2019 Domaine Ozil Rochette Blanc

Region: Ardèche < Northern Rhone < France

Grapes: Grenache Blanc

Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic/biodynamic farming (certified); hand-harvested before a direct-press in an old manually-worked vertical press known as the 'clic-clac'; short élevage in neutral oak before bottling, unfined, unfiltered, with no added SO2; zero-zero; 13% ABV

Winemaker: Thomas and Jean Daniel Ozil

Thomas and Jean Daniel are the brothers and winemakers behind Domaine Ozil, a family estate located in the Ardèche department in the Northern Rhone known for its forests, trails, gorges, and impressive natural rock arch, Pont d'Arc.  The idyllic estate with 16 hectares of vines, three hectares of lavender, and two hectares of olive trees has been in the Daniel family for five generations.  Take us there!  The wine cellar is dug into the same rock that carved out the gorges, and the brothers' office is in the old pigsty.  Jean took over the family farm in 2002, and Thomas joined him in 2013.  Up until that point, the farm contributed their grapes to a co-op, but the brothers left in order to make natural wine their own way —to express the taste of the grapes and the terroir.  

Rochette is sunny, vibrant and pure Grenache Blanc, with a rich, round texture that doesn't come from oak.  It smells like pineapple and flowers, and tastes like Sweet Tarts and tropical fruit and lemon curd, with a pleasant bitterness and bright acidity, making this a fantastic wine for all the wintry things we want to eat right now.