From: Southern Rhone, France
Blend: 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah
Taste: Two key words sum up this wine: finesse and elegance. Acha’s (Anne-Charlotte) north-facing vineyards that sit on sandy soils and ripen later plus her style that leans in on finesse and elegance feels like a match made in heaven for this vintage. Featuring bright, spicy red-fruit aromas, this is an exciting wine just to smell. Add in flavors of raspberry and cream, a lush texture, ample weight and a long-spice-driven finish, and you've got the whole package: it offers an easygoing mouthful of fruit, rewarding early consumption and is definitely a great match with casual BBQ fare.
Pairing: Pair with BBQ like pulled pork (check out the recipe below for Pulled Pork Sandwiches), BBQ chicken, Kalbi, BBQ ribs, homemade burgers, takeout tacos, dishes that feature Asian five-spice, sausages with grilled pineapple, pasta with ragù or pizza.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
By Melissa Clark
About. Located at one of the highest points in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château Font du Loup, which translates to ‘fountain of the wolves’, is named after the natural springs in the area where the wolves would come to drink.
Font du Loup has been in the Melia family since 1942 and is now run by the charming Anne-Charlotte Melia-Bachas and husband Laurent. Font du Loup has roughly 20 hectares (organically farmed – although not certified), including holdings in the La Crau vineyards, and is planted on mostly sandy soil with vines that reach 100 years old. It is located in one of the coolest appellation places with slow ripening of the grapes. The wines are made in an elegant, pure, pretty style and are as warm and inviting as the good Anne-Charlotte and Laurent.
Font du Loup is quite unique in that their vineyards are on north-facing slopes and the soils have a high percentage of sand. These north-facing, sandy plots tend to ripen more slowly. As such, they harvest on average two weeks later than other estates. This results in wines that are more complex, aromatic, and contain less alcohol. The style here is towards elegance and finesse rather than power and extraction. For us, their style adds a refreshing change of pace to a region whose wines have become a touch heavy.
Southern Rhône 2021 vintage report
By the Editorial Staff, Berry Bros & Rudd