Wines

“La Coudée d’Or” combines a panoply of better- and lesser-known white Rhône varieties such as Clairette, Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, and various ancient obscurities (Viret has over 100 varieties planted on the property). Grapes begin fermentation on their skins and are pulled off after a few days and pressed, and the wine ages for two years in well-used oak barrels. With its luscious, pulpy, lip-smackingly salty fruit, and its intense vibrancy boosted by a hair’s breadth of appetizing volatility, it fully transcends the often underwhelming and clunky category of southern Rhône whites.

Philippe has been producing skin-macerated white wines in amphorae since way back in 2005, and “Horus”—after the ancient Egyptian sky god—is a blend of Grenache Gris, Vermentino, Viognier, Muscat d’Alexandrie, and the obscure Aranel, planted in pebbly limestone. He ferments it half in amphorae built by a local artisan and half in steel, keeping the wine on its skins for six months, after which point it is pressed and returned to said vessels for another six months. The finished wine is exuberantly spicy, with a nice punch of tannins and tons of energy; think Collio, but less overtly powerful.

Built primarily from young-vines Syrah with a splash of Mourvèdre and tiny sprinklings of old Rhône varieties like Picpoul Noir, Vaccarèse, Muscardin, and Counoise, “Energie” is vinified and aged in a combination of cement and steel tanks for one year with no added sulfur. The long but gentle infusion-method of extraction gives this wine great clarity of line, with pure, ringing acidity and a tasteful spiciness that speaks more of the northern Rhône than the frequently coarse Syrah of these southerly zones; its name could hardly be more apt.

A blend of the classic varieties of the area, “Renaissance” combines Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Carignan (in descending order of prominence) from parcels scattered throughout the property. It ferments naturally in concrete and undergoes a 45-day-long maceration, then spends nearly four years in concrete with no added sulfur whatsoever. This phenomenal wine offers a layered, meditative character, with ripe but beautifully controlled fruits unfurling slowly throughout the gently extracted, vibrant palate. For a zero-sulfur wine, it speaks clearly of the terroir and is viscerally expressive of its impeccable fruit of origin.

“Sylibre” shows off Philippe’s extraordinarily deft touch with Syrah in this southerly climate. Aged two years in a combination of concrete vat and used oak barrels and produced with no added sulfur at all, the wine is soaringly expressive on the nose, full of fresh-laundry spice and pepper. It offers an elegant, relatively silky palate with elongated, ultra-fine tannins, and it peers into the black depths Syrah can express in this region without slipping down the sides of the well.

From a single parcel of white clay and limestone, “Maréotis”—named after a lake in northern Egypt near Alexandria—combines 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah which are harvested and vinified together during a lengthy 45-day maceration. It spends four full years in a combination of mainly concrete and a touch of old barrels with no added sulfur, and despite its 15.5% alcohol it still offers lift and freshness—a testament to the way a wine can articulate the natural headiness and heat of its terroir in an appealing way if it is crafted with a thoughtful and attentive lack of interference.

“Les Colonnades” is planted to 100-year-old Grenache and Mourvèdre from a single vineyard of pebbly red-clay and limestone. Philippe picks purposefully late so that the Grenache teeters on the brink of over-maturity, but it remains adamantly on the fresh side of the divide, and this tardy harvesting imbues it with a wealth of autumnal character and spicy, tobacco-y depth. The articulation of iron-inflected minerality here is truly profound, and it blossoms as the wine ages. “Les Colonnades” spends four years in concrete vat with no added sulfur at all after a 45-day maceration.

“Emergence” comes from a single parcel of deep clay and lots of limestone pebbles, and it is planted to Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan in descending proportions. It ferments in cement with a long 45-day maceration and spends a staggering five years aging in well-used oak casks with no sulfur added at any point during the fermentation or aging. Dense and concentrated, but beguiling in its tannins and impressive in its caressing energy, “Emergence” evolves over time into a staggeringly complex wine, reminiscent of Châteauneuf-du-Pape from an old master such as Henri Bonneau.