2014 and 2015 Vacqueyras: Quality and Value&nbsp;

BY JOSH RAYNOLDS | AUGUST 29, 2017Many of the best vineyards in Vacqueyras are situated on
the hillsides, where cooler and windier weather can make growing high-quality
Grenache a struggle - hence the planting of Syrah, which, as northern Rhône
fans know, performs well under such conditions. Grenache here tends to be
planted in warmer, lower sites around the village, where it can ripen more
consistently. While Grenache does make up the majority of most Vacqueyras blends,
Syrah and, to a lesser extent, Mourvèdre components imbue the wines with a
darker fruit - and often wild - character. Classic renditions of Vacqueyras are
usually deeper, more brooding wines than those from neighboring Gigondas and
even Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which typically depend more heavily on Grenache and
tend to show more of the red fruit and floral qualities associated with that
variety.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1503995469943-Vacqueyras+Meffre+2+COVER.jpg">Vacqueyras, MeffreMother Nature Throws
Curveballs Again in 2014After the difficult 2013 vintage, growers had their
collective fingers crossed that Mother Nature would give them a fairer shake in
2014. Unfortunately, she had other plans. Cold, damp weather in early 2014
delayed the flowering but the warm, dry spring that followed pushed ripeness
forward and created the potential for a healthy crop. Unfortunately,
temperatures dropped in June and heavy rains arrived - and stuck around - slowing
the vines’ growth dramatically. Conditions remained unseasonably cool well into
summer, not warming up to normal until the end of August, with occasional
rainfall remaining an issue. Fortunately, the late summer was benign and the harvest
kicked off in mid-September and continued, calmly, through the middle of
October.While acidity levels can be elevated in some ‘14s they
are rarely excessive. The freshness of most of these wines will make them accessible
on the early side but they also possess the requisite structure for aging
gracefully over the coming decade. Still, it’s the rare example that has the
concentration for long-term cellaring. Not to worry, though, because 2015 has
that covered.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1503995517414-Vacqueyras+skyline%2C+autumn+2016+copy.jpg"> Vacqueyras skyline, autumn 2016&nbsp;2015 Delivers the
GoodsIf anything could go wrong for Vacqueyras in 2015, it
didn’t, with the possible exception that some wines may be a bit high in
alcohol and low in acidity. A picture-perfect growing season began with an
early flowering and the weather stayed warm and dry - and sometimes hot - through
the growing season. Happily, the warm conditions were mitigated by mostly cool
nights during the summer, which allowed grape sugars to rise steadily while
preserving acidity levels. While it might be expedient to call 2015 a hot year,
those cool nights set the vintage apart from truly torrid growing seasons like
2007 and 2003, when the nights brought little or no relief to the vines. The harvest
went off without a hitch, with growers picking a healthy crop of clean, ripe
fruit at their leisure, with no disease or weather pressures to speed up or
delay picking.I am impressed by the consistency of 2015 Vacqueyras and
think that the wines will provide plenty of drinking pleasure, both for those
who enjoy drinking southern Rhône wines on the young side for their fruit and
for patient collectors as well. While most of these wines possess the tannic
structure to reward cellaring, I don’t find those tannins especially forbidding
because of the buffering effect of the abundant, sweet fruit that marks the
vintage. With a few exceptions, tannins will be a minor issue and nothing that
a bit of time in a decanter won’t resolve if you plan on popping corks over the
next few years.&nbsp;I tasted most of the wines covered in this article in
Vacqueyras in March and followed up with additional tastings in New York this
spring and summer.&nbsp; You
Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/northern-rhone-solid-14-reds-and-outstanding-15-whites-jul-2017">Northern Rhône: Solid ’14 Reds and Outstanding
’15 Whites</a>, Josh
Raynolds, July 2017<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/chateauneuf-du-pape-blanc-moving-out-of-the-shadows-jun-2017">Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc:
Moving Out of the Shadows,</a> Josh Raynolds, June 2017Multimedia:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/multimedia/josh-raynolds-on-2015-in-the-southern-rhone-jun-2017">Josh Raynolds on 2015 in the
Southern Rhône</a>, Josh Raynolds, June 2017Multimedia:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/multimedia/josh-raynolds-on-2015-in-the-northern-rhone-may-2017">Josh Raynolds on 2015 in the
Northern Rhône, </a>Josh Raynolds, May 2017Multimedia:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/multimedia/josh-raynolds-on-rhone-varietals-apr-2017">Josh Raynolds on Rhône Varietals</a>,
Josh Raynolds, April 2017Multimedia:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/multimedia/josh-raynolds-on-the-regions-of-the-rhone-apr-2017">Josh Raynolds on the Regions of
the Rhône,</a> Josh Raynolds, April 2017<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/2015-northern-rhones-outstanding-wines-for-the-long-haul-apr-2017">The 2015 Northern Rhônes:
Outstanding Wines for the Long Haul,</a> Josh Raynolds, April
2017
































































<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/2015-chateauneuf-du-pape-power-and-balance-mar-2017">2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Power
and Balance</a>, Josh Raynolds, March 2017

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