2021 La Bastide Saint Dominique, Lirac, Southern Rhone

Lirac is located in the right bank of the Southern Rhone, considered the little sister of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, it is an appellation where you can find some real gem and extremely good value wines. Well, this is one of them, the husband-and-wife team of Eric Bonnet and Julia Moro (who run the winery) are part of a dynamic group of young winemakers whose wines are challenging the famous names of the region in quality, if not, thankfully, in price. Located in the commune of Courthézon along the eastern border of the Châteauneuf du Pape AOC, the nearly 10 hectares vineyard property was founded by Eric’s parents, Gérard and Marie-Claude Bonnet, in 1976. Julia says of their approach: “Old-fashioned Châteauneuf is very gamey, very heavy. We prefer freshness, elegance, minerality.” That’s music to our ears! The estate was converted to organic farming in 2014.  Why do we like it? We haven’t tasted many Lirac that were as good as this one in our careers, the sweet red fruit is seductive while being also rich but fresh. It is lusciously fruity with tons of sweet red cherries and strawberries. Little thyme and rosemary for good measure along with white pepper and red floral notes. It’s such a harmonious example where the alcohol level is very balanced. Grape            Grenache, Syrah & Mourvedre Country        France                                  Region          Lirac                             Vintage         2021