Double Ripasse

Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre are happy bedfellows from anywhere, and the Vellas family has sites throughout Mediterranean France that allow balance as well as intensity to be achieved. But the curiouser element to this wine is the name. My French is pretty damned elementary and “double ripasse” doesn't appear on any of the slang sites I can find. In wine terms, ripasse is to press or to squeeze, and that typically means someone has made wine from grapes but held onto the skins. Then they dump fresh must onto to those once-squeezed skins, using the new juice to soak more flavor (and often tannin and earthiness) from the skins. But then there is the picture on the label and the Vellas propensity to pun – they’ve a lot of those up their sleeves. So if you know why “double ripasse” somehow translates to burning money, please let us know. Until then, enjoy the rich, earthy character and texture.