Vin de France Leon et Seraphin Matthieu Dumarcher MAGNUM 2016/17

Vin de France Leon et Seraphin Matthieu Dumarcher, Organic Wine, Syrah, Grenache, Cotes du Rhone of unrivaled freshness and drinkability, only 13.5% abv, so slightly bigger than the previous year but still worlds away from those heavy, 14.5% wines you often associate with southern rhone! This is Cotes du Rhone although not called that. Often with CDR comes the idea of heavy, baked wines, high in alcohol, rolled in oak and a bit beasty to say the least. The wines from Dumarcher although packing a punch in terms of flavour have none of that flabbyness. Leon et Serafin has a lovely cosy texture and fresh red berry palate. The type of Cotes du Rhoine you want to drink and drink, it is versatile and would match a few lamb cutlets just as well as some nibbles on a warm terrace served slightly cool. The Magnum is magnicifently fresh and a great price.

Matthieu Dumarcher created his own estate in 2006 in the Drome, a lesser known wine-producing region in the mid-Rhone. He wanted to handmake wines which reflecting the unique terroir and differences in the years. Previously he had worked for years as an oenologist and consultant for mass-produced wines, which showed him exactly how he didn't want to produce his own wines. The whole estate is run according organic principles, with natural yeasts and a minimum of sulphur at bottling, usually about 20mg/l. Nowadays, Matthieu owns 5ha of vines and produces between 15 000 and 20 000 bottles per year, using traditional Rhone blends, usually based on Grenache.