Domaine du Seminaire "Côtes-du-Rhône" Rouge, Rhône Valley, France 2023

FROM MARTINE'S WINES:

THE WINE: 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Carignan. The property is surrounded by olive and truffle oak trees, lavender fields and thick forest. The vineyards are near the northern limit of ripening Grenache, in the colder foothills of the Alps, where they are swept by the strong mistral winds. Grenache was planted in the early 1980s-2003, Syrah planted from the 1980s-2010, Carignan planted in the 1960s. Grapes are destemmed, with fermentation and elevage occurring in concrete vats with native yeasts and very light filtration.

THE PRODUCER: On 250 acres of land in the hills above the village of Valréas, a beautiful Provençal house, surrounded by olive and truffle oak trees, lavender fields and thick forest, is the center of the idyllic micro-estate of Domaine du Seminaire. The vineyards are near the northern limit of ripening Grenache, in the colder foothills of the Alps, where they are swept by the strong mistral winds. Hervé Pouizin is the fourth generation to farm this land; he and his wife, Mathilde, have preserved the self-sufficient estate mostly as it was a century ago, with one key exception: they converted everything to organic farming. Fermenting their wines in the same huge concrete tanks since 1938, the couple takes an old-school approach to winemaking and uses no oak. They produce high-toned, bright, floral wines, in keeping with their region and elevation, bottled early to preserve the fruit and with minimal sulfur. These wines offer an amazing value, as they are humble, pretty wines done exceptionally well.