A great time for us to try some new and interesting wines at my local wine shop, The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan.  We were enjoying a tasting session with Anne Charlotte Melia Bachas, the grand-daughter of the founder of Chateau de La Font, du Loup.  Her enthusiasm is wonderful, but she downplays her part and mentions that her vineyards are at the top of a hill, facing north, and all similar attributes to the legendary Chateau Rayas; her philosophy is to never over-extracted, cool temperature vinification and no new oak.  

They offer two wines under the label “Signature by” as the properties are leased and not owned by the winery.  Signature by la Font, du Loup Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2021 comes from a one-hectare parcel of forty-year-old vines on sandy soil.  The vines are tended and nurtured per the Chateau’s requests of responsible farming, hand-harvesting and meticulous selection of the grapes.  The wine is a mix of fifty percent Grenache Blanc, twenty-five percent Viognier, and twenty-five percent Clairette. The fruit is fully destemmed, and grapes are vinified separately and blended just before bottling.  The juice was aged in a mix of Concrete tanks and Stainless-Steel tanks.  Malolactic Fermentation is prevented during aging.  A very pale straw-yellow wine offering notes of exotic fruits, white flowers, and a touch of mint. On the palate tones of ripe pear and apple, a little spice, and a little honey in a fresh wholesome wine with a great mineral (terroir) finish.

We then had Signature by la Font, du Loup Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2021 which is from a rented one-hectare parcel of fifty-year-old Grenache and Syrah grown on the same sandy soil.  The vines are once again tended and nurtured per the Chateau’s request of responsible farming, hand-harvesting and meticulous selection of grapes.  The wine is ninety percent Grenache and ten percent Syrah.  The fruit is fully destemmed and grapes are vinified separately and blended just before bottling.  Initial Fermentation and Maceration last for three weeks in concrete tanks, with daily pumping over for a soft extraction.  Then the juice is aged further in a mix of Concrete tanks and Stainless-Steel tanks.  A nice garnet-red wine that offers notes of red cherries and black currants and lavender flowers.  On the palate a medium-bodied wine that offers fresh tones of black cherry, black plum and black raspberry mixed with strawberry, pepper, mocha and silky tannins and medium acidity. A very pretty Cotes du Rhone wine.