Chateau Viranel Rendez-Vous shows attractive, sappy aromas of ripe red fruits. On the palate, Rendez-Vous is light-bodied, with snappy acidity, soft tannins and an elegant herbaceous note - not dissimilar to a Loire red such as Chinon. A lovely wine and very refreshing.
- Country: France
- Region: Languedoc-Roussillon
- Subregion: Saint-Chinian
- Vintage: 2017
- Colour: Red
- Grape Variety: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
- ABV: 13%
- Bottle Size: 75cl
- Closure: Natural cork
- Style: Crunchy and fresh
- Drink With: Steak tartare
Château Viranel's fifty fifty blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon is made entirely in stainless steel to preserve its bright, crunchy red fruit character.
Why we like this wine
All too often red wines can be overblown and lack finesse and freshness but this delicious wine from the Bergasse brothers down in St Chinian certainly fits the bill. Cabernet Sauvignon can often lack ripeness too but the great weather in that part of the Languedoc almost ensures ripeness of fruit every vintage. It's a great blend with equal portions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc contributing to this fresh and vibrant red.
- Ripe and crunchy
- Fully ripe Cabernet Sauvignon
- Fine and elegant
About the grower
Situated in the foothills of the Massif Central in Languedoc-Roussillon, Château Viranel lies at the heart of the Saint-Chinian appellation. One of the most influential features of the property that contributes to the incredible quality of wines is the unique microclimate. This, combined with the estate's chalky soils, gives ideal conditions for the cultivation of wine grapes. Overlooking the Valley of the Orb, the southern exposure of Château Viranel's vineyards ensures they receive the maximum amount of sunlight, allowing the grapes to ripen both steadily and completely.
Vinification at Château Viranel is really traditional - the family has been making wine here for several generations and the history of the property can be traced back to 1551 - yet they use one technique for the reds that we had not encountered before. It's called délèstages (rack and return): rather than just pumping the fermenting juice taken from the bottom of the tank over the top of the cap of grape solids, they empty the vat of all juice and then return all of the must over the cap. This has the effect of fully breaking up the cap instead of the wine gently finding the same old path back to the bottom of the vat, thus ensuring maximum extraction not only of colour but of soft tannins and wonderful flavours.
The white wines, too, are all little gems with the Viognier being a real feather in their cap. It retains great freshness, and aromatic intensity whilst managing to avoid being another example of the oily, overblown style so often encountered. All in all, the wines of Château Viranel are not only some of the finest of Saint-Chinian but of the entire Languedoc-Roussillon region. They offer exceptional value and we cannot recommend them highly enough.