Domaine Milan 'Reynard Rebels' 2022

The vibe: Ah, Domaine Milan! I had the great pleasure of meeting Nathalie Milan at her estate in Provence, which she runs alongside her husband, Thèo. They make some incredible wines, some of which will be available at the shop starting this week, but this wine is a great place to start. Bottling their wines as ‘Vin de France’ rather than under an AOC allows them to break free of regulations and develop cuvèes using grapes that compliment each other, fermenting and aging in concrete to bring out terroir- and fruit-forward elements, and using sulfur sparingly if at all.  All of this adds up to an extremely drinkable (gulpable, even) blend. Merlot, with its big boy tannins, spices and sticky, jammy fruit, is lifted with the bright and mineral-driven Carignan. The end result is quaffable to be sure, but remains structured and elegant. 

The winemaker: Thèo and Nathalie currently run the estate, having inherited decades of chemical-free farming, and their wines shine as a result. In fact, Thèo's father, Henri, was the first natural wine maker of this region and one of the very first to plant white grapes due to the unique blue clay soil composition. The estate has since embraced biodynamics and permaculture to further bolster the health and diversity of the site even further. The prevalence of blue clay soil helps retain water in a dry climate, while cover crops and wild flowers and grasses are permitted to grow among the vines. 

The geeky details: Biodynamic Carignan and Merlot, carbonic maceration. Native yeast fermented and aged 12 months in concrete. 

Serve: With a slight chill.

Food pairing: I’m craving hearty pasta with this. Simple spaghetti and meatballs, or you could try to get your hands on some Cinghiale (boar) and whip up a mean penne ragù.

Album pairing: Reuben Vaun Smith - Bimba Sound