Parcel Domaine Font de Notre Dame Lirac

This small Domaine, based at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmiral is run by two brothers, Frédéric Roux and Boris Roux, who studied Agricultural Sciences with Julien Dugas in Le Grès d’Orange. Both brothers have worked at the winery for over 30 years, taking over in 2016. They live in a house in the middle of the vines and welcome you to the winery like a friend into their home. They have 30 hectares of vineyards spread over five appellations: Gigondas, Rasteau, Lirac, Sablet and Côtes du Rhône

Lirac is quite a special Cru. In general, the wines are softer than its peers. Here, it’s all about the finesse and the fruit of Grenache. The terroir in this part of the Rhone is classic limestone covered with a layer of red clay and pebble which provides perfect draining. The climate is dry Mediterranean with the mistral wind as a key feature which gives great depth to the wine. This a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, all hand-harvested, crushed and traditionally macerated. After fermentation in traditional concrete vats, the wine is bottled to capture the finesse of the wine.

Lirac is known for making a lighter style of southern Rhone Red. Here, it’s all about, finesse and this 2020 Lirac is a shining example. Lovely summer red berry grenache fruit, intermingles with herby spicy garrigue notes and a hint of liquorice leading to a lovely long floral finish. Difficult not to finish the bottle…Delicious!