Domaine Arsac, La Chaumette Rosé Coteaux de l'Ardèche 2023

What a pleasure it is to work with 4th generation grape growers and wine makers Sebastien and Dimitri Arsac from the little town of Saint Jean Le Centenier in the Ardeche.  When we first met Sebastien at Raw Wine in 2018, we immediately sensed that he makes the type of wines we seek to represent.  Hailing from the northern sector of the Southern Rhone, on the right bank of the river, the wines of Domaine Arsac have the intensity and density that we appreciate from the Rhone, without being at all ponderous.  Sebastien and Dimitri farm their 14 hectare estate organically, while practicing biodynamic viticulture with the goal of becoming certified in 2 years.  Their vineyards benefit from an average elevation of 380 meters, which lengthens their growing season and produces brighter wines.  Special attention has been paid to the diverse soils of the area with Chardonnay, Viognier on clay/limestone soils and Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Grenache on  on the basaltic hillsides.
 
In the cellar, vinification is a simple process with hand picked and sorted bunches entering the winery to ferment with native yeasts in cement tanks.  Aging occurs in tank for most of the wines, and some of the reds are aged in barrel.  Bottled with a minimum of sulfur and without fining, the wines blend the ripe fruit character of the region with the freshness of their unique soils.

VARIETALS: 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 5% Viognier

A light rose produced from the direct press juice of early morning harvested fruit.  Vinfication with native yeasts and aging in concrete eggs allows for extended contact with the lees to round out the fruit while maintaining tension in the wine. A splash of Viognier adds additional textural and aromatic complexity.

BIODYNAMIC. NATURAL. VEGAN. LOW SULFITE. SUSTAINABLE.