Domaine Saint Damien Côtes du Rhône Le Blanc 2023

2023 Côtes du Rhône Le Blanc
From 50 % Clairette blanche blended with 50 % Bourboulenc for freshness and acidity with great perfume, showing a hint of saline freshness at the end. From a new vineyard purchased in 2022 in Buisson, north-west from Vaison La Romaine (not far from Vinsobres). Whole bunch pressed and aged in large old concrete tanks to retain freshness.

'Joel Saurel’s Côtes-du-Rhône “le Blanc” bottling is made from a cépages of roussanne, marsanne and viognier. The 2023 version is a lovely wine, offering up a bright and complex bouquet of peach, breadfruit, white soil tones, a hint of coriander seed and a lovely panoply of spring flowers in the upper register. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and complex, with a good base of soil, a lovely core of fruit, fine acids and a long, well balanced and vibrant finish. This is really very good Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc! Drink 2024-2030.’ 89 points, John Gilman, View from the Cellar, November 2024.

Domaine Saint Damien

Domaine Saint-Damien is run by Joel and Amie Saurel and their son Romain who has now taken charge of the winemaking. The Saurel family had been tending vineyards for four generations, dating back to 1821, and until recently had been selling all of the grapes to negociants. In 1996 Joel resumed producing wine at the estate and in 1998 they brought on consulting winemaker Philippe Cambie. Vinification is classic with wines being made in large old cement tanks and aged in either the tanks or large old foudres for the Gigondas.

Today the estate is comprised of 17 hectares of vineyards of which 12 are in Gigondas. All their vineyards are certified organic since 2012. The vines are an average age of 50 years and are very low yielding. The wines of Gigondas are bottled according to individual terroir (particularly soil type) known as the Saint Damien Trilogy.