# Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras Cuvée de Lopy (2024)

- **Producer:** Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Grenache, Syrah
- **Region:** Rhône, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.5%
- **Average price:** €38
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, blackberry, violet, herbaceous, black pepper, smoke, cedar, vanilla, leather, tobacco, forest floor, mushroom

## About this wine

Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux, translating to 'the blood of the stones,' is a benchmark estate in the Vacqueyras appellation of the Southern Rhône. Run by the Férigoule family, the estate is situated on the clay-limestone Garrigues plateau, famous for its rolled pebbles (galets roulés) and dramatic views of the Dentelles de Montmirail. While the estate's entry-level cuvées rotate names annually after founder Serge Férigoule's daughters, the premium Cuvée de Lopy is a permanent fixture. It is crafted from the estate's oldest vines and named after the family's historic home. Under Frédéri Férigoule's direction, the estate has embraced organic and biodynamic viticulture, championing a style that favors freshness, elegance, and precision over heavy extraction.

## Interesting facts

- The estate's name, Le Sang des Cailloux, translates to 'the blood of the stones,' referencing the pebble-strewn clay soils.
- While other cuvées rotate names of the founder's daughters, the premium Lopy is permanently named after the family's old home.
- Winemaker Frédéri Férigoule favors gentle infusion over heavy extraction to maintain freshness and lower alcohol levels.

## Food pairing

The wine's robust structure, firm tannins, and pronounced intensity require rich, savory dishes. The high acidity cuts through the fat of roasted meats like lamb and duck, while the earthy, herbal notes of the Grenache-Syrah blend beautifully complement wild mushrooms and rustic stews.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for Cuvée de Lopy is designed to preserve the natural freshness of the old-vine fruit. Grapes are harvested entirely by hand from the biodynamically farmed Garrigues plateau. In the cellar, the fruit is 100% destemmed. Fermentation takes place slowly via gentle infusion in traditional concrete vats using only indigenous yeasts, accompanied by daily pumping over (remontage) to extract fine tannins. The wine is then aged for 12 months in 450-liter neutral oak demi-muids to allow gentle micro-oxygenation without imparting dominant oak flavors. Fining is bypassed to maintain the wine's natural character.