2019 Domaine Chaume-Arnaud Vinsobres Rouge

Valerie Chaume started Chaume-Arnaud when she was just 23 years old, renting 4.5 hectares of vineyards from her family. With her husband Philippe joining her in 1989, they expanded the cellar. Situated in the northern part of Cotes du Rhone villages, Vinsobres is one of the most northerly Crus in the Southern Rhone and sits at a high altitude of 400 to 450 meters, higher even than the highest vineyard in Gigondas.
The 2019 Vinsobres is made up of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, and 10% Mourvèdre. The fruit is mainly sourced from the high plateau and south-facing stony, limestone clay soil. Hand-picked fruit is de-stemmed, crushed, and fermented using only natural yeasts, with gentle elevage for three weeks after which it is matured in concrete tanks.
Midnight black heart with a dark red black tinged hue. Elevated black raspberry and liquorice aromas mix with scorched earth, dried herb and peppered meat notes. Rich black raspberry, black cherry and liquorice fruits have a ripe chewy feel with scorched earth, dried meat and pepper characters lying underneath. Muscular tannin structure with a touch grippy yet long blackpepper infused finish that shows good freshness.
Drink over the next 2-3 years.
Alc. 14.5%

Other Reviews….
A glorious nose - cherry blossom, raspberry and redcurrant coulis - I could smell this all day. Intense but not heavy with a great sense of purity, bright fruity acidity and very fine tannin. This has such charm and character, it's drinkable, focussed and precise with a little sappy, balsamic herbal note that brings it all together. Great value for money. Pebbly clay limestone slope, grown at 250 to 420m altitude. Hand-harvested, destemmed, indigenous yeasts, fermented then matured for 20 months in concrete. 15% Cinsault in the blend gives great aromatic freshness and fluidity on the palate. Drink 2021 – 2024.
94 Points
Matt Walls – Decanter