Les Annees Folles "La Retro" Vin Rouge, 2022, 1L

Description

La Rétro has been in the works for a few years after tasting some experimental cuvées with Jean-Marc Lafage. Years ago, his father and grandfather sold most of their grapes to the local cooperative to be made into vin doux. After these grapes had been picked, his extended family would gather together to harvest those parcels that never quite reached the maturity levels required to sell them profitably. These sites were out of the way, sheltered, inauspiciously situated, and slow to ripen. And the style of wine made from them was satisfying, moderate in alcohol, light in body, and with a juicy fruit expression that perfectly suited family meals and everyday drinking. This was when wine was less of a lifestyle and more an integral part of a well-balanced life.

Made mainly from Grenache (60%), La Rétro includes a healthy portion of Carignan (30%), a little Grenache Gris (7%), and a touch of Lledoner Pelut(3%). As the grapes are picked and brought to the cellar, they are lightly crushed and placed whole-cluster into a fermentation vat for a short spontaneous fermentation with minimal extraction. After pressing, it is kept in tank until bottling. This is just how Jean-Marc’s father and grandfather made wines for their family a half century ago.