As an oenologist and winemaker,
He combines this technical mastery with innovative practices that he himself has developed. He considers time to be a vector for creativity and that which is most essential, and he affords great importance to ensuring the absolute purity of the juices thanks to a fully anaerobic atmosphere.
In terms of ageing, he pushes the thought process to the maximum in his quest to age the wines in their most suitable environment, namely by preventing them from coming into contact with oxygen. This stage therefore combines different materials – barrels, demi-muids, amphora, glass or concrete – so as to guarantee finesse, freshness and complexity in a context of rising temperatures and climate change which strongly influence the ripening of the tannins.
A glass container named the ‘Wine Globe’ was therefore created with the aim of preserving the intrinsic purity of the grape.
In his continuous quest to preserve the fruit, Xavier Vignon and his team have developed a new, revolutionary ageing technique: the Vinarium®. This unique receptacle, which is the culmination of several years of experimentation, is a bespoke 7000 litre truncated wooden vat with thick staves enabling it to house numerous 160 litre barrels within it, with each barrel therefore being completely submerged in wine. This method provides a truly unique environment for the wine, with 100% humidity, no sulphur, no oxygen and no external influence.
‘A degree of preservation and finesse that has never before been achieved’
This technique of ageing ‘wine in wine’ guarantees that there will be no exchange with the outside. The wine therefore retains the ultimate balance, free from variations, pressure or oxygen and without any electric tension. With prolonged ageing, wines keep fresher for longer.
This is a peaceful solution to ageing a wine during which it is given as much time as it needs, without the need to control oxidation. This innovative technique was implemented in 2012 and has been used as part of the production of the Arcane le Pape cuvée.
Such a method has never been used before by anyone. It is a result of Xavier Vignon’s naturally inquisitive nature and curiosity, inspired by his daily observations and the nature that surrounds him.
There is never anything whimsical about his new techniques. All are rooted in an initial idea, cemented in the very foundations of his thought processes and backed up by his underlying quest to create the purest, freshest and most complex wines possible, without any artifice.