Vieilles Vignes

Vieilles Vignes is the old-vine red of Clos du Rouge Gorge, Cyril Fhal's estate, from the slopes around Latour-de-France in the Agly valley.

For the 2021, the merchant Sip Wines gives 95% Carignan and 5% Grenache, from vines 70 to 100 years old on steep terraces at 250 to 350 metres, in schist, gneiss and granite. Les Passionnés du Vin, writing about the 2022, describes century-old vines on schist and marl slopes with granitic sand.

Sip Wines describes hand picking, partly whole bunches, native yeasts and a gentle, infusion-style maceration. The 2021 then spent about ten months in a mix of recent 500-litre barrels and older barriques, and went to bottle unfined and unfiltered with very little sulphur. For the 2022, Les Passionnés du Vin gives twelve months in 500 and 600 litre casks followed by six in tank.

The 2021 came to 3,915 bottles, each one numbered.