Vacqueyras: the 2018 vintage

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There are some appellations that just ooze sunshine and steep terraces… Vacqueyras, an appellation straight from the Rhone Valley vineyards, is one of them. Focus on the 2018 vintage.

The Vacqueyras appellation

Vacqueyras is a Rhône Valley appellation, located in the Côtes du Rhône region. The first vines are thought to have been planted in Vacqueyras in the Middle Ages. However, the vineyards of the Rhône Valley owe their origins to the Romans, who gave Vacqueyras its current name by calling its terroir the Valléa Quadreria (Valley of Stones). First registered under the generic appellation Côtes du Rhône in 1937, the Vacqueyras appellation was later classified as Côtes du Rhône Villages, before obtaining its own local appellation from the INAO in 1990. The vineyards of the Vacqueyras appellation extend over some 1452 hectares, between the Vaucluse communes of Vacqueyras and Sarrians. The vines benefit from a very favorable Mediterranean climate and are planted on sandy soils to the east and stony, terraced soils to the west. This diversity of soils and terroirs allows us to develop a beautiful aromatic richness, and to obtain powerful wines with an assertive character, while retaining a certain freshness and finesse that is specific to them. The majority of the appellation’s red wines (94% of production) are made from Grenache Noir, Syrah and Mourvèdre. There are also a few white wines (5% of production) made from clairette, grenache blanc, bourboulenc, roussanne, marsanne and viognier, and rosé wines (only 1%) made from grenache, mourvèdre and cinsaut.

The 2018 vintage

2018 has not been a very easy year to manage in terms of weather conditions. Record rainfall was recorded at the start of winter, followed by relatively mild weather in January and February. In the spring, rain was again a consequence, which may have encouraged the development of diseases such as mildew. From mid-April onwards, temperatures soared, giving way to a very dry, hot summer.

As for the wines, the vintages in all three colors are of the highest quality. In red, the nose is expressive and complex, with notes of stone fruit, spices and garrigue. The palate is round and well-balanced, with a beautiful solar power on notes of spices and rosemary. The white wines from the 2018 harvest offer an intense nose with aromas of acacia and hawthorn and a palate with notes of citrus and pear. The rosés, meanwhile, are greedy and fruity, with notes of raspberries, blackberries and other red fruits, and a hint of pink pepper on the finish. A 2018 Vacqueyras red, after a few years of cellaring, will go well with lamb or cod with chorizo, while a white will make a fine ally with pork filet mignon with apricots, and a rosé will suit Provencal dishes like ratatouille or pissaladière.

Photo : Fontaine du Clos