L'Aube Côtes du Rhône Village 2022 Domaine Anne Collard

L'Aube 2022 from Domaine Anne Collard is the flagship cuvée and most ambitious expression from this vineyard born of long-held passion and deep conviction. Its name is poetry in itself: « Cros de l'Aube » is the geographical name of the parcel, mixing French and Provençal to evoke the « hollow of dawn » — that suspended moment when the first rays of sunlight illuminate the vineyard in the quiet of morning, whilst the hills of the Saint-Roman abbey are still touched with blue. An image that speaks volumes about the gentleness and depth of this wine from the domaine's oldest vines, made without added sulphites and certified biodynamic by Demeter since the 2022 vintage.

The Comps terroir

Anne Collard's vineyard is located in Comps, the southernmost village of the Côtes du Rhône appellation, just six kilometres north of Château Mourgues du Grès, at the confluence of the Rhône and Gardon rivers. This exceptional site is a cool and unspoiled oasis, swept by the mistral, that cold, dry northern wind which naturally keeps the vines healthy and makes organic and biodynamic viticulture more manageable. The 30 hectares acquired in 2019 spread across steep slopes with very stony, rocky soils rich in rolled pebbles inherited from Rhône alluvial deposits. These stones absorb the day's heat and release it gently at night, favouring slow and harmonious ripening of the grapes. L'Aube is made from a careful selection of the domaine's oldest vines, Grenache averaging 50 years of age, supplemented with Mourvèdre and Carignan, whose naturally low yields concentrate aromatic expression and depth.

Tasting profile

The robe is dark and deep, an intense garnet red with violet reflections. The nose is frank, expressive and showing fine maturity: aromas of dark fruits — wild blackberry, black cherry, blackcurrant — mingle with notes of cinnamon, chocolate and Provençal garrigue. As it opens, the wine reveals notes of liquorice and forest floor that speak to the depth of old vines. On the palate, L'Aube is both warm and structured: the body is ample and generous, the tannins firm yet supple, and natural acidity brings the tension and freshness essential to overall balance. The finish is long, velvety, mineral and subtly saline, a direct signature of Comps' pebbled soils. Aged 12 months in concrete vats without new oak or added sulphur, this wine expresses with absolute sincerity the truth of its terroir and old vines.

The domaine

Anne Collard, who manages Château Mourgues du Grès in Costières de Nîmes with her husband François, always dreamed of owning her own vineyard in Côtes du Rhône. In 2019, she found the site she was seeking and acquired 30 hectares in Comps. Her son now manages the vineyards day to day, and conversion to organic and biodynamic farming began immediately, achieving official Demeter certification by the 2022 vintage. Vinification, carried out in Mourgues du Grès cellars, proceeds without sulphites, using spontaneous fermentations with indigenous yeasts and ageing in non-epoxied concrete vats for around 12 months for L'Aube. This resolutely non-interventionist approach places terroir and fruit front and centre. Awarded one star in the Hachette Wine Guide for the 2020 vintage, L'Aube is already among the most convincing expressions of the Côtes du Rhône Villages appellation.

Food pairings

L'Aube pairs beautifully with duck breast with figs, caramelised aubergines with ginger, quail with peaches, lamb rack with garrigue herbs or beef tagine with prunes and gentle spices. It will also find lovely harmony with aged cheeses such as truffle-infused mimolette or characterful aged goat's cheese. Served between 16 and 18 °C with light decanting recommended, it will reveal all the depth and sincerity of its southern old vines.