Saint Damien Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2023

80 % Grenache (1948), 20 % Mourvèdre (2010). This wine is sourced from the lower terraced parcels of the Plan de Dieu lieu-dit, in the commune of Violès. The Grenache vines are over 70 years old and come from two sites, one planted on red clay and the other on galets (smooth river-worn pebbles). The younger Mourvèdre vines are planted on sandy soil. The wine is fermented for 30 days in concrete vats, then matured for 10 months in a mix of concrete tanks and large old 50 hL oak foudres. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration.

Very successful in 2023 with extra freshness coming from 40% whole bunch in the ferment. Liftd aromas, very bright and pure showing very ghood energy and drive with a fresh long vibrant finish. The best rendition of this cuvee to date that we have tasted. An outstanding value and a clear cut above most Cotes du Rhone reds.

reviews for 2022 - 2023 not yet reviewed (early 2025)
The 2022 “Plain de Dieu” Vieilles Vignes from Joel and Romain Saurel comes in at 14.5 percent alcohol in this vintage. The wine is made from its customary cépages of eighty percent grenache and twenty percent mourvèdre, with the former vines planted in 1949 and the latter in 1978! The wine’s aromatic constellation is deep and complex, wafting from the glass in a mix of raspberries, fruitcake, pepper, spiced meats, stony soil tones, garrigue and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is bright, focused and full-bodied, with superb depth of old vine fruit, excellent soil signature, a bit of chewy tannin and fine balance on the long and complex finish. The very old vines here seem to have navigated the drought quite well, so the same concentrated effect from desiccated berries is not in evidence here. This is an excellent bottle in the making. 2027-2040+. 91 points. John Gilman, View from the Cellar, November 2024

‘One of the bargains in the Saint Damien cellar is the 2022 Cotes du Rhone Villages Plan de Dieu Vieilles Vignes, which was being bottled on the day I visited the domaine. A blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre matured in concrete, it offers up scents of sunbaked stones and black cherries. Full-bodied and velvety textured, it's perhaps a touch warm, with hints of peppery spice and licorice on the finish.’ (89-91) points, Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate, May 2024.