Domaine de Servans
Southern Rhone Valley, France
Domaine de Servans is located in the town of Tulette, which is situated between the towns of Nyons, famous for its olives, and Orange, famous for its Roman theatre. Tulette is a tiny village of under 2000 inhabitants, completely surrounded by vineyards. Domaine de Servans was established in 1920 by Pierre Granier’s grandparents, Hyppolite and Marie Granier. Pierre’s son Philippe is now the fourth generation of the family to make wine at this domaine. They are fortunate enough to possess 24 hectares of vineyards, among the oldest vineyards in Tulette.
This generation is now doing everything it can to elevate the quality of their wine. At harvest, they hand pick, and hand select, only grapes of highest maturity and quality level. They then sort the grapes once again at the winery, to further ensure that no unripe or unhealthy grapes find their way into the wine. Over the last few years they have gone through the process of obtaining organic certification. Their wines are now certified organic by Ecocert.
The Graniers are constantly investing in improvements while striving to link the traditions of the past with the modern techniques of the present. Their goal is to produce elegant and powerful wines representative of their beautiful terroir.
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Domaine de Servans Cotes du Rhone 2023
The grapes for this wine are organically grown in sandy clay soil in two different parcels: 4 hectares surrounding the domaine; and 4.5 hectares in the quarter called le Moulinas. The yields are 45 to 50 hl/ha and the vines average 40 years in age. The grapes are harvested by hand with a hand triage to select only the best quality grapes. They are de-stemmed and crushed, followed by maceration in temperature controlled tanks. The two grape varietals are vinified separately based on the time at which they are harvested. This ensures that each grape variety is brought in and vinified at optimal maturity. The wine rests in tank and is racked 2 to 3 times over the winter.
In 2015 the Graniers decided to continue to increase the percentage of Syrah in their blend. This increase has given the wine added depth and concentration, without sacrificing balance in the wine. In the mouth, rich blackberry notes give way to red cherry and black pepper spice. Even with the increased percentage of Syrah, the tannins are very supple and round in the finish. The current blend is 50/50 Grenache and Syrah. The wine is certified organic by Ecocert. For more info on Servans, check out this YouTube video.