Les Athletes du Vin 2023 Grolleau

The Wine

Here we offer a value wine that is simply too easy to drink. A light and spicy red crafted for immediate enjoyment. Pop this cork tonight, or any time over the next year or two!

The grapes in this wine were from a 10-acre vineyard planted 60 years ago. The vines grow from soils of silty clay, blue schist and rocky slate that lend a bit of earthy gravitas to the flavor profile. To keep the seriousness from dominating the experience, the wine undergoes some carbonic maceration - the technique made famous by the Gamay-based wines of Beaujolais - which emphasize the wine's playful, high-toned red fruit notes. The natural tannins were allowed to soften during six months of aging in concrete tanks.

The Winery

Les Athlètes du Vin is a négociant project focused on value-driven wines that express Loire Valley typicity. The group of French winemakers behind this light-hearted idea call themselves "Vini Be Good", a diverse group whose common goal is to make everyday wines that deliver exceptional pleasure per dollar.

Each wine in the 'Athletes' portfolio is vinified by various members of the Vini Be Good network using their own grapes or grapes purchased from friends and neighbors (negotiant) in the Loire Valley. We are proud to present these exceptional everyday wines to our friends and customers.

BTW, the Les Athlètes du Vin labels are designed by French artist, illustrator, and cartoonist Michel Tolmer. Though hardly a household name here in the states, he is well recognized in France as the lead artist behind the French natural wine movement since the 1990s.