Dom. Monpertuis Cotes du Rhone Rouge

The Man... I met Paul Jeune and his wife at their estate on a hot July day several years ago. Paul could be intimidating. He’s tall, bald, maybe approaching 60 but sinewy and obviously strong from labor out of doors. He came in from working among vines to taste and discuss in modest terms his wines with us. His Spanish-born wife allowed us to speak English when our halting conversation in French broke down. They were informative and gracious hosts. She is totally charming. They thought my name was Jean-Marie, but otherwise everything was cool. I mistakenly went to his mother’s house first (MapQuest you have a lot to answer for) and badgered the poor deaf woman with broken phrases until she gamely pantomimed the way to the estate. I remember her smiling at my mistake. Where are the snooty French people you read about hiding?

The Estate... Paul Jeune is the sixth-generation of his family to farm at Domaine Monpertuis. He is the winemaker and owner of an impressive, traditional domaine whose wines fuse ubiquitous Chateâuneuf-du-Pape weight to structure and even elegance. A great deal of Domaine Monpertuis’ vines are between 60-110 years old.

The Wine... Across generations the Jeunes picked up good land when they could. The result: Paul has 10 prime acres, divided over 32 sites. Not a model for farming efficiency, but the man does have excellent terroir to utilize. The fruit (primarily Grenache) for this wine is from a vineyard near Roquemaure, a village just across the river from Chateâuneuf-du-Pape. All the fruit at this estate is hand-harvested. To create a more traditional style of Rhone red, Jeune ferments his wines with their stems. It’s a sure-fire way to avoid jammy and structureless wines.