THE VINARIUM®
Xavier Vignon has always explored new ways to reveal the full potential of wine. In 2020, after several years of experimentation, he and his team developed a completely new approach to wine aging.
The principle? Immersing five 160-litre barrels in 6,200 litres of wine, in an environment completely protected from oxygen.
An idea born beneath the sea
The inspiration came from bottles of wine found intact on the seabed, near shipwrecks. Protected from air and the passage of time, some had remarkably retained their freshness.
Xavier Vignon then asked himself a question: what if these conditions could be recreated to age wine?
The Vinarium® was designed as a true protective environment. The immersed barrels evolve away from oxygen, in stable and protected conditions, allowing the wine time to develop without being exposed to the effects of air.
Letting time do its work
Oxygen naturally plays a role in the evolution of wine. It contributes to the aging process, gradually transforming its colour, aromas, tannins and structure.
The Vinarium® takes a different approach: minimising oxygen exposure to slow this evolution and preserve the wine’s freshness and purity.
After several months of aging, the wines gradually develop greater complexity and depth while retaining their freshness. This approach produces wines designed to stand the test of time: more than 15 years of aging potential for the reds and around 10 years for the whites.
An innovation for the wines of tomorrow
Climate change is profoundly altering the way grapes ripen. Earlier ripening and naturally richer grapes call for a rethink of aging practices in order to preserve the balance and freshness of wines.
The Vinarium® is part of this drive for adaptation: imagining new ways of aging wine today to meet the changing conditions of tomorrow.
Discover our INTRA and EXTRA cuvées, created through the Vinarium®