern wine world, time is money. Wine sitting in the winemaker’s cellar is wine that is not being sold, not being paid for, not existing. The economic logic is ruthless: wine is released as soon as the law permits.

Emmanuel Reynaud does not care.

The wines of Château des Tours and Domaine des Tours are routinely released almost a decade after the harvest. Not because storage is expensive. Not because the market demands it. But because Reynaud feels the wine is not yet ready. And because he asks nobody’s opinion.

The Winemaker’s Clock is Not the Market’s Clock

When the 2018 Domaine des Tours was released, nobody asked Reynaud when it would be ready. He decided it himself — quietly, discreetly, without announcement. The wine left the cellar when it left — not a day earlier. This is not a posture. It is a conviction rooted deeply in the estate’s history.

The Reynaud family purchased the 40 hectares in Sarrians in 1935. The old mas — flanked by two distinctive towers, hence “Des Tours” — has housed four generations since. Emmanuel took over from his father Bernard, brother of the legendary Jacques. He grew up in these vineyards, knowing every stone, every vine, every corner of the cellar. Patience was not a virtue he had to learn. It was simply the air he breathed.

No Temperature Control. No Rush. No Compromise.

The wines ferment spontaneously with native yeasts — often for more than a year, slowly and coolly in underground concrete tanks. No temperature management. No pressure. The CO2 blanket of fermentation naturally protects the wine. Then come the old barrels, various sizes, no new wood for the basic red wines. No fining. No filtration.

The result is every time the same miracle: a wine that looks like little and tastes like much. That reveals its origin without betraying its recipe. That lives in the glass — and not in the marketing material.

The 2018 is the perfect illustration of what happens when an exceptional year meets an exceptional winemaker who does not regard time as an enemy, but as the final ingredient.

]]> https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/vin-de-pays-de-vaucluse-rouge-2018-domaine-des-tours-3/feed/ 0 2827 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge 2017, Domaine des Tours https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/vin-de-pays-de-vaucluse-rouge-2017-domaine-des-tours-3/ https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/vin-de-pays-de-vaucluse-rouge-2017-domaine-des-tours-3/#respond Wed, 06 May 2026 11:46:05 +0000 https://lerouxvins.com/?post_type=product&p=2823 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge 2017, Domaine des Tours: The Warmth of an Exceptional Year

2017 was a year of contrasts and surprises in the southern Rhône. Devastating spring frosts decimated yields across France — but in Sarrians, on the well-exposed, pebble-strewn clay-limestone soils of Emmanuel Reynaud's Domaine des Tours, the damage remained limited. What followed was a long, warm summer with perfect ripeness — warmer and more direct than the cool, tense 2016, but bearing Reynaud's unmistakable fingerprint: finesse where others seek power, elegance where others aim for volume. Grenache, Merlot, Counoise, Cinsault, Syrah — on gravel and clay-limestone soils in Sarrians, organically farmed, harvested late. A wine that seduces from the very first sip.

What's it Like?

In the glass, a clear, luminous ruby — quintessentially Reynaud. The nose is open and inviting: red fruits, cherry, blackcurrant, pomegranate, delicate garrigue, a hint of licorice and black pepper. On the palate, round, soft and caressing — the warmth of the 2017 vintage gives the wine an immediate accessibility and an almost velvety texture that makes it fully delectable today. Fine, fully integrated tannins, fresh acidity, a long aromatic finish. Compared to the slightly more austere 2016, the 2017 is the more open, convivial brother — without losing any depth.

Serving temperature: 16–17°C · Drinking window: now through 2025, optimal today

Perfect For

A relaxed dinner with good friends. Its open, fruit-forward profile pairs beautifully with a herb-roasted chicken, a kid goat stew with vegetables, a grilled leg of lamb, or a creamy, spiced cheese like Reblochon or Banon.

The Critics Agree...

The Domaine des Tours Vaucluse Rouge earns an average of 89 to 91 points from Wine-Searcher critics — consistently remarkable for a country wine from the hand of one of France's most respected winemakers. Connoisseurs worldwide describe it as the most fascinating entry point into the Reynaud universe: accessible, complex, unforgettable — and at a price that, given its origins, is frankly unjust.

  • What is it? A warm, opulent vintage of France's most fascinating country wine — by Emmanuel Reynaud, the creator of Château Rayas.
  • From? IGP Vaucluse, Southern Rhône, France.
  • Grapes? Grenache, Merlot, Counoise, Cinsault, Syrah — old vines, organically farmed.
  • Tastes Like? Cherry, blackcurrant, pomegranate, garrigue, licorice and black pepper.
  • Critics score? 89/100 Wine-Searcher critics average.
]]> Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge 2017, Domaine des Tours

2016 versus 2017: Two Characters, One Soul

When you have two vintages of the same wine in your cellar — and you have the rare fortune of owning both — the same question always arises: which one do you open first? For the Domaine des Tours Vaucluse Rouge, the answer is more complex and more interesting than one might think.

The 2016 is the introverted vintage. Cool, precise, with a tension and minerality one would more likely expect from a great Burgundy. It needs time — in the glass, in the decanter, in the cellar. It is the wine for the evening that unfolds slowly, that reveals itself layer by layer, that stays with you the next morning.

The 2017 is its sociable sibling. Warmer, rounder, more open — accessible from the first sip, seductive, immediate. It needs less time. It comes to you rather than waiting. It is the wine for the moment, for the impromptu dinner, for the first glass that immediately calls for a second.

Both come from the same hands, the same vines, the same cellar. And yet they tell different stories — like two chapters of the same novel, read at different volumes.

Silence as Method

What sets Reynaud apart from almost all other winemakers is not just his philosophy — it is his silence. He gives no interviews. He attends no trade fairs. He publishes no tasting notes. He sends no press releases. The wine speaks. The winemaker is quiet.

In an era where wine marketing has become louder than ever, this silence is radical. And it works, because the wine is strong enough to speak for itself — in every vintage, in every bottle, in every glass.

The 2017 is a particularly fine example of this. Warm, direct, seductive — and yet with that unmistakable Reynaud depth that elevates it above all other country wines in its category. You drink it and think: nobody else can do this. And you are right.

]]> https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/vin-de-pays-de-vaucluse-rouge-2017-domaine-des-tours-3/feed/ 0 2823 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge 2016, Domaine des Tours https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/vin-de-pays-de-vaucluse-rouge-2016-domaine-des-tours-3/ https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/vin-de-pays-de-vaucluse-rouge-2016-domaine-des-tours-3/#respond Wed, 06 May 2026 11:19:26 +0000 https://lerouxvins.com/?post_type=product&p=2819 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge 2016, Domaine des Tours: The Greatest Secret of a Modest Label

Emmanuel Reynaud — guardian of Château Rayas, the most sacred estate in the southern Rhône — produces under the Domaine des Tours label a wine that overturns everything one thinks one knows about French wine geography. A simple "Vin de Pays de Vaucluse" — no appellation, no prestige designation — built around a grape variety nobody expects in the Rhône Valley: Merlot, wrapped in Grenache, Counoise, Cinsault and Syrah. The 2016 vintage was cool and elegant, with perfect fruit ripeness and no excess — exactly what Reynaud's quiet philosophy demands. The result is a wine that connoisseurs regularly identify blind as a Burgundian Pinot Noir or a great Pomerol. And which arrives at a price that, given its quality and origin, is frankly scandalous.

What's it Like?

In the glass, a pale, transparent ruby — the unmistakable Reynaud fingerprint. The nose is captivating: ripe red fruits, sour cherry, pomegranate, violet, sandalwood, garrigue and a delicate hint of moist tobacco and spice. On the palate, silky, caressing, medium-bodied with a remarkably fresh acidity and finely polished tannins. No heaviness, no extraction — pure, clear fruit carried by finesse. The finish is long, aromatic and mineral. A wine that unfolds hour by hour in the glass. At least one hour of decanting is strongly recommended.

Serving temperature: 16–17°C · Drinking window: now through 2026, at its peak

Perfect For

A relaxed but elegant dinner. Its silky, fruit-forward profile pairs beautifully with a wood-fire entrecôte, a lamb tagine with herbs, duck breast with cherries, or a creamy aged goat's cheese such as Banon.

The Critics Agree...

The Domaine des Tours Vaucluse Rouge 2016 earned 91 points from the Wine-Searcher critics average — remarkable for a simple country wine. James Suckling has raved about similar vintages of the same wine, describing the quality as "silky and caressing, with cherry, pomegranate and wild herbs — vivid and pristine, with a purity that explodes on the finish." Connoisseurs consistently name it one of the best value wines in the entire Rhône Valley — the entry ticket into the world of Rayas.

  • What is it? France's most fascinating country wine — an IGP Vaucluse from the hand of the creator of Château Rayas, which drinks like a great Burgundy.
  • From? IGP Vaucluse, Southern Rhône, France.
  • Grapes? Grenache, Merlot, Counoise, Cinsault, Syrah — old vines, organically farmed.
  • Tastes Like? Sour cherry, pomegranate, violet, sandalwood, garrigue and moist tobacco.
  • Critics score? 91/100 Wine-Searcher critics average.
]]> Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge 2016, Domaine des Tours

Domaine des Tours: The Wine Without a Title — and Without an Ego

In the world of wine, names matter. Appellations. Classified Growths. Premier Crus. Grand Crus. The hierarchy is clear, the rules are written, the prices follow obediently.

And then Emmanuel Reynaud makes a Vin de Pays de Vaucluse — a country wine, the most modest category in the French system — that not merely ignores this hierarchy, but sidesteps it with a quiet laugh.

Why Domaine des Tours Has No Appellation — and Doesn’t Need One

Domaine des Tours is a separate project within Château des Tours. Same 40 hectares in Sarrians, same old vines, same organic methods, same winemaker. The difference lies in the blend: the Domaine des Tours Rouge includes Merlot — a grape variety permitted by no Rhône appellation. The wine therefore falls automatically into the Vin de Pays category. No appellation. No prestige label. No problem.

Reynaud could have dropped the Merlot. He could have produced a tidy Vacqueyras or Côtes du Rhône. He did not, because he believes that this blend — with Merlot as the structural backbone, embedded in the aromatic complexity of Grenache, Counoise and Cinsault — produces the most interesting wine. Full stop.

The Method: Whole Cluster, Concrete, Time

The wines of Château des Tours and Domaine des Tours undergo whole-cluster fermentation with native yeasts in underground concrete tanks, followed by ageing in a combination of old oak barrels and tanks. No fining. No filtration. What the grape gives arrives in the glass.

The Merlot — that foreign body in the Rhône Valley — is aged for twelve months in barriques with 30% new oak. Not to add wood flavours, but to integrate structure and maturity. When it works, the result is something no other producer in the region achieves: a wine of Burgundian finesse born under Provençal sun.

The Paradox: A “Small” Wine of Unexpected Greatness

In many vintages, connoisseurs tasting Domaine des Tours blind enthuse about a great Pinot Noir from the Côte de Nuits. Or about a Pomerol. Nobody — truly nobody — guesses a country wine from the Vaucluse.

That is the quiet genius of Emmanuel Reynaud. He needs no label, no appellation, no points to show what he is capable of. The wine speaks for itself — quietly, clearly, undeniably.

]]> https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/vin-de-pays-de-vaucluse-rouge-2016-domaine-des-tours-3/feed/ 0 2819 Vacqueyras 2012, Château des Tours https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/vacqueyras-2012-chateau-des-tours-3/ https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/vacqueyras-2012-chateau-des-tours-3/#respond Wed, 06 May 2026 11:12:10 +0000 https://lerouxvins.com/?post_type=product&p=2813 Vacqueyras 2012, Château des Tours: The Burgundian Secret of the Southern Rhône

Emmanuel Reynaud is the most discreet winemaker in the southern Rhône — and perhaps its greatest. Nephew of the legendary Jacques Reynaud of Château Rayas, he took over both the family estate Château des Tours and the mythical Rayas in 1997. His approach is unmistakable: old Grenache vines, organic farming, late harvest, zero compromise. The 2012 vintage in the southern Rhône was warm and dry, with excellent ripeness and preserved freshness — ideal for the Reynaud style, which combines power and elegance in a way found nowhere else in Vacqueyras. The result: a wine that connoisseurs identify blind as a Burgundy — and are left speechless when the truth is revealed.

What's it Like?

In the glass, it shows a surprisingly pale ruby with slight garnet nuances — far less colour than one would expect from a 15% Grenache from the southern Rhône. The nose is the house signature: moist tobacco, red berries, raspberry, cherry, licorice, truffle, herbes de Provence and an unmistakable hint of molasses. On the palate it is velvety, full-bodied and deep, carried by vibrant acidity and fine, fully integrated tannins. The finish is long, complex and aromatically persistent. With air, it unfolds hour by hour — at least one hour of decanting is strongly recommended.

Serving temperature: 16–17°C · Drinking window: now through 2028, at its peak

Perfect For

A Provençal feast with character. Its earthy, wild profile calls for slow-braised lamb with herbes de Provence, a kid goat ragù with olives and thyme, grilled duck breast, or a well-aged goat's cheese such as Pélardon.

The Critics Agree...

The 2012 Vacqueyras from Château des Tours earned 93 points on CellarTracker across 74 reviews — exceptional for a wine from this appellation. La Revue du Vin de France also awarded 93 points. Connoisseurs describe it as "a revelation — so light in colour, almost like a Burgundy. Nose all in finesse and red fruit. Superb. Burgundy from the southern Rhône." A statement that says everything.

  • What is it? A cult wine from the southern Rhône by the nephew of the legendary Jacques Reynaud of Château Rayas — a Vacqueyras that drinks like a Burgundy.
  • From? Vacqueyras, Southern Rhône, France (AOC).
  • Grapes? 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah — from organically farmed vines.
  • Tastes Like? Red berries, raspberry, cherry, moist tobacco, truffle, licorice and herbes de Provence.
  • Critics score? 93/100 CellarTracker · 93/100 La Revue du Vin de France.
]]> Vacqueyras 2012, Château des Tours

Château des Tours: The Silent Genius of Sarrians

In the world of wine, there are loud geniuses and silent geniuses. Emmanuel Reynaud belongs to the second category — and it is perhaps precisely for that reason that he is one of the most influential winemakers of his generation.

The story begins with his uncle. Jacques Reynaud was a legend in his own lifetime — a recluse who lived in the crumbling Château Rayas in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, shunned the press, refused visitors and produced wines that left Parker in awe. Pure Grenache. Little colour. Explosive intensity. A style so singular it acquired a name: the Rayas style.

When Jacques Reynaud died in 1997, he left behind an inheritance almost impossible to bear. His nephew Emmanuel Reynaud, barely thirty, stepped up — with no experience of the spotlight, but with an instinct for wine that quickly proved itself to be generational talent.

Château des Tours: The Modest Brother of Rayas

Château des Tours is located in Sarrians, north of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in the heart of the Vacqueyras and Côtes du Rhône appellations. The estate belonged to Emmanuel Reynaud’s father — it was the humble family property, while Rayas was the legend. Today, Château des Tours is no longer a secret among connoisseurs — but it has preserved its character: minimal, laconic, uncompromising.

The Vacqueyras is the estate’s flagship. 40 hectares of vines, old Grenache — some decades old — farmed organically without certification, because Reynaud rejects publicity for his methods as much as publicity for himself. The grapes are harvested as late as possible. Ripeness is not an option — it is an obsession.

The Philosophy: Grenache as Pinot Noir

What Emmanuel Reynaud does is radical in the southern Rhône: he treats his Grenache the way a Burgundian treats Pinot Noir. Little colour, enormous intensity. Light extraction, immense depth. Little or no oak. The substance comes from the grape, from the soil, from time.

The result: wines that regularly confuse specialists in blind tastings. Too little colour for Grenache. Too much finesse for the southern Rhône. Too much complexity for a Vacqueyras. And yet: this is Grenache. This is Vacqueyras. Simply in the hands of someone who truly understands what this grape can do.

A Wine That Falls Silent — Then Explodes

Reynaud’s wines are often closed in their youth. They demand air, time, patience. But those who wait, who decant, who understand — will be rewarded with an experience that has few parallels in the southern Rhône.

The 2012 Vacqueyras is today where it should be: fully open, complex, deep, with a finish that persists for minutes after the last sip. A wine you drink and immediately want to buy again. And then you realise there is almost none left.

]]> https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/vacqueyras-2012-chateau-des-tours-3/feed/ 0 2813 Côte-Rôtie Coteaux de Bassenon 2016, Jean-Michel Stéphan https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/cote-rotie-coteaux-de-bassenon-2016-3/ https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/cote-rotie-coteaux-de-bassenon-2016-3/#respond Tue, 05 May 2026 16:23:27 +0000 https://lerouxvins.com/?post_type=product&p=2780 Côte-Rôtie Coteaux de Bassenon 2016, Jean-Michel Stéphan: The Conscience of the Côte-Rôtie

The 2016 vintage in the Northern Rhône was a vintage of precision — cooler temperatures, perfect ripeness, no excess. For Jean-Michel Stéphan, the appellation's uncomfortable outsider-genius, it was the ideal frame for his iconic Coteaux de Bassenon: the southernmost parcel of his estate, on steep granite and gneiss terroir, planted with Sérine — the original, wild ancestral Syrah of the Côte-Rôtie — in 1896. Zero sulphur. Zero compromise. A wine that polarises and enchants in equal measure.

What's it Like?

In the glass, it shows a deep, opaque ruby with a violet rim. The nose is an experience in itself: blackcurrant, plum, bramble, wild violets, wet leather, fresh herbs, sandalwood and a dark mineral depth drawn from pure granite. On the palate it is full-bodied, with vibrant acidity and fine, well-integrated tannins. Electrifyingly fresh, bold and complex — a wine that breathes and evolves hour by hour in the glass. Decanting for at least 2 hours is strongly recommended.

Serving temperature: 16–17°C · Drinking window: now through 2032, in its prime

Perfect For

Hunters, cooks, adventurers. Its wild, earthy profile calls for braised venison with forest mushrooms and juniper, a rustic wood-fire entrecôte, or a well-aged Comté — dishes that carry as much character as the wine itself.

The Critics Agree...

Stéphan is one of the most respected natural wine pioneers in the Northern Rhône. The 2016 Coteaux de Bassenon earned 91 points with a consistently upward trajectory among connoisseurs. Experts describe it as "electrifying" — with a purity that has no equivalent in the appellation. Falstaff praised the 2016 cuvée for its "powerful minerality and intense fruit."

  • What is it? A natural wine masterpiece from the oldest parcel in the Côte-Rôtie, by one of the most radical winemakers in the Northern Rhône.
  • From? Côte-Rôtie, Northern Rhône, France (AOC).
  • Grapes? 40% Sérine (original Syrah, vines planted 1896), 40% Syrah, 20% Viognier.
  • Tastes Like? Blackcurrant, bramble, violet, leather, granite and wild herbs.
  • Critics score? 91/100 Falstaff / 91/100 Wine-Searcher critics average.
]]> Côte-Rôtie Coteaux de Bassenon 2016, Jean-Michel Stéphan

Jean-Michel Stéphan: The Quiet Rebel of Tupin-et-Semons

Some winemakers make wine. And then there is Jean-Michel Stéphan — a man who lives wine, breathes it, understands it in a way that nobody else in the Côte-Rôtie practices.

The story does not begin with him. It begins with his grandfather, a farmer who planted vines at the edge of his vegetable garden to mark his boundary from the neighbour’s land. At a time when the steep hillsides of the Côte-Rôtie were considered so unimportant that they were given away for free alongside the purchase of flat, fertile farmland. Nobody wanted those slopes. Nobody except those who loved them.

Jean-Michel decided to take those slopes seriously. In 1991 he took over two hectares of vines. He trained with Jean-Paul Brun in Beaujolais — the school of natural wine, of carbonic freshness, of respect for the living must. Then he returned to Tupin-et-Semons and did something radical: he made Côte-Rôtie with no sulphur. No filtration. No compromise.

That was 1994. His colleagues thought he was mad.

At the time, a sulphur-free Côte-Rôtie was unthinkable. The appellation was known for its structured, tannic, often heavily oaked wines — wines you had to forget in a cellar for years. Stéphan did the opposite: living, vibrating, pulsing wines that draw their energy from the soil rather than the barrel.

The Sérine: A Treasure Saved from Oblivion

The heart of his estate is the Sérine — the original, pre-phylloxera Syrah of the Côte-Rôtie, finer, more complex and more volatile than modern clones. On the Bassenon parcel, Sérines planted in 1896 are still producing. 130-year-old vines. Roots that plunge into the granite deeper than you can imagine. Yield: minimal. Intensity: maximal.

These old vines give no quantity. They give character. They give history. They give a flavour you will not find anywhere else in the world.

Bassenon: The Parcel at the Edge of the World

The Coteaux de Bassenon sits at the far southern end of the appellation, facing the vineyards of Condrieu. The terroir is complex: ancient Rhône alluvium, glacial moraine, dark biotite granite, leucogneiss — a geological mosaic that gives the wine its incomparable, almost electric minerality.

Here, everything is done by hand. On some terraces, no tractor can pass. So a horse pulls the plough. Or a man walks on foot. Stéphan does not call this romantic. He calls it necessary.

A Wine Without a Mask

No SO2. No added yeasts. No filtration. No fining. Stéphan’s wines are radically transparent — what the grape gives arrives in the glass. Which means: in a great year like 2016, the wine is breathtaking. In a difficult year, it can be austere. That is not a weakness. That is honesty.

In some circles, Jean-Michel Stéphan is considered the greatest Syrah winemaker in the world. You can debate that. But anyone who has drunk a Bassenon — truly drunk it, with time, with air, with patience — understands why.

]]> https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/cote-rotie-coteaux-de-bassenon-2016-3/feed/ 0 2780 Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2007, Château de Beaucastel https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/chateauneuf-du-pape-2007-beaucastel-en/ https://lerouxvins.com/en/product/chateauneuf-du-pape-2007-beaucastel-en/#respond Tue, 05 May 2026 15:16:12 +0000 https://lerouxvins.com/?post_type=product&p=2770 Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2007, Château de Beaucastel: The Living Legacy of the Southern Rhône

Since 1549, the Perrin family has cultivated an unmatched terroir at the northern tip of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation — large rolled pebbles on the surface, sand, clay and limestone beneath, farmed organically since the 1960s. Château de Beaucastel is the only estate in the appellation to grow all 13 permitted grape varieties. The 2007 vintage is considered one of the greatest in the domaine's long history: scorching hot days and cool nights produced grapes of exceptional structure, fruit density and balance — a vintage that seems immune to time.

What's it Like?

In the glass, it shows a deep, almost black ruby. The nose reveals a glorious bouquet of blue and black fruits, truffle, ink, licorice, and meat juices. On the palate it is full-bodied and powerful, carried by a gorgeous, vibrant freshness. Today, firmly in its prime drinking window, it expresses itself with black raspberries, red plums, incense, herbes de Provence and leather at a depth that simply captivates.

Serving temperature: 17–18°C · Drinking window: now through 2030, at its peak

Perfect For

A classic Provençal feast. Its deep, earthy profile calls for slow-braised lamb with thyme and rosemary, a wild boar ragù with forest aromatics, or a well-aged Époisses de Bourgogne.

The Critics Agree...

Robert Parker of The Wine Advocate awarded 96 points, calling the 2007 "possibly their greatest vintage since 2001 and 1998" — a wine that "will age effortlessly for a minimum of two decades." The 2007 vintage features on the list of the greatest Beaucastel vintages ever produced.

  • What is it? A mythical Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the most iconic estate in the Southern Rhône, now at its absolute peak.
  • From? Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Southern Rhône, France (AOC).
  • Grapes? 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise, 5% Cinsault + 7 further varieties.
  • Tastes Like? Black raspberry, plum, truffle, licorice, herbes de Provence, and leather.
  • Critics score? 96/100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate.
]]> Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2007, Château de Beaucastel

Château de Beaucastel: Where the History of Wine Really Begins

Some estates have history. And then there is Château de Beaucastel — a place where history is literally beneath your feet, buried in the famous galets roulés of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, deposited there by the Rhône river across millennia.

The year is 1549. Europe is in the midst of the Renaissance. Michelangelo is still alive. And the Perrin family lays the first stone of what will become one of the world’s greatest wine estates. Five centuries later, four generations deep, brothers Marc, Thomas, Pierre and Mathieu Perrin are doing exactly what their ancestors always did: listening to the land.

The Terroir: A Geology Lesson in One Sip

To understand Beaucastel, you must first understand its soil. The famous galets roulés — those fist-sized, river-polished stones — blanket the surface like a natural battery. During the day, they absorb the heat of the Provençal sun. At night, they release it slowly back to the vines, like a stone hot water bottle. The result? A ripeness that comes from within, not forced by the sun.

Beneath: sand, clay, limestone. Deep enough that the roots of the old vines — some over 80 years old — must dig into the earth’s interior to find water and minerals. That struggle is not a weakness. It is the soul of the wine.

The Philosophy: 13 Grape Varieties, One Vision

In a world where winemakers increasingly specialise in one or two grape varieties, Beaucastel does the opposite. All 13 varieties permitted by the appellation are cultivated here — organically farmed since the 1960s, long before organic became a trend. Grenache and Mourvèdre form the backbone, but it is the quiet supporting cast — Counoise, Vaccarèse, Muscardin — that give the wine its inimitable complexity.

Marc Perrin puts it this way: a single-variety wine is a monologue. Beaucastel is a chorus.

Mourvèdre: The Secret Weapon

While most Châteauneuf-du-Pape producers treat Grenache as their undisputed king, Beaucastel has always given Mourvèdre an extraordinary role — up to 30% of the blend. This decision is radical and polarising. Mourvèdre is demanding: it ripens late, needs heat, gives little away. But when it works, it delivers something no other grape can: that dark, meaty, almost animal depth that sets a Beaucastel apart from everything else. Truffle. Leather. Earth after rain. That is Mourvèdre. That is Beaucastel.

A Wine That Waits — and Rewards

Beaucastel is not a wine for the impatient. In its youth it can seem closed, almost sullen. But those who wait — truly wait — will be rewarded with something that has become rare in modern winemaking: genuine maturity. Genuine complexity. A wine that does not merely taste, but tells a story.

The 2007 is the perfect illustration. After nearly two decades, it has reached exactly the point Robert Parker predicted: complete harmony, explosive on the nose, silky on the palate, with a finish that refuses to end.

Some wines are drunk. Beaucastel is experienced.

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