I have one word for you...Cosmoculture.  There is no estate in the Southern Rhône more eccentric than Domaine Viret. Cosmoculture employs knowledge of the earth’s energy fields, known as telluric currents, in deciding where to plant, how to plant, when to harvest, and many other viticultural activities, as well as dictating the construction and operation of the winery itself. A well-established if not widely exposed field of inquiry, knowledge of telluric currents informs research into fault zones, ground-water sources (Viret is built atop a large underground spring, in fact), geothermal activity, and many more areas. Insofar as it involves homeopathic vineyard treatments, polycultural principles (Viret encompasses 60 total hectares of which 35 are planted to vines), and attention to lunar cycles, Cosmoculture can be seen as a sort of extension of biodynamics. And, like biodynamics, Cosmoculture involves practices which may seem at first arcane or esoteric but are in fact connected to ancient wisdom—to knowledge humans cultivated and transmitted for millennia before we allowed technology to begin to supplant it.

Anyway.....

Whether one chooses to ignore Viret’s guiding principles entirely or to plunge into them headlong, these are wines that startle with their immediacy, enthrall with their depth, and enliven with their deliciousness.

“Renaissance” Vin de France: A blend of the classic varieties of the area, “Renaissance” combines Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Carignan (in descending order of prominence) from parcels scattered throughout the property. It ferments naturally in concrete and undergoes a 45-day-long maceration, then spends nearly four years in concrete with no added sulfur whatsoever. The phenomenal 2016 offers a layered, meditative character, with ripe but beautifully controlled fruits unfurling slowly throughout the gently extracted, vibrant palate. This is expertly rendered zero-sulfur wine that speaks clearly of the terroir and is viscerally expressive of its impeccable fruit of origin.

Grapes: Grenache, Sryah, Mouvedre, Carignan

Pairing: stews, braised meats, mushroom dishes, heart grains

Viticulture: Cosmoculture, biodynamic, organic