🍷 Wine of the Week, Vignela Croix Rouge

A Fireside Red with Soul

Some wines feel like a story told slowly, one that unfolds as the night draws in. Vignela Croix Rouge is exactly that kind of wine. It doesn’t rush to impress; it draws you in gently, glass by glass, until you realise you’re somewhere warm, content, and just a little bit spellbound.

Hailing from the sun-drenched sandstone and clay hillsides of the Aude, this blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan carries the very essence of the Mediterranean. Each grape adds its own depth, Grenache brings warmth and ripe fruit, Syrah adds dark spice and richness, while Carignan contributes the structure that makes this red linger beautifully on the palate.

The winemakers age it in oak for eight months, just long enough to smooth the edges and add a whisper of vanilla and cocoa, that perfect finishing touch, like cream stirred into strong coffee.

In the glass, it’s deep ruby with flickers of garnet. The nose offers blackberries, dark cherries, and a hint of liquorice, wrapped in a trace of wild herbs and toasted oak. The first sip is plush and velvety, ripe fruit with gentle tannins, unfolding into notes of spice, cocoa, and sun-warmed earth.

It’s a wine that demands something hearty to go with it. Picture slow-cooked beef stew, lamb shoulder roasted with rosemary and garlic, or even a mature Comté or Manchego melting on a cheeseboard beside a roaring fire.

As the nights stretch longer, Vignela Croix Rouge is the wine you reach for when you want to unwind properly, when the plates are cleared, conversation lingers, and the only thing left to do is pour another glass.

Rich, rustic, and effortlessly elegant, it’s winter in a bottle, made for those who know that the best moments aren’t rushed, but savoured.