Red wines of the appellation Rasteau 

The history of the vineyard of Rasteau

The history of the Rasteau vineyard goes back to Roman times, but it was not until the 11th century that it really began to be exploited, at least partially, by the Catholic Church, which made it its main supplier of wine.
It was only in 1944, after many ups and downs, that the commune of Rasteau was recognized as an "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée" for its Natural Sweet Wines. Rasteau then benefits from a reputation based on a strong human collective, sharing its know-how, and this is translated, in 2010, by the recognition of red wines in Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée "Rasteau".

Rasteau and its terroir 

Rasteau, with its terroir of character, creates wines with a strong personality. Still red wines represent 98% of the production of Rasteau. They are heady wines with an excellent tannic structure, characterized by a good aptitude for aging. Generally, the red wines of AOC Rasteau are rich in alcohol, with a lot of fatness and power, a beautiful aromatic richness and a tannic structure that guarantees an excellent potential for aging.
Located on the slopes of the Baronnies mountains, Rasteau benefits from a terroir with perfect conditions, combining optimal light, mistral and varied soils with uneven terrain, to give powerful wines, whose vinification will bring finesse and elegance.
Grenache, Syrah and Carignan are vinified separately, by parcel, in the respect of nature, so that each one can give the best of itself and express its fruity, delicately spiced and peppered aromas.

The control of the appellation 

The AOC Rasteau obviously supervises the production of the wines, to better control and preserve the typicity of the AOC wines. Thus, the main grape variety of the AOC Rasteau is the black Grenache (with a minimum presence of 50% in the blend), which can be accompanied by complementary grape varieties such as Mourvèdre and Syrah (for more than 20% of the blend), or even accessory grape varieties such as Carignan, or Cinsault (present at less than 15%)

 
The Domaine des Nymphes in the heart of the Rasteau vineyard, our red wines of the AOC 

The terroir of the Domaine des Nymphes is essentially composed of clay-limestone soils and blue and red marls, giving the wine a light and airy aspect. The vines are on average forty years old for the most part, with Grenache noir vines of eighty years old, on the sites known as "Mouttes" and "Encostes". 
Typically, the wines of the Domaine des Nymphes have the characteristics of the AOC wines. In fact, the Domaine offers fat and full-bodied wines whose perfectly balanced structure gives them a very good ageing potential. Their robe is deep, of an intense ruby red color, with aromas of ripe red and black fruits, garrigues, and spicy notes, cocoa, licorice and leather in the mouth. The aromas will express themselves in the youth of the wine. After 7 to 10 years, they will evolve towards much more complex aromatic palettes, such as notes of undergrowth, or roasted coffee, a beautiful smoothness will take over the dynamism, the tannins will become more coated.