Les Maou' Vaste Programme 2019

Vaste Programme is made by Vincent and Aurélie Garreta of Les Maoù, a certified organic domaine they founded in 2014 in Gordes, Vaucluse. The estate sits at around 150 meters elevation on limestone slopes from the Monts de Vaucluse, with alluvial sand and clay soils. The wine is labeled Vin de France because Aubun, one of its key grapes, falls outside the permitted varieties of the Ventoux AOC.

The blend is built on Carignan with Aubun, a black-skinned variety first recorded in 1885 near Mont Ventoux and now on the verge of extinction in France. Aubun contributes restrained acidity and soft tannins. The grapes undergo semi-carbonic maceration in cement tanks with foot stomping, fermented on indigenous yeasts, then aged in stainless steel or resin tanks for two to three months before spring bottling. No fining, no filtration, and minimal sulfur (around 10 mg/L) added at bottling.

The result is a light- to medium-bodied red with bright ruby color, wild floral aromatics, red berry fruit, ripe plum, and a note of white pepper. The semi-carbonic process softens Carignan's naturally grippy tannins and amplifies fruit, landing somewhere between a Beaujolais cru and a southern Rhône field blend — crunchy, fresh, and easy to drink at cellar or slightly below room temperature.

The vines on the initial Gordes parcels — old Carignan and Aubun — were farmed organically for over two decades before the Garretas arrived. The estate now covers 10 hectares in total, certified organic throughout.