$29.99 (6+ bottles: Code: 6saves2)

***(*) JLL steady red colour; the nose is a combo of raspberry and blackberry, is upfront, carries a little sweetness. The palate presents a good flow of black fruit, with juiced freedom, fruit bursts, holds fine grain tannins, leads into a solid close, the length sound. It needs another nine months. 90% Gren, 10% Cins. From 2025. 2029-30 Feb 2024

90-100% Grenache (late 1970s-late 1990s), 0-10% Syrah, 0-3% Cinsault, from notably clay, some limestone soils, 75% destemmed, 12-15 day vinification, daily pumping overs, 25% vinified by maceration carbonique, concrete vat raised 5-6 months, pumping overs, unfined, unfiltered, 1 gm/hl sulphur only at bottling, organic, biodynamic wine, “drink with salads, crudités, grills, lamb”

This wine brings a BIG smile to my face, the Poignee de Raisin is the epitome of satisfaction and is just utterly delicious! You would have to be in pretty bad despair not to enjoy this cheerful and delicious number that punches over it's weight class a few levels! A chateauneuf in all but name!

Grape: 90-100% Grenache, sometimes syrah and cinsault make up the difference
Vineyard: Young Grenache vines (9 to 35 years old) in the main Gramenon vineyard (planted at 350 meters clay, limestone varied with gravel, and sand)
The Gramenon vineyards lie on sandstone and shell-sandy soils, making a relief on this landscape of sandy safre. This sandstone bank comes from a molasse layer left by a former maritime coastline under the influence of tidal streams circa 12 million years ago.
Winemaking: Partially destemmed. 15 days maceration in raw concrete vats. Partially de-stemmed clusters. Fermentation with natural yeasts. Light addition of sulfite after malolactic fermentation depending on vintages. Aged 6 months in concrete vats.

Kermit Lynch: The seemingly reserved façade of Michèle Aubèry-Laurent melts away quickly when she speaks about her wines. As a former nurse (who often favored natural remedies), she has come to treat her vines with the same care, conviction, and passion as she had for her former patients. She and her husband, Philippe, bottled their first vintage of Domaine Gramenon in 1990, in the far northern-eastern stretches of the southern Rhône, in the town of Montbrison-sur-Lez. Philippe was a talented vigneron—both creative and edgy—and he loved to push the envelope of the regulations. In 1999, in an unexpected twist of fate, he was killed in a tragic accident. Michèle was suddenly left on her own with their three children, vineyards, and a winery to deal with. Crushed but undaunted, Michèle stepped to the forefront, boldly picking up where Philippe left off. Over the years, Michèle has discovered her own creative voice in her new vocation; in so doing she has catapulted Domaine Gramenon into cult wine status. Today, she works twenty-six hectares with her talented son, Maxime François (a rising star in his own right), farming both young and very old vines alike. They employ organic and biodynamic practices in the vineyards, with a strong non-interventionist stance in the cellars.