Xavier Vignon : Cuvée Anonyme 2017

A great Châteauneuf-du-Pape from a unique blend

The estate

Xavier Vignon is an exceptional winemaker and has been considered for more than 20 years to be one of the greatest southern Rhône Valley wine specialists. Following his studies in œnology in Montpellier, Xavier Vignon worked at vineyards in France and in Australia. Enamoured of the Rhône Valley, he set up a œnology laboratory in 1996 in Vaucluse. Since 2016, Xavier Vignon has devoted himself to the creation of his own wines. Passionate about the great terroirs and grape varieties, Xavier Vignon makes and blends wines which set themselves apart by their unique style.

The vineyard

Anonyme by Xavier Vignon is a Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine which takes its name from a unique blend, from the "collection" vines, which produce several different grape varieties typical of the appellation. The 2017 vintage is the first to be certified Biological Agriculture.

Winemaking and blend

The very small harvests are a real challenge for producing the wine. Extraction is limited to conserve its elegance and finesse. Maceration over six weeks. Exceptionally, the pressed wine is not included in the final blend. This Rhône Valley wine is aged in an environment that is little oxydised, partly in barrels immersed in the same wine. The rest is aged in barrels that are little heated (5%), in big barrels (30%) but also in amphorae and wooden and concrete tapered vats.

Blend

Grenache, vaccarèse, counoise, mourvèdre, cinsault, terret noir and muscardin.

Characteristics and tasting tips for Anonyme 2017 from Xavier Vignon

Storage

This Rhône Valley wine can be laid down until about 2035.

To serve

For the best tasting, serve between 15 and 17°C.

Food and wine pairing

Duck in olive sauce or cep ravioli with foamed parsnip and crispy bacon would be wonderful pairings for this Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine.