About this WINE
Domaine Chaume Arnaud
Domaine Chaume-Arnaud is owned and run by Valérie and Philippe Chaume-Arnaud, a young and vibrant couple with 13.5 hectares situated in and around Vinsobres, made up principally of Grenache (60%); Syrah (20%) with some ancient Cinsault, Carignan and Mourvedre (10%) plus Viognier and Marsanne (10%). Yields are kept low, all soil treatments are organic, and harvesting is done solely by hand. Most of the vines average 30 years old, going up to 65 for the Carignan in the Vinsobres cuvée.
Philippe looks after the vines while Valérie works the cellar, all under the watchful eye of her parents - her mother's method of tracking Philippe down is to drive literally into a vineyard and stand and scream at the top of her voice until he appears.
Vinsobres
Vinsobres, along with Beaumes de Venise, has cause for celebration, , having been promoted to a stand-alone appellation in 2006 - in the vein of Gigondas or Vacqueyras - but now overtaking Cairanne and 12 or so other Cote du Rhone villages, in the local hierarchy.
This is primarily due to the relative altitude of the vines being recognised for lending complexity and structure to the wines. None are better at demonstrating this than the husband and wife team Philippe and Valérie Chaume Arnaud.
Other Varieties
There are over 200 different grape varieties used in modern wine making (from a total of over 1000). Most lesser known blends and varieties are traditional to specific parts of the world.
Buying options
Add to wishlist
Description
The blend is made up of Grenache (50 percent), Syrah (25 percent) and Mourvedre (15 percent), with the balance shared between old-vine Carignan and Cinsault. Aged in tank for over a year, this is a quintessential expression of Vinsobres: refreshing, poised and blessed with a wealth of red-fruit charm. Drink now to 2018.
Simon Field MW - Rhône Buyer
Philippe Chaume Arnaud describes the style of his 2013s as ‘entre deux chaises’ by which I think he means between the north and south of the valley, which is not, in any event, an uncommon way to view these very pure wines. The vines are located in the most northern cru of the southern vineyards, where it has been easy for Syrah to step into the breach for the beleaguered Grenache. He observes, slightly surprisingly, that two features in 2013 were relatively low acidity and the need for extended cuvaison times, neither of which-tasting the results-appear to have been remotely detrimental to quality.
wine at a glance
Delivery and quality guarantee