A personal signature
As much as winemakers, Pierre and Charles Espérandieu are gourmets! The wines they make are obviously marked by the richness of their native terroir. The Rhone signature of each appellation (Côtes du Rhône, Signargues, Laudun) can be found in their wines: silky fruitiness, velvety smoothness and depth.
These markers are complemented by a more unusual search for freshness, a tangy texture in the whites and a mineral touch in the reds. It owes nothing to chance! It's the result of judicious technical choices and many inspiring tastings of other winemakers' creations, particularly in Burgundy and the Loire, two regions Pierre and Charles are particularly fond of.
« Wines made with
heart and hands »
Our vineyard
When Emile Espérandieu founded the estate in 1870, it comprised just a few hectares. Over the generations, it has grown to cover just over 70 hectares. From the village of Domazan, our historic stronghold, we don't have to go far to look after our vines, a splendid parcel of land divided into 5 blocks with distinct and complementary characters: 3 parcels on Domazan, 1 parcel on Estézargues and 1 parcel on Laudun.
- To the north of Domazan, we have a first parcel of around 10 ha in the locality of Les Vallons, in AOC Côtes du Rhône. These cool, hillside terroirs are dedicated to white wines (Grenache blanc and Clairette).
- The second zone is called Ver Meiranne, also in the village of Domazan, high up on the Signargues plateau. This is the kingdom of our Syrah. Part of it is planted on pebbly soil at the top of the slopes, revealing the power of this great grape variety. Another part is planted at the bottom of the slopes on sandy soils, where Syrah expresses more of the freshness of which it is capable.
- Finally, still in Domazan, Le Mas de Tapage is a micro-parcel planted in Counoise, along the Briançon river.
- In the commune of Estézargues (to the north-east and east of Domazan), our parcel at Jas des Vaches is a hillside planted mainly with Grenache dating back almost a century.
- Finally, in Laudun, we are present at Serre Biau. A parcel of Grenache and a parcel of Syrah for our Laudun reds. Then another plot, "Les Bosquets", planted with Clairette for our white Laudun.
« Nature is beautiful when you take care of it as a family »Charles & Pierre Espérandieu
A diversity of grape varieties
On a day-to-day basis, it's Charles Espérandieu who looks after the vines and monitors the plant material, but Pierre is never far away to help! Our family has deliberately preserved the historic grape varieties of the southern Rhône Valley, with a nice diversity that adds complexity to our wines. Grenache noir, Syrah and Carignan are the great classics and mainstays of our red wines.
We've also preserved some rarer grape varieties, including a splendid old Counoise vine that we don't hesitate to vinify on its own. In white, Clairette, Grenache blanc and Roussanne form the heart of our wines, complemented by a touch of Bourboulenc.
Vinification and ageing:
precision and finesse
When grapes are transformed into wine, it's an almost magical alchemy that sees the result of all the year's work in the vineyards materialize. Great wines require great grapes! The estate has deliberately chosen to remain classic in its approach and tools for vinification and ageing. No modern methods to speed things up (what's the point!) or experiment with new approaches just because it's fashionable.
Faithful, historic concrete vats have proven their worth in preserving the fruitiness of red wines thanks to their thermal inertia. The millions of yeasts on the grape skins and in our cellars are sufficient to ensure harmonious fermentations. A few oak barrels are used sparingly to add an extra touch to our ageing and blending processes. What about white grape varieties?
