Côtes-du-Rhône Carlina La Ferme Saint-Martin (Domaine) 2023

This estate is named in memory of the eponymous chapel that once existed where the winery now sits meaning the wines are aged in a place steeped in history. The wine-producing venture, on the other hand, is somewhat more recent. In 1950, farmers Aimé and Yvonne Julien bought the land for polyculture but in 1956 an awful frost destroyed the couple’s crops which gave them the idea to replace them with vines. 1970 marked the birth of the 11-hectare estate. In 1979, Aimé and Yvonne’s son joined the team and introduced sustainable agricultural methods. His passion for natural winemaking grew, leading to minimal intervention methods and the release of his first cuvées in 1994.
Today, his son Thomas is preparing to carry on the family legacy, after having completed two degrees in business and oenology, alongside his wife Sophie, a trained sommelier who manages the estate’s wine tourism. Together, they produce wines that reflect their terroir and the character of their clay-limestone soils, from organically farmed grapes. The collection of wines, from Ventoux to Beaumes-de-Venise, is aged in stainless steel vats or well-seasoned demi-muids without added sulphur, preserving purity and freshness. Indulgent, mineral-driven wine perfect for enjoying young.