2023 Vin de France Rouge “Cuvée de Louis”
Domaine Jolivet
Joining the ranks of celebrated Saint-Joseph domaines that have graced our shelves—Gonon, Trollat, Faury (to name a few)—is the young Bastien Jolivet. The bit of Vin de France he makes comes from a granite site of old-vine Syrah at the top of a steep hillside. Partially vinified with whole bunches, it’s then raised in neutral oak to allow its pure fruit qualities to shine. In the vineyard, work is done organically, and always by hand. Bastien is a vigneron through and through, preferring to toil in his vines more than anything else. The investment pays off in this fresh, stony, country-style rouge that’s not to be missed. —JA
—Jane Augustine and Madison H. Brown
| Wine Type: | red |
| Vintage: | 2023 |
| Bottle Size: | 750mL |
| Blend: | Syrah |
| Appellation: | Vin de France |
| Country: | France |
| Region: | Northern Rhône |
| Producer: | Domaine Jolivet |
| Winemaker: | Bastien Jolivet |
| Vineyard: | Planted in 1972, 2015, 2020; 2.5 ha |
| Soil: | Granite |
| Aging: | Aged for 6 months in stainless steel |
| Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
| Alcohol: | 12.5% |
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About The Producer
Domaine Jolivet
Our latest discovery from Saint-Joseph comes from the talented hand of young Bastien Jolivet, working his family’s vineyards in the hamlet of Saint-Jean-de-Muzols. Bastien inherited the family domaine in 2014 from his father, who sold the grapes from their five hectares to the local cooperative. But Bastien set his sights higher, eager to turn the family’s holdings into domaine-bottled, terroir-driven Saint-Joseph. In only his first decade running the winery, Bastien expanded the property to 13 hectares in total, which he works organically. The winery sits at the base of a very steep and terraced hillside where many of his Saint-Joseph vines sit. In the rare moments when Jolivet is not outdoors tending his vines, he shows a magical touch in the cellar. He has made huge strides since he began in 2014 and his wines are getting better every year. He is poised to be a rising star of the appellation.
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2023 Vin de France Blanc “Cuvée de Louis”
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Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch