SOLD OUT! If you love Southern Rhone Reds, the 2015 Domaine La Garrigue Vacqueyras La Cantarelle is going to make you super happy. Rated 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck and drinking like a dream right now, this could easily compete with many top-notch Gigondas’ and Chateauneuf du Papes.
A blend of 70% Grenache from 70 to 100 year old vines and 30% Syrah from younger vines, this is dense, structured, and packed with flavor. It’s definitely a wine for those who like their reds “large and in charge.”
2015 Domaine La Garrigue Vacqueyras La Cantarelle
94 points Jeb Dunnuck, 92 points Vinous Media, 92 points Wine Advocate
SOLD OUT
Domaine la Garrigue was founded in 1850 by the same family that runs the property today, Famille Bernard. In addition to running one of the finest estates in the AOC, brothers Maxime and Pierre Bernard also run Les Florets, one of the best restaurants in the Southern Rhone. The reserved but very talented Virginie Combe, a member of the 6th generation, handles winemaking with the help of Philippe Cambie, one of the top consultants out there. Let’s just say La Garrigue has got it going on.
The family makes several different cuvées of Vacqueyras, but the La Cantarelle has always been my favorite. Composed primarily of the estate’s oldest Grenache vines, the old vine character really shines here. Whole-cluster fermented and aged for 24 months in concrete tanks, the finished wine has had a few years now in bottle and like I said earlier, it’s drinking like a dream. Boasting a deep and opaque color along with aromas and flavors of ripe blue and black fruits, garrigue, and pepper, it’s full-bodied and concentrated on the palate with supple, nicely developed tannin.
And the critics loved this one just as much as I did. Jeb Dunnuck flipped out, calling it a “ripe, sexy, concentrated 2015 that has terrific tannin quality, a plump, sumptuous texture, and a great finish.” He went on to say “It’s a blockbuster Vacqueyras that readers shouldn’t miss!” And Vinous Media loved it too: “Intensely perfumed raspberry and cherry liqueur, potpourri and Asian spice scents are complemented by a smoky mineral nuance.” And all critics agree that this one should continue to offer pleasure-bent drinking through 2027+.
With summer grilling season upon us, grab a few bottles of this, throw some steaks or chops on the grill, season liberally with pepper, and call it a day. You can thank me in the morning.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville