La Pierre Noire AOC 2019

A red wine of noble, polished stature. The nose brings sloe, blackberry, crisp plum and cherry, beneath which lie flint, a touch of black olive and a herbal thread. Garnet red with slight transparency, dry, 15.0% vol.

The vines stand near Le Barroux at the foot of Mont Ventoux, on plots between 300 and 500 metres in altitude. Claude Bourguignon found up to six different rock layers here; the darker, stonier zones at higher elevations are reserved for syrah and grenache. The vines average over 40 years old, wild herbs grow between the rows, and hedges and fruit trees line the plots. The cool nights at 400 metres lend a freshness that is rare in the southern Rhône.

Around 85% grenache with syrah, from black rock and yields of just 15 hl/ha. Philippe Gimel does not separate his grapes by plot but by berry size: La Pierre Noire receives the very smallest berries, with a high proportion of stems. Fermentation is spontaneous, over 15 days, with stems and stalks; ageing takes place in concrete, enamel tanks and used foudres, for a total of 36 months.

The wine has the depth and body of ripe southern fruit, yet what stands out is its stony character and cool thread: iron, graphite, fermented cardamom and dark, unsweetened tobacco, along with firm tannin and a clear vein of acidity.

Gimel releases each wine only once he considers it ready; he puts this vintage's ageing potential at 20 years. His estate covers just over 16 hectares, of which 12.5 are under vine, with the rest woodland and orchard.