Description

Husband and wife, Rotem and Mounir are best known for their more than two decades in Burgundy as “micro-negociants under the highly coveted and luxury label Lucien Le Moine (“the enlightened one”).  Their modern winemaking approach requires very slow and lengthy barrel fermentations without ever racking, and thus a significantly higher concentration of whole lees contact during extended barrel aging without sulfur.  The wines are only racked at the time of bottling, but remain unfined and unfiltered.  It is important to double decant to release any extra CO2 remaining in the wine. The couples shift in focus to the southern Rhone began when they were able to purchase an historic, old vineyard in Pignan, the finest subregion of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  Everyone instantly began buzzing because their Chateauneuf-du-Pape releases displayed an uncommon and never seen before, refinement, finesse, transparency and elegance.  Huh?  Yes, indeed!  More like Burgundian styled Chateauneuf-du-Pape, or Burgundy with more generosity!  As I like to say, the proof is in the bottle!

“Powerful, concentrated and densely packed, this is simmering with tightly coiled energy behind a wealth of melon, yellow plum and apple flavors all coated in sea salt and brine. A truly distinctive version, with savory tension to the ripe fruit, firing on all cylinders. Toasty, yeasty and complex, with a steely mineral underpinning and a smoky finish that stretches way out, revealing new layers with each sip. Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne and Bourboulenc. Drink now through 2035. 125 cases imported.” – 96 points, Wine Spectator