Clos Saouma Inopia Cotes du Rhone Villages Blanc 2020

Lucien Le Moine is a small House of Grands Crus in Beaune, run by Mounir and Rotem. They established the cellar in 1999, driven by their fascination with the "old way" of growing, vinificating and aging wines. The cellar produces only Grands and Premiers Crus from Côte d'Or, selecting the most beautiful crus in each village and renewing their selection every year. The cellar produces a maximum of 100 barrels (30,000 bottles) to allow them to do everything "by hand" and "by ourselves," which allows them to apply their technical perception and respond to each vintage and wine. Rotem and Mounir Saouma are the owners of the renowned micro-négociant Lucien Le Moine in Beaune, and they have been highly sought-after producers of 1er and Grand Cru Burgundy for several years. Driven by their passion to own their vineyards, they decided to purchase exceptional terroir in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and start Clos Saouma.

INOPIA, which means "made from nothing" in Latin, is a terroir located in Orange, one of the five villages producing Chateauneuf du Pape. The land was empty and abandoned when Rotem and Mounir purchased it in 2011. The terroir features clay soil with many little river stones called "Grès," which provides a nice humidity for the dry south climate and adds mineral elements from the stone. To maximize the potential of the land, they decided to plant 11 varietals, with a high density of 4700 plants per hectare. The soil is very poor, and they decided not to bring any food to the roots, aiming for low yield and high quality, rather than quantity. The vineyard work is done entirely by hand, with minimal intervention and a lot of respect for nature. The white wine is made mostly from Grenache Blanc, with a bit of Roussanne, Marsanne, Boubroulenc, and Calirette. The grapes are pressed hard using a mechanical press, and the juice is sent to 500-liter barrels and 1600-liter cement eggs for 16 months.

Clos Saouma places great emphasis on Grenache Blanc, which is the fourth most widely planted white grape in France and the most widely planted white grape in Côtes du Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellations. In a region dominated by red wine production, Clos Saouma stands out with 30% of their production being white wine. This is a significant difference, as white wine represents just 3% of the total production of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The white blend is made mostly from Grenache Blanc, with a touch of Marsanne, Roussanne, and Clairette. The wine has an intensely perfumed and vibrant nose of citrus, flowers, and an almost salty note. On the palate, the wine continues with the intensity of flavors and structure, with a beautifully balanced freshness.

The Finer Details
Style - White Wine
Varietal - 70% Grenache Blanc, 30%(Marsanne, Roussanne, Clairette)
Country - France
Region - Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Vintage - 2020
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 14%