Dom. Monpertuis Counoise Vin de Pays

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. 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 Wine... is bright and lively, and made from 100% of the almost forgotten grape variety, Counoise, a native of southern France. It is alive with southern France’s distinctive herbal brush overtones, and there’s a faint smokiness to the finish with a great fruit balance making it a pleasure to drink. A very cool, rare and unusual wine at a great price. It has a peppery, spicy character with damson fruit flavors, and is typically used as a blending grape in wines like Chateâuneuf-du-Pape. Jeune's is bottled as a Vin de Pays du Gard named "Vignoble de la Ramiere" for the vineyard parcel where it grows in clay and limestone soils. The wine is aged in both stainless steel and large foudres, and bottled unfiltered roughly one year after harvest.