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Among the world's most prestigious grape varieties, Syrah holds a special place. Today, it is recognized as one of the pillars of wine heritage, giving birth to some of the most legendary red wines. Its reputation is built on its aromatic intensity, its controlled tannic power, and its floral elegance, which captivate enthusiasts with every bottle.
Whether one discovers a simple IGP country wine or a prestigious Hermitage, it always stands out for the richness of its content and the finesse of its aroma. It perfectly illustrates the balance between tradition and modernity, between artisanal estates and renowned appellations.
Origin and history of the grape variety
The grape variety has long been surrounded by legends. Some said it originated in Persia or Syria, while others thought it had been introduced to Gaul by the Romans. But recent DNA analyses provide clear information: Syrah was born in the Rhône Valley, resulting from a natural cross between Mondeuse Blanche and Dureza.
As early as the Middle Ages, this grape is mentioned in local writings, but it was especially in the 19th century that it experienced remarkable expansion. Planted on steep plots, this robust vine quickly charmed with its ability to produce quality, expressive, and elegant wines.
Today, it is present in many countries but remains intimately linked to the Rhône, where it reaches its peak.
Geographic spread and adaptation
Syrah is above all the emblematic grape variety of the northern Rhône Valley. In Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Cornas, each vintage reveals a unique identity, always true to its terroir. These wines are among the jewels of French wine heritage, capable of aging for several decades.
In Languedoc and Provence, it is widely cultivated and often vinified in blends with Grenache and Mourvèdre. It is also found in IGP classified productions, offered at a more accessible price, ideal for discovering this grape variety without waiting for a special occasion.
The spread of Syrah has largely crossed French borders. In Australia, rebranded Shiraz, it produces powerful and sunny wines, rich in red fruits and spices. In the United States, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, each estate that chooses to use it brings a different expression of this grape. However, the opinion of enthusiasts worldwide converges: Syrah is a safe bet, regardless of the country where it is expressed.
Synonyms and appellations
The Syrah grape variety has several names depending on the region. It is called Shiraz in Australia, Hermitage in some old texts, or even Marsanne Noire in forgotten archives. But everywhere, it embodies the elegance and depth of red wine.
In French appellations, Syrah can be vinified alone or in a blend. The mentions "vin de pays" and "IGP" allow winemakers to experiment with new styles while maintaining great freedom.
Physical description of the grape variety
Syrah is a vine of medium vigor, susceptible to diseases but generous on good terroirs. Its clusters are compact, its berries small and spherical, an intense black-blue. Their thick skin concentrates anthocyanins and tannins, giving wines with a dark, almost opaque color.
The Syrah grape has a unique aromatic richness: concentrated juice, juicy flesh, balance between acidity and sugar. It is this profile that explains the diversity of wines obtained, ranging from fruity and accessible cuvées to prestigious selections from renowned estates.
Viticultural characteristics
Syrah likes poor, stony, well-drained soils. It reveals all its nobility on the granite soils of the Rhône. Its ripening cycle is medium to late, which requires sunny conditions.
Winemakers must manage its yields carefully: overly generous production dilutes the wine and alters its quality. Conversely, limited and well-tended plots allow for powerful, structured, and tannic expressions, capable of rivaling the most prestigious references.
Aromatic profile and style
The nose of Syrah is immediately recognizable: an explosion of red and black fruits (blackberry, blackcurrant, raspberry), violet, black pepper, and licorice. With time, the aromas evolve towards leather, cocoa, game, and truffle.
On the palate, Syrah red wine is full-bodied, powerful, and structured, with a firm but always elegant tannic framework. The finish is long, mineral, often marked by smoky notes characteristic of volcanic or granite terroirs.
Each vintage offers a new facet of the grape variety: some are more floral and delicate, others more sunny and full-bodied.
Wine styles produced
Syrah lends itself to a multitude of styles:
The Grand Crus: Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Cornas… Legendary, rare, high-priced wines, intended for demanding connoisseurs.
IGP country wines: more accessible bottles, perfect for gifts or everyday sharing.
Rosé wines: often made from Syrah in Provence or Languedoc, delicious and fragrant.
Natural wines: made without additives, highlighting the pure fruit and sincerity of the grape.
White wines: rarer, some winemakers dare atypical vinifications with a low % of Syrah in direct pressing, offering surprising creations.
Aging potential
Depending on the style, a bottle of Syrah can be drunk within 3 to 5 years for immediate pleasure, or kept for several decades for the most prestigious productions. Each tasting moment is unique: the freshness of a young wine, the complexity of an old vintage, the elegance of a refined selection.
Food and wine pairings
Syrah is a gastronomic wine that lends itself to multiple pairings. It can be served with:
grilled meats and cured meats for young expressions,
lamb, red meats, and sauced dishes for structured versions,
game or truffle dishes for prestigious crus.
Syrah rosé wines pair well with salads, grilled fish, and summer meals.
Syrah and the world of wine
On a specialized site or in an estate, Syrah red wine is always part of a selection highlighted for its prestige and timelessness. It can be chosen by the glass in a restaurant or ordered as a gift for a family meal.
The opinion of enthusiasts is unanimous: a well-crafted Syrah, whether from an exceptional terroir or an IGP country wine, always retains a quality and personality that distinguish it.
Every day, this grape variety continues to charm and establish itself as a reference.
Conclusion: the spicy soul of red wine
The Syrah grape variety is a safe bet in French wine, a pillar of global viticulture. From confidential plots to legendary crus, it offers wines that are both powerful and elegant, always marked by aromas of red fruits, spices, and a balanced tannic structure.
Tasting a bottle of Syrah means sharing a unique moment, an experience where the nose, the palate, and the finish tell a story of wine lands and passion. Whether it is an inexpensive IGP country wine production, a sincere natural wine, or a prestigious Hermitage, Syrah embodies the very essence of exceptional wine.
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35 products
35 products
Gigondas Red 2022
Terroir, plot size and grape varieties
Nestled in the heart of the Dentelles de Montmirail, the Gigondas terroir asserts itself with its quiet strength and raw beauty. Here, in this fiery enclave of the Southern Rhône Valley, the vines find refuge on steep, stony slopes, bathed in sunshine and caressed by the mistral wind. This poor and demanding soil, a mixture of marl and limestone, gives rise to grapes of rare intensity.
In this 2022 vintage, Les Grandes Serres presents a cuvée driven by a classic and remarkably effective duo: Grenache, the sun-drenched king of the south, which dominates the blend, and Syrah, which brings tension and depth. Together, they express the wild and sensual soul of this emblematic terroir.
Cultivation methods
True to a respectful approach to living things, Les Grandes Serres crafts this Gigondas using natural winemaking methods, without artifice, allowing the grapes to express themselves freely. The vines are cultivated in harmony with natural balances, without synthetic products, with meticulous care given to each vine. The harvest is done by hand, selecting grapes at perfect ripeness, guaranteeing healthy and concentrated raw materials. In the cellar, aging is carefully controlled with restraint, without masking the wine's personality, to preserve its original freshness and lusciousness.
Tasting & pairings
The 2022 Gigondas from Grandes Serres is a true explosion of pleasure. From the first sniff, it seduces with its intense aromas of ripe red fruits, crushed strawberry, juicy cherry, which mingle with notes of wild thyme, dark chocolate and a slightly smoky, almost meaty touch.
On the palate, it's a wave of generosity: ample, velvety, but never heavy. Natural freshness balances the richness of the fruit, and the finish lingers on melted tannins, with a touch of salinity that begs for another sip. A "bombshell of deliciousness," certainly, but also a wine of character, with depth and true elegance.
Ideal for accompanying a summer barbecue with friends, a beautiful platter of artisanal charcuterie, or a grilled piece of red meat, this Gigondas is both approachable and refined. Served slightly chilled, it will also surprise with its lightness despite its 15% alcohol content, proving that power can indeed be drinkable.
A sincere, vibrant wine that warmly and generously expresses its terroir.
Art Brut Red 2023,
La Tribu Alonso
A vibrant, hybrid, and bold red, born from the granite terroir of Beaujolais
The Art Brut 2023, produced by La Tribu Alonso, is an atypical and captivating cuvée. This red wine is distinguished by its exceptional ampelographic diversity, bringing together a mosaic of grape varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, and Syrah, enriched with a touch of white grapes. Produced on granite soils, it reflects an artisanal and innovative philosophy that celebrates biodiversity and the terroir.
Vinified with a short maceration to extract finesse and freshness, then aged for a year in vats, this wine reveals a natural and sincere approach, without artifice.
An intense and original tasting
On the nose, the Art Brut 2023 charms with its aromas of black cherry, kirsch and leather, with subtle nuances of pepper and spices. On the palate, it offers a frank and invigorating attack, supported by a supple texture and a beautiful freshness. The delicate and melted tannins highlight flavors of ripe red fruits and spicy notes that persist in a long and harmonious finish.
Rich and varied pairings
This versatile wine is ideal for accompanying convivial moments as well as gourmet meals. It pairs perfectly with grilled white meats, poultry stew or roasted red meats. Its freshness and spicy character also make it a perfect choice for stewed or lightly spiced dishes.
Serve between 14 and 16°C, without decanting necessary, the Art Brut 2023 can be enjoyed today for its freshness or kept for up to 5 years, where it will gain in complexity.
Hedyos Red 2023
Hedyos is a red wine from the Gaillac terroir (Occitanie), organic and natural, produced by Domaine Bois-Moisset and classified as a Vin de France. A classic Syrah from the South, remarkable for its lightness and drinkability.
Vinification
Hedyos is 100% Syrah, produced without any chemical additives and fermented with indigenous yeasts. The Syrah harvest macerates for two weeks in whole bunches.
Tasting
A spicy lightness characterizes Hedyos, a red wine from Domaine Bois Moisset. The Syrah is fluid, supple, and mineral, with a dominant sweet spice and notes of black olives. It pairs well with Mediterranean dishes, tapenade, bagna cauda or anchoïade, pizzas, and pissaladières.
Learn more about Domaine Bois-Moisset
In the heart of France's oldest vineyard—Gaillac, in the Tarn region—Sylvie Ledran, Philippe Maffre, and their son Hippolyte oversee their Bois-Moisset estate, a wine-growing property associated with mixed crop and livestock farming, all organic. Gaillac is famous for its many ancient indigenous grape varieties, and its wine-growing heritage is uniquely rich.
Cows and Vines
Domaine Bois-Moisset is also home to a herd of old local breed cows, and guest rooms are available during the summer months. It is in this small rural paradise that natural wines typical of their origin and their terroir are born, on fifteen hectares of boulbènes, gravelly and sandy-loam soils carried by the Tarn for thousands of years.
Native grape varieties
The grape varieties are dominated by Syrah and Duras, but the wines of the Bois-Moisset estate reflect the ampelographic richness of the Gaillac region (braucol, prunelart, loin-de-l’œil, mauzac, braucol, ondenc, etc.). The red wines are crisply fruity, concentrated but with smooth and delicate tannins, the whites have character and the pet’ nat’ are particularly tasty.
Syrah Jamais Malade Red 2021,
That's what they often say about natural wines: the next day, never sick, no hat... Which doesn't prevent you from drinking in moderation, even if it's a magnificent gurgling like this one. The nose is floral, the palate is fresh and light, with a hint of spice on the finish. Jamais Malade is made from Syrah grapes grown on a plot of loess and granite, facing northeast, with hand-harvested grapes. Maceration is semi-carbonic, in wooden and stainless steel vats. Pressing takes place before the end of fermentation, after which the wine is aged in stainless steel vats. Bottling takes place in June.
Find out more
La Ferme de l’Arbre is a small four and a half hectare wine estate located on the right bank of the Rhône, on the Ardèche side, in Tournon-sur-Rhône (near Tain-l’Hermitage). Run for twenty-five years by Christian Lericq and Colette Barrier, it has had its current name since 2021, the year it was expanded. It is mainly located on granite soils with a loess plot. Entirely devoted to natural wine, obtained through organic and biodynamic farming, it currently produces Syrah red wines under the Saint-Joseph and Vin de France appellations. The estate also has a small apiary and produces honey. The vines are tended with herbal teas and nettle manure, and the soil is nourished with compost and manure. The wines are harvested entirely by hand, vatted in whole bunches. Vinification takes place at room temperature and the wines are neither filtered nor fined. The wines are authentic Syrahs from the Rhône Valley, simple and delicious, joyful, convivial and fruity.
Saint Joseph Cuvée Madloba Red 2020
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.
Find out more
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.
Domaine des Grandes Serres
Côtes du Rhône (exclusive vintage) Red 2022
1107
Domaine des Grandes Serres
Côtes du Rhône (exclusive vintage) Red 2022
1107
Côtes du Rhône Red 2022
This Côtes-du-Rhône from Domaine des Grandes Serres is what its name implies: an organic and natural red wine from the lower Rhône Valley, in the AOC-AOP Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages. It is part of the estate's "Comics" natural series (see label).
Vinification
The Côtes-du-Rhône from Domaine des Grandes Serres is made from 80% Syrah, with 5% of each of the following grape varieties: Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault, all grown on limestone and sandstone soils. The harvest is manual, the grapes are destemmed and macerated on the skins for three weeks. After pressing, the wine rests for eight months in stainless steel vats.
Tasting
A good, dense, indulgent, and fruity Côtes-du-Rhône, without the slight bite of sulfites, does that tempt you? This Côtes-du-Rhône is part of the estate's organic and natural "Comics" series and will always be perfect when you want a warm, fruity red wine suitable for all occasions.
Learn more about Domaine des Grandes Serres
Domaine des Grandes Serres, created in 1977 with respect for the environment and the terroir, represents the excellence and vitality, in organic and natural mode, of the prestigious Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, where it covers 12 hectares. To make his estate and merchant wines, he harvests, buys grapes, vinifies, and ages them over a wide area, centered around Châteauneuf and the southern Côtes-du-Rhône, extending to areas such as Lirac and the Costières de Nîmes.
An organic commitment without ostentation
A large portion of the Domaine des Grandes Serres vintages are organic and without added sulfites, although the estate does not publicly boast about it. Modestly, Samuel Montgermont, the estate's general manager, explains that the geological and climatic conditions, particularly the mistral wind, promote the health of the vineyard and allow for the elimination of inputs. While the labels don't take themselves seriously, the wines are solid, fresh, and flavorful.
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.
Coteau Libre Red 2016
A beautiful macabeu with a strong personality, vinified by Michaël Georget in the Albères region. This grape variety has often been used as a blending ingredient; it deserves to shine on its own. The nose already announces the wine's structure and velvety texture, and the palate appreciates the clarity and tension, which doesn't prevent it from being very delicious.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.
Rubaiyat Red 2009
This wine is produced from Syrah vines planted at an altitude of approximately 1,290 meters, facing south on schist and clay soils. The destemmed harvest macerates in stainless steel vats, and is aged for sixteen months in old barrels. The Syrah, originally from Persia, inspired the name of the vintage: Rubaiyat is the title of a lyrical cycle by the Persian poet Omar Khayyam (11th century), a man of great wisdom, mathematician, astronomer... He wrote in particular about the joys that wine brings, among other pleasures of life.
Natural wine without added sulfites.
Amoroso Rouge
Distillerie Sentema
Amoroso Rouge has nothing in common with traditional, syrupy industrial vermouths. This audacious creation from Distillerie Sentema, nestled in the Alpes-Maritimes, shatters the codes of red vermouth by offering a dry, complex, and vegetal version, entirely rooted in the Provençal terroir.
The base is a succulent and juicy Syrah from Domaine de Garbelle, cultivated in the Var region. This wine is fortified with a local wine spirit, then infused for two weeks with a bouquet of wild plants from the Var garrigue: Barjols absinthe, savory, rosemary, oregano, agastache, as well as bitter orange zest harvested in the Alpes-Maritimes.
The result? A dry, taut vermouth, with no added sugar, driven by structuring bitters, an intense palate, and a savory finish that evokes green olives and sunshine. On the nose, a deep aromatic profile emerges: rosemary, dried herbs, citrus zest. On the palate, the attack is direct, with a perfect balance between the black fruit of the Syrah and the bitter touch of the botanicals. The long, fresh finish, subtly aniseed by the absinthe, evokes a sun-drenched corner of the garrigue.
Ideal as an aperitif, Amoroso Rouge can also elevate a Mediterranean Negroni or be served neat, on the rocks, with an orange twist.
A free-spirited, dry, naturally complex vermouth that embodies the spirit of the South, unadorned and without added sugar.
La Familia Red 2010
A wine for laying down. High-altitude Merlot, high acidity.
La Familia is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah, one of the 800 vines planted by the Carmenet family between 1991 and 1998 by the winemakers at an altitude of 1,300 meters on schist and clay soils. The destemmed harvest macerates in stainless steel vats with manual punching. Aging in old barrels lasts approximately twenty-four months.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.
CL Clarete Red 2023,
An all-terrain claret for lovers of light and juicy wines
The CL Clarete 2023, produced by Partida Creus, is a light, delicately macerated red wine made from a bold blend of Carignan, Grenache, Merlot, Syrah, and Tempranillo. This claret is a tribute to the freshness and conviviality of thirst-quenching wines, while remaining rooted in a natural vinification process that respects its clay-limestone terroir.
Tasting: between red fruits and spices
The nose opens with aromas of citrus, pomegranate and juicy red fruits, enhanced by a spicy touch that brings unexpected depth. On the palate, the CL Clarete is round and silky, with a beautiful acidity and minerality that give it a refreshing and savory finish. It charms with its balance and liveliness.
A versatile wine for all occasions
Thanks to its lightness and freshness, this claret is perfect for accompanying white meats, charcuterie dishes or even roasted meats. It also excels with simple Mediterranean dishes, such as grilled vegetables or mixed salads.
Serve between 12 and 14°C, without decanting, it can be enjoyed young for its liveliness or aged for up to 5 years to develop more complexity.
Vin de France Syrah Red 2022,
This pure Syrah red wine from the Rhône Valley, organic and natural (Ecocert certified), is classified as a Vin de France. It asserts itself with a noble simplicity, typical of the wines of Domaine des Miquettes, produced on schist and granite soils. Its full name is: Biou une canou que té fara dé bé (“drink a cannon that will do you good”).
Vinification
Made from vines planted in Ardèche, on plots with light soils of black mica granite, schist and gneiss on a granite base, this natural Syrah ferments on the skins in terracotta containers and is aged for six months.
Tasting
Less dense and less full-bodied than the Saint-Joseph from Domaine des Miquettes, this This organic and natural Syrah is loaded with black fruits, blackcurrant, red fruits (wild strawberry), notes of tobacco and leather. The red fruits noticeable on the nose give way to a velvety, peppery and raspberry palate. Pair it with stews, red meats and game. It is also made for black truffle and we imagine it perfectly with a cassoulet.
Learn more about Domaine des Miquettes
Domaine des Miquettes, in the Saint-Joseph appellation (Ardèche), is run by Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille, who are passionate about Georgian winemaking techniques. At the heart of this centuries-old viticulture is the kvevri, the buried jar where the entire winemaking process takes place. They also have unburied tinajas (Spanish jars) for fermentation and maceration, the kvevris being used for aging. No sulfites are added to the wines of Domaine des Miquettes. The astringency of the tannins is polished by the terracotta, which produces a velvety texture, a fruity and supple substance.
The Estate
Paul Estève learned his trade with René-Jean Dard and François Ribo, two great figures of natural wine in the Rhône Valley. With Chrystelle, he gradually rebuilt the family estate until it reached 4.3 hectares. The plots, located between 300 and 450 meters above sea level, rest on a granite base with light mica and gneiss soils. The agriculture is organic (Ecocert certified) and biodynamic. The soils are worked by horse or winch and pickaxe, and the harvest is manual. No chemical inputs are added to the vineyard work or winemaking.
Ichigo Ichie Red 2022,
Ichigo Ichie is an organic and natural red-rosé wine (a "blouge" we would say) from the Rhône Valley (Ardèche, Saint-Joseph terroir) certified organic by Écocert. It is produced by Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille of Domaine des Miquettes, and the name of the cuvée pays tribute to one of their Japanese collaborators who recently passed away. The expression ichigo ichie means "a unique moment in life."
Vinification
Made without additives or added sulfites, unfiltered, Ichigo Ichie is a blend of all the grape varieties grown on the estate: Gamay, Marsanne, Roussanne, Syrah and Viognier, on granite and loess soils. This organic and natural wine from the Rhône Valley is aged for one year in vats.
Tasting
Ichigo Ichie can be consumed as a light red or a full-bodied rosé; its exotic notes are very seductive. It is recommended to drink it chilled. This additive-free wine will accompany all products from the land and the sea. Other "blouges", if you appreciate this type of rosé which leans towards red (or the other way around), can be discovered on our site: Susucaru Rosato from Frank Cornelissen, a classic from Etna, or L’Arroseur by Vinilibre.
Learn more about Domaine des Miquettes
Domaine des Miquettes, in the Saint-Joseph appellation (Ardèche), is run by Paul Estève and Chrystelle Vareille, who are passionate about Georgian winemaking techniques. At the heart of this centuries-old viticulture is the kvevri, the buried jar where the entire winemaking process takes place. They also have unburied tinajas (Spanish jars) for fermentation and maceration, while kvevris are used for aging. No sulfites are added to the wines of Domaine des Miquettes. The astringency of the tannins is polished by the terracotta, which produces a velvety texture, a fruity and supple substance.
The Estate
Paul Estève learned his trade from René-Jean Dard and François Ribo, two great figures of natural wine in the Rhône Valley. With Chrystelle, he gradually rebuilt the family estate until it reached 4.3 hectares. The plots, located between 300 and 450 meters above sea level, rest on a granite base with light mica and gneiss soils. The agriculture is organic (Ecocert certification) and biodynamic. The soils are worked by horse or winch and pickaxe, and the harvest is manual. No chemical inputs are added to the vineyard work and winemaking.
Rubaiyat Red 2009
Elegantly aged in magnum format for over thirteen years, this is a classic from the Barranco Oscuro estate. It offers a full-bodied, tannic, and dry profile, rich in mature notes of black and red fruits (blackcurrant, raspberry). Leather and earth also dominate, accentuated and enhanced by aging. Smooth, roasted, and nuanced notes of chocolate and spices, and superb balance. Rubaiyat is an allusion and homage to the Persian poet Omar Khayyam, a polymath who wrote a poetic cycle entitled Rubaiyat in the 11th century, glorifying mystical and physical intoxication. The Persian origin of the Syrah grape variety, from which this wine is entirely composed, was not for nothing in this choice of name. Rubaiyat comes from Syrah vines planted in 1996 at an altitude of approximately 1,290 meters and facing south on schist and clay soils. The harvest, manual, carefully sorted and destemmed, macerates in stainless steel vats and ferments with indigenous yeasts. The vinification is naturally controlled by the coolness of autumn nights in the mountains. Malolactic fermentation followed by aging takes place for sixteen months in old barrels. No sulfites are added, the wine is unclarified, and lightly filtered at bottling.
Find out more
Between the Sierra Nevada and the sea, in Andalusia, the Sierra Contraviesa boasts the highest vineyard in Europe (1,368 meters) at its summit. Barranco oscuro means "dark valley" in Spanish, but this valley is part of the past; it was the original site of the property, but it was moved at the end of the 19th century, when phylloxera put an end to a period of intense winemaking and mass production. In 1979, the estate was taken over by Manuel Valenzuela, who decided to work it using natural methods and without resorting to modern oenology methods. Initially, he bought grapes, but his goal was to replant vines, which he did between 1982 and the mid-1990s. Currently, the twelve hectares of Cortijo Barranco Oscuro extend over a drop of almost 1,400 meters. On a poor, dry, schistose terroir, two localities concentrate the plots: Cerro Las Monjas at the very top and Hoyo y Cerro de Las Gayumbas lower down, near the winery buildings. Strong thermal contrasts explain the freshness of the wines, produced without the addition of exogenous yeasts and without any inputs in the vineyard or cellar. Although the estate is not certified organic due to the disillusionment Manuel suffered from fraud in this area, his estate is a member of the Spanish Association of Natural Wine Producers. His wines are straightforward and clean, without compromise: they are wines that give joy through the seriousness of the work that went into their production.
