Domaine à La Tache

Fabien is part of a group of friends from Tournon who used to work the land in St Joseph, restoring vines, building trellises, taille and effeuillage for local vignerons. Most of the group are Muslims and don't drink wine. They describe themselves as farmers rather than winemakers. In 2002 they found the famous vineyard of Guillamy, and purchased it between them. The plot was in bad shape, so they set about restoring it. They also purchased a plot in Badel, a Northern slope between Tournon and Mauves on the classic granite of the AOC. The entire vineyard is on terraces and everything is done manually. Due to its north-facing position, the grapes are harvested a month later than everyone else's in the region and ABV rarely exceeds 11%. Guillamy is south-facing and the grapes are quicker to ripen, reaching between 12.5% and 13.5% each year, making wines more true to the typical style of St Joseph. Fabien and his posse are true purists, with no temperature control and no added SO2 at any stage.