# Cassagne et Vitailles Les Homs (2021)

- **Producer:** Cassagne et Vitailles
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Grenache
- **Region:** Languedoc-Roussillon, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €65
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** strawberry, cherry, rose, violet, herbaceous, mint, fennel, forest floor, wet leaves, game

## About this wine

Domaine Cassagne et Vitailles was founded in 2015 by childhood friends Matthieu Rollin and Nicolas Seffusatti in Montpeyroux, within the Languedoc region. After working in the international wine trade, they returned to their roots with the ambition to craft exceptional, terroir-driven wines. Inspired by Burgundian philosophies, they focus on single-parcel expressions and delicate extraction. 'Les Homs' is a unique expression of Grenache from a single clay-limestone parcel situated at 300 meters elevation. Because local appellation rules do not permit single-varietal red wines, it is bottled under the Vin de France designation, allowing the producers complete creative freedom to showcase the pure, unadulterated character of the grape.

## Interesting facts

- Bottled as a Vin de France because local appellation rules do not allow 100% single-varietal Grenache red wines.
- Grapes are harvested exceptionally late, sometimes into November, to capture cool-night acidity and avoid jammy flavors.
- Aged entirely in concrete eggs with zero oak contact to preserve the absolute purity of the fruit.
- Often blind-tasted as a high-end Burgundy Pinot Noir due to its weightless, silky texture and vibrant acidity.

## Food pairing

This elegant, medium-bodied Grenache behaves much like a fine Pinot Noir, relying on high acidity and silky, low-intensity tannins rather than heavy structure. It pairs beautifully with lean, flavorful meats like lamb, duck, and pork, especially when prepared with Mediterranean herbs like rosemary and thyme that mirror the wine's natural garrigue notes. The bright acidity cuts through the richness of duck or a creamy mushroom risotto, while the delicate red fruit profile complements sweet-savory reductions.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for 'Les Homs' is designed to maximize purity and freshness. Grapes are harvested entirely by hand, often very late in the season to allow slow, elegant ripening during cool autumn nights. Fermentation is exceptionally slow and gentle, taking place over 40 to 45 days in concrete egg vessels using only indigenous yeasts. The wine is then aged for six to eight months in the same concrete eggs. Oak is completely avoided to preserve the delicate floral and red fruit aromatics of the Grenache grape, resulting in a wine of remarkable clarity and mineral tension.