Le P’tit Martin Côtes Du Rhone (AOC) 2023, 14% ABV,
€24.00 at Matsons (Bandon, Grange and Youghal)
no pesticides, chemical fertilisers or weed killers
Quite an impressive Côtes Du Rhone. By the way, the designation is AOC, the generic one rather than a village, but it is still a good one, especially on the fruity and spicy palate. It has quite a depth of tarty red and black fruit flavour. Overall, this ruby red wine, aromatic and packed with flavour, is excellent and Very Highly Recommended.
It is a blend of 66% Syrah and 34% Grenache Noir, just two of the more than twenty grape varieties allowed by the Côtes Du Rhone AOC. Serve cool with grilled red meats, charcuterie boards, cheeses, and pork and chicken dishes.
Wine has been produced in the area for hundreds of years, with the beginnings of the designation coming in 1650 with rules to protect authenticity and guarantee quality.
Frost has had a major influence on the wine story here. In 1956, the famous Mistral Wind (still an influence), battered the region for three weeks, reaching a velocity of over one hundred kilometres per hour and dropping to a temperature of minus 15 degrees centigrade.
Most of the region's olive trees suffered serious frost damage but the vines resisted so well that the majority of the local farmers decided to turn over primarily to vine cultivation.
At the Oratoire Saint-Martin, they use no pesticides, chemical fertilizers or weed killers. The estate is certified as organic by Ecocert and biodynamic by Demeter.
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