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RHONE VALLEY
– BLENDING –
David and Eric run Domaine Martin together
appellations (Gigondas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape) for up to 6 to
8 months depending on the quality of the vintage”, comments
Edouard Guérin, the winemaker at Maison Ogier.
For the other growths, the choice of demi-muids is preferable
so that vineyard site selection can continue to be built upon.
As larger containers, they allow very low oxidation-reduction,
whilst small interactions with the wood beautifully enhance
structure and promote the wine’s finesse and velvety feel. The
length of maturation varies from 12 to 24 months, depending
on the potential of the wine.
“So our red Côtes du Rhône starts an initial phase in concrete
tanks, before moving on to large wooden containers such as
tuns or conical vats to refine the tannins”, adds Guérin. At Ogier,
the cellars are as much part of the company’s heritage as its
vineyards, enhancing each wine, according to the vintage, and
lending it that much sought-after drinkability.
Between Vaison la Romaine and Orange in Vaucluse, David and
Eric Martin took over the namesake family estate twenty years
ago. Their ambition was to grow bottled wine sales and exports.
The two first cousins are the great-grandsons of founder Julien
Martin who established the estate in 1905.
They currently farm 78 hectares of vines in Côtes du Rhône,
Côtes du Rhône Villages (Plan de Dieu, Sainte Cécile les Vignes)
and in the Rasteau and Cairanne growths. Specifications for the
34 WINTER 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE