Domaine Gramenon Côtes du Rhône La Sagesse 2022

Domaine Gramenon was founded by Philippe Laurent and Michèle Aubéry-Laurent in Montbrison-sur-Lez, Drôme Provençale, when they bottled their first vintage in 1990. After Philippe passed away in an accident in 1999, Michèle took over the domaine alone, and now cultivates 26 hectares with their son, Maxime-François. From the beginning, the vineyard was organic, and became biodynamic in 2007. They practice minimal intervention in the cellar, using very little sulfur dioxide. It is considered a benchmark for natural wines in the Southern Rhône.

'La Sagesse' (Wisdom) is a cuvée that lives up to its name. It is 100% Grenache from three plots in the Gramenon area, with vines 50-70 years old. Two plots are on a limestone plateau at 350m altitude, and one is on a sandy, south-facing slope. The vines are massal selection, and yields are limited to 25hL/ha. After hand-harvesting and hand-sorting, the grapes undergo 3 weeks of semi-carbonic maceration in concrete tanks, followed by 12 months of aging in old barriques. A very small amount of sulfur dioxide is added after malolactic fermentation, depending on the vintage.

In the glass, it shows a clear ruby color. On the nose, crushed raspberries and dark cherries open first, followed by garrigue herbs like thyme and rosemary, black pepper, dried lavender, and faint licorice. The three different soils each contribute their part: the floral lift from the sand, the fleshiness from the clay, and the taut finish from the limestone all intertwine in a single glass. On the palate, the density of old vines is evident, yet it flows lightly and elegantly, uncharacteristically for a Southern Rhône wine, with a savory mineral finish. Decanting opens it up much wider, and it can age for up to 10 years in a cool place.