2022 Clos du Mont Olivet - Cotes du Rhone V.V. (750ml)

Clos du Mont-Olivet was established in 1932, when Séraphin Sabon married Marie Jausset, whose family had grown grapes in Châteauneuf-du-Pape for generations and who brought several coveted vineyard parcels into the marriage as part of her dowry. Today the estate is run by Thierry Sabon, a former physics student who took over winemaking from his father, Jean-Claude, who still tends much of the vineyard work himself. Known for a traditionalist, terroir-focused style that favors freshness and elegance over raw power, Mont-Olivet holds roughly twenty-nine hectares within Châteauneuf-du-Pape and another seventeen in Côtes du Rhône, along with newer plantings across the river in Lirac, all farmed sustainably with plowed rows and pheromone traps in place of pesticides.

This cuvée is led by Grenache, rounded out with Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Carignan, sourced from old vines averaging well over fifty years across sandy, quartz-rich parcels around Orange and on the Rhône's right bank. The grapes are hand harvested and sorted, fermented on indigenous yeasts in cement tanks, then aged in a mix of older foudre, demi-muid, and barrel before bottling unfined and unfiltered.

The wine shows a deep purple color, with a fruity nose of jammed black fruit, summer flowers, and a hint of pepper. The palate is full-bodied yet fine-grained, with remarkably fine tannins, licorice, and sandalwood notes carrying through a lingering finish. It pairs well with roasted meats, charcuterie, or hearty stews.