Famille Perrin : L'Argnée - Vieilles Vignes 2023

Characteristics and Tasting Notes of L'Argnée - Vieilles Vignes 2023 by Famille Perrin

Tasting

Colour
The wine displays a beautiful garnet hue, both clear and brilliant.

Nose
Complex and indulgent, the bouquet opens with spicy aromas of black, green and pink peppercorns, underscored by a delicate touch of liquorice. With aeration, notes of wild berries, garrigue, tobacco and leather enrich this aromatic palette.

Palate
The palate charms with its delicacy and silky texture. Juicy, with velvety tannins, it reveals flavours of cinnamon and liquorice. There is perfect balance between the richness of the fruit and a lovely freshness, stretching into a long, penetrating finish with spicy accents.

Food and Wine Pairing

This red wine will pair beautifully with flavourful yet delicate meats, such as a veal chop with morels or a crispy breast of lamb.

Serving and Cellaring

To fully appreciate this Gigondas 2023, serve it at a temperature of around 16°C. Approachable in its youth, it also has the structure needed to develop in the cellar until around 2030.

The Elegance and Aromatic Complexity of a Great Gigondas

The Estate

The modern history of the Famille Perrin began in 1909, when Pierre Tramier acquired Château de Beaucastel. Located in the southern Rhône Valley, the estate now covers more than 300 hectares. A pioneer of organic and biodynamic viticulture since the 1950s, the domaine is renowned worldwide for its excellence. Now led by the fifth generation, represented by Marc, Pierre and Thomas Perrin, the family upholds a hands-on approach and a deep respect for terroir, crafting wines that masterfully combine power and finesse.

The Vineyard

The terroir behind this Gigondas lies mid-slope, west of the village, between the plain and the Dentelles de Montmirail. Benefiting from a north-westerly exposure and a cool breeze, the vines thrive on limestone, marl and clay soils with a high proportion of safre. This plot is home to very old, pre-phylloxera Grenache vines planted on sand and farmed organically, bringing a freshness and finesse rarely found in the appellation.

The Vintage

The year was marked by sharp climatic contrasts. A mild winter gave way to a rainy spring, followed by a summer that alternated between hailstorms and periods of drought. Despite these challenges, conditions produced grapes of great quality, with excellent phenolic ripeness and good sugar concentration.

Winemaking and Ageing

The grapes for this Gigondas 2023 were harvested by hand, followed by a rigorous berry sorting. After crushing and vatting, long macerations were carried out with gentle extraction through manual punch-downs to soften the tannins. Following malolactic fermentation and blending, the wine was aged for around a year in large oak foudres and wooden truncated-cone vats, preserving the vibrancy of the fruit.

Grape Varieties

This wine is made predominantly from Grenache, complemented by a touch of Syrah.