Southern Rhône, Domaine Sainte-Anne, Domaine Sainte-Anne, Vallée du Rhône, France, Rouge

The estate has grown in reputation with wines showing a Burgundian-like finesse. As far back as the 1990s, Robert Parker described this as 'one of the best estates in the entire Rhône Valley' and suggests the wines could be regarded as 'mini-Beaucastel and/or Bandol', wines which cost two or three times as much. This bottling is delightful blend of the three main varieties of the north from the leading estate in Saint-Gervais with pleasing freshness.

The Steinmaier's vineyard covers 32 hectares. It is located on a plateau, at an altitude of 200 meters, facing southwest towards the Cevennes. This is a much higher altitude than the average for the Côtes-du-Rhône Villages, which hardly exceeds 80 meters. Sainte-Anne therefore benefits from a relatively cool microclimate for the region.

The terroir of the estate is made up of two types of soil: calcareous sandstone and clay, which is a bit stonier. However, sandstone soils retain water well: the risk of water stress, or even drought, is therefore limited. They are also very warm, so much so that in the past asparagus was grown there.

Cover all the vines with grass, in particular to prevent erosion. It is important to know that the storms here are extremely violent. The grassing maintains the soil and also allows the creation of microorganisms that keep the land alive. A naked ground is impoverished.

Vinification in stainless steel vat.

Aged in vat.