SDG Selections : Our Growers

Since 1988 young Rémy KLEIN has taken over the wine-making from his father François, a wonderful, ruddy pied-noir who created the domaine in 1960 when he repatriated to France from Morocco. The pieds noirs are France's contemporary pioneers, the men and women who returned to France to start over again after Algeria and Morocco received their independence in the early 1960s. They were in mid-life with families, and they literally had to carve new vineyards out of the forests and hillsides. The Kleins had just enough to buy 5 hectares of vines in the middle of the scrublands in an untamed section of the Côtes du Rhône. François Klein spent the nights during his first harvest turning an ancient vertical wooden screw-press by yoking himself to it and walking in circles around the press.

The Domaine is located on the highest, coolest slopes of Sabran in the Gard. The soil is a type of soil called Loess: a mix of fine-grain sand, windblown silt and clay that is either pure Loess or Loess over fissured grès-calcaire rock. Grès-calcaire has a siliceous rock or sandstone that tends to produce

wines combining fullness with great finesse, aromatic complexity and race (breeding or character). The calcaire (limestone) is also an extremely important factor contributing to quality and style: it produces wines characterized by unusual finesse and aromatic power. At Réméjeanne, the Syrah is planted on Loess, and the Grenache on Loess over grès-calcaire. None of the Domaine's wines, with the sole exception of Les Eglantiers, are put into wood. The Domaine's wines are entirely harvested by hand.

The White wines:The Domaine's white wine is "Northern," even "Burgundian," in style and structure, but "Southern" in aroma and flavor.

The red wines:The domaine’s red wines combine elegance with power. They are both robust and willowy, dominated by the fresh, dense flavor of the Syrah.

Domaine's webpage: http://www.laremejeanne.com

Our Growers:

Remy Klein



	Our Growers: Remy Klein Domaine de la Réméjeanne
	Since 1988 young Rémy KLEIN has taken over the wine-making from his father François, a wonderful, ruddy pied-noir who created the domaine in 1960 when he repatriated to France from Morocco. The pieds noirs are France's contemporary pioneers, the men and women who returned to France to start over again after Algeria and Morocco received their independence in the early 1960s. They were in mid-life with families, and they literally had to carve new vineyards out of the forests and hillsides. The Kleins had just enough to buy 5 hectares of vines in the middle of the scrublands in an untamed section of the Côtes du Rhône. François Klein spent the nights during his first harvest turning an ancient vertical wooden screw-press by yoking himself to it and walking in circles around the press. The Domaine is located on the highest, coolest slopes of Sabran in the Gard. The soil is a type of soil called Loess: a mix of fine-grain sand, windblown silt and clay that is either pure Loess or Loess over fissured grès-calcaire rock. Grès-calcaire has a siliceous rock or sandstone that tends to produce
	wines combining fullness with great finesse, aromatic complexity and race (breeding or character). The calcaire (limestone) is also an extremely important factor contributing to quality and style: it produces wines characterized by unusual finesse and aromatic power. At Réméjeanne, the Syrah is planted on Loess, and the Grenache on Loess over grès-calcaire. None of the Domaine's wines, with the sole exception of Les Eglantiers, are put into wood. The Domaine's wines are entirely harvested by hand. The White wines:The Domaine's white wine is "Northern," even "Burgundian," in style and structure, but "Southern" in aroma and flavor. Les Arbousiers blanc is clean, crisp, aromatically rich and honeyed, and surprisingly fat and long on the palate. There is always a strong mineral taste and texture to the wine, underlying the white flowers, that comes from the very calcareous soil. This wine owes its "Northern" balance to the high, cool slopes, the "anti?oxidant" handling (no wood), and the fine level of acidity that is retained in the wine by preventing the malolactic fermentation. It owes its "Southern" richness and length and its florality to the 30?year?old Clairette that makes up about 25% of the blend, to which has been added Marsanne for elegance, Viognier for its fullness, Roussane for its roundness and Bourboulenc for its freshness. Also noteworthy is the vinification. After pressing, the "gross" lees are allowed to settle out naturally over 24 hours, and the wine is then fermented and aged for 5-6 months on the "fine" lees to add richness to the wine. It makes an excellent apéritif or accompanies fish, white meat, or cheese. Les Eglantiers blanc has an intense nose of citrus fruits and flowers. In the mouth, it is rich, elegant and well balanced. It pairs well with fish or with a chicken in sauce. The assemblage is Roussanne for its fruit and flower aromas and its elegance, Viognier for its apricot aromas and its body, Clairette for its aromas of flowers and citrus, and Bourboulence for is aromas of toast and for its freshness. The wine is aged for 8 months in oak barrels with regular stirring. The red wines:The domaine’s red wines combine elegance with power. They are both robust and willowy, dominated by the fresh, dense flavor of the Syrah. "Les Arbousiers" rouge combines 60% Grenache for suppleness, roundness and structure, with 40% Syrah for aromatics (dark red fruits, resin or licorice, and wild green herbs like sage and even mint), color, fine tannins and longevity. The age of the vines that make up this cuvée average 25 years. It is a full, strong and rich wine, balanced and smooth and packed with fruit and mineral notes. Arbousier means arbutus. "Les Genévriers" rouge is made from the Domaine's oldest and best exposed vines, 40?year?old Grenache (80%) and 28?year?old Syrah (20%). Réméjeanne’s flagship cuvée, Les Genévriers is a Côtes-du-Rhône Village. The yield of these vines is significantly lower than those that go into the Domaine's normal red, and the wine is given a longer cuvaison than the normal red. "Les Genévriers" is always a full, rich, flowery and spicy wine. Genevrier means juniper. Les Chèvrefeuilles rouge is characerized in the nose by fresh fruits (red and black berries) and licorice. In the mouth, this is an elegant wine with velvety tannins and a freshness that gives it excellent balance. The assemblage consists of: young Grenache (40%), young Syrah (20%), young Mourvèdre (10%), old Carignan (10%), old Cinsault (10%) and old Cournoise (10%). The wine is aged in vat for 12 months and is not fined. Serve it with grilled meats or chicken Les Eglantiers rouge is a ripe and spicy but elegant wine. Klein adds Mourvèdre (10%) and Grenache(40%) to the Syrah(50%) to this wine for balance. It is aged in barriques. Eglantier is a wild rose. The Wine Advocate (2/23/2006) gives the 2004 vintage 89 points: “The deep purple-hued, tighter 2004 displays more uplifted and focused aromas (than the 2003), crisp acidity and sweet crème de cassis, blackberry, flower, and licorice characteristics.” Domaine's webpage: http://www.laremejeanne.com