Moon Apogé Lirac

First thing to clear up is what an apogee is. It is the point in the Moon’s orbit when it is furthest from the Earth. It’s a term often used in the wine world to describe a wine thought to be at the pinnacle of a winery’s production pyramid. Moon Apoge is created in Lirac in the southern Rhone by Domaine Des Carabiniers, named after the mounted papal guards in Avignon around the 14th century. The domaine is now run by the intriguingly named Leperchois family (arriving from Tuscany in the ‘20s) who went organic in ‘97 and biodynamic in ‘09 with zero chemicals and the most minimal sulphur usage possible. Their terroir is composed of earthy layers dating back to the Pliocene epoch several millions years ago. Sand, colluvium, clay, limestone and the famous rolled pebbles are associated with this period. This period was marked by the retreat of the Mediterranean Sea when some areas of the Alps collapsed and altered the Rhône’s riverbed. For the better, if you're a vigneron, some would say. And here’s a snapshot of what goes on in Leperchois’ cellar: night harvest, 2-3 day cement tank maceration, 7-14 day fermentation at 28C, pressing, racking, blending, filtering, ageing in cement and stirring on the lees. Bottling. Bingo. And the result? Deep ruby, spices and strawberry, liquorice, smoke and the signature garrigue. Heady, hearty, hefty. Triple H.