Villa Noria, 'Basic Instinct' Rouge, Sans Sulfites 2021

Product Details

A ripe, generous blend offering wild berried notes of blackcurrant and blackberry with a touch of delicate peppery spice. Rounded and smooth, with a moreish finish of juicy black cherries.

Producer Note

Villa Noria is the story of two wine enthusiasts, Fabien Gross and Cédric Arnaud, who both grew up in viticultural regions-Languedoc and Alsace-surrounded by vineyards and winemaking heritage and is the result of overflowing enthusiasm, ethics and values. The inheritance left to its owners by their winemaking ancestors, was passion and respect for the land. Located a stone’s throw from the Mediterranean Sea, between Pézenas and Montagnac, Villa Noria produces elegant organic wines, in perfect harmony with nature and the terroir. The winemaking is traditional, without chemical additions and only low doses of sulphur are used. Their natural ranges

‘Amfòra’ and ‘Basic Instinct’ are vinified without the addition of sulphur.

Vintage

2021 was an extremely challenging vintage across France. After a warm start to the spring, which brought the vines along, a sudden severe frost hit vineyards during the second week in April, damaging the buds and significantly reducing yields throughout the Languedoc-Roussillon region. While the production was significantly reduced, the remaining fruit produced juice of excellent quality.

Vineyard

Both the Syrah and Merlot are grown in vineyards in the Languedoc-Roussillon, where the Mediterranean climate, with its hot, dry summers and mild winters, provides optimal conditions for premium viticulture. Each variety is grown on specific terroir: the Merlot vines are planted in limestone soils renowned for imparting elegance to wine, while the Syrah is planted in Basaltic volcanic soils, which nourish the vines with complex minerals and influences the wine with lovely, fresh minerality. The vineyard is cultivated using organic practices; natural preparations are employed and the biodiversity of the vineyard is encouraged. The grapes are harvested at night, to harvest cool grapes in order to maximise the freshness. The wine is classified as Vin de France, to allow stylistic freedom.

Winemaking

The wine was made with minimal intervention and without the addition of sulphites. The carefully selected grapes were received into the winery via gravity and were traditionally vinified. Three-day skin contact maceration took place at cold temperatures, followed by 10-day maceration at 25°C. Fermentation took place with natural yeasts, followed by maturation in concrete tanks for six months, until bottling. 20% was aged in French oak barrels imparting subtle complexity.

Tasting Note

A ripe and generous blend offering wild berried notes of blackcurrant and blackberry with a touch of delicate peppery spice. Rounded and smooth on the palate with a moreish finish of juicy black cherries.

Grape

Syrah 60%, Merlot 40%