Rouge 'Les Fainéants' Opi D'Aqui 2020

"Les Fainéants" is the label of the Opi d'Aqui winery that immediately reveals the trick of its winemaking: quite simply, it is the patient "doing nothing", being lazy and letting nature do everything after bringing the grapes to the cellar. This is actually the most academic of the eclectic vigneron Philippe Formentin's creations, that is, performed just as his masters taught him how to make wine: choice of typical varieties, precise scanning of maceration times, maturation and aging, in classic containers. All, however, without invasive intervention or unnecessary manipulation.

"Les Fainéants" is made by Opi d'Aqui from a classic blend of the typical varieties of the French Midi: Mourvedre, present for 90 percent, and Grenache Noir for the remaining 10 percent, bred under a certified organic regime and also following the principles of biodynamic agriculture, they grow on soils characterized by a clay-limestone matrix. The terroir of origin is that of the village of Clermont-l'Hérault, in that part of Languedoc that rises slightly inland from Sète: the Mediterranean at a short distance mitigates a particularly dry climate with its breezes, offering a certain presence of humidity. The grapes are harvested by hand when fully ripe, destemmed and left to cold macerate for 24 hours. The must is then extracted through a hand-operated vertical press, while fermentation is spontaneous, conducted by indigenous yeasts only. Aging is conducted in oak barrels for 9 months, plus an additional 3 months in steel tanks, and bottling involves no other intervention or addition of sulfites.

"Les Fainéants" from Opi d'Aqui shows a rather dense and intense ruby color. Fruity scents with dark nuances immediately leap out on the nose: cassis berries and blueberries, then a slightly sweeter tone of ripe cherries. Delicate earthy notes of leather and a hint of vanilla emerge in the background. Tasting reveals a well-structured red, balanced between ripe hints and dense tannic texture. The freshness is well present and opens to a lingering finish on mineral notes. A lively southern interpretation, to be enjoyed perhaps alongside a boeuf bourguignon.