communal producer ownership

i am fond of southern rhone wines. single producers make their own wines (frequently with the help of a consultant), negociants buy grapes or must to make wine, and there are communal productions or labels owned by a group of wine growers. all are unique but hold true to grenache based wines, typically blended with lesser amounts of syrah and mourvedre. as i have come to know the villages, certain styles have come to become favorites- particularly vacqueyras and gigondas. the grower owned producer vigernons de caracter has a large number of wines they produce and represent an excellent value; thus, their products provide a wonderful opportunity to learn about the tastes of the region with typical wines of high quality at reasonable cost. many wines from this group of growers have been highly rated; i have tasted a number and enjoy them.

tonight's wine is CUVEE PRESTIGE VACQUEYRAS 2007, from vignerons de caractere. it was tasted last evening and retasted this evening about 24 hours after the bottle was opened, so the wine has "seen some oxygen." the wine is maroon, but shows no visible signs of oxidation. it has a nose of red fruit and spice, and tonight may have a bit of tobacco smoke as well as lavender and herbs. the taste of fruit is quite forward with ripe dark red cherries balanced by smoke and tannin on the finish. the wine is 70% grenache, 20% syrah, and 10% mourvedre. i suspect that the tannins will soften further when this is retasted tomorrow. i suspect this wine will improve with a bit of cellar age and should be quite good for 3 to 4 years.

this is a very nice wine and i would strongly recommend it, as well as multiple other wines from this producer. i do think that it is one of the top wines they make. it helps that 2007 was an exceptional year; i have had 2005 and 2006 from this producer and it is consistent year to year. i like to taste the land where the grapes were grown, this group and their wine maker generate wines which represent their terrior well. this wine, and the others from the producer, are readily available. my opinion is that this is one of the better offerings, but the entire portfolio is quite good so it is a safe bet at a great price.

and the importer says:

"Location : On the “plateau des Garrigues”, a tableland near the village of Vacqueyras (Vacqueyras means stone valley in French)
Size of the vineyard / Total Production (in cases) : 56 acres / 10,000 cases
Terroir : Clayey soil, ranging from sandy to pebbly.
Age of the vines : Around 45 years
Yields : 35 Hl/Ha – 2 T. per acre
Grape varieties : 70% Grenache - 25% Syrah - 5% Mourvèdre
Vinification : Crushed and whole grapes are combined and fermented together in vats. Carbonic maceration is also used. The application of these two methods, which differs from year to year, helps to achieve a well-balanced wine.
Winemaker : Serge Ollivier
Owner : Group of producers
Type of ageing : in concrete and stainless steel vats with early bottling (March-April) to “trap” the fruit."

i would note the slight discrepancy relative to the amounts of syrah and mourvedre, i have seen this on numerous wines from this region. regardless, i think they make a great product and strongly recommend them.

producer: www.vigneronsdecaractere.com
importer: www.terrisson-wines.com