Côtes du Rhône Paul 2023 Domaine Saladin

The Côtes du Rhône Paul 2023 from Domaine Saladin is the most direct and most generous cuvée of the domaine, a wine of immediate pleasure and true character, named after Paul Saladin, one of the patriarchs of this Ardèche family rooted on these lands since 1422. It is a red Côtes du Rhône from old vines planted with Grenache Noir and Clairette. Vinified without additives, with indigenous yeasts and minimal sulphur, it reflects artisanal work and respect for nature. An original assembly, typically Rhône in character, red and white side by side in the same vat, speaking volumes about the domaine's attachment to southern winemaking tradition.

The terroir and the vineyard

Domaine Saladin sits in Saint-Marcel-d'Ardèche, a southern village of the Côtes du Rhône, on the right bank of the Rhône. The domaine's 18 hectares have always been hand-harvested, cultivated and vinified organically, with 13 Rhône grape varieties. The Paul cuvée comes from Grenache Noir vines interspersed with Clairette, an ancestral practice of the Rhône Valley that consists of mixing red and white varieties in the same row, harvested and vinified together. This co-planting, inherited from the old vines that Louis and Paul Saladin planted several decades ago, is one of the most charming winemaking traditions of the southern Rhône vineyard. It brings the wine a freshness and aromatic finesse that the white Clairette naturally imparts to the solar generosity of Grenache. The vines are planted on the high alluvial beds of rolled river stones characteristic of Saint-Marcel-d'Ardèche, a substrate that captures heat during the day and releases it slowly at night, nourishing the vines with natural minerality and tension. Vinifications in micro-batches follow the character of skin, stem, seeds and intuition. No additives are used except sulphur, in minimal doses. Aged in concrete vat, it reveals intense aromas of dark fruit, spices and garrigue. On the palate, it offers fine structure, elegance and balanced freshness.

Tasting profile

The colour is a bright, clear and appetising ruby red. The nose is immediately expressive and generous, with aromas of ripe red and dark fruits, cherry, raspberry, blackberry emerging naturally and spontaneously, lifted by spicy notes of Provençal garrigue, thyme and bay leaf, and a light smoky character typical of Grenache on rolled stones. The Clairette brings a floral and slightly citrus note that refreshes the bouquet and gives it an immediately recognisable aromatic distinctiveness. On the palate, the wine is supple, fruity and very drinkable, the attack is round and fruity, the tannins are fine and well-integrated, and the Clairette brings a natural fresh acidity well-woven into the whole, lightening the structure and extending the finish on notes of garrigue and soft spices. An authentic and lively wine, of immediate pleasure, one opens without ceremony but with joy.

The domaine

Elisabeth, Marie-Laurence, Louis and Annick Saladin lead Domaine Saladin, a family property passed from father to son and father to daughters since 1422. The domaine's 18 hectares and 13 Rhône varieties have always been hand-harvested, cultivated and vinified organically. The twenty-first generation of winemakers on these lands, the Saladin family embody the ideal of the complete family domaine, from vine to glass, with no concessions to ease or winemaking trends. Indigenous yeasts sign the wines and allow the identity of each terroir to express itself.

Food and wine pairings

This Côtes du Rhône Paul will pair beautifully with a grilled lamb chop with garrigue herbs, Ardèche sausage with chestnuts, roasted chicken with black olives and Mediterranean herbs, lamb tagine with prunes, wood-fired pizza or a board of aged cheeses such as Pélardon ardéchois or Picodon. Served lightly chilled between 14 and 16°C, it will reveal all the generous fruitiness and natural freshness of an authentic winemaker's wine, signed by six centuries of Ardèche passion.