Appellation: Rhône - Saint-Joseph AOC AOP

Saint-Joseph Les Hauts Red 2017,

Domaine des Miquettes

A pure Syrah from the Saint-Joseph appellation, produced by an astonishing estate that chose to vinify in qvevri, Georgian-style terracotta jars. This cuvée, produced from forty-year-old vines, was bottled after two years in jars, offering magnificent notes of pepper and violet on the nose, a satiny palate, and fruity body typical of good terracotta aging. Drink now or keep for a few more years.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.

Saint-Joseph 2 years old Red Amphore 2016,

Domaine des Miquettes

This beautiful Syrah in AOP Saint-Joseph is aged for two years in terracotta amphorae. Fresh, balanced, and structured, yet displaying a beautiful fusion of tannins, it can be drunk now or kept for another ten years.

Saint-Joseph Amphore Rouge 2018,

Domaine des Miquettes
With passion and talent, Domaine des Miquettes 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 hillsides, 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 using 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 explore 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.
Here is a superb Syrah from old vines in AOP Saint-Joseph, aged in terracotta amphorae. Deep, balanced, and structured, yet showing a beautiful fusion of tannins and an opulent aromatic palette, this fruity and spicy Saint-Joseph is to be drunk now or kept for a few more years. A beautiful signature of the Saint-Joseph terroir.

Saint Joseph Red 2019

Thierry Alexandre

A feast of violets, blackcurrants, black fruits, morello cherries, magnificent smoky and roasted notes, pepper, and spices; a crisp palate with a hint of astringency. This beautiful, dense, and mineral red from the Saint-Joseph appellation, produced biodynamically, is made from 100% old Syrah vines growing on well-exposed slopes in Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, on the right bank of the Rhône. The soils are complex: loess, decomposed granite, and gneiss. The harvest is entirely manual, and no additives are used in the vineyard or winery. The grapes are lightly crushed and macerated for three weeks in whole bunches, and aged for one year in old barrels. No filtration is carried out before bottling.

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Thierry Alexandre produces little (two hectares in Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, in Ardèche, and a few vines north of Crozes-Hermitage), but he produces well and carefully, entirely biodynamically and without additives in the vineyard or cellar. His bottles are in the Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage blanc and Vin de France appellations. The grape varieties are typical of this northern Rhône Valley: Marsanne, Roussanne, Syrah, Viognier. The estate lies on quite varied soils, mainly decomposed granite, as well as gneiss, sandy clay and loess. He practices semicarbonic fermentation in whole bunches for fairly long periods and aging, depending on the vintage, in stainless steel or old barrels. His wines are as rare and sought-after as the winemaker is humble and discreet, but there is nothing haughty or inaccessible about them: pleasant, warm, fluid and well balanced between fruit and mineral, they are wines of pleasure that should be reserved for the most friendly gatherings.

Saint-Joseph Les Hauts Rouge 2016, Domaine des Miquettes
This beautiful Syrah in AOP Saint-Joseph is aged for one year in terracotta amphorae. Fresh, balanced, structured but showing a beautiful fusion of tannins, this Saint-Joseph is to be drunk now or kept for a few more years.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Saint Joseph Cuvée Madloba Red 2020

Paul Estève

Rhône Valley - Saint-Joseph AOC AOP

The fruit is dense, clean, and precise, the tannins are fine, smooth, and full of freshness, and the minerality is subtle. Even the intensity of a Rhône Syrah reveals that "taste of water," that thirst-quenching fluidity that is the hallmark that Chrystelle Vareille and Paul Estève seek to give to their wines. With its floral and spicy notes, its mineral tension over a full texture and intense sapidity, this wine is reminiscent of Georgian qvevri wines aged in terracotta. Madloba ("thank you" in Georgian), in AOP Saint-Joseph, is a 100% Syrah. The vines, almost forty years old, are planted at an altitude of 350 meters, on a hillside plot with granite and black mica soils. The harvest ferments in tinajas, unburied terracotta jars, and after pressing the wine returns to the tinaja for a year of aging. This aging method enhances the wine's texture, softens the tannins, and develops the fruit. As versatile as it is for pairings, Madloba red can do anything.

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Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille are the creators of the Domaine des Miquettes, whose great specialty is the use of Georgian techniques. They are passionate about 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 explore 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.

The estate, located in Ardèche, is south of the Saint-Joseph appellation. Paul trained with René-Jean Dard and François Ribo, two great figures of 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, the red grape varieties are planted on steep hillsides, 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.

Saint Joseph Cuvée Madloba Red 2014,

Domaine des Miquettes

From the prestigious AOP Saint-Joseph, Domaine des Miquettes offers us a unique cuvée with its Saint-Joseph Cuvée Madloba 2014. Certified organic (Eurofeuille, All our organic wines), this wine is made from Syrah grown on steep terroirs in the northern Rhône, offering a pure and intense expression of the grape variety.

A Georgian-inspired vinification

This cuvée bears the name "Madloba," which means "thank you" in Georgian, a nod to an ancestral winemaking method. The wine is aged in qvevris (buried amphorae), which gives it a beautiful aromatic depth and a silky texture, while preserving its natural and authentic character.

An intense nose and a structured palate

Upon opening, this organic Saint-Joseph reveals a deep and complex nose, marked by notes of ripe black fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry), violet and spices. On the palate, the attack is ample and velvety, with a well-integrated tannic structure and a long finish with slightly smoky and mineral accents.

For what occasion?

Served at 16-18°C and decanted before tasting, this wine is the perfect accompaniment to grilled red meats, game in sauce or stewed dishes with mild spices. With an aging potential of 5 to 10 years, it will evolve towards even more complex aromas over time.

Saint Joseph Blanc 2020,

Thierry Alexandre
Saint-Joseph Blanc is a wine to discover for its remarkable balance between richness and freshness, a hallmark of white wines from the Upper Rhône Valley. This is a truly delicious wine, which possesses the clarity and roundness of its appellation. Its lightly toasted and smoky notes, this invasion of peach and ripe apple, will initially captivate you. Then, on the palate, sweetness and freshness will further demonstrate the beauty and solidity of this fine and complex wine, balanced between the richness of its fruit, its freshness, and its soft, satiny texture. The finish features balsamic notes of spices and lavender. This beautiful wine is made from old Marsanne and Viognier vines, planted around 1960, cultivated biodynamically on loess, decomposed granite, and gneiss soils in Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, on the banks of the Ardèche near its mouth. The southeast-facing lieu-dit, near Sainte-Épine, is one of the best in the appellation. The harvest is entirely manual, followed by a passage in a cold room before pressing, and no inputs are used in the vineyard or the cellar. The wine is produced by direct pressing and goes into old barrels where it ferments on natural yeasts for two months. It is then racked and returned to barrels for a year of aging. Warning: very small production, make the most of it!

To find out more
Thierry Alexandre produces little (two hectares in Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, in Ardèche, and a few vines north of Crozes-Hermitage), but he produces well and carefully, entirely biodynamically and without additives in the vineyard or cellar. His bottles are in the Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage blanc and Vin de France appellations. The grape varieties are typical of this northern part of the Rhône Valley: Marsanne, Roussanne, Syrah, Viognier. The estate lies on quite varied soils, mainly decomposed granite, as well as gneiss, sandy clay and loess. He practices semicarbonic fermentation in whole bunches for fairly long periods and aging, depending on the vintage, in stainless steel or old barrels. His wines are as rare and sought-after as the winemaker is humble and discreet, but there is nothing haughty or inaccessible about them: pleasant, warm, fluid and well balanced between fruit and mineral, they are wines for pleasure that should be reserved for the most friendly gatherings.