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2023 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge
Selected by Kermit LynchOur relationship with the Leydier family in Beaumes-de-Venise goes back decades, to the late 1970s, when Kermit discovered their sublime Muscat after a visit to the village with Richard Olney. That sweet nectar was the lone bottling he imported from the family until 1999, when he showed up and, for the first time, they offered a taste of rouge from a foudre in their new cellar, recently carved out of the hillside. The Leydiers had owned and farmed vineyards of Grenache and Syrah for years, but they didn’t have space to do anything with the grapes, so they simply sold them to other producers in the village. It’s hard to believe now, twenty-five years later, because the Leydiers work wonders with the southern Rhône’s classic red varieties. Blending mostly Grenache and Syrah, along with a splash of Marselan and Merlot, this cuvée is their ultimate introduction to their corner of the Rhône called the Vaucluse. Fragrant and sneakily sophisticated, this country rouge teems with notes of black olive, iron, garrigue, and, in the background, dark fruit. Pair it with your favorite stew for a soulful feast.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2023 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 55% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Merlot, 10% Marselan |
Country: | France |
Region: | Southern Rhône |
Producer: | Selected by Kermit Lynch |
Winemaker: | The Leydier Family |
Vineyard: | 18 years, 3.5 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Wine ages for 8 months in cuves before being bottled unfiltered |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
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About The Producer
Selected by Kermit Lynch
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Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch