2009 Domaine La Garrigue Vacqueyras
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Always a solid wine, the 2009 Domaine La Garrigue Vacqueyras (80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, and 5% Cinsault aged all in concrete) delivers a textbook array of sweet red fruits, garrigue, red licorice, and flowers on the nose, with notable complexity and excellent freshness. Oozing Provencal character, with a medium-bodied, fresh, focused texture, good acidity, and loads of pure fruit, this outstanding Vacqueyras can be consumed now, or cellared for 5-8 years.
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Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
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The 2009 Vacqueyras (70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre and 5% Cinsault) exhibits a dark plum/ruby color, serious density and concentration and classic Provencal aromatic and flavor profiles of garrigue, licorice, kirsch, blacker fruits and hints of earth and truffles. One of the three lots that will go into this wine showed some oak, which does not make sense given the fact that the wine is aged in cement. Perhaps its sappy character was from the old vines. Domaine La Garrigue’s Vacqueyras have a very impressive track record for aging up to 10 years, so I don’t think there will be any problem as they are loaded with density and extract and have good serious structure without being astringent or overbearing. (Not yet released) Maxime Bernard, the president of the Syndicate of Vignerons in Vacqueyras, is also the conscientious proprietor of Domaine La Garrigue, one of the largest family-owned estates (90 acres) in Vacqueyras. This family also owns the charming Provencal restaurant called Les Florets in Gigondas. Bernard tends to keep his wine in foudre and cement tanks much longer than the selections done by his American importer reflect. Consequently, those of us in the USA tend to get the wine bottled earlier when it is more powerful and rich in fruit than purchasers elsewhere in the world. His 2009s look sensational. The Bernard family owns approximately 8 acres in Gigondas, all 60-80 years of age. Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565
Dark crimson. Another wine whose sample seems a bit tired and volatile. Very sweet start – almost like ruby port – and then a lot of alcohol and, finally, fairly dry tannin. Fairly sucks the saliva off the palate! (JR)