This wine had a beautiful violet color and on nose as well. Even on palate. I got reminded of Chowards, a violet flavored gum .
WINE DETAILS:
Grape: Prunelart
Alcohol: 14%
Wine: Les Amis de l’Arpette
Vintage: 2018
Winery: Domaine de l’Arpette
PDO: Vin de France
Location: Gaillac, France
Date: 10/21/21
Purchased: Cousin & Compagnie
Curious Synonyms: Prunelar, Prunelard Noir, Red-stemmed Côt.
Nerd Alert: Ancient and rare black-berried grape variety thought to have originated in Gaillac, southern France. The arrival of phylloxera in the late 19th Century virtually wiped out all Prunelard Noir plantings, which once covered much of the Tarn department. DNA testing of the varieties, which determined that Prunelard Noir is, in fact, a parent of Malbec. This makes Prunelard Noir one of the oldest members of the Cotoïde family of grape varieties. Comes from vines that are low-yielding and grow medium-sized bunches of small, intensely colored berries. Consequently, its blackberry-scented wines tend to have good structure and color and marked depth of flavor.
Personal Note: As some of you may know, I’ve been on vacation. First time visiting Europe and I went to Spain and France. To say it was a fantastic trip would be short selling it. One of the things I got out of the trip: Loads of single varietal wines from both countries that will help me make this list even more amazing. So I went ahead and picked one and took a picture while in France so I could use it and here we are. #104.
I got this wine from a fantastic store near Place du Parlement in Bordeaux. I went in with my broken, Google translated french, and I was treated ‘prodigieusement’. I remember telling her I was looking for rare white grapes and Emilie (I believe that’s her name) told me “No. We don’t have that one. But we have…’ and then she proceeded to show me a lot of wines from rare single varietal grapes. Kid in a candy store? Again…short selling it. So that’s how we get to Prunelart.
I originally wanted to open it while in France, but it was a ‘sampler style’ trip which means we were traveling a lot so I just took the photo and established it would be the first one I’d open when I get home. And here we are.
This wine had a beautiful violet color and on nose as well. Even on palate. I got reminded of Chowards, a violet flavored gum my grandmother would buy. The acidity was under control and the tannins were at the party but behaving. Why had I not heard about this grape before? I can’t stop drinking the wine. I thought it would be a tad rustic but it was simply remarkable and approachable. I think it could even hold up a few more years nicely.
I have to confess, I had the wine in the fridge so it was colder than it should be when I opened it but as it opened the nose got more complex. The aroma of the wine alone begged for food and I obliged. Not sure twas the best pairing but I ate with a pepperoni pizza and I loved it. The ripeness of the fruit was simply delicious.
Yes I know the apellation is Vins of France, a label used for cheap wines that mostly go inside a box but that label only means that it’s outside the jurisdiction of other PDO’s or they don’t conform to the traditional rules and varietals like this one, while very much indigenous to the country, are not really the bread and butter of must wineries. So if you read that label and think cheap wine (I mean it wasn’t expensive either) that’s fine. I read it and I ask the questions ‘what’s the grape and what’s the style’? From there…I either ignore it or pursue it. It’s a brave new world for wine, and more and more people are walking away from traditionalism to venture into new ideas. Some by necessity, others by well…sheer will.
Thoughts?
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*Sources for the wine facts are from: Wine Searcher, Wikipedia, Vivino, wine.com, and the wineries websites.
