Domaine de Longue Toque
Lieu-dit ‘Les Ramières’ – Organic 2021

A dry winter followed by a particularly cool spring with an episode of unusual heat at the end of March which awakened the vines early. Early in the morning of April 8th, frost hit part of the vineyard. This cold snap slowed down the vegetative cycle and permitted the ripening process to resume a more normal schedule. In April, May and July, rainfall allowed the vineyards to spend a peaceful summer characterized by temperatures close to seasonal norms.

The vineyard lies near the southeastern-most limit of the Vacqueyras appellation, in the lieu-dit ‘Les Ramières’, rooted in the « safres » soil (compact sand) from the Miocene Period. This « safre », of marine origin, was deposited in this sector of the Rhône Valley by the sea around 20 million years ago.  At that time the Mediterranean sea filled this depression at the foot of the Alpine arc, the future Rhône Valley. The « safre » is made up of two substances :  compact sandstone interspersed with layers of calcareous marl that favour water retention and a constant humidity level. These very sandy soils never overheat and provides smooth tannins and a subtle, elegant structure to the wine.

The grapes were harvested by hand, the Syrah on the 23rd of Sept. and the Grenache on the 28th of Sept. Total destemming. Fermentation/maceration lasted 19 to 26 days with light pumping-overs that allowed the fine tannins to be extracted. The fermentation period revealed highly complex and elegant aromas.  The Grenache was aged in 3-year-old « demi-muids » (600lt barrels) and the Syrah was aged in 2-year-old classic barrels, both for 9 months. Bottling took place on the 19th July 2022. 3,374 bottles produced. Vegan friendly.