Chateau Maucoil, Cotes Du Rhone Villages, Southern Rhone, France, 2024

Grapes: A blend of 50% Grenache Noir, 25% Syrah and 25% Mourvèdre, 45ha estate, organic, sustainable farming, unoaked

Producer Tasting Note:

A big powerful southern Rhône wine. Ripe, fresh sweet-spiced black fruits and spice on the nose, this organic Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages is full-bodied and exuberant with bold fruit flavours of black cherry, brambles and a touch of dried fruit too. Acidity provides balance and a sense of juiciness which lasts through the long finish.

Winemaking: Its proximity to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards and the similarity of its soil (a mixture of sand and pebbles), as well as the old vines (minimum 40 years of age) from which it hails, gives this Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages great concentration and loads of character. Harvesting is carried out by hand and the grapes are transported in 15kg perforated crates. The grapes are sorted berry by berry before going into vat. A blend of Grenache (50%) Syrah (25%) Mourvèdre (25%), each grape variety and parcel is vinified separately. After a fermentation period of around 25 days with pumping over, rack-and-return, and punching down operations, the wines are drawn off and then aged in vats until bottling.

Food Match: Serve at 16-17°C with grilled meats, beef Bourguignon, sausage-based pasta dishes, Pastitsio (Greek beef pasta bake), traditional French charcuterie, cow's milk cheeses