Domaine Richeaume - Cuvée Columelle 2012

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

This estate, located at the foot of Mont Sainte-Victoire, is owned by the Hoesch family. It is farmed organically and offers a range of red wines based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The wines are powerful and well-aged, with elegance and just the right amount of fruit freshness.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the domain :

In 1972, Henning Hoesch and his wife Julia discovered this abandoned estate at the foot of the Sainte-Victoire cliff. They replanted the vineyard and began cultivating their first organic plots on three hectares of land. Over the years, they created large terraced plots on the most promising terroirs, which today produce the grapes for the estate's great wines, "Les Terrasses" and "Cuvée Columelle". A holistic approach, natural winemaking and organic farming in the vineyards are as important to him as the quality of his wines. As enthusiastic as his father, Sylvain Hoesch, born in 1970, joined the domaine in 2001. He manages the estate and vineyard, which today covers 27 hectares, with the same rigor and quality standards as his father. He decided to place all 2008 production under the IGP (protected geographical indication) banner, which succeeded the "Vin de Pays" label.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

We're pleasantly surprised by the reds, which are much less woody. The fruit is appetizing on the Cuvée Columelle 2012, with acidity on the finish.

About the domain :

This estate is magnificently situated in the village of Puyloubier, at the foot of Mont Sainte-Victoire, in a natural setting of red earth. Its history goes back forty years. Henning Hoesch, a German-born professor of canon law at the University of Aix-en-Provence, bought the 65-hectare estate, which at the time was uncultivated. He planted 3 ha of vines and experimented with organic farming (certified in 1972). The wines soon stood out for their intense body and power. In the years that followed, their style was refined by better-controlled vinification and wooding. As with the greatest winemakers, respect for the soil and non-intervention in vine-growing were combined with modern winemaking tools. As a result, the winery is equipped with high-performance tools to create the famous cuvées Les Terrasses and Columelle, which we rank among the two best reds in Provence. Depending on the inspiration offered by the vintage, son Sylvain creates other, more original cuvées, highlighting the exceptional plant heritage that makes up the Richeaume vineyard. Note, however, that prices are getting very high...