From: Vacqueyras, Southern Rhône Valley, France
Varietals: 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Carignan-Mourvèdre-Cinsault
Taste: The nose offers an aromatic framework on the power of black fruit with notes of blueberries, nuanced by plum, fig and sweet spices. The palate shows a good balance with a silky and intense substance with structuring tannins, for a finish that lingers with elegance.
Critical Acclaim: 93 pt Decanter. Showing some reduction for now, but there’s several months to rectify this before bottling. Medium-bodied, blackberry and redcurrant, this is very svelte and ripe but not excessive with beautifully balanced acidity and fine tannins. You feel the warmth of the year, but this is so much more refined than most Vacqueyras in 2019. Very drinkable, a big success this year.
Pairing: Vacqueyras pairs perfectly with herb-rich dishes, red meat, hearty stews, Daube of Beef. It also makes a cracking bbq wine when it's had a touch of age— though this exceptional 2019 Vacqueyras makes an amazing pairing to Korean BBQ with about 20-45 minutes in a decanter (or frankly, just open on the table) right now. For vegetarian pairings, go hearty and lean into winter squashes, mushroom-based dishes, and meals that lean on Mediterranean herbs and spices.
We’re doing a twist off of that Korean BBQ note above with our suggested recipe from Kay Chun, for Bulgogi Cheese Steaks! We haven’t had too much luck this season with shishito peppers, so we’d suggest going a little lighter on that ingredient, but if you’ve fared better, go for it!
About the Producer. In 1974, Serge Férigoule left winemaking school with a longing to return to the vineyards. He went to work for Monsieur Ricard’s family in 1979 to oversee the vineyards. Without a successor, Ricard decided to gamble by partnering with Serge.
In 1990, after Ricard’s retirement, Serge launched Le Sang des Cailloux. Vacqueyras had been awarded an A.O.C. that same year, a timely twist of fate that helped Serge’s wines become as celebrated as they deserve.
One glimpse of Serge Férigoule’s barbell moustache might be enough for one to be completely enamored with the wines of Le Sang des Cailloux. All of Serge’s seventeen hectares rest on the great Plateau des Garrigues, where red clay, limestone, and the famous galets roulés, or rounded stones, impart a terrific intensity and depth to the wines.
Overview of the wine. Vacqueyras, the village whose apt name translates as “Valley of the Stones” from the local dialect, celebrates its thirtieth anniversary as an official cru of the Rhône this year. Sang de Cailloux Floureto is one of the stock wines at this Vacqueyras vineyard in Southern Rhone. Each year, the Cuvée Traditionnelle of Le Sang des Cailloux is named for one of his daughters, Floureto, Doucinello and Azalaïs. 2019 is the turn of Floureto.