Domaine de la Charbonniere Vacqueyras 2020 – 750ml Terroir

93pts Jeb Dunnuck

The Maret family is known for the top Châteauneuf du Pape, but they also make some brilliant Vacqueyras. Their 2020 Vacqueyras is a 60/40 split of Grenache and Syrah, and it has lots of darker fruits and peppery herb aromatics to go with a medium to full-bodied profile on the palate. This is a lively, elegant vintage for the Southern Rhône, and it shows in this wine’s elegance and freshness. (91-93pts)

Winemaker Notes

A blend of Grenache, Syrah

Opulent notes of dark cherries, raspberries, and dried herbs . The mouth is utterly elegant with beautiful length driven by black berries and licorice.

Winery Notes

It was in 1912 that Eugene Maret bought Domaine de la Charbonniere as a gift for his wife who was a native of Chateauneuf and the daughter of a winemaker. Their son Fernand Maret inherited a part of the Domaine and enlarged it upon the birth of his son Michel.

Today Michel Maret had over 16 hectares of vineyards located in the high plateaux of Les Brusquieres and La Crau both covered with the famous cailloux roulets and at Mourre des Perdix, sandy soil dotted with larger stones.

The passion and know-how of the winemaker, handpicking of the fruit, and careful sorting at the winery enable Michel Maret to optimize all the promise of a great terrior.

The vinification at the Domaine follows the classic style: no destemming, and three weeks fermentation in stainless steel vats, after which the wine is aged in large oak fourdes for 12-18 months.