2015 Xavier Vignon Arcane XIX Le Soleil (750ml)

Grenache from Côtes du Rhône, Rhône, France

B-21 Top Recommendation
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Regular readers of these pages are no stranger to the stunning wines being produced by Xavier Vignon. Xavier has established a flawless reputation working with such luminaries as Marcoux, Grand Veneur, Raymond Usseglio and others. Through these relationships, he has gained access to incredibly pristine parcels of very old vine plantings across the valley where he works with centenarian vines of Grenache and Syrah as well as 75-85 year old plots of multiple other varieties.

The blend for the Soliel – 80% Grenache from 100 year vines, 10% Mourvedre from 80 year old vines, and 10% Syrah from 50 year old vines with yields very low; one bottle per vine. Terroir selection is based on mineral salt concentration and density in vineyards from nine villages. Xavier is looking for freshness through both altitude and exposure. Seems he found it. Ridiculous bargain.

This beauty is a ridiculous bargain. I have blind tasted colleagues on this several times, after a tasting through a line up of wines they peddle – honestly to break the monotony. Their blind responses are reasonable. The aromatics say CDP, specifically – recalls the serious terroir east of town, very La Cras-like. Gorgeous wine. Of course I press the pros for a price range – $40-$50 range the consensus. They are basically spot on.

Maybe the best Cotes du Rhone Villages that you have ever tasted too.

94WA

94RAS

93JD

The 2015 Cotes du Rhone Villages Arcane XVIII Le Soleil is youthfully dark in color and fruit-forward, but it also shows softening, silky tannins. It's full bodied but not overblown, with a sensationally seductive mouthfeel. Black cherries define the fruit, joined by hints of dark chocolate and enough garrigue to give it a seriously savory character despite the fruit. This is an old-vine blend of 80% Grenache with 10% each Syrah and Mourvèdre, aged 15 months in one-third new oak, the rest in concrete or foudre. Maybe the best Côte du Rhône Villages I've ever tasted, it looks to have the stuffing to go another 10 years.

94 points, Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate (Issue # 233 - Oct 2017)

Coming from 100-year-old Grenache vines (there’s 10% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre in the blend) mostly in the northern part of the Southern Rhône, the 2015 Côtes du Rhône Villages Arcane le Soleil saw 15 months in one-third each of new barrels, concrete tanks, and stainless-steel tanks. This inky colored beauty offers a terrific perfume of blueberries, scorched earth, graphite, and crushed violets. Deep, full-bodied, incredibly pure, and elegant, with silky tannin, it’s a sensational Côtes du Rhône that’s better than most Chateauneuf du Pape in the vintage. It will be better in another year or two and keep for 8-10 years.

93+ points, Jeb Dunnuck (Feb 2018)

Alcohol By Volume: 15.0%

#FRXVAR15BE

$26.99

This item is a pre-order estimated to arrive 9/5/2024. 60+ bottles available.

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