La Folie des Frères Veilles Vignes BIO- Red - 2020 - Ghent winemaker Erwin Devriendt - Southern Rhone – France

La Folie des Frères Veilles Vignes BIO - Red - 2020 - Ghent winegrower Erwin Devriendt - Southern Rhone – France

Folie des Frères was first commercialized in 2004 with unexpected success. This wine is the result of an exercise on Grenache that got out of hand. In the early 2000s, on a large terroir located between Cairanne and Vacqueyras, in the wine plain of the new appellation Plan de Dieu, there was a completely dilapidated vineyard with hardly anything done with it.

Jérémy Onde and Erwin Devriendt took this vineyard into fermage in 2003 and completely biodynamized it. The old Grenache (2ha) was set aside for the development of a spin-off product of Clos des Frères. The rest of the vineyards were added to the Domaine les Ondines range for the production of the AOP Plan de Dieu. Everyone declared them 'crazy' that they could still make good wine from these run-down vineyards. In the end, this 'foolishness' became a unique fruity wine on pure Grenache. Today the old vineyard is completely organically grown and the vines look beautiful. New Grenache plantations have strengthened the Folie des Frères vineyard.

Origin

Folie des Frères is a Côtes du Rhône wine, based on a mono-cépage. Grenache is on the move here on a terroir that is very much subject to the mistral. This mistral wind has the great advantage that the vineyards of Folie des Frères hardly need to be treated. The vines are on average 50 years old and the dead vines have been replaced over the years by the best Grenache clones.

Region and terroir

The vineyard is located in the gigantic plain between the hills of Cairanne and Rasteau and the Dentelles de Montmirail (overlooking Gigondas and the Vacqueyras hills). It is an ancient alluvial region of the Rhone River. The rich soil therefore contains many pebbles, boulders, gravel particles and loam aspects. The soil is very well drained due to its irregular structure and is perfect for viticulture. The vineyards are located around the small village of Travaillan, but the grapes are vinified in Sarrians, the place where Clos des Frères is also made.

The large wine plain where the vineyards of Folie des Frères are situated are subject to a lot of sun and a lot of wind. In winter it can be freezing cold there. This combination of sun & wind makes the terroir very arid, so that the Grenache has to give the best of itself and therefore also produces a lot of sugars. It is very important to follow the ripening evolution very carefully during the harvest, because here it can go very quickly in a few hours.

Vinification

The vineyard is fully organically maintained and has an AB certificate. All vines were tied up in order to be able to select everything better and to allow the wind to play its role better. The harvest of Folie des Frères is completely mechanical (except for 0.5 ha). The picking is preceded by a strict pre-selection on the rank. The wine is vinified in thermo-regulated stainless steel tanks, seeking the essence of the Grenache fruit. No low temperatures, long maceration and very moderate filtration. The wine is then aged for 6 months in enamelled concrete tanks before bottling.

Tasting

This is no longer a simple drinking wine, but a mature culinary accompaniment. The bouquet of cherries and strawberries, complemented by a spicy garrigue spiciness, makes this wine rich and opulent. Its juicy drinkability also makes it a mischievous seducer, which can safely be served with a little soda. Due to the perfect balance between plumpness, acidity and tannins, this wine will be able to age considerably. This wine symbolizes the summer opulence of the southern Rhône like no other. More so, here the naked simplicity of the beauty of the Grenache lies purely in the glass.

Grapes

100% Grenache

Wine and dish

This sturdy, round, sultry wine relies on complex dishes. The fruit bouquet of this wine allows it to be served even slightly fresher, making it ideal for summer salads and tasty grills. This pleasure wine has a great drinkability at a young age, which allows it to excel also with starters with charcuterie.