Xavier Vignon : Lirac 2023

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the Lirac 2023 by Xavier Vignon

Serving and cellaring

This Lirac 2023 is a red wine from the Lirac appellation. It is best opened after briefly decanting and enjoyed within its first few years.

A Southern Rhône wine by Xavier Vignon, balancing freshness and poise

The estate

Founded in 2005 in the southern Rhône Valley, the house of Xavier Vignon is now run by its namesake founder, a consulting oenologist who has also become a winemaker and négociant. Located between Beaumes-de-Venise and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, it farms around thirty hectares of vines, largely certified organic. Renowned for his mastery of blending and his in-depth knowledge of the terroirs of the southern Rhône, Xavier Vignon has built a solid reputation among both winemakers and wine lovers of the region.

The vineyard

This Lirac comes from a selection of plots set on rolled pebble and clay soils, typical of this appellation in the Gard, on the right bank of the Rhône. The vines are mainly trained in goblet (gobelet) style, a practice that helps limit sugar concentration and preserve the freshness and natural acidity of the grapes.

Winemaking and ageing

The grapes for the 2023 vintage are hand-harvested, then vinified with a long maceration, without mechanical extraction. Only free-run juice, obtained by gravity, is used to produce this wine. Ageing differs by grape variety: the Grenache is aged entirely in concrete tanks, while part of the Syrah spends time in unheated barrels, with the remainder also completing its ageing in concrete tanks.

Grape varieties

This wine is a blend of Grenache and Syrah.