The Pierre de Josette Lirac is a lavish wine, rich, sumptuous with an array of flavours ranging from the dark fruit, violet, black olives, liquorice and white pepper. A true stunner that needs some decanting to open up.
TYPE: Dry Red
REGION: Southern Rhône, Lirac
GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Syrah
VITICULTURE: Organic & Biodynamic
STYLE: Full-bodied, Black pepper, Floral, Dark fruits, Complex
STAFF TIPS: Decant this wine while you are preparing your meal!
FOOD & MOOD: Venison or Duck Breast & Feeling Cold
ABV: 13.5%
ABOUT THE VINE & CELLAR
While the vines are farmed organically & biodynamically, very little is done in the cellar to preserver the identity of the wine. The vines grow on galet stone covered clay-limestone soils. Hand-harvested, the grapes are then destemmed and left to ferment 3 weeks in concrete vats with wild yeasts. Daily pumping overs are used to gently extract the aromas and tannins. The wine is then aged in concrete vats for 3 months and then for over a year in 600 -litre barrels (demi-muid) to soften up the tannins.
ABOUT THE DOMAINE DES MARAVILHAS
The Domaine des Maravilhas lies in St-Laurent des Arbres, it faces the Châteauneuf-du-Pape valley, in the heart of Lirac and Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Laudun appellations. The Domaine was created in 1967 by a vigneron, coming from the Oran region in Algeria. He had been taught by the elders to work the vines with their future in mind and therefore with the determination to preserve their fundamental richness – its soil. The conservation of the soil’s integrity, the geological and organic balance were critical to him. He opted wisely not to use neither herbicides nor chemical fertilizers. In those days those were bold and visionary decisions, aligning him on the principles of biodynamic farming. In 1992 the Domaine took officially the organic approach that led to start in 1996 the conversion to biodynamic farming and subsequent certification of the vineyard (Biodyvin certification) in 2004.
In 2014 Jean-Frédéric and Morgane Bistagne, conquered by the wonderful environment of the estate, supported by close and enthusiastic friends, acquired the plots and winery, created Domaine des Maravilhas, and decided to develop their own story perpetuating the innovative spirit of the vineyard founder.
