la Ferme Saint Martin (Beaumes de Venise)

Arriving in the estate--The Mont Ventoux in the background

May 9th 2005, a small group of winemakers named "Les Toqués des Dentelles" gathered near the Champs Elysées at the "Maison de L'Aubrac", rue Marbeuf for a tasting event . The group's name refers to the Dentelles de Montmirail, a scenic mountain ridge in the cotes du Rhone region . The group is made up of winemakers from nearby the Dentelles ( from Cairanne, Seguret, Gigondas, Beaumes de Venise, Vinsobres and other small appellations ) who share the philosophy of making true wines, respectful of nature and soils . To say it shortly, this is where we met Guy Jullien , the owner and winemaker of the Domaine de la Ferme Saint Martin . The winery was founded in 1964 by his father . Actually , the estate was bought in 1955, and gradually replanted ( especially after the historic freeze of jan 1956 ) until the chai was built in 1964 .
The Domaine is one of the 15 estates of the Beaumes de Venise appellation zone, named from the village sitting under the "Dentelles de Montmirail" scenic mountains . This tiny wine region is part of the southern Cotes du Rhone, east of the cities of Orange and Chateauneuf du Pape .
We arrived in the region in the mid-afternoon, set up our tent in a campsite near Caromb, a village nearby, and drove the mountain road to Suzette, near where the winery is located . Great view on the region from the estate's grounds . Guy Jullien greets us and we spend a few minutes together looking at the villages, mountains and vineyards .

Guy Jullien, in "Les Estaillades"

22 hectare vineyard , in several plots scattered on three locations, at an altitude from 200 m to 600 m . . The winery-cum-house is at alt 400 m . Vineyard exposition is south, south-east, and some south-west .
Among the 22 hectares, 15 are in Beaumes de Venise ( mostly red, but 1 is in dry white ), 5 in Cotes du Ventoux ( red and a little of rosé ), and 2 in Cotes du Rhone . He drives us in his van to a vineyard plot located in Le Barroux, a couple of km away . At the end of a bumpy dirt track , we reach the "Clos des Estaillades" . Yellow earth : Limestone in clay ; very poor soil, named Trias by geologists . This very old soil was compressed 240 million years ago . The plot is a one-piece 2,5 hectare vineyard in the middle of the Provence Guarrigue, a mix of woods and bushes . App. zone here is Cotes du Ventoux . mostly Grenache here , with 0,5 hectare of Mourvèdre . Veraison , the stage when different grape colours appear on the clusters, is visible ( this is the 2nd week of august ) now . The vineyard is terraced here, they call terraces "banquettes" in the region . Organic viticulture in the estate . Natural vegatation in the hedges and woods around the plot are important in this regard . Part of the plot is 35 years old . We walk past young (4 years) Mourvèdre vines with high wires . Looking at the shoot ends, he says they look like they are drying, as the past months have been very dry . The vineyard is thirsty this year .
We drive to another plot . Back near Suzette, plot planted with mostly old (1910) Grenache in Beaumes de Venise zone . Bought in 1968 . The rows are irregular, as in the past it was common to plant fruit trees here and there in the vineyard . Also, complantation was common at this time, with different grape varieties on the same plot : Cinsault, Clairette, Grenache...
A third location now : we drive to the Saint Amand plot ( in Cotes du Rhone zone ) . Gravelly soil, with marly clay debris . Tied-up Syrah, here, with its longer clusters . This plot, wich lies at an altitude of 600 m, offers great views on the Dentelles de Montmirail and its jagged ridge . Good acidity on this vineyard, he says, because of the cool nights . Yields will be lower than usual this year : 30, 32, maybe 35 hectoliter/hectare, instead of 42 ho/ha usually . About the harvest in the estate : Begins sept 15 with a dozen people . Sorting table and de-stemmer outside the chai .

The Dentelles de Montmirail's rocky ridge
To the chai, now :
The vathouse . Syrah goes into vats for an easier work on the cap . Grenache goes into cement vats ( recently equiped with temp-control ), with pumping-over . the 2004 wine is in there, at 16 ° C, it will be bottled early september . The cask cellar next door was part of an old chapel wich stood there long time ago . 14 1/2 muids barriques lie on the ground . Mostly Syrah, he says, including the "Les Estaillades" cuvée in one of them .

Guy Jullien invites us in his house to taste his wines along with a few dishes . He is a warm person and his tasting with the dishes he and his wife prepared will stay in our memory as one more experience of athentic vigneron generosity...
__1 White . Domaine de la Ferme Saint Martin, Fleur du Terroir 2004 . Cotes du Rhone . On the Beaumes de Venise zone . 13° . Clairette and Roussanne . Lively nose . Great with the foie gras toasts . Nice clear golden colour . Roussanne brings the fleshy side in the blend . Clairette has a more green and dry side.
__2 Red . Domaine de la Ferme Saint Martin, La Gérine 2004 . Cotes du Ventoux . Alt. of the plot : 200 m , on gravelly soil . Very dark colour . Carignan-Grenache . Noticeable tannins, but OK in the mouth . 12,7° . He says the Cotes du Ventoux zone is very wide, thousands of hectares among 51 villages . So, it is harder to coordinate the winemakers and the owners there, in comparison with the tiny Beaumes de Venise zone and its 15 or 16 estates . This makes a big difference when you try to move the quality up simultaneously .
__3 Red . Domaine de la Ferme Saint Martin, Clos des Estaillades 2003, Cotes du Ventoux . 13,5° . Almost 100% Grenache here . eucalyptus notes . Also some mint . Guarrigue aromas . No external yeasts in the estate , and this plot being surrounded by guarrigue and woods may translate in these aromas . Speaking about the "Gérine" plot he bought recently, and wich was in "traditional" ( with use of chemicals ) viticulture before, he says that when he first vinified in 2004, he tried to do like he always does, let the juice work on its indigenous yeasts . It did ferment, but after several days, he noticed strange aromas . Volatile acidity after 3-4 days was equivalent to 3 weeks'...He brought samples to the lab : There was no good yeasts at all in there . He resorted to sulphate and make exceptionally a "traditional" yeasting for it . He says this plot will need 2 to 3 years until it regenerates enough ( with an organic viticulture work ) to get along without additional yeasts .
The gratin, with the Cuvée Saint Martin 2003... __4 Red . Domaine de la Ferme Saint Martin, "Les Terres Jaunes" 2004, Beaumes de venise . 70% Grenache 30% Syrah . Terroir similar to "Les Estaillades", but translates into a different style of wine . We taste this wine with the great home-made gratin, made with courgettes and eggs . Very expressive fruits in this wine . 13,5° .
__5 Red. Domaine de la Ferme Saint Martin, Cuvée Saint Martin 2003 . Beaumes de venise . 70% Grenache 30% Syrah . From the Syrah plot planted in 1910 . The soil is diverse in this plot . Nose : Fruit . Liquorice . Spicy . Eucalyptus again . 14° . Nice legs in the glass , wich shows the beautiful viscosity brought by glycerol . Great wine... 10% in wood for this millesime . He says he is very careful with the wine and the wood, so as not to mark too much the wine with woody notes . [ See picture with the bread and the gratin ]
__6 Red . Domaine de la Ferme Saint Martin, "Costanci" 2001, Beaumes de Venise . The name refers to a piece of stone with latin words engraved on it . When they found it on the estate grounds , they first deciphered "Costanci" , until they found out later the "a" at the bottom of the line, making it "costancia", probably from the name of a woman that lived here . 70%-80% of this cuvée matured in wood . Very different soil . The former wines were on trias . This one on marly clay . Different aromas' range . 50% Syrah-Grenache . 13,5° . Well balanced . More austere too . Syrah matured in 1/2 muids barriques, the discreet wood of wich refined the tannins . Delicate . Nice texture in the mouth . this wine can lay down a few years . He's been making this cuvée for a few years . 1999 was one of the best .
__7 Red . Domaine de la Ferme Saint Martin "Cuvée saint Martin " 1998 , Beaumes de Venise . 13,5° . Ample nose . Powerful in the mouth . Opulent . Stretches out well , B. says . Very little wood for this cuvée in 1998 . With this wine , we eat another delicacy : Great small peaches ( picked on a tree along the road going to the estate ) cooked in the oven with spices and cinnamon ....
Some export : U.S. : Louis Dressner selections ( N.Y.) . Japan : Oeno Connection (Tokyo- website in japanese).
Guy Jullien -- Domaine de la Ferme Saint Martin 84190 Suzette .
Phone 33 (0)4 90 62 96 40
Fax 33 (0)4 90 62 90 84
guy-jullien@tiscali.fr

Comments

[The Wine Blog]

I really like your wine blog. Please check out my wine and winery related news and information wine blog. Thanks!

[John Bennetto]

My wife & I are staying near the village of Merindol (at les Beaumes) we look forward to meeting some of the people in the area and to hopefully find your friend, Guy Julien Thanks for an interesting site! From Australia

[John Wincuinas]

I am planning a trip to the Rhone Valley leaving July 7 and would very much appreciate some recommendations of Vineyards in the southern rhone region that I might visit and have experience talking with vintners like those in your articles. We will be traveling by car and bike. Dates in the region will be July 12-15
Thank you for any recommendations you are able to provide

[Bertrand]

Visit this estate of course, these people are very nice and their wines too. Visit the saladin sisters, two wonderful women-vignerons. They also manage a restaurant near their winery. See this page about them and a few other vignerons worth to visit (and ask each vigneron when you'll visit he/she will point you to other good vintners) :
http://www.wine-pages.com/guests/stuart/southern-rhone.htm