Syrah 'Les Aoutres' Domaine Arsac 2022
ArtisanalSyrah 'Les Aoutres' from the French winery Domaine Arsac is a juicy and spicy red wine perfect for accompanying meat dishes. The grapes used to make this label are selected by hand and vinified with only indigenous yeasts, while the wine is matured for 6 months in wood and a further 6 months in cement. The intense ruby red colour introduces notes of ripe red fruit and black pepper. The palate is juicy, soft, elegant and long
Dimitri and Sebastien Arsac, sons of Joël, represent today the fourth generation of winemakers, even though the company with this name was founded by them in 2014. The winery is located in Ardeche: a region certainly far from the limelight, but absolutely precious, nestled between the Rhône Valley to the southeast and the Massif Central to the northwest, and boasting rather prestigious neighbors, such as the appellations Saint-Joseph and Chateauneuf du Pape. Domaine Arsac cultivates in this territory 15 hectares of vineyards scattered across various hilly plots, distributed at an altitude of about 400 meters above sea level. Work in the vineyard is done with the help of horses and without the use of any synthetic chemicals, following a biodynamic approach and organic certification.
On the slopes of an ancient volcano, Syrah grapes are grown from vines over 40 years old, with which Domaine Arsac produces its own "Les Aoutres": these are clay-limestone soils, with a strong basalt component that is reflected in the glass in a characteristic and unmistakable freshness. The harvest is naturally done by hand, and fermentation occurs spontaneously through the indigenous yeasts, inside concrete eggs. 90% of the mass continues in these containers with a long maceration on the skins with gentle daily pressing, while the remaining 10% matures for about 6 months in used 600-liter wooden barrels. At the end of this period, this part is blended with the rest, and after a couple of months, the finished wine is bottled without undergoing any invasive clarification, but simply decanted through gravity.
The appearance of “Les Aoutres” from Domaine Arsac is striking: a beautiful deep purple red. Notable and immediate are the evocative scents of its volcanic, mineral, and basaltic parts; but the nose is especially captivated by notes of dark berries, cherry, and a warm load of spices. The tasting presents itself characterized by the announced and very pleasant freshness, which builds a nice balance with the power and