Visit and tasting - The essential
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Profile
Structure
Drinking window
Best 6 to 20 years from vintage.
vintage6 yrs20 yrs22 yrs
Critic scores
No critic score is published for this bottle that we can cite with a reviewer, a vintage and a review year, so none is shown. The rating above is our own.
In the glass
Aroma: black plum, leather, tobacco, garrigue, iron
Palate: black fruit, graphite, smoked olive, firm tannin, saline finish
Domaine Léon Barral's flagship cuvée. 80% Mourvèdre dominant from 15-30 year-old vines on 4.3 hectares of schist; aged in barrel (10% new). Built for two decades.
What it pairs with
- Aged ribeye with bone-marrow Firm Mourvèdre tannins cut aged beef; iron and bone-marrow find harmony.More wines for steak →
- Wild boar civet Game's depth meets the wine's leather and tobacco core; saline finish balances richness.More wines for wild boar →
- Aged Manchego Hard sheep cheese crystals find the wine's graphite and smoked olive register.More wines for aged hard cheese →
- Slow-cooked lamb tagine with preserved lemon Iron and saline finish meet North African aromatics and preserved citrus.More wines for lamb →
History
Valinière is the flagship of Domaine Léon Barral, sourced from a single 4.3-hectare biodynamic plot planted to 80% Mourvèdre and 20% Syrah. The schist of Faugères and the Mediterranean climate suit Mourvèdre's late-ripening discipline. Aged in barrel with 10% new oak.
- 1998First vintage of Valinière released
Facts
- Producer
- Domaine Léon Barral · visiting guide
- Grapes
- Mourvèdre (80%), Syrah (20%)
- Classification
- AOC Faugères
- Oak
- Aged in barrel; 10% new oak, balance old
- ABV
- 14.0%
- Price
- €55-90 at retail
- Drinking window
- 6-20 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1998
- Biodynamic
- Biodynamic Practicing
- Organic
- ORGANIC CERTIFIED
- Vegan
- Yes (no animal-derived fining)
Frequently asked about Valinière
What does Valinière taste like?
Black plum, leather, tobacco, garrigue and iron on the nose; black fruit, graphite, smoked olive, firm tannin and a saline finish on the palate. Full-bodied with a long finish.
When should I drink Valinière?
Drink between 6 and 20 years from vintage. Younger bottles benefit from 90 minutes of decanting; Mourvèdre's tannins integrate slowly.
What food pairs with Valinière?
Aged ribeye with bone-marrow is the canonical match; wild boar civet and aged Manchego are equally strong pairings.
What grapes are in Valinière?
80% Mourvèdre and 20% Syrah from 15-30 year-old vines on 4.3 hectares of schist at Domaine Léon Barral in Faugères.
Tags
biodynamic
cellar worthy
dry
firm tannin
full body
iconic
medium acid
mood contemplative
mood elegant
mood savoury
mourv dre
occasion cellar
occasion special
occasion winter
old world
organic
pairs with aged cheese
pairs with game
pairs with red meat
price premium
single vineyard
still red
syrah
vegan
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