Alexandre Hote 'Cuvee Thomas' Tavel Rouge, 2021

From the winemaker:

grenache noir 70%
cinsault 30%

Cuvée from the “Thomas” plot located on the Plateau de Vallongue, a terroir of rolled pebbles on a clay-limestone base.

Manual harvesting in crates, vatting whole bunches, carbonic maceration, pressing, fermentation and aging on lees, sub-draw for bottling…

All the mechanical actions, transfer, pressing and bottling are carried out using equipment that does not require electricity, but a lot of elbow grease!!!
(vertical “ratchet” press, gravity action for transfers, a rudimentary “four spouts” for setting)

This wine with a persistent length on the palate reveals aromas of red fruits (particularly strawberry jam), with a very particular minerality...

This Tavel, unfiltered, unsulphurized, has a fairly high co2 rate allowing it protection against oxidation as well as a certain durability.

A few minutes are needed (or even decanting) to reveal all the subtleties of this natural wine.