2020 Clos du Rouge Gorge Rouge Jeunes Vignes
VARIETAL: Grenache
REGION: Roussillon, FR
VITICULTURE: Organic
WINEMAKER: Cyril Fhal
"Cyril’s ‘young’ vines are 30 years old, planted in thin soils developed over upturned schist in a lieu-dit called Mont-Redon after the famous CNDP estate. Vinified in 500ltr wooden cuve for three months, and then aged in stainless steel for eight months, to capture the fruit and freshness, Cyril’s approach is one of extreme delicacy, producing a floral, finely tuned 100% grenache with a notable schisty, mineral print and very fine grained tannins, "An infusion of grapes, allowing an expression of the delicacy of the variety," says Cyril. Ripe, complex aromas of blackberry, black-cherry, citrus, violet, plum skin and earth. Intense fruit on the fresh, medium-bodied palate, with blackberry and tart black-cherry, licorice, meat and earth, silky texture with lively acidity and fabulous length. This teases and tantalizes the senses in the same way the wines of L'Anglore do." - Andrew Guard
Cyril Fhal's Clos du Rouge Gorge comes from the village of Latour-de-France whose schist and gneiss terroirs are some of the best in Roussillon. Cyril bought 5ha of old vineyards in 2002 (since when he has gradually added another 2.5ha) having previously worked with Mark Angéli and Charlie Foucault in the Loire, and then as the chef de cave of Mas Crémat in Roussillon. Right from the outset he chose to work outside the Roussillon-Villages appellation, as he believes that rules such as prescribing a minimum 30% syrah and/or mourvèdre make for wines that are contrary to the tradition, soil and climate of Roussillon.
Since he took over, Cyril has searched for a natural balance in the vineyard to help give finer and more complex expressions in his wines. To avoid soil compaction he uses no tractors, just a motorized hand-held cultivator and a horse to help with ploughing. He also sows leguminous plants between the rows of vines, rolling them and folding them back in the summer so that they act as a reserve of humidity, helping each vine to suffer less from the heat and keep enough freshness in its grapes, which is crucial as the village of Latour-de-France is known to have the driest non-irrigated vineyard in the world (an average of just 250mm of rain a year). The crux of viticulture for Cyril is observing the nature of each of his vines and their environment with a lot of attention and reacting according to their specific needs.