Same River Twice Vin de France Rouge 2021 is a red wine from the beautiful, historic wine region of the Ventoux, near Gigondas and Vacqueyras. It’s a landscape of hills and mountain, wild Provençal herbs that perfume the air, pine woods, lavender, olive trees, vines, and beautiful light. The dry, sunny Mediterranean climate is perfect for growing grapes.

The wine is our fresh take on a classic blend of Grenache Noir with a touch of Syrah. 2021 was our kind of year, with less sunshine and heat than recent years other than 2018, more vegetal than sweet fruit, with some edgy tannins that needed longer ageing to soften and bright, pure, crunchy fruit. Happily, it has its own character. The wine is drinking beautifully upon bottling and will age 3-4 years and probably more.

Grenache provides the flesh, the strawberry and raspberry fruit and dash of herbes de provence, while Syrah provides the cool, mineral notes of blackberry and cassis. It’s bone dry, medium-bodied, with juicy acidity and supple tannins. It’s dry, medium-bodied, with lively acidity and juicy, smooth tannins. Clean and persistent, it presents youthful energy.

The vines are around 40 years old, sand are grown on poor, stony, clay-limestone soils. Organic after flowering, the vineyard is farmed for sustainability with minimal treatments and use of tractor.

The wine is made with a light of touch in enamel tank by native yeast, then aged in concrete tank for 18 months and bottled unfined, unfiltered. There are no additives, and no manipulations other than a light dose of sulfites.

The wine was bottled on May 9 2023, with a Diam Origine 5 cork, and without a capsule, both choices being for sustainability, to reduce the carbon footprint, and for the condition of the wine.

Alcohol 13.5%
SO2 Total 50 mg/L