Domaine de l'Amandine

This is a 50 ha family estate in the Southern Rhône with vineyards spread from Vaison-la-Romaine to Jonquières. The estate was begun in 1968 by Jean-Pierre Verdeau although both his father and grandfather had been involved in setting up local co-operatives.

In the early days he sold his wine to local merchants but gradually added more and more vineyards and eventually a bottling machine which enabled him to sell in bottle with immediate success. Today he has been joined by his daughter Sabine and son-in-law Alex Suter who grew up on the Rustenberg Estate in South Africa where his father was general manager. Their daughter Mathilde has relatively recently finished her studies and joined too. Traditional methods and a hands-on approach ensure that top quality grapes are produced expressing the complexity of the region’s terroir. Most of the vines are centred around the village of Séguret, some dating back to the 1950s and many grown on stone terraces – which they call ‘La Montagne’ – while the parcel near Jonquières produces IGP Vaucluse. The usual mix of Southern Rhône grape varieties is used, based on Grenache with Syrah taking an increasing role. The aim is to produce balanced wines with good fruit so the crop is totally de-stemmed and maceration lasts from six to 26 days depending on the wine being made. Pumping over and pigeage help extract colour and fruit. The annual production is now over 300,000 bottles of which 55% is exported.