LA ZOUINA, VOLUBILIA ROUGE (Morocco)

€20,95

Volubilia Rouge is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon with Syrah, Mourvèdre and Tempranillo. It has a lovely, clean nose of red and blackcurrant with gamey and vanilla hints. Ripe, smooth palate of mocha, concentrated red berries with hints of leather and game, it ends with juicy freshness and soft tannins.

DOMAINE DE LA ZOUINA, Meknès                     Organic in conversion
Morocco remains one of the cradles of the last wild wines, and a Kingdom where the first wines were made around the 6th century BC during the setting of the Phoenician and Greek civilisations. Winemaking continued through the Roman era. The art of enology was lost here in the 7th century due to Islamic bans on alcohol, but French colonisation in the 19th and early 20th centuries heralded the return of both winemaking and social drinking. 

By the 1950s, Morocco was one of the largest wine exporting countries in the world, but after the country gained independence in 1956, many vineyards were abandoned or grubbed up. In the 1990s, King Hassan II appealed to French investors and wine experts to return the industry to its former glory.

Today Morocco has a diversity of styles and has recovered thousands of acres of forgotten wine lands. Most wine is produced on the sunny plateau around Meknes. Sheltered by the Atlas Mountains and open to the cooling influence of the Atlantic, these regions are perfect for the growth of red Rhône and Spanish varieties, and it produces a fine wine that can easily rival the best rosés, known as Vin Gris - an extremely light style of Rosé. 
 
In 2001, during a golfing holiday, Gérard Gribelin (Château de Fieuzal) and Philippe Gervoson (Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion) discovered and purchased the beautiful 115-ha vineyards and oliveraie of Domaine de la Zouina (beautiful in Arabic), nestled between the foothills of the Rif and the Middle Atlas Mountain.
Convinced of the immense potential of the terroir and climate, they translated their passion and wine-making savour-faire from Pessac-Leognan to Morocco, installed a brand new winery and replanted the vineyards (all within the Guerrouane appellation)
Today, the winery is run by Gribelin’s son Christophe, helped by winemaker Philippe Lespy. They apply their Bordeaux know-how and can enjoy the freedom of winemaking and experimenting in Morocco.