# Cassagne et Vitailles Les Homs (2022)

- **Producer:** Cassagne et Vitailles
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Grenache Noir
- **Region:** Languedoc-Roussillon, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €75
- **Vegan:** No
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** strawberry, cherry, rose, violet, herbaceous, forest floor, mushroom, leather

## About this wine

Domaine Cassagne et Vitailles was founded in 2015 by childhood friends Matthieu Rollin and Nicolas Seffusatti. After a decade importing French Grand Crus in China, they returned to their native Languedoc to craft world-class wines in Montpeyroux. Inspired by Burgundy and the legendary wines of Emmanuel Reynaud, they focus on balance and elegance, creating a style that is completely antithetical to the heavily extracted, high-alcohol Grenache wines common in southern France.

## Interesting facts

- The estate's philosophy is 'Perfectus in Statera', which translates from Latin to 'perfection in balance'.
- Only 6,163 bottles of the 2022 vintage of 'Les Homs' were produced, making it highly allocated.
- The wine is aged entirely in concrete eggs to mimic the delicate, translucent style of high-end Burgundy.
- Founders Matthieu and Nicolas returned from a successful wine import career in China to start the estate.

## Food pairing

This delicate, high-acid, and low-tannin Grenache acts similarly to a fine Pinot Noir. It pairs beautifully with rich but finely textured meats like pork belly and duck, where the wine's vibrant acidity cuts through the fat. The herbal garrigue notes in the wine complement roasted lamb and Mediterranean vegetables, while its light body ensures it does not overwhelm subtle, savory dishes.

## Wine making process

The grapes are hand-harvested late in the season from the 'Les Homs' parcel, characterized by white limestone and calcareous clay soils. Spontaneous fermentation occurs with indigenous yeasts. The 2022 vintage underwent a slow, gentle maceration lasting nearly 60 days in Nomblot concrete eggs to extract fine tannins. The wine was then aged for 9 months in concrete eggs to allow natural micro-oxygenation without introducing oak flavors.