Domaine Barnier
Vacqueyras
The Barnier family owns and farms a considerable amount of land in the Southern Rhone where they grow grapes for their winery and a variety of plants for their nursery. Their plantings in Vacqueyras cover only 12 hectares. From this plot they bottle a very small amount under the special Barnier family label, with the other fruit going to a more generic label. This is a plain and simple no nonsense Vacqueyras. Generally about 75% grenache and 25% syrah. Made in cement cuve. The purity of fruit is striking. Nothing oaky or overly ripe here, just rich fruit, firm structure and refreshingly racy Vacqueyras. There is complexity in spades for the modest price. In it's youth it benefits from a good dose of air to let it unwind or it can be aged for several years before opening with great results.
