Domaine de Longue Toque

Vacqueyras

Appellation d'origine protégée

Of the 28ha of vineyards, 6ha are in the AOP Vacqueyras. The different plots are spread out between Sarrians and Vacqueyras, on two distinctive terroirs producing elegant & structured wines.

2016

description_recompenses

After a particularly mild and dry winter, the spring without frost or hail, helped the basements to make good water reserves before the arrival of the sun, which was very hot that summer. These conditions allowed optimum fruit growth. The rain fell in late August and was miraculous just before the harvest. This water supply resulted in a perfectly balanced maturity. So, this year again, the 2016 vintage is very qualitative particularly for southern appellations.

Rewards

93 pts Vinous

92 pts Jeb Dunnuck

90 pts Robert Parker Wine Advocate

91 Wine Spectator

****(*) Drink Rhone

John Livingstone-Learmonth

Coup La Revue du Vin de France

de Coeur

Vacqueyras

Vintage

2016

Grape Varieties:

50% Grenache - 50% Syrah

Terroir:

The grapes come from gentle slopes, made of safres and Miocene marls, covered with colluvium. A part of syrah grapes are from the alluvial terrace of the "Garrigues Sud", covered with pebbles from the Quaternary period, on the western side of the appellation. These natural elements bring balance and finesse of tannins as well as a complex aromatic range going from raspberry to violet through spicy touches of licorice and white pepper.

Winemaking:

Harvest of Syrah grapes from 7th September and Grenache grapes from 20th September. In 2016, the exceptional ripeness of the grapes, allowed a very gentle extraction of tannins, such as a smooth infusion. The perfect control of the temperatures (25/26°C) during the fermentation and maceration (28 days) phases highlighted remarkably elegant red fruit aromas. Aged 11 month in vats.

Bottled on 24th August 2017 -15 840 bottles and 409 magnums produced.

ABV: 15%. Vegan Friendly.

Tasting notes:

"Vivid ruby. Expansive red berry liqueur and cherry aromas are complicated by suggestions of Asian spices, incense and garrigue. Sappy and alluringly sweet, offering juicy black raspberry, cola and lavender pastille flavors that deepen with air while maintaining vivacity. Supple, well-knit tannins build slowly on an impressively long, sharply delineated finish that leaves behind suave spicecake and Chambord notes." Josh Raynolds - Vinous - Nov 2018