*Vintage may vary by location*

The Rasteau is a rich, full-bodied red wine with terrific concentration, and a silky texture. A small portion of this wine was aged in fûts neuf (new barrels), which add a touch of toast to the nose. Produced from Grenach, Syrah, and Mourvèdre grown in a variety of vineyard soils.

About this wine producer: As the technical director and head enologist at “Laboratoire Avignon Oenologie Conseil,” Xavier Vignon is the consulting winemaker at more than 300 estates, including most of the best-known domaines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In lieu of payment for his laboratory’s service, he sometimes accepts wine, which the micro-négociant company he established in 2002, “Xavier Vins,” uses to produce exceptional wines of the southern Rhône Valley. Originally a physical chemist, Xavier is particularly interested in how the spectrum of dissolved mineral salts in the groundwater of each vineyard, which varies from parcel to parcel, influences the expression of terroir in the grapes. “I’m a trained enologist,” he says. “I’ve examined wine down to the molecular level. Which, in the end, convinces me that what is most important are the vines, the depth of the roots, and the health and balance of the vineyard.”

• Grenache • Syrah • Mourvedre •