Domaine Montmartel Côtes Du Rhône Villages Visan
WHY WE LOVE IT
- The quarter- century old vineyard is worked with “reasoned” methods of agriculture since 2004, with a Bio certification since the 2010 vintage.
- Particular care is given to working the land, enriched with organic fertilizers.
- The expertise asserted by the domain consists of the least possible intervention in the vines – concentrating efforts on the monitoring and anticipation of the natural process.
Varietal Composition: 50% Grenache 50% Syrah
Elaboration: The quality of the grapes produced by Damien is the essential part of the work in the winery: as in the vineyards, nature runs everything. The alcoholic fermentation with native yeast takes place slowly over approximately three weeks, under temperature control of around 64°F to 82 °F, resulting in aromas, soft tannins, and extraction of color from the skins. The multiple rackings makes for a very light final filtration. Aging is done in a traditional concrete vats.
Tasting Notes: An expressive wine with nice spicy notes, fruits from the forest and black cherry. A full mouth, round and suave, with a nice aromatic finish. Low yield gives to the wine a nice concentration and silky tannins. Style and balance in finish.
PRESS
2016: 90 pts – Wine Advocate
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Family run estate, managed by the young and talented Damien Marres. In 2002 when Damien was 23 years old, he settled on one of the oldest properties of Visan, a domain that extends to Saint-Maurice and Valréas. It was his great-grandfather, Raoul Couston, who founded this vineyard in 1919 after the war. For decades, the great-grandfather has vinified his own grapes and harvests purchased from local winegrowers, identifying the beautiful plots that he bought to be a qualitative and coherent area. The Visan area of Montmartel covers 30 hectares in one piece, between vineyards and woods facing south. The land of hillsides, clay and limestone covered with rolled pebbles, and the vineyard dated a quarter century ago have been worked in sustainable agriculture since 2004, with organic certification since the 2010 vintage