Laurent Vaillé was a true wine pioneer, and when he passed in 2021 the world of wine lost someone very special. The usual line on him was that he achieved "cult status" in the Languedoc. And that is true, but it hardly does justice to his accomplishments.His wildly elegant wines helped pave the way for a whole new appellation, Terrasses du Larzac, which today makes some of our very favorite Languedoc wines. 30+ years after he founded his domaine in an isolated corner of France his delicious wines are more than just culty curios -- they are the model a whole generation of winemakers aspires to.He learned at the hands of masters, training with Jean-François Coche-Dury and Gerard Chave. But the vision could only have been his. And what a vision! In a land that was known for producing bulk wine he saw a mix of soils (limestone and glacial scree), wild garrigues and exposition that could make great wine.And he set out to make it. He grubbed up old vines and cleared new limestone sites. He planted top quality fruit (including Syrah from Chave and Cabernet from Trévallon). He farmed traditionally and kept yields super-low.The wines were inspired in part by earlier Languedoc stars including Trévallon and Mas de Daumas Gassac, and there are some echoes -- pretty fruit, fresh herbaceous notes. But Vaillé's wines have a personality of their own: perhaps a little less polished than Mas de Daumas can feel; a little wilder than Trévallon. They always have an internal elegance. In the words of long-time importer Kermit Lynch, they exhibit "simultaneous restraint and power." They are special, beautifully long-lived wines.
What importer Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant has to say about this wine...
Blend:40% Syrah, 40% Mourvèdre, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% CounoiseAppellation:Pays d’HéraultCountry:FranceRegion: Languedoc-RoussillonProducer: Grange des PèresWinemaker:Laurent VailléVineyard:15 - 20 years; 9 haSoil:Glacial scree, LimestoneFarming: TraditionalAlcohol: 14.5%
Details
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Grape Variety
Cabernet Sauvignon , Mourvedre , Red Blend , Syrah
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Vintage
2021
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Size
750ml
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Farming Practice
Traditional
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Style
Earthy , Minerally
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Sweetness
Dry
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Body
Full Bodied