# Les Homs (2021)

- **Producer:** Domaine Cassagne et Vitailles
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Grenache Noir
- **Region:** Languedoc-Roussillon, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €35
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, raspberry, strawberry, plum, black pepper, violet, herbaceous

## About this wine

Domaine Cassagne et Vitailles was founded by childhood friends Nicolas Giraud and Matthieu Rollin in Montpeyroux, within the Terrasses du Larzac region of the Languedoc. 'Les Homs' is a unique single-plot expression of 100% Grenache Noir grown on high-altitude limestone soils. Because regional AOP regulations require red wines to be blends, this pure varietal expression is classified as Vin de France. It represents a modern, elegant, and fresh style of Languedoc wine that challenges the traditional heavy, high-alcohol stereotype of the region.

## Interesting facts

- The grapes are harvested as late as November because summer heat causes the vines to temporarily shut down during the day, delaying ripening.
- Because it is 100% Grenache, it cannot use the Terrasses du Larzac AOP and must be labeled as Vin de France.
- The wine is fermented and aged entirely in concrete Nomblot eggs, with absolutely no oak contact to preserve fruit purity.
- Only 6,163 bottles of the 2021 vintage were produced, making it a highly limited and sought-after cuvée.

## Food pairing

This elegant, medium-bodied Grenache thrives on its vibrant acidity and refined, velvety tannins. It pairs beautifully with gamey or earthy proteins like duck, lamb, and mushrooms, where the wine's bright red fruit cuts through the richness while its herbal undertones complement savory herbs.

## Wine making process

The grapes are hand-harvested exceptionally late in the season, sometimes extending into early November, due to the diurnal temperature shifts of Montpeyroux which slow down ripening. Spontaneous fermentation is carried out using native yeasts. The wine undergoes a slow maceration and infusion with 100% whole-bunch grapes in concrete Nomblot eggs for 40 to 45 days. It is then aged for 6 to 10 months in concrete eggs and cement tanks to preserve the pure, unmasked fruit profile of the Grenache. The wine is bottled completely unfined and unfiltered.