Dom. Pique-Basse Cotes du Rhone Villages Au Cœur du Ventabren 2011

This cuvée is produced with grapes from a single plot of syrah planted in 1975 in the foothills of the Ventabren massif in a zone known as "Croix de Cornu". The clay soil is made up of yellow and white marlstone which naturally gives a low yield of 30 hectoliters per hectare. The location and orientation of this terroir, situated at an altitude of 320m, tend to give rise to a late harvest.

The grapes are handpicked and de-stemmed before vatting. The maceration in cement vats lasts 35 days and fermentation occurs thanks to the yeasts naturally present in the grapes. Occasional pumping over and cap punching is performed to extract the phenolic compounds as delicately as possible. The wine is then matured in large barrels for 14 months before being bottled at one sitting, without filtration or clarification.

This wine stands out by its freshness and good length on the palate. It has a dark, almost black color, with blood-red flecks. The bouquet opens with smoky notes of black pepper and pale tobacco before developing mineral and woody aromas. Its spicy length on the palate is perfectly complemented by the freshness of the smooth, taut, and tight-knit tannins. Drinking beautifully with some age, pair it with duck, game and meat served in wine-based sauces or blue cheese.