2015 Vinsobres Rouge, Domaine Chaume Arnaud

Philippe is very proud of the Demeter accreditation his estate has achieved, which has long been the leading light in this recently elevated Cru. He always has a pleasingly pithy turn of phrase to describe a vintage, and when we visited him to taste the vintage en primeur, he praised both the concentration and tannic harmony of 2015, adding that it is “more olive than spice” in profile. And so it appears… A regal colour presages a suitably refined nose, its dark fruit and spice underwritten by a whiff of something savoury, jambon cru maybe, courtesy no doubt, of the Mourvèdre. Figs and white chocolate join more usual descriptors such as myrtle, plum and griotte on the palate. There is good concentration here and the finish is strong. Drink now to 2022.
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer

Domaine Chaume-Arnaud is owned and run by Valérie and Philippe Chaume-Arnaud, who own 13.5 hectares situated in and around Vinsobres. Their reds are made up principally of Grenache (60 percent), with Syrah (20 percent), some ancient Cinsault, Carignan and Mourvèdre (10 percent), plus Viognier and Marsanne (10 percent). Yields are kept low, all soil treatments are organic and harvesting is done solely by hand. Most of the vines average 30 years in age, 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.