Domaine de Cristia
Based around Courthezon and taking the name from the lieu dit 'Cristia', Domaine de Cristia was established by Etienne Grangeon in the early 1950s with just two hectares of Grenache. His son Alain joined the domaine in the 1960s. It was Alain who slowly started to increase the vineyard holdings and plant Syrah & Mourvèdre to complement the Grenache that makes up the majority of the estate.
Today the estate is in the very capable hands of Etienne's grandchildren, Baptiste, Dominique and Florent, who joined in 1999. They have nearly 19 hectares based mainly in the sandy soils around Courthezon. All the vineyards have been certified since 2008, with a biodynamic approach also being followed.
The vineyards are mainly northeast facing so benefit from not getting too much hot sun during the early part of the day, with the sandy soils lending freshness and elegance that is the hallmark of their cuvées.
Baptiste on the 2023 vintage:
“one of those dream vintages, as we got quantities and quality, with a perfect ripeness and healthy shape. Rich but not over concentrated, candy flavours, pale colour and great aromas!”
2023 CHÂTEAUNEUF DU PAPE Vieilles Vignes Domaine de Cristia
2023 CHÂTEAUNEUF DU PAPE Vieilles Vignes Domaine de Cristia tasted from barrel - 100% 100 YEAR OLD GRENACHE from Lieu Dit Cristia Vibrant juicy nose, red fruits, violets, red cherry, opulent and2023 CHÂTEAUNEUF DU PAPE Vieilles Vignes Domaine de Cristia tasted from barrel - 100% 100 YEAR OLD GRENACHE from Lieu Dit Cristia Vibrant juicy nose, red fruits, violets, red cherry, opulent and perfumed, sweet Grenache, a good hit of spice. 2nd barrel much more expressive, less bitter, lovely sweet fruit, blood orange, violets, dried herbs/pot puri, long and ripe…L&S (Oct 2024)
In Bond
2023 CHÂTEAUNEUF DU PAPE Renaissance Domaine de Cristia
2023 CHÂTEAUNEUF DU PAPE Renaissance Domaine de Cristia tasted from barrel 60% Grenache 40% Mourvedre, part of the plot is 116 years old - Sweet & juicy, the oak is very prominent but, dense & sweet,2023 CHÂTEAUNEUF DU PAPE Renaissance Domaine de Cristia tasted from barrel 60% Grenache 40% Mourvedre, part of the plot is 116 years old - Sweet & juicy, the oak is very prominent but, dense & sweet, violets, cranberry, fine tannins, nice flow, a meaty twist on the finish L&S (Oct 2024)
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2023 CHÂTEAUNEUF DU PAPE Classique Domaine de Cristia
2023 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Classique 75% Grenache 15% Syrah 10% Mourvedre tasted from barrel, mainly destemed, from vineyards around Cristia on sandy soils, average age of vines 60 years old. A2023 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Classique 75% Grenache 15% Syrah 10% Mourvedre tasted from barrel, mainly destemed, from vineyards around Cristia on sandy soils, average age of vines 60 years old. A full ripe nose of dark cherry. Bright redcurrant and raspberry, round sweet fruit, generous and juicy, really juicy, a lot to like here, very approachable now, nicely put together with a long long finish.L&S (Oct 2024)
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In Bond
2023 CÔTES DU RHÔNE Domaine de Cristia
2023 CÔTES DU RHÔNE Domaine de Cristia - Nice sweet floral nose, raspberry & strawberry notes, soft and juicy, bright and floral, a nice touch of spice, nice concentration, a cracking Cotes du Rhone2023 CÔTES DU RHÔNE Domaine de Cristia - Nice sweet floral nose, raspberry & strawberry notes, soft and juicy, bright and floral, a nice touch of spice, nice concentration, a cracking Cotes du Rhone that will be great over the next 3-5 years.L&S (Oct 2024)
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Domaine de la Mordorée
Started in 1986 by the Delorme family, Domaine de la Mordorée has become one of the top estates in the Rhône, with arguably the most consistent quality. The word 'Mordorée', literally 'bronze' or 'golden-brown' is one of the many poetic names for a woodcock, the symbol of the domaine. Other such names include the cuvée names - 'La Belle Voyageuse' (the beautiful traveller), and 'La Dame Rousse' (the russet lady). Founding winemaker Christophe Delorme's objective was to be unintrusive and maintain total respect for his terroir and the fruit it produces, striving to achieve a perfect balance between concentration, terroir and balance.
The domaine consists of 55 Hectares, on 38 different parcels, providing a rich, wide range of soils and micro-climates. The whole domaine has been certified organic since 2007.
Following Christophe's untimely death in 2015, his wife and daughter, Madeleine and Ambre, have taken on the running of the domaine, ably assisted by Rémy Chauvet, who was the cellarmaster under Christophe. As Jeb Dunnuck has put it in the Wine Advocate, 'the estate is obviously still in incredibly capable hands'.
Ambre Delorme on the 2023 vintage:
“The wines are generous, bright and bursting with fruit. The rosés and whites are exceptionally elegant, fresh and incredibly aromatic. The reds are smooth, fruity and perfectly balanced with lovely tannins. These exceptionally pure and delicate wines are delectable in their youth yet capable of evolving beautifully for many years to come.”
Domaine de la Vieille Julienne
Under the guidance of Jean-Paul Daumen, this estate on the very northern borders of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation is now considered to be one of the leading domaines. One of the first estates to convert to biodynamic practises when Jean-Paul took over from his father in 1990, the 22 hectares of vineyards are nearly all north facing, giving relieve from the hot summer days and lending the wines the all-important freshness. Attention to detail is everything here, with some very old plots of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault & Carignan and a wine making style more at home in Burgundy, it is clear to see why it is held in such high regard by journalists, Rhône enthusiasts, sommeliers and restaurateurs around the world.
Trois Sources is from sand-based vineyards on the lower banks of the estate and are the more approachable when young, whilst the Les Hauts Lieux come from the limestone dominated higher vineyards on the northern boundary of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and need more time to come around. In great years a Reserve wine is made in miniscule quantities from ancient Grenache vineyards. This is our second vintage we've offered from Vieille Julienne, and our excitement to be working with and shipping from this excellent domaine is ever growing; these are deeply coloured, pure and aromatic but with incredible freshness - you can buy these confident that they will richly reward patience over the next 8-15 years. They also produce an utterly brilliant Côtes du Rhône called Lieu-dit Clavin, possible the best value Côtes du Rhône in the entire Rhône Valley.
Domaine des Escaravailles
Domaines des Escaravailles was established in 1953 by Jean-Louis Ferran and his two sons, Daniel and Jean-Pierre, in the village of Rasteau.
Today it is run by the third generation of the family, Gilles, the son of Daniel. With vineyards on not only the clay, limestone hillsides of Rasteau, but also in Cairanne, Roaix, Villedieu and St Roman de Malegarde. The estate is run organically and everything is done by hand with the wines made in the cellars in the heart of the property in Rasteau.
The estate takes it's name from the Occitan word for the Scarab Beetle, which you will also find adorning the labels of the wines.
Madeline Ferran on the 2023 vintage:
“So the 2023 vintage, despite a difficult start to the season, has surprised us in many ways. The whites and rosés have retained the freshness and minerality characteristic of our terroirs, while the reds are bright, deep and complex. Another vintage to have in your cellar…”
Domaine la Bouïssière
Thierry and Gilles Faravel's Domaine la Bouïssière in Gigondas is exceptional in many ways, apart from the personality of Thierry himself, it is the site of the vineyard, high up under the 'Dentelles de Montmirail' which makes the defining difference.
In contrast to the vines being baked on the plains of stones at the foot of the hill, the Bouïssière vines benefit from cooling air at night falling from the high peaks, and the wines retain a freshness and subtle persistence which is very different to the sometimes bludgeoning broadness and alcoholic heat of the wines on the plain.
Gilles and Thierry Faravel employ non-interventionalist practices to make wines as naturally as possible, resulting in wines of immense concentration and depth, with true vibrancy and the capacity to age for ten to fifteen years.
Thierry Faravel on the 2023 vintage:
“Vintage of great aromatic finesse, fruits, ripe, sweet spices. The palate reveals a beautiful length and suavity black fruit Fine tannins Silky and fresh palate. We’re seeing wines of delicacy and finesse.”
Domaine Les Deux Cols
There's a very good introduction to this domaine "Les Deux Cols: Two and a half Irishmen - How a group of three Dublin-based wine lovers started a rising-star Rhône vineyard."by Raymond Blake in the World of Fine Wine, but briefly, this is a story of three friends from Ireland (OK, one from France via Ireland), deciding to pursue their dream of making wine in the Rhône..
Although described now as up 'and coming', this is a bit like overnight success in the music business - coming after many years of hard graft. Charles Derain and Simon Tyrrell, joined by Gerard Maguire five years later, kicked this off in 2012, but even that was after Simon had done his vineyard management and winemaking course at Plumpton. They began by buying grapes and making their wines in a small corner of the enormous co-op at Estézargues, and admit that it was all fairly primitive.
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By 2016, with a much better understanding of the geography and the different terroirs, they began looking for vineyards in this northerly corner of the Gard, where, they were convinced, they would be able to make the wines they wanted to produce. As it seems with everything else, the holdings were put together the hard way, not buying an existing domaine, but small parcels of vines that they judged to be exactly right for them. It took until the beginning of 2020 to reach the current 12 hectares.
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The vineyards are closed in by woodland to the south, east and west, but open to the Mistral from the north, which helps to cool and dry the vines. The estate is farmed organically and all the grapes are hand-harvested.
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After much eating of grapes to determine the balance of acidity, sweetness and maturity of tannins, the bunches are picked into 13kg boxes and transported to the winery. Some parcels may need to be picked more than once to get all the bunches to the same level of ripeness. Decisions as to whether to destem or not, crush or not are taken on the merits of each vintage. Fermentation is in stainless steel, with temperatures generally kept quite low to preserve the fresh fruit aromas. The maceration is usually quite short, the wine then being kept in tank or transferred to barrels (some 225l and some larger) for élevage.
Domaine Santa Duc
The name of Domaine Santa Duc has been at the pinnacle of wine in Gigondas since the mid 80’s when, under the firm guidance of the irrepressible and charismatic Yves Gras, they gained international recognition and high scores from wine critics. They have, for some time, been a reference point for quality and style, from one of the most consistently brilliant Crus in the Southern Rhone.
The future of the domaine is now in the very capable hands of Yves' son Benjamin, who becomes the 6th generation of the family to head up the estate. To borrow from Matt Walls ‘Yves Gras and his son Benjamin are very different characters. Yves has the air of a retired East End enforcer, but Benjamin is bookish and jovial’. It would appear from our recent tastings that the estate is in safe hands. Having a respectable CV that boasts stages at Domaine de la Romanée Conti and Vega Sicilia, and visits to nearly every wine producing country in the world, he brings fresh views and ideas, whilst respecting the traditions of his father's work and the past.
The entire 30-hectare estate is now biodynamically farmed and certified, with an emphasis on total respect for nature in the vineyard. They comprise a patchwork of prime vineyard sites in Gigondas totalling 13 hectares, including two brilliant lieux-dits, Les Hautes Garrigues & Clos Derriere Vieille, that bring out the very best expression of Grenache, Syrah & Mourvedre. There is also 6 hectares of prized parcels in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, that have gained high praise in a short space of time. The balance is spread across Vacqueyras and Cotes du Rhone. Nearly all the vines are trained goblet, with a program of Massal selection ongoing to ensure healthy vines from older rootstocks.
The wine making philosophy, like so many now, is as little intervention as possible. Stainless steel fermentation, with a proportion of stems and a short maceration followed by ageing in a mixture of large foudres and terracotta amphorae. The wines are fresh, elegant, pure, dark fruited and long lived although approachable in their youth too. Be in no doubt, these are some of the best wines being made in the southern Rhone.
Benjamin on the 2023 vintage:
“was a vintage of extreme heat and drought, although the wine presents very good quality of fruit and great balance”
Domaine Élodie Balme
The rise of Domaine Elodie Balme is a story that is becoming increasingly familiar, and not only in the Rhône valley. A small family-owned vineyard that grows fruit and used to sell the harvest to the local cave cooperative is taken over by a more adventurous, commercially minded and less risk adverse child, who decides to leave the financial safety blanket that the cooperative provides. Striving to make a name for themselves, creating a label and a following that will lead to proud parents congratulating themselves for the wise decision to take the risk and pass on the family estate to the care of their sons and daughters.
This is certainly a story that has reaped rewards with Domaine Elodie Balme in the Southern Rhône appellation of Rasteau.
Grenache is the key player in these parts along with the usual suspects Mourvèdre and Syrah, although this variety is playing less of a role with each passing vintage. Elodie has a slightly new approach that marks her wines out against a lot of very good domaines. She has a very particular 'fruit forward' style, with emphasis very much on the freshness of the wine. A quick walk around the vineyards surrounding the estate and you can see why, some lovely blue marl which is excellent for water retention and therefore helping grapes reach full maturity in a hot environment, all the 28 hectares are farmed organically and have a beautiful aspect looking south toward the Dentelles de Montmirail that dominates the skyline.
The winemaking is kept very simple. Why complicate things when you have such great source material, such beautifully ripe grapes? Fermentation takes place in concrete with a little of the wine aged in old barrels and small foudres. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to walk around a winery and not have the winemaker gush enthusiastically about the 'barrel room' where the wines are aged. I counted maybe 8 barrels, increasingly this is becoming the norm in the southern Rhône as winemakers seek balance and freshness and age wines mostly in tank to help preserve this.
Élodie has been highlighted by respected wine journalist Matt Walls as 'one of the rising stars of the appellation' Whether you like the Vin de France, a wine with a splash of Merlot to give it body, or the Rasteau, a delicious drop of Grenache-infused Rhône delight, or the more serious Roaix (the neighbouring appellation) with a touch more spice, you can rest assured these are some of the finest wines being made in Rasteau and the southern Rhône and extremely good value.
Rasteau is one of the modern success stories of newly elevated 'village' that has attained Cru status and has not looked back since gaining elevation in 2010, but success can only really be judged by the public awareness and recognition of the names backed up in no small part by sales, something that thankfully Rasteau has managed to achieve in little more than a decade. Roaix may be less well-known, but the wine is well worth discovering.
