Presentation
Marcel Richaud is a visionary and iconoclastic winemaker. From 1974, at just 20 years old, he proclaimed his desire to produce free and living wines, breaking away from the standards of the time. He left the cooperative cellar of Cairanne to create his own wine, inspired by avant-garde figures like Marcel Lapierre. Over the years, he developed his estate with a respectful approach to living things: no herbicides or pesticides, manual harvesting, and goblet culture, preserving the natural balance of the vines. His soil work is strictly mechanical, favoring the fertility and resilience of the vines. The wines of the estate are like him: expressive, sincere, and vibrant. The reds offer fleshy textures, spicy and Mediterranean notes, while the whites reveal surprising freshness, despite the sunny climate of Cairanne. His particularity: a pioneer of natural wine in the Rhône Valley, Marcel Richaud creates cuvées full of character and emotion, true reflections of his commitment.
Location
The grapes selected for this cuvée come from newly acquired terroirs (2017) by the RICHAUD family 14 hectares of hillside and Garrigues soils that have since been converted to certified organic viticulture. After five years of care, the old Garrigues-sourced Carignan vines delivered grapes with notable concentration; these have been expertly blended with younger Grenache vines, planted in 2017 on the hillsides, known for their expressive fruit character.
Terroir
Clay-limestone soils that combine structure and drainage, giving both depth and finesse to the wine.
In the vineyard
Meticulous canopy management includes manual shoot thinning, leaf stripping, and hand-harvest, ensuring optimal ripeness and fruit expression.
Harvest
Manual harvest.
Winemaking
Short maceration of 8 to 12 days in concrete vats to maximize fresh fruit character and structure, with a focus on bright and crunchy expression.
Ageing
Aged for six months, with 80% in concrete vats and the remaining 20% in demi-muids, balancing freshness and subtle oak complexity.
Varietals
Grenache : 50%
Carignan : 50%
Specifications
Production volume : 250000
Age of vines : 30 years old
Serving
15°C
Ageing potential
2 to 3 years
Tasting
Deep garnet-red color. The nose is generous and fruity, with aromas of stewed red berries, black olive, and leather. On the palate, the tannins are supple and enveloping, leading to a lingering finish with graceful persistence.
Food pairings
This expressive red wine pairs beautifully with:
Feathered game such as woodcock or duck in the winter
Grilled rib-eye steaks or barbecue beef ribs in summer
