Château de Rouanne GSM 2018 Vinsobres, Rhône, France 75cl

Château de Rouanne is a historic estate in Vinsobres, taken in hand in 2019 by Louis Barruol, the owner and winemaker of the respected Château de Saint Cosme. Its medieval castle and stony hillside vineyards give the property a strong sense of place in the southern Rhône, and a new energy has flowed through the wines since the change of hands.

This is a classic southern Rhône blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, drawn from mature vines on the high Vinsobres slopes. The fruit is worked gently and raised largely in concrete, a choice that keeps the wine fresh and true to its site rather than layering on oak. Vinsobres was the first of the southern Rhône villages to be promoted to its own cru, a mark of the quality its altitude and soils can reach.

The 2018 growing season in the southern Rhône brought warm, ripe fruit balanced by cooler nights at altitude in Vinsobres. The result is a wine with generous body that still holds its line, in keeping with this cru’s reputation for structure among the Rhône villages.

Expect blackberry and black raspberry, peppery garrigue herbs and a floral lift, carried on a medium to full body with ripe, supple tannins and a long finish. Serve it at cool room temperature, and decant an hour ahead if you can. It drinks well now and should hold comfortably over the coming years. Try it with roast lamb, venison or a herb-crusted casserole.

If you enjoy Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Gigondas, Vinsobres offers a similar southern Rhône character at a friendlier price. This is a confident, food-friendly red for an unhurried dinner with people you like.