Château Boucarut, 'Empusa', 2025

'One-Liner'
Grenache with nothing to hide – juicy red fruit, wild herbs and gentle tannins in a vibrant, naturally made Southern Rhône red.

Tasting Note
Bright ruby-purple in the glass, with an expressive nose of wild strawberry, raspberry and ripe red cherry alongside a subtle herbal, slightly earthy edge. The palate is juicy and energetic, with Grenache’s generous red fruit carried by fresh acidity and light, gently grippy tannins. There is a pleasing savoury quality beneath the fruit, while the minimal-intervention winemaking keeps everything vivid and immediate rather than polished into submission. Light on its feet but far from insubstantial, this is a red that works particularly well with a slight chill. Fresh, fruity and characterful on the finish, with red berries and herbs lingering behind.

Country: France
Region: Rhone
Sub-Region: n/a
Grape(s): 100% Grenache
ABV: 14%
Friendly: Organic, Natural

Awards & Critics' Scores
n/a

The Story
Empusa captures Château Boucarut’s natural-wine philosophy in its purest form. Saskia and Maurice Goetschy left careers in law in Luxembourg to return to the family property at Roquemaure, on the right bank of the Southern Rhône, and began farming the estate themselves in 2019. They immediately set about converting the vineyards to organic agriculture while pushing the cellar towards as little intervention as possible. For the 2025 Empusa, Grenache is harvested entirely by hand, fermented with indigenous yeasts and vinified without added sulphites before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Total sulphites are just 0.03g/L. It is deliberately uncomplicated winemaking – not because less work is involved, but because the aim is to let ripe Grenache and the vintage speak as clearly as possible.

Perfect With... (click me for the recipe)
- Meat/fish: Herb-roast saddle of lamb with dauphinoise potatoes
- Vegetarian: Roast aubergine with spiced tomatoes and whipped feta
- Vegan: Provençal stuffed tomatoes with herbed rice