Xavier Vignon Arcane XIX Le Soleil Cotes Du Rhone Villages 2015 750ml

Deep and dense ruby-purple. Alluring wild strawberry, raspberry, black cherry, garrigue, warm stones, salvia, and pink peppercorn aromas rush energetically from the glass. Full-bodied and full of vibrant red fruit and wild herbal flavors. Supple, satiny tannins frame the palate, building to a rich, lasting finish. Dense, beautiful, and full of Grenache classically augmented by touches of spice and added richness from the Syrah and Mourvèdre.

94 pts
Wine Advocate
The 2015 Cotes du Rhone Villages Arcane XIX Le Soleil is youthfully dark in color and fruit-forward, but it also shows softening, silky tannins. It's full bodied but not overblown, with a sensationally seductive mouthfeel. Black cherries define the fruit, joined by hints of dark chocolate and enough garrigue to give it a seriously savory character despite the fruit. This is an old-vine blend of 80% Grenache with 10% each Syrah and Mourvèdre, aged 15 months in one-third new oak, the rest in concrete or foudre. Maybe the best Côte du Rhône Villages I've ever tasted, it looks to have the stuffing to go another 10 years.


93+ pts
Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from 100-year-old Grenache vines (there’s 10% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre in the blend) mostly in the northern part of the Southern Rhône, the 2015 Côtes du Rhône Villages Arcane le Soleil saw 15 months in one-third each of new barrels, concrete tanks, and stainless-steel tanks. This inky colored beauty offers a terrific perfume of blueberries, scorched earth, graphite, and crushed violets. Deep, full-bodied, incredibly pure, and elegant, with silky tannin, it’s a sensational Côtes du Rhône that’s better than most Chateauneuf du Pape in the vintage. It will be better in another year or two and keep for 8-10 years.