Domaine Viranel, Arômes Sauvages, 2020
Domaine Viranel, Arômes Sauvages, 2020
- Red Still
- 75.0cl
- 13.5%
- Alicante Bouschet
Domaine Viranel Arômes Sauvages has a very expressive nose with notes of ripe black fruits, pepper, thyme, fennel, pine nuts and just a touch of musk. Arômes Sauvages - wild aromas indeed! Despite the dark brooding colour, the palate is suave and well rounded with great depth of flavour. Not heavy, the tannins are ripe and unobtrusive. Notes of dark chocolate and mocha are abundant in the finish with hints of lead pencil and savoury spice.
Viranel's Arômes Sauvages is made from a local grape variety - Alicante-Bouschet - a hybrid grape from the crossing of Grenache Noir and Petit Bouschet back in 1855. Having tasted this for the first time a few months ago, I struggle to see why the grape hasn't been planted far and wide! These vines are old, planted back in 1939, so harvest yields are small and of the highest quality. The team harvests by hand at perfect maturity, and traditional vinification takes place in concrete tanks.
The wild boar and the rabbit frolicking on the label are regular visitors to the vineyard, and their love of Alicante-Bouschet grapes means that already small yields are reduced even further.
- ❖ ABV: 13.5%
Grapes
Alicante Bouschet
Vintage report
The 2020 vintage in Languedoc threw winemakers a curveball, starting with a relatively mild winter that gave way to a challenging spring marked by significant rainfall and cooler temperatures. Just when producers were beginning to worry about disease pressure and delayed flowering, the summer heat arrived with characteristic Mediterranean intensity, creating the sort of stop-start growing season that separates the wheat from the chaff. Harvest came later than the scorching years of 2017 and 2019, giving grapes crucial hang time to develop flavour whilst retaining the acidity that makes Languedoc wines so food-friendly.
What emerged was a vintage with real personality rather than brute force. The Syrahs show lovely spice and structure without the jammy overripeness that can plague hot vintages, whilst Grenache and Mourvèdre found their sweet spot between power and finesse. We find the reds drinking beautifully now, with enough backbone to cellar for another five to eight years if you fancy waiting. The whites, particularly those from higher altitude sites, captured a freshness that makes them absolute gems for current drinking.
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