Alcohol: 15 %
Grape(s): 75 % Grenache, 20 % Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault
Location: Rasteau AOP, Southern Rhône Valley, France
Tasting Notes: Deep garnet core fading to crimson. Intense aromas of ripe blackberry, black cherry liqueur, and fig paste layered with garrigue herbs, cracked pepper, and a hint of dark chocolate. Full-bodied and warm on the palate, showing plush black-fruit concentration, licorice, and sweet spice framed by velvety yet firm tannins. A streak of stony minerality and balanced acidity carries a long, savory finish with echoes of lavender and cured olive.
Notes: Sourced from 40- to 60-year-old vines rooted in clay-limestone and sun-baked galets roulés on the south-facing lieu-dit “Les Ribes.” Hand-picked, 100 % destemmed. Native-yeast co-fermentation in concrete vats with gentle pump-overs; maceration ~25 days for depth without over-extraction. Aged 12 months: 80 % in concrete to preserve fruit purity, 20 % in seasoned 500-L French oak demi-muids for subtle oxygenation. Bottled unfiltered with minimal sulfur.
Food pairing: Beef daube Provençale, lamb tagine with prunes, grilled venison, mushroom-rosemary risotto, or aged Manchego.
Winery Story:
Domaine Notre-Dame des Pallières traces its roots to the 17th century, its name honoring a tiny chapel (“Notre-Dame”) once used by medieval pilgrims (“pallières”) journeying between Avignon and Santiago de Compostela. Today, the fourth and fifth generations of the Roux & Bernard families steward 30 ha, split between Gigondas and Rasteau, farming organically (in conversion) and drawing on deep local knowledge of the Dentelles de Montmirail foothills.
In Rasteau, the estate’s oldest parcels perch at 250–300 m, where relentless Mistral winds keep the vines healthy and diurnal swings lock in freshness. Vineyard work is hands-on: winter composts from estate sheep, hoeing instead of herbicides, and meticulous shoot positioning to temper the scorching Provençal sun. Only perfectly ripe clusters make it to harvest bins, which are whisked to the gravity-fed cellar less than a kilometer away.
The family philosophy marries tradition with restraint: concrete fermenters allow steady, cool temperatures, while aging in large, neutral vessels maintains fruit integrity and transparency of terroir. Sulfur use is minimal, and filtration is avoided. “Les Ribes” represents their flagship Rasteau cuvée—named for the rugged, terraced slope where Grenache dominates and drought-resistant Syrah and Mourvèdre lend color, spice, and structure. Produced in small lots of roughly 1,800 cases, it embodies the sun-drenched power and savory complexity that define Rasteau, yet retains the lift and balance the family prizes after centuries of tending these storied Rhône hillsides
