Côtes du Rhône La Chaveyron "1422" 2021 Domaine Saladin

The Côtes du Rhône La Chaveyron 1422 2021 from Domaine Saladin is the signature cuvée of this Ardèche winemaking family whose roots in Saint-Marcel-d'Ardèche trace back twenty generations. The name is both date and memory: 1422, the year of the first documented evidence of the Saladin family on the La Chaveyron terroir. Six centuries of family viticulture in a single number, printed on a bottle that expresses with absolute clarity and power everything that Rhône Syrah offers at its most profound and characteristic.

Terroir and vines

La Chaveyron is one of three historic terroirs of Domaine Saladin in Saint-Marcel-d'Ardèche, along with Les Esqueyrades and Haut Brissan, cultivated for twenty generations without herbicides, pesticides or insecticides in absolute respect for vine and soil. These Ardèche terroirs, situated on the right bank of the Rhône at the border between Ardèche and Gard, benefit from a warm, dry microclimate tempered by Alpine influences descending from Ardèche, on clay-limestone soils of remarkable natural mineral richness. The 1422 cuvée is composed of 85% Syrah, completed with co-fermented Viognier and 15% Mourvèdre, an assembly bridging north and south that is the absolute stylistic signature of this wine: Syrah brings depth, spice and black fruit; co-fermented Viognier brings the floral finesse and aromatic elegance characteristic of great northern Syrah; Mourvèdre brings structure and flesh. Winemaking is careful and minimalist: fermentation with indigenous yeasts, ageing in oak casks to develop the natural complexity and depth of the terroir.

Tasting profile

The robe is deep purple-red with intense violet reflections, its density and luminosity revealing the natural concentration of Syrah on this Ardèche terroir. The nose shows immediate complexity and precision, led by Syrah in its most characteristic expression: aromas of black olive, blackcurrant, violet and oriental spices assert themselves with depth, accompanied by a delicate floral note inherited from co-fermented Viognier and a smoky, mineral note that marks the imprint of La Chaveyron. On the palate, the structure is firm and well-built, with fine-grained tannins that carry concentrated and generous matter. Syrah expresses itself with full natural power, tempered by Viognier's floral freshness and Mourvèdre's flesh. The finish is long, spiced and liquorice-tinged, with persistence and depth that confirm the stature of this family terroir spanning six centuries.

The domaine

Domaine Saladin is a unique Ardèche family property: twenty generations of the same family on the same Saint-Marcel-d'Ardèche terroirs since 1422, without interruption or change of purpose. Marie-Laurence and Patrick Saladin perpetuate this heritage today with the same conviction and rigour as their ancestors, tending their vines without synthetic chemicals for decades. The domaine's cuvées are regularly praised by guides and specialist press for their honesty, precision and remarkable quality-price ratio.

Food pairings

This Côtes du Rhône La Chaveyron 1422 pairs beautifully with roast lamb with olives and thyme, herb-crusted lamb rack, beef with Rhône spices, slow-braised Provençal daube, duck with cherries or aged cheeses such as Ardèche Pélardon or Roquefort. Decanting for at least one hour is recommended in its youth. Served between 16 and 17°C, it will reveal the full spiced depth, mineral power and historical singularity of an Ardèche Syrah cultivated by the same family for six centuries.