About the Wine:  

Lirac is a wine-growing Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in the department of Gard situated in the low hills along the right bank of the Rhône river in the southern Rhône wine region of France.  It is named after the town of Lirac.  Bordering on the neighboring cru of Tavel AOC, a rosé-only cru in the next village, Lirac is one of the 13 crus of the Rhône valley family.  On the opposite river bank is the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyard.  The small town of Lirac is placed on the western side of the river in the Gard depardement a little over 10 km due west of Châteauneuf-du-Pape on the opposite side.

Jean-Pierre Lafond’s maternal grandfather, Valery Taulier, built the first private cellar in Tavel. Jean-Pierre Lafond, Valery Taulier’s son-in-law, decided to create the present cellar.  Fond of horses, he gave to his Domaine the name of a famous horse: Roquepine. He just changed the spelling to give it a touch of Provence.  The “Domaine Lafond Roc-Epine” was born.  Pascal, Jean-Pierre Lafond’s son, came to the domaine and son and father decided to work together.

Grapes for this wine are grown in 8 hectares of rocky, sandy soil with pebbles and lime/clay content. After handpicking, the grapes are destemmed and macerate for 14-20 days before pressing, after which the wine is left to finish fermenting. The wine is racked into new oak for 3-4 months of barrel age before bottling.

Tasting Notes

Aromas of red fruit (cherry, plum) with the traditional garrigue and white pepper. The palate is bright and muscular, with red fruit, licorice root, forest floor, wild herbs and black pepper notes. It is medium weight with medium acidity and present tannins.

Food Pairing

Very food friendly, try with roasted chicken, quiche, pizza, pasta with red sauce, or mushroom and bean dishes. Lamb, turkey, charcuterie, or a cheese plate would be good partners as well. Veggie burgers with roasted vegetables are good non-meat options as well.

Brunch Foods, Charcuterie, Cheese, Chicken/Turkey, Lamb, Mushrooms, Pizza, Roasted Root Vegetables, Tomato Sauce