"The Vache family purchased this estate in 1987 and converted to organic farming for their vineyards all the way back in 2000. All of their vineyards are harvested by hand- a rare commodity in Vacqueyras! Their 2021 Vacqueyras “Les 2 Monardes” from Domaine Monardière is crafted from a blend of seventy percent grenache and thirty percent syrah, with the vines forty years of age. The bunches are completely destemmed and the wine fermented with native yeasts, prior to twelve months of élevage in a combination of tanks and older casks. The 2021 version tips the scales at 13.5 percent alcohol and offers up a superb bouquet of dark berries, roasted venison, pepper, hickory smoke, a fine base of soil, garrigue and a touch of cedar in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and shows fine mid-palate depth of fruit, with a good foundation of soil, fine-grained tannins and lovely length and grip on the well balanced and complex finish. This is a superb example of Vacqueyras! "