Domaine Plaisance Penavayre Le Rouge Fronton 2022

The Penavayre family has been in Vacquiers for generations, growing vines alongside animals and fruit trees. In 1971, Louis Penavayre, self-taught and stubborn in the best way, decided to go all in on wine. He converted the entire farm to vines. His son Marc got his engineering and oenology degrees in 1985, the same year they bottled their first estate wine.

When Marc took over in 1991, he grew the domaine to 16 hectares and started moving away from modern techniques. No fertilizers, no herbicides, just natural products, native yeasts, and a lot of attention to the vines. They went organic in 2006, certified in 2011. Marc also follows biodynamic principles, though he's not certified because paperwork is boring. His son Thibaut is now working with him, so the family tradition continues.

The vineyards sit on the highest terraces of the Tarn, at 220 metres, in the Fronton appellation. The soil is old, eroded clay, gravel, and pebbles with a high proportion of silica and quartz. Sparse, acidic, perfect for vines. It keeps yields low and quality high.

Now, about the wine... This blend is mostly Négrette with Syrah, Gamay, and Cabernet Franc thrown in because why not. Hand-picked from those higher altitude vineyards, all between 15 and 30 years old. Each variety fermented separately with native yeasts, then aged 18 months in underground concrete tanks. Unfined, unfiltered.

Dark coloured, smells like violet and raspberry and a little liquorice, and a very graphite-forward soul. Nice acidity, long finish. Only 4,000 bottles made. Drink it with anything grilled, anything cured, anything that's been cooked slowly and with love.