Xavier Vignon, the Wizard of Blending

The Xavier Vignon estate is a Rhône Valley wine producer offering a varied and original range of cuvées. Xavier Vignon is an oenologist passionate about blending, who creates wines by breaking free from traditional codes. In particular, he draws on reserve wines from several vintages, rare grape varieties and innovative ageing techniques.

Xavier Vignon’s most popular wines are those that reflect his bold, creative blending style, which lets him produce original, high-quality cuvées:

• The Anonyme cuvée from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a blend of 25% Merlot, 25% Grenache Noir, 25% Mourvèdre and 25% Syrah — highly unusual for this appellation. This wine is powerful, complex and elegant, with aromas of black fruit, spices, liquorice and chocolate. Price: under €50
• The Arcane Le Pape cuvée from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a blend of 17 different vintages, from 1998 to 2016. This wine is a genuine technical feat, offering exceptional aromatic richness, with notes of candied fruit, flowers, honey, truffle and undergrowth. Price: under €100
• The Réserve cuvée from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a tribute to Champagne’s reserve wines, bringing together several earlier vintages. This wine is harmonious, fresh and fruity, with nuances of red fruit, peach, lemon and brioche. Price: under €50

With a price range between €10 and €100, Xavier Vignon’s wines suit every budget — but always with enormous pleasure in the tasting.

You can find his wines online on specialist sites such as Vinsolite or Made in Ventoux

Xavier Vignon is a devotee of blending, which allows him to create complex, harmonious wines that express the potential of each grape variety and each terroir.

Xavier Vignon’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Red” is a red wine from the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation in the Rhône Valley. It comes from a blend of 75% Grenache Noir, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and 5% Clairette.

We tasted the 2019 vintage:

This wine is defined by its richness, complexity and elegance, with aromas of red and black fruit, spices, tobacco, flowers and liquorice. It has a lovely ruby colour and a full, velvety palate — red fruit, chocolate, tobacco — with a long, fresh, fruity finish.

This wine can be enjoyed now or kept until 2030.

It’s a perfect match for meat dishes such as bœuf bourguignon or roast wild boar. Price: under €50