Le Guide des meilleurs Vins de France 2023

« Nestled on the heights of the Rasteau appellation, at an altitude of 340 metres, the estate cultivates 40 hectares of vines in a number of appellations: mainly Rasteau but also Cairanne, Roaix and Villedieu. Gilles Ferran and his wife Laurence are assisted today by their daughter Madeline. This estate, founded in 1953, shines through the quality of its wines and thanks to the high-class amber-coloured Vins Doux Naturels Rasteau. The juicy fruit and the quality of texture are the two greatest qualities of the estate’s vintages. The white wines should not be overlooked, however, as they breathe southern identity, but without excessive richness.

The wines : the estate produces very typical Cairanne, fleshy but caressing. The Ventabren seduces with its charming nose and its fruit that expresses itself like a red fruit coulis. The Scarabée Libéré is a clean and precise bottle for a wine without added sulphites; the juice is greedy, without being devoid of power. La Boutine is an elegant, full-bodied Grenache. The range of Rasteau wines is coherent: La Ponce rouge displays superb substance with just the right amount of ripeness and diffused power; Argilla Ad Argillam is a more infused cuvée, with a wider Grenache but without being extracted. In white, La Galopine has a seductive juice, with aromas of flowers and yellow fruit. The palate is quite round and easy to drink. The white La Ponce has a less overflowing aroma and is more mineral on the palate. »

Côtes du Rhône white “La Galopine” 2021 • 88/100
Côtes du Rhône white “La Ponce” 2021 • 92/100
Cairanne red “La Boutine” 2020 • 92/100
Cairanne red “Le Ventabren” 2019 • 91/100
Cairanne red “Scarabée Libéré” 2021 • 89/100
Roaix red “Les Hautes Granges” 2020 • 89/100
Rasteau red “Argilla ad Argillam” 2020 • 91/100
Rasteau red “Héritage 1924” 2020 • 93/100

The favorite
Rasteau red “La Ponce” 2019 • 92/100