Grand Veneur Alain Jaume

This domaine, owned by the eponymous Alain Jaume and his two sons Christophe and Sebastian, is quickly building a reputation as being one of the rising stars in the Southern Rhone. The family own two estates in the Southern Rhone - Domaine Grand Veneur in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Clos de Sixte in Lirac. Both are contenders for 'best in class' rosettes.

The Lirac is extremely exciting. One of the most underrated villages in the region; it seems to have fallen behind the likes of Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Cairanne in popular esteem in recent years. But popularity is no guarantee of quality - a listen to Radio 1's chart show on a Sunday afternoon proves that - and these wines are quite brilliant: gutsy, warming and spicy. Saying a wine has 'a sense of place' has become something of a cliche in recent years but these could not have come from anywhere but the Southern Rhone. They would be a gift in a blind tasting.

The family farms the 18ha of Clos de Sixte along organic principles using methods handed down from father to son over many decades. There is a healthy disregard for technical innovations around here. The soil (a metre depth of pebbly clay and sand over dry, sandy subsoils) is ploughed by hand and fertilised with vegetal composts. Workers brave the summer sun to green harvest, remove excess leaves and, finally, pick the grapes. This hands-on approach continues in the cellar where pigeage is far too important a task to be trusted to anything but an experienced cellarhand.

The result is a range of wines with fabulous purity and depth, typical of their region but much more impressive than most of their peers.

Can't find the wine you're looking for?

If you're having problems finding a wine, it may be that it is out of stock. We would be more than happy to check availability or try and source it for you - let us know!
we'll check for you

If you prefer to speak to someone or to get some friendly advice then please call us on 020 7449 4120