Rotem & Mounir Saouma Cotes-du-Rhône 'Inopia' Rouge 2021
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- Wine Character: Burgundian elegance meets Rhône richness, crafted by Rotem and Mounir Saouma, a couple originally from Lebanon who also produce great wines in Burgundy under the Lucien le Moine label.
- Vineyard: The INOPIA vineyard in Orange (one of 5 communes of Chateauneuf-du-Pape), on clay and river stone soils, was densely planted with 11 grape varieties, including Grenache Noir. INOPIA is Latin for "comes from nothing", as the land was desolate before their purchase.
- Winemaking: Gentle whole cluster maceration and fermentation, followed by 18 months in oak foudres, cement eggs, and barrels without fining or filtering. Rotem and Mounir believe in aging wines longer than is currently the norm but insist it does not detract from freshness. A blend of Cinsault, Counoise, Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah.
- 2020 Vintage: A unique vintage throughout the world, and in France is was especially warm and sunny. This gave wines from the Rhone and Burgundy exceptionally pure dark fruit characteristics.
- Tasting Notes: Silky texture and elegant structure with vibrant red and black fruit flavors. There's a suggestion of oak with clove and cinnamon, and lots of the iconic garrigue underbrush notes that the Southern Rhone is famous for.
- Pairing Suggestions: This wine begs for a main course with earthy flavors like mushrooms or meat stews.
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The Rhône Valley is a diverse and historic wine region, divided into two distinct areas. The Northern Rhône is the birthplace of Syrah, with steep, terraced vineyards that produce some of the world's most revered wines, such as those from Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie. The Southern Rhône is much more expansive, offering a wider range of styles, but typically based around Grenache-based blends, with wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape known for their complexity and power. While the region is celebrated for its reds, it also produces incredible textured whites, and as a whole the region displays the spectrum of French wine and the incredible differences that can come from small geographic changes.
Rhone Valley
Red Blend is a catch-all for wines built from more than one red grape, a practice as old as winemaking itself and central to many of the world's most celebrated bottles. Blending lets a producer balance what a single variety cannot deliver alone: structure from one grape, perfume from another, flesh and color from a third. Bordeaux, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rioja, and the old field blends of Portugal's Douro all fall under this umbrella, as do countless wines from growers who care more about the finished wine than about varietal labeling. Expect enormous range in style, from light and herbal to dense and age-worthy, depending entirely on origin and intent.
