Clovis Vin de France Rouge 2020
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A fantastic value for a biodynamic southern Rhone blend, made from Syrah, Caladoc, Merlot. It has medium body and bright red fruit flavors with some pretty floral notes beneath. Great sipping, or with casual fare.
Clovis Wines is a collaboration between T Edward and some of the best small producers in France. Chateau Simian is producing Clovis Vin de France and Domaine de Provensol produces Clovis Côtes du Rhône.
Chateau Simian is a 5th generation estate located in the Southern Rhône at the bottom of Massif d’Uchaux (5km north of Orange). Today the Serguier family runs 26 hectares: 6 ha in Chateauneuf du Pape, 11 ha in Côtes du Rhône and 9 ha in Vin de France.
Jean-Pierre Serguier and his son Florian are constantly striving for the highest levels of quality by pursuing a perfect harmony between their vines and the encompassing ecosystem. Chateau Simian began practicing biodynamic farming in 2008 and every step since then has been performed according to the natural rhythm and cosmic influences. Great care is brought to the vineyard in order to foster the relationship between the plant and its environment. Chateau Simian is trying to be as non-interventional as possible, using low amounts of sulfur totaling 22mg at bottling, and outside of that refraining from using chemicals in the vineyards and no other additions in the cellar. The vineyards are Demeter and Ecocert certified.
At the foot of the Provençal Alps and west-northwest of the town of Valréas, Domaine de Provensol is positioned both as organic wine producer in Côtes du Rhône AOP and as vacation destination boasting a superbly maintained working farm geared towards ecotourists. Domaine Provensol's close proximity to the Alps not only offers amazing landscapes, but it also fosters a very healthy crop of fruit with high pigmentation, phenolic complexity, and even ripeness across clusters and vines.
This prime location for Domaine de Provensol's vineyards is influenced by the Mediterranean climate, long windows of daylight through the growing season, and cool nights at the end of summer. The 1,410 foot altitude of the domaine, assures wide-ranging diurnal temperatures and the ability to push harvest late into the season without risking over-ripe fruit. In fact, harvest at Domaine de Provensol is one of the latest in France and that means more color, aromas and tannins in the finished wine. Winemaker, Dominique Thouroude, affirms that he wants to influence the vines and wine as little as possible, farming as naturally possible and completing the process of official organic conversion. Great care is taken to respect the diverse composition and life of the soils that are expressed in Domaine de Provensol wines.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
A small category representing the wines that either fall outside of appellation lines or don’t subscribe to the law and traditions set forth by the French government within certain classified appellations, “Vin De France” is a catch-all that includes some of the most basic French wines as well as those of superior quality. The category includes large production, value-driven wines. It also includes some that were made with a great deal of creativity, diligence and talent by those who desire to make wine outside of governmental restrictions. These used to be called Vin de Table (table wine) but were renamed to compete with other European countries' wines of similar quality.