Clos Saouma
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INOPIA CÔTE DE RHONE VILLAGES BLANC 2020
Bottle Shot
All the fruit is from their own vineyards around the winery in Orange. Mostly Grenache Blanc with Roussanne, Marsanne, Bourboulenc and Clairette. Pressed hard in a mechanical press to make the wine a friend of oxygen early this is fermented naturally (No SO2 or yeast added) in Cement eggs and 500ltr barrels. On full lees for 16 months minimum, no racking or sulphur.
NOTES from Mounir & Rotem below
We call the INOPIA , in latin “made from nothing” as land was empty and all is done very simply without a lot of material.
INOPIA is a terroir in Orange (remember Orange is one of the five villages producing Chateauneuf du Pape) , clay soil (1 m) with a lot of little river stones called “Grès” (8 m deep) so it has a nice humidity (clay) for the dry south climate and a lot of mineral elements from the stone. The land was empty abandoned when we bought it in 2011 , we saw the great potential there and we decided to plant 11 varietals (teasing Chateauneuf with their 13 varietals) , high density (4700 plants per hectare, normally it’s 3500 ) , soil is very poor and we decided not to bring any food to the roots , objective quality low yield and not quantity, production in 2013 (first vintage) and 2014 is less than 2000 LITERS per hectare (normally it’s 4400 )
We do all the vineyard works by hand, minimum acts, a lot of respect of nature, as we do in Chateauneuf du Pape, we pick by hand. The white is pressed HARD (mechanic press , old Vaslin Press from 1974 ) whole clusters and sent to Barrels 500 liters and cement eggs 1600 liters for 16 months too. White Mostly Grenache Blanc, a bit of each Roussanne , Marsanne, Bourboulenc and Clairette.
CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE BLANC ‘MAGIS’ 2020
Bottle Shot
Magis means ‘more, much more’ and there is no doubt here. A blend of 75% old vine Grenache Blanc with a dabble of Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne. Hand-picked, whole bunch pressed manually. NO racking at any stage. Co-fermented in barrels. Primary ferment often doesn’t finish until following spring followed by Malo. This is the way it often was in colder cellars across France. Aged on FULL lees for minimum of 2 years, no racking or sulphur.
Vineyards
1.7 Hectares from Pied-Redon – Mounir refers to this as the Perrieres of CNDP. Sandy soil. In 2014 Clos Saouma purchased this site which they previously leased. They also have 0.8 Hectares from Le Pointu the highest point in the appellation. Rayas & Bonneau also have plantings in Pointu.
Soil of Pied-Redon
Mounir expresses that in his opinion Pied-Redon is THE place to make white in CNDP. Eastern part of the appellation, closest to the alps. He describes to me that the ‘fingers of the mother rock of the Alps stretches out into the vineyard. Clay/Sandy top soil, active limestone below. No Galet in this part, small pebbles.
Typicity
He always tells me the smokiness is not from the barrel. He explains he made a CNDP Blanc wine last year 100% from Pied-Redon in concrete egg and shows people blind. “They all say it’s smokey, from the oak” and then explains it’s completely fermented in egg. He pushes the point that the aroma, like in Meursault Perrieres, is from the soil.
“This wine was one of the highlights of my annual trip to the region and, in the context of truly world-class white wines, it’s a serious value” – Josh Raynolds
Three of the top Seven CNDP Blanc’s reviewed were from Clos Saouma – Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Enters the 21st Century – April 2016
INOPIA ROUGE CÔTE DE RHONE VILLAGES ROUGE 2020
Bottle Shot
All the fruit is from their own vineyards around the winery in Orange. Mostly Grenache Noir with Mourvedre, Syrah, Cinsault and Counoise. Cold maceration with whole clusters for a week then fermentation without any additions for 10 days. Aged in Cement eggs, Foudre and 500ltr barrels. On full lees for 16 months, no racking or sulphur.
“Best value of all, though, may by the Inopia, which comes from the ‘Clos Saouma’ vineyards sited in the Cotes du Rhone-Village of Vieuw Bouigard near Orange, surrounding the winery. The couple have nine hectares planted in this less expensive land – yet it’s soil potential is outstanding (clay over deep beds of river rolled pebbles), and the wines, – one third white, two thirds red – are made accordingly to the same lees nourished unhurried principals” – Andrew Jefford” – Decanter
CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE ROUGE ‘OMNIA’ 2020
Bottle Shot
Omnia, meaning ‘ALL’ is a blend albeit 80% Grenache with the rest made up with the other 12 varieties. It’s a blend of five villages from 7 different vineyards. Cold soaked for 7/11 days with a mixture of wholebunch and crushed grapes then allowed to warm up when ferment starts naturally. Strictly no pumping over of pigeage ‘Why do you want to chase colour, do you drink or taste it?’ as Mounier tells me. Free run and pressings separated and aged in Demi mud (500ltrs) new and aged, Foudre (2300 litres), cement natural eggs and cement tank. NO RACKING or sulphur of 2 years whilst aging.
Vineyards
Omnia’s largest parcel of the blend comes from Pignan. Mounir has been insistent on this from the start as he believes this site offers the most elegant expression of CNDP. They blend this with grapes from the four other communes of Chateauneuf (Pignan is in Courthezon) being Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Centre), Orange (North), Bedarrides (South East) & Sorgues (South).
Burgundy to CNDP – Blending
Mounir & Rotem a wanted to honour the traditions of this appellation by ensuring Omnia, their estate CNDP represented a parcel from each of the communes, a patchwork of terriors to blend. They own currently 8.4 Hectares across CNDP in Red.
Notes from Mounir & Rotem below
OMNIA : 9 Crus representing the different terroir from the five villages , exposition and soil , and most of the 13 varietals ,even if it’s majority Grenache Noir , cold maceration for one week than 24 months in Cement Eggs , Foudre and 500 liters.
“A great sense of tension, though light extraction. Spicy, with fine tannins. Fruit coming from eight different terroirs and all five Châteauneuf communes.” – 94 points – Decanter
CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE ROUGE LE CLOS ‘ARIOSO’ 2019
Bottle Shot
100% Grenache from Pignan. Mounier himself calls the the Les Amoureuses, reference to the elegant 1er cru from Chambolle in Burgundy. The wines from this area are perhaps the most balanced and finessed in all of Chateauneuf, the truest expression of the ”pinot of the south” that Grenache can indeed be.. Sourced exclusively from the Pignan Lieu Dit, right next to Rayas. Pignan is Mounier’s passion. It’s the first vineyard he bought. North facing/angled (most of CNDP vineyards are flat as a pancake) it’s exposed most importantly to the Mistral, the famous cooling winds of the region. This helps keep the grapes/wine elegant. The soil isn’t the typical Galet (big pudding stones) in fact it’s more sandy with bits of what he called rolling Stones, smaller pieces. Same techniques as Omnia but aged for 3 years NO racking/sulphur in exclusively 500ltr demi muds.
Vineyard
The first vineyard Mounir & Rotem purchased for Clos Saouma, 4.5 hectares in 2009. 100% Grenache the famed Pignan sub appellation, vines planted in 1942. In CNDP it’s not a simple as opening a cheque book, you need to apply to the local administrator and state your case why you are buying the vineyard and convince them on your reasoning. Mounir has always passionately believed Pignan (Home of famed Chateau Rayas wines) offers the most elegant wines from CNDP.
Site
North facing exposition, cooler site than many and exposed to the Mistral, prevailing wind from the North. Sandy soil, Not Galet, ‘broken rolling stones’.
CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE ROUGE ‘ARIOSO’ BLANC 2019
This is sourced entirely from the Lieu-dit of Pierredon and 100% Grenache Blanc. It’s vinified the same way as the Magis ‘see above’ however the elevage is just one single 500ltr demi-mud (500ltr) for 36 months on full lees, no racking/sulphur for the full period. Only bottled in Magnum.
CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE ROUGE ‘LE PETIT LIVRE’ 150ML 2016
This is the same in all manners to the Arioso (above) however is aged for an additional 2 years, totalling 5 years in 500 ltr demi muds on full lees, no racking or sulphur for the full elevage. Only bottled in Magnum.