Get ready to unlock some rebellious flavour with this limited edition bottle from the ground-breaking charmers behind Les Dissidents!
This is one of the top wines made by our very good friends in Maison Ventenac. Made from their signature grape variety, Cabernet Franc, this is akin to some of the finest Loire Valley appellations, but at about two thirds of the price.
What's it about?
«La cuvée Paul est une cuvée de tendresse:la tendresse d'un terroir pour la vigne qui pousse, la tendresse de la terre cuite pour le vin qui s'affine, la tendresse des parents pour I'enfant qui grandit »
"Cuvée Paul is a cuvée of tenderness: the tenderness of a terroir for the growing of vines, the tenderness of the terracotta jars that the wine is refined in, the tenderness the parents would have for their growing infant" - Paul’s parents (who else?)
Made with 100% Cabernet Franc and classified as Vin de France, this wine is breaking all the rules as part of the Ramé family's exclusive, instinctive range of micro-cuvees and varietal wines. They've cocked a snoot to the conventional wine institutions with their unclassified French wine which belies their true philosophy of defying the norm in order to get their own version of the best that their land and grapes can produce.
And let's talk about the production process, folks! They're only yielding 30 hectoliters per hectare (which is very small for the south of France!) and fermenting with indigenous yeasts and bio-protection (using non-saccharomyces yeasts to avoid brettanomyces, of course...!). Fermentation is non-temperature-controlled and reaches a balmy 38 degrees, after which there is a 10-day maceration (skins in contact with the juice) that gently gets more phenolic matter and flavour into the wine; this is followed by malolactic fermentation and a really gentle aging for 3 months in a combination of the following vessels: 50% in 150 litre terracotta jars and the other 50% in 2000 litre, non-toasty, old oak barrels. These guys are really shaking things up. Very few makers in the south of France do it like this, if any at all. In so doing, they preserve amazing freshness and purity of fruit, but also get complexity and depth of texture into the bottle as well. It's a really smart feat.
Oh, and it's delicious.
A fascinating nose brimming with blackberry, blackcurrant and summer fruits that are gently perfumed with anise and eucalyptus flavours. The palate is bright and engaging and complete, showing lovely juicy cherries, balanced by medium tannins and a mouth-coating body. This is both highly enjoyable and approachable while being nuanced and seriously rewarding.
You will really want more than one glass of this one! The first wine made in the limited-edition Dissidents…
Region: Languedoc
Country: France
Grape(s): Cabernet Franc
Style: Vibrant, Svelte, Smooth, Silky, Pure, Organic, Mineral, Medium Full, Meditation, Juicy, Fruity, Fresh, Elegant, Complex, Broad, Bright, Balanced
Best food matches: Warm Salads, Venison, Veal, Tuna, Trout, Steak, Sausages, Roasts, Red Meats, Poultry, Mature Cheeses, Lamb, Hard Cheeses, Grills, Grilled Vegetables, Game, Fine Dining, Duck, Christmas Dinner, Cheeses, Charcuterie, Beef
Alcohol: 14%
