SAQ Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Inopia 2020, Rotem & Mounir Saouma

Follow this link for SAQ: https://www.saq.com/fr/14996355

Starting from nothing to do very well

If you are a fan of great Burgundy wines, you will recognize the name Saouma as the duo behind the micro-négociant Lucien Le Moine. The estate produces only some thirty thousand bottles of Grands and Premiers Crus from the Côte-d'Or, each leaving you lighter by a few hundred dollars, when you are lucky enough to find them…

Building on this experience and eager to own the soil, because as Mark Twain said, ‘Buy land, they’re not making it anymore…’ they found themselves a superb plot in Orange in Châteauneuf-du-Pape in 2011. From there, they replanted 11 varieties, each more tortured than the last, on soil that is poor and difficult for vines.

The result is this Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages white, a blend of Grenache (70%), Roussanne, Marsanne, and Clairette aged in 500L barrels and concrete vats for 16 months. The wine is left dormant during this period without racking or stirring, with extended lees aging. The intensity of the nose is reminiscent of Cyrano, so evident are the citrus and floral notes. The palate is structured, anise-like, and long, while remaining fresh.

2020 was an excellent vintage for the region, with a moderate summer (unlike '19) and a harvest earlier than usual. The whites are well-concentrated while maintaining a natural acidity that will allow them to cellar.

An exceptional white, as great Grenaches from poor soils sometimes are. You will soon forget the investment, and if you like the style, the Saouma adventure can begin.

• To pair with it: Pan-seared scallops with a root vegetable purée and a dash of high-quality olive oil,
• For the anecdote: Mounir Saouma is known for his (exaggerated?) use of indigenous yeasts. His contention is that the ancients made wine with extended aging on the lees, which educated the wine and exposed it to air and time. His style may therefore seem particular to some.
• To better understand the variations of Grenache: We are eagerly awaiting the schedule for our varietal happy hours,
• And why not a pair of Inopia to explore the house. Inopia in red 2020, also at $39 at the SAQ (14996380)