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Soaring Grenache from Domaine Gramenon
Soaring Grenache from Domaine Gramenon
by Tom Wolf by Tom Wolf
2021 Côtes-du-Rhône “Poignée de Raisins”
2021 Côtes-du-Rhône “Poignée de Raisins”
Michèle Aubéry-Laurent
Maxime François Laurent
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône | Côtes-du-Rhône
Few grape varieties are more earthbound than Grenache. Wines made from this star of southern France often taste stony, full of garrigue, and, well, earthy. So it is something of a miracle that Domaine Gramenon has crafted a cuvée that proudly retains that essence of Grenache yet is still so ethereal. Largely due to this kind of paradoxical magic, Michèle Aubéry-Laurent and her son Maxime are among the most respected vignerons not only of the southern Rhône, where they produce roughly twenty distinct bottlings, but in all of France.
They grow Grenache and Syrah, among several other regional varieties, but instead of making rich, robust wines—which is easy to do in these parts—their reds tend to sit at the more lively, exuberant end of the spectrum. Chalk this up to their devotion to biodynamic and organic farming as well as their more “natural” winemaking practices in the cellar. This Poignée de Raisins—“handful of grapes”—accomplishes the elusive feat of boasting both soul and a soaring joie de vivre. It doesn’t get much more perfect than that.
Michèle Aubéry-Laurent
Maxime François Laurent
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Grenache |
Appellation: | Côtes-du-Rhône |
Country: | France |
Region: | Southern Rhône |
Producer: | Domaine Gramenon |
Winemaker: | Michèle Aubèry-Laurent & Maxime François Laurent |
Vineyard: | 4-30 Years |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone varied with gravel, galets roulés, and/or sand |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14% |
More from this Producer or Region
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge “Contre Couleur”
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2022 Côtes-du-Rhône “La Sagesse”
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About The Producer
Domaine Gramenon
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.