Gramenon Cotes du Rhone Rouge 'Ceps Centenaires La Meme' 2022
The Wine
In December of 1978 Philippe Laurent and Michèle Aubéry-Laurent bought a barn and 12 hectares of old vines in Montbrison. Their first harvest took place in 1979 with their first cuvee being the Ceps Centenaires; it became a cult wine immediately and has been ever since. The vines that it comes from are about 130 years old these days. This wine is always extraordinarily elegant, fleeting floral aromas and gorgeous, crystal pure fruit flavours fan and dance around the senses. It's a wine that makes me wonder and also ponder - in essence though it's a beautiful wine; graceful and very very sensual. If Grenache were Pinot Noir then this would be Gramenon's Musigny.
The Details
Variety - Grenache,
Country - France
Region - Rhone
Sub Region - Cotes du Rhone
Extra - Cork
Year - 2022
Volume - 750ml
About the Wine Maker 
With their first vintage in 1990, Phillipe and his wife Michelle began working with ancient 100+ year old vineyards. Phillipe quickly became renowned for his creative, boundary pushing wines showcasing the full potential of Grenache from the incredible vineyards. After tragedy struck in 1999, Michelle was left on her own with the winery and vineyard (along with 3 children). Using Phillipe’s methods and ideology in the vines and the winemaking, Michele continued farming and making wine at the Domane, propelling the wines Domaine Gramenon to their now legendary status.
Today the estate is run by Michele, and her son Maxime-Francois, where she has curated her own creative style in the winery. Maxime-Francois is also gaining recognition in his own right as a rising star, bottling 4 of his own cuvees at the winery under his own label.
Together they work 26 hectares of vines on strict organic and biodynamic principles, along with raising their own animals and growing their own food for sustainability. In the winery great care is taken to to reduce the amount on intervention with the grapes, the wines are unfined, unfiltered, and receive a tiny dose of sulphur before bottling.
