Vacqueyras
Vacqueyras was the second Côtes du Rhônes Villages to be upgraded to AOC status, and rightly so. These excellent-value wines are like turbo-charged Côtes du Rhônes: dark and rich with the classic herbs and warm peppery spice of the Southern Rhône. Compared to neighbouring Gigondas, they are slightly more restrained and rustic and slightly cheaper. They are made from a minimum 50 percent Grenache.
Bottle
£17.25
fruit sourced from ten parcels and dominated by the
75 percent of tank-aged Grenache, with Syrah and
Mourvèdre providing impressive support. Herbs,
cassis and a hint of eucalypt provide the backdrop
and the ensemble is enrobed and ennobled by ripe yet
finely poised tannins. Drink 2019-2021.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer
Bottle
£17.95
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer, February 2012
The evocative names of the surrounding landmarks, specifically the Plateau Des Garrigues and the Dentelles De Montmirail, provide a scenic geographical backdrop to Laurent Daniel’s vineyards. Silky elegance, real Mediterranean warmth and finely balanced tannins are the secrets to Laurent’s success, not forgetting more prosaic factors such as timely picking of the grapes and attention to detail in the winery.
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer
Christine and Eric Saurel, biodynamic pioneers in the Southern Rhône, are relatively large land owners in two of the more modish of the ‘named’ villages, Gigondas and Vacqueyras, where their holdings cover 16 and 34 hectares respectively. The advantages of such a pioneering spirit become clearer and clearer as the vines reach maturity and the wines resonate an intangible quality described memorably by Christine as ‘luminosité’.
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer
Flanking the evocatively named Dentelles de Montmirail, with vines on the equally evocative Plateau des Garrigues, La Bastide Saint Vincent is a delightful, family-owned wine domaine with 17th century origins. The unassuming Laurent Daniel never overworks his fruit and his fruit repays him with interest; a very subtle producer of supple wines. Laurent was happy with both quality and quantity in 2015–a vintage which he compares, somewhat against the trend, to 2007.