2015 Xavier Vignon Vin de France Arcane XV Le Diable (750ml)

Mourvedre from Rhône, France

B-21 Top Recommendation
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Crafted by the Southern Rhone’s maverick winemaker as a singular, one time release, the exceptional 94 pt. Xavier Vignon Vin de France Arcane XV Le Diable offers fresh, lush dark fruit hinting of garrigue and earthy spice with savory, fine grained tannins, a stunning 100% Mourvedre bargain for Southern Rhone fans and collectors to savor over the next decade.

Arriving in the Rhone Valley in the mid-1990’s, Xavier Vignon began his illustrious consulting career after honing his winemaking skills in Champagne and top wine regions around the globe, finding his inspiration over the next decades in the Southern Rhone’s mosaic of terroirs, altitudes and varietals. Working with such luminaries as Marcoux, Raymond Usseglio and La Nerthe, Xavier has insider access to some of the oldest vines across the valley, those top sites becoming the source for his own labeled wines, crafting the first wine in the Arcane series in 2015. After advising a grower in the cooler higher altitudes near Vinsobres to allow his old vine Mourvedre to remain on the vine longer to allow it fully ripen, Xavier was then so impressed by the quality of the fruit that he convinced the vigneron to sell him the perfectly ripened grapes, inspiring the first Arcane cuvee as a singular release capturing the perfect intersection of time and place in the vineyard. Sourced from 17 different plots planted with vines up to 100 years of age across the region including some in Chateauneuf du Pape, the hand harvested Mourvedre grapes for the 2015 Arcane XV Le Diable underwent Xavier’s signature extended maceration before aging in 70% in concrete and 30% in new Austrian oak barrels for 15 months, yielding vibrant, richly concentrated fruit with lush tannins and perfectly balanced acidity, its layered complexity promising enjoyable drinking for years to come.

Naming each Arcane release after a card in the Tarot deck with matching illustrations on the labels, Le Diable (translating as the Devil) refers to the nickname Southern Rhone growers have given to the difficult to ripen Mourvedre - the formidable 94 pt. 2015 Xavier Vignon Vin de France Arcane XV Le Diable capturing the combination of perfect growing conditions in 2015 with an optimal terroir, crafted by a masterful winemaker - an exquisite, age worthy Southern Rhone blend offered for the mere price of an entry level Cotes du Rhone and as with all of Xavier Vignon’s masterful Arcane cuvees, this Devil is truly in the details and not to be missed.

94WA

There are two slightly eccentric wines from this estate that merit serious attention. Almost 100% Mourvèdre from a parcel close to Vinsobres, the sensational 2015 Vin de France Arcane XV Le Diable had a three-week maceration (Xavier prefers to get as much extraction as possible before alcoholic fermentation), and was aged mostly in small oak tanks and concrete. Blueberries, blackberries, peppery herbs and spice all flow from this layered, full-bodied beauty that has awesome purity, integrated acidity and plenty of structure. Give bottles 2-3 years and drink over the following 10-15 years.

94 points, Wine Advocate (Issue # 227 - Oct 2016)

Alcohol By Volume: 15.0%

#FRXVAR15AE

$24.99

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

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