Madloba White 2018

Madloba White 2018,

Domaine des Miquettes

Domaine des Miquettes skillfully 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 learned his trade from 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 acres of vines, then in 2004 the entire estate, which now covers 4.3 hectares. The white grape varieties are located around the house, 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 cultivated organically (Ecocert) with biodynamic practices. The vines are cared for and fortified using plant decoctions and clay. 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 country in the Caucasus, 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, the terracotta erases astringency and transmutes it into a velvety texture, a fruity and supple material.

Madloba blanc ("thank you" in Georgian) is a blend of 50% Marsanne and 50% Viognier. The vines are planted at an altitude of 350 meters, on a hillside plot with granite and black mica soils. The wine is aged for a year in qvevri, amphorae buried in the cellar in the Georgian style. This wine is reminiscent of its Georgian counterparts aged in terracotta, with its floral and spicy notes, mineral tension, a full texture, and intense flavor. It's an all-rounder when it comes to pairings.