By Domaine de l'Espigouette
Vielles Vignes 2018 Single Vineyard

Wine Details
Origin: Rhone Valley, France
Appellation: Cotes du Rhone
Blend: 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre
Average Vine Age: 50- to 100-year-old vines planted in flint soils
Yield: 20h/ha
Farming: Sustainable
Winemaking: Over 21-days of daily pump-over and batonnage
Aging: 12-18 months

Vineyard
Domaine de l'Espigouette's Vieilles Vignes comes from a 9-hectare vineyard located in Violes, in the heart of the Southern Rhone. Created from the succession of three generations, Domaine de l'Espigouette Cotes du Rhone is largely produced from old vines, some of which are over eighty years old.

Tasting Notes
The wine has a beautiful cherry red color with purplish reflections. Clear and brilliant. The nose is immediately greedy, flattering, generous. Crunchy red berries dominate. The mouth does not disappoint; it is supple and delicious. It has a beautiful continuity with the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with a balanced, long finish. A wine of immediate pleasure to be enjoyed with summer cooking, filet mignon with prunes, or a shoulder of lamb in herb juice.

Vintage
The 2018 Southern Rhone vintage enjoyed a very hot and dry summer, resulting in juicy, generous reds and whites with outstanding outcomes. Domaine de l'Espigouette's wines are structured and age-worthy.

Terroir
Domaine de l'Espigouette carefully works the vineyard according to the climatic characteristics of the vintage and different terroirs. The multiplicity of soils brings complexity to different wines of the area. The rollers provide rich, bold wines, while sandy and clay soils provide elegance, finesse, and depth. The average age of vines is 50+ years for the Cotes du Rhone. The vineyards are harvested when they have reached maximum ripeness for the best concentration of fruit, and they are carefully sorted before harvest.

History
Domaine de l'Espigouette is an organically grown vineyard in the Rhone Valley of France that has been family-run for four generations. The estate is currently run by Bernard Latour, his wife, and his two sons Julian and Emilien. They carefully work the vineyard according to the climatic characteristics of the vintage and different terroirs.
[Information provided by Serge Dore Selections]

DOMAINE DE L'ESPIGOUETTE Cotes du Rhone 'Vieilles Vignes' 2018
Rating: 92
Value: $45
Drink: 2021-2028
Country: France
Region: Rhone Valley
Appellation: Cotes du Rhone
Editor: J. D'Angelo
Issue: December, 2020
Importer: Serge Dore Selections
The 2018 Cotes du Rhone is a fantastic showing from Domaine de L'espigouette. Inviting aromas of cherries and black raspberries along with spices, crushed violets and minerals all take shape beautifully in the glass. On the palate this is medium to full-bodied and nicely balanced with a gorgeous round texture, which glides into the finish. Overall this is a lovely Cotes du Rhone Villages to approach now or allow a few more years in the cellar.