2021 Vacqueyras Cuvée Azalaïs

Le Sang des Cailloix, a biodynamically certified family estate, covers 15 hectares of vineyard in Vacqueyras, of which two are used to cultivate white grapes. All vines originate from the warm and arid Plateau des Garrigues, leading to naturally reduced yields. Frédéri Férigoule is in the driver’s seat here, although his father, Serge, regularly helps out and even made a brief appearance during our tasting. Leaving school at 15 years old, Frédéri Férigoule is pretty much self-taught and gained his winemaking skills from working with his father and in other regions, such as the Loire Valley. He is usually one of the earliest wineries in Vacqueyras to harvest, intending to craft fresh and balanced wines rather than look for perfect phenolic ripeness and obtaining much higher alcoholic degrees. Early harvest is also the reason why Férigoule usually doesn’t practice whole cluster fermentations, to avoid extracting unripe tannins. The winery’s portfolio comprises one white Vacqueyras labeled Un Sang Blanc, an almost equally proportioned blend of Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier. The 2021 vintage is expressive, showing pretty floral notes mingling with green, citrus and stone fruit aromas. The primary red Vacqueyras cuvée changes name each vintage, switching between the Férigoules sisters’ names Azalaïs, Doucinello and Floureto. A blend of Grenache and Syrah with small additions of Mourvèdre, Cinsaut, Carignan and Counoise, it ages around ten months in old oak foudres after fermentation. The smaller-scale cuvée Lopy carries the same name each year, using about 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah. It is generally well-crafted, showing good concentration, balance and structure, with the 2020 vintage a real stand-out. The grapes for this cuvée are usually harvested last, so Férigoule sometimes diverges from his regular destemming practice and uses at least partial whole bunches for fermentation. Overall, Férigoules wines impart excellent structure and freshness with an underlying nervy tension, making those wines even more interesting.