Domaine Moulin-la-Viguerie
TAVEL
If you don’t consider yourself a big fan of rosé, you might be forgiven for skipping over this entry. It’s all they make in Tavel, after all. But what is more important for a wine, its colour or its terroir? Luckily for Tavel, it’s the latter.
Gaël Petit of Moulin-la-Viguerie points out that Tavel was historically famous for making pale red wine, not rosé; there is no mention of colour on the labels of his Tavel, which pours the colour of a pale Pinot Noir. ‘Along the way, we forgot how to make wine,’ he says of Tavel. He’s starting again from scratch, and early signs are promising: his 2017, 2018 and 2019 are all complex, individual, food-friendly wines.
Petit is one of a growing band of lowintervention winemakers, including Domaine l’Anglore and Clos de Grillons, that are signalling a renaissance for Tavel. Rather than sticking rigidly to appellation rules, they let the land guide their winemaking decisions, resulting in some unforgettable wines. Sometimes being colour blind is a blessing.
Domaine Moulin-la-Viguerie, La Combe des Rieu, Tavel 2019 93
POA Vine Trail
Very dark, more a pale red than a rosé. Medium-bodied. Acidity is low but balanced. There’s a gentle tannic pull and a good sense of tension. Some length of black-cherry flavour, some underlying herbs like bay and juniper and a hint of whisky. A proper wine with real character and interest. Not sweet or confected like so many Tavels. Should age with interest too. Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan and Clairette, some co-planted, grown in the clay limestone soils of the Malaven valley. Handharvested, not destemmed, no fining or filtration. In organic conversion. Drink 2021-2025 Alc 14.5% ➢