2019 Vieille Julienne Cotes du Rhone Lieu dit Clavin

What’s most striking about Malleron’s bottle—something the Sancerre obsessives will pick up on from the first sip—is the texture. Yes, this wine has the flinty minerality and floral bouquet. Yes, it’s got the straight line of bright, clean flavors and zippy acidity. But Malleron’s bottle is bolstered with a bit more ripeness—and combined with all of the above, it equals Sancerre at its best.

BLEND: 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 10% Carignan

VINEYARDS: A selection of the estate’s oldest vines from lieu-dits ‘Montueil’
and ‘La Levade,’ warmer sites with a mix of sand, clay and gravel-rich soils.
Most vines were planted in the 1950s. Vineyards located north of Bollène,
the border of the Vaucluse department and Drôme Provençale.

AGE OF VINES: 60-70 years

WINEMAKING: Hand-harvested. Partially destemmed; fermented on
indigenous yeasts in cement tank. Aged in older foudre, older barrels and
tank. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

TASTING IMPRESSIONS: Aromas of garrigue, cherries and blackberries,
light incense. Moderate tannins, mouth-filling. Flavors of raspberries, black
cherries. Long finish.