Château de Rouanne - "Vinsobres" AOP Vinsobres - red - 2018 Château de Rouanne – Red 2018 Vinsobres 50% Grenache - 40% Syrah – 10% Mourvèdre Pliocene marl and limestone Average vine age 50, farmed organically Traditional co-fermentation in concrete tanks. Wild ferments. 18 months’ ageing in tanks. The 2018 Château de Rouanne Vinsobres is a co-fermentation of our old vine Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah. Most of Rouanne’s vineyards date from the 1960s - the massal selections offer substantial genetic diversity and low yields. The intensity and soul displayed by the wines from these vineyards are outstanding. The 2018 contains wine from only the finest part of our hillside, namely the ‘middle’, akin to the Côte de Nuits, where the finest growths are always located halfway up the hillside. Instantly acclaimed by the French, British and American press, this first Vinsobres will act as a benchmark – it is the starting point of our story. Behind every bottle of wine is a bond between a person, a family and a place. Château de Rouanne is an extraordinary place in many respects, primarily for its terroir. Very few locations in the southern Rhone can boast vineyard sites of this pedigree, on this scale and with such consistency at a high level. Offering you a very finely tuned ‘translation’ of this site will be one of my main concerns over the next few years. To achieve my mission, I can count on the commitment of my staff with whom I share a challenge, and that is to restore Rouanne’s innermost identity and beauty. The 2018 vintage only goes to prove once again the ability of Rouanne’s vineyards to naturally overcome the challenges thrown up by the vintage: this disposition in some ways reminds me of Hominis Fides. I ask that you be attentive and patient: Rouanne’s wines age very well and are disconcertingly robust. Setting a few bottles aside will provide a good source of learning