Clos Saouma Cotes du Rhone Villages Rouge INOPIA 2022

The vast majority of their fruit is from their own vineyards around the winery in Orange, planted in 2014. Mostly Grenache Noir (over 70%) with Mourvedre, Syrah, Cinsault and Counoise.

Yields as low as 30 l/hct. Cold maceration with 100% whole clusters for a week (vintage dependant) then fermentation without any additions for 10 days (some of the varietals co- fermented dependant on vintage). No pumping over or pigeage ‘Why do you want to chase colour, do you drink or taste it?’ as Mounir tells me.

Pressed off taking all the lees then aged in a combination of cement eggs + tanks, 2300ltr to 3400 ltr Foudre + 500ltr barrels. Aged on full lees for 16 months, no racking and little to no sulphur during elevage if only a few months prior to bottling, vintage dependent. Bottled unfined + unfiltered.

The 500ltr barrels are predominantly seasoned wood that have been used prior for the Omnia and Arioso Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge. Barrels are sourced from the same cooper they use in Burgundy, Stephane Chassin who uses wood from the Jupiles forest, sourced just north of the Loire Valley. It’s a very tight grain wood and low toast.

“INOPIA is a terroir in Orange (remember Orange is one of the five villages producing Châteauneuf-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 Châteauneuf 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” – Clos Saouma