Domaine de Bréseyme, Brézème, AOC Côtes du Rhône, Blanc, 2020

To complement their Maison and Domaines les Alexandrins wines, in 2017 the trio of Rhône Valley winegrowers -Nicolas Jaboulet, Guillaume Sorrel and Alexandre Caso - took over the the Domaine de Bréseyme. Applying the same philosophy underpinning the Alexandrins wines, they are seeking to (re)introduce us to the authenticity and character of the Brézème enclave, a superb appellation planted on steep slopes, half-way between the northern and southern Rhône. Our vines grow in the localities of Brézème Est and Brézème Ouest. This four-hectare vineyard (split between 3.5 hectares of red and 0.5 hectares of white) is planted on steep, south-facing slopes whose highest point is Mont Rôti at 256 metres altitude.

Clay-limestone soil. The vines are tended in a traditional way, using methods that respect the terroir, thereby encouraging biodiversity and drawing out the very best from the grapes.

After the hail damage of 2019, we had to nurse our vineyards back to health with a range of gentle but complementary nutrients. This made 2020 a technically exacting year, especially since the weather reserved many surprises for us. Spring was extraordinarily hot and dry and, despite a short break in June when some welcome rain fell, summer saw a continuation of drought conditions right up until the harvest. With a high risk of mildew at the start of the season, constant and unpredictable winds, powdery mildew half way through the season and the threat of high temperatures and scorching, we were spared nothing, and it required a major effort to cope. Fortunately, the occasional shower, fairly cool nights and morning dew meant the vines did not suffer too much from the summer heat, and all our hard work seems to have paid off with the promise of a fine vintage. To avoid the hottest moments of the day, we began picking from 6 am so as to pick the grapes while they were cool. We began with the whites on August 19 and continued with the reds through until September 16. First tastings revealed aromatic wines of great freshness, with degrees rarely exceeding 13.5°. After so many twists and turns, it is a vintage that reverts to origin in a very “Northern Rhône” style, after the mediterranean vintages of 2018 and 2019.

Brézème is the southernmost and one of the smallest appellations in northern Côtes-du-Rhône, located where the Drôme and Rhône rivers converge. The earliest vines can be traced back to the Middle Ages.

- Harvested early in the morning to maintain the freshness of the berries.
- Viognier and Roussanne pressed together.
- Fermentation begins after a few hours of settling.
- Stirred regularly to enhance the wine and develop its aromatic palette.