La Reserve Saint Dominique Vacqueyras 2020
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James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Jeb
Dunnuck
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Brilliant ruby ??color. Very flattering nose of violet, peony then blackberry, blackcurrant and blueberry. On aeration, notes of cinnamon, vanilla and pepper. The attack offers a nice freshness, melted in the richness of a fruity substance. The finish is long and subtle with a hint of licorice.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Here’s a very solid example of this appellation. It has the ripeness and roundness we associate with Vacqueyras, but also with fine tannins and a healthy acidity, nicely accentuating the licorice and ripe blueberry flavor. A cuvee of 70% grenache, 15% syrah and 15% cinsault.
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Wine Enthusiast
Perfumed and elegant, this is a blend of 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 15% Cinsault. It is full bodied and round with blueberries, ripe apples, licorice, green olives and rosehips. A solid expression of the region.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Lots of ripe red and black berry fruits as well as Provençal garrigue notes emerge from the 2020 Vacqueyras, a round, medium-bodied, beautifully fruited 2020 that’s already in bottle. It should drink nicely for 4-6 years.
Eric Bonnet, winemaker in Courthézon – La Bastide Saint Dominique – AOP Châteauneuf du Pape, Côtes du Rhône, Cairanne – decided to create La Réserve Saint Dominique in order to offer his clients a selection of Rhone Valley Crus and Wines to complement the current range he produces. Willing to preserve his cultural ethics (to the benefit of the balance), the cuvées of La Reserve Saint Dominique allow much room for fruits, a good balance, in short, sheer pleasure for the palate. Aged for the majority in stainless steel tanks to favor the crunchiness of wines, the wines highlight the typicity of each terroir and are carefully selected for the greatest pleasure of the consumer.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
This charming appellation within the Côtes du Rhône Villages was second only to Gigondas to earn its own village appellation status. Its wines may be red, rosé or white—though hardly any is white. Its high winemaking standards follow many of the same rules as Chateauneuf-du-Pape. But for Vacqueyras red wines, half of the grapes have to be Grenache and the remainder is usually a combination of Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault.
While they can be robust and rustic in style, typically a great Vacqueyras red combines delicate aromas with intense fruit and a bright, crisp texture. They certainly don’t lack any character and show an abundance of black cherry, wild berry, plum, fig, baking spice, and a touch of game or smoke.