Yoyo Vierge Rouge 2024

Yoyo is the label of Laurence Manya-Krief, a former fashion director who moved into wine at 35 and now works in Languedoc-Roussillon alongside Jean-Francois Nicq. Vierge Rouge is a natural blend of Grey and Red Grenache, with a little White Grenache in some years, drawn from very old Grenache and Carignan vines, some over a century old, worked by hand and with horses. The vineyards sit in the warm, dry Roussillon, a Mediterranean climate of intense sun and low rainfall that ripens Grenache fully and gives it its ripe red fruit and higher alcohol, tempered here by the age of the vines and a light hand in the cellar. Grey Grenache, a pink-skinned mutation, adds freshness and lift to the blend. The wine is aged seven months in 400-litre French oak, a larger barrel that rounds the tannins with little wood flavour. Expect a medium-bodied red with raspberry, plum and red cherry, dried herbs, pepper and a warm, savoury finish. Serve at 16 degrees. It suits grilled lamb, pork and roast vegetables.