Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux, Cuvée Floureto, Vacqueyras, Rhone Valley, France, 2019 (Biodynamic)

About the Producer
In 1974, Serge Férigoule left winemaking school with a longing to return to the vineyards. He went to work for Monsieur Ricard’s family in 1979 to oversee the vineyards. Without a successor, Ricard decided to gamble by partnering with Serge.

In 1990, after Ricard’s retirement, Serge launched Le Sang des Cailloux. Vacqueyras had been awarded an A.O.C. that same year, a timely twist of fate that helped Serge’s wines become as celebrated as they deserve. 

One glimpse of Serge Férigoule’s barbell moustache might be enough for one to be completely enamored with the wines of Le Sang des Cailloux. All of Serge’s seventeen hectares rest on the great Plateau des Garrigues, where red clay, limestone, and the famous galets roulés, or rounded stones, impart a terrific intensity and depth to the wines.

Overview of the Wine
Vacqueyras, the village whose apt name translates as “Valley of the Stones” from the local dialect, celebrates its thirtieth anniversary as an official cru of the Rhône this year.

Sang de Cailloux Floureto is one of the stock wines at this Vacqueyras vineyard in Southern Rhone. Each year, the Cuvée Traditionnelle of Le Sang des Cailloux is named for one of his daughters, Floureto, Doucinello and Azalaïs. 2019 is the turn of Floureto.

Certifications
Biodynamic, Biodyvin, Agriculture Biologique

Grape / Blend
70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Carignan-Mourvèdre-Cinsault

Soil: Clay, Limestone, with Galets Roulés
Aging: Wine is raised for a minimum of 6 months in foudre

Origin
Vacqueyras, Rhône Valley, France

Details
Alcohol 14%

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
The nose offers an aromatic framework on the power of black fruit with notes of blueberries, nuanced by plum, fig and sweet spices. The palate shows a good balance with a silky and intense substance with structuring tannins, for a finish that lingers with elegance.

93 Points - Decanter
Showing some reduction for now, but there’s several months to rectify this before bottling. Medium-bodied, blackberry and redcurrant, this is very svelte and ripe but not excessive with beautifully balanced acidity and fine tannins. You feel the warmth of the year, but this is so much more refined than most Vacqueyras in 2019. Very drinkable, a big success this year.

Product size: 750ml