Syrah Red 2019

Syrah Rouge 2019,

Domaine des Miquettes

Domaine des Miquettes creatively and passionately combines the terroir and winemaking traditions of the Rhône with those of Georgia, whose viticulture is a model for Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille, the estate's founders. Located in Ardèche, south of the Saint-Joseph appellation, Paul trained with René-Jean Dard and François Ribo, two leading figures in natural wine in the Rhône Valley. With Chrystelle, he began by taking over Paul's family farm with two ares of vines, then in 2004 the entire estate, which now covers 4.3 hectares. The white grape varieties are located around the house, while the red grape varieties are planted on steep slopes, between 300 and 450 meters above sea level. The plots rest on a granite base with light soils: black mica granite, schist, and gneiss. Everything is grown organically (Ecocert) using biodynamic practices. The vines are cared for and fortified with plant and clay decoctions. The soils are worked by horse or winch and pickaxe. No chemical inputs are added to the vineyard work. The harvest is entirely manual.
The great specificity of the Domaine des Miquettes remains the use of Georgian techniques, inspired by their passion for this Caucasian country, the cradle of wine, where eight-thousand-year-old winemaking techniques are still used. At the heart of this viticulture is the qvevri, the buried jar where all the winemaking takes place: fermentation with skin maceration and aging. They set out to discover this country and returned with the decision to age all their wines in buried jars. They have twenty-six, but distinguish between tinajas (Spanish jars) for fermentation-maceration and buried "amphorae" for aging. No sulfur is added. For both reds and whites, terracotta erases astringency and transmutes it into a velvety texture, a fruity and supple substance.
A Syrah of noble simplicity. Produced from vines planted in Ardèche, on plots with light soils of black mica granite, schist and gneiss on a granite base, this French wine seduces with a nose of red fruits that continues with a velvety, peppery and raspberry palate.