The vines of Domaine le Couroulu

What are we willing to do to get our hands on the best wines from the best producers of a southern Rhone appellation in 2007? Almost anything. Including paying in advance (it seems producers are getting more and more concerned about late or non-payment these days!), and when necessary, taking a label other than the one that was presented to the press!

So when we tasted the astonishing 2007s from one of Vacqueyras’s superstars — a guy Robert Parker describes as the reference point for the appellation — we were ready to pull the trigger. The problem was that winegrower Guy Richard had an importer with whom he’d been working for a number of years and was uncomfortable giving both of the same label. No matter. We just told M. Richard, “Nous sommes concernes par le vin dans la bouteilles, pas l’etiquette sur la bouteille!” (”We’re interested in what’s in the bottle, not what’s on it!”)

Richard’s Domaine le Couroulu (our Domaine des Quatre Vents) is set in prime time Vacqueyras, on the rugged galets roules limestone plateau where we find all of the top wines of the appellation. But the Richard Vacqueyras is of a signature style: one that marries huge concentration with almost brooding, Chateauneuf-like complexity. Of course, in 2007, Richard blew the doors off, making a wine of such incredible richness that he was forced to go back almost three decades to find wines of comparable opulence and intensity.

This is southern Rhone wine of the very top echelon, a wine that speaks entirely of the enormous natural ripeness of the old vine Grenache, the long, spicy vibrancy of Mourvedre, and the sweetness of Syrah in this unbelievable, drawn-out growing season.

Tasting Notes

“One of Vacqueyras’ reference point estates, Domaine Le Couroulu is run by Guy Richard. The blockbuster 2007 Vacqueyras Cuvee Classique (60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, and 15% Mourvedre) boasts a dense ruby/purple color along with stunning notes of smoked herbs, licorice, creme de cassis, and kirsch. It possesses incredible purity and richness as well as mouthcoating flavor intensity. Consume it over the next 7-8 years.”
91-94 points– Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate