Syrah

From the outskirts of Tavel, we headed 200km north to Saint-Joseph in the Northern Rhône. The current head of the family, Hervé Souault, lives in the Saint-Joseph district, which stretches across from Tain-Hermitage, where terraced fields stretch perpendicular to the Rhône River.
30km west of the right bank of the Rhône River, a series of winding up and down mountain passes will take you to the domaine in the secluded highland village of Arlesbosque.

Originally from Paris, Hervé inherited Domaine Romanau d'Estuzé, run by his wife's family, who are former aristocrats, and began making wine in 1993. The brewery, which is attached to a castle-like residence built in the 16th century, has a profound feel of history.
In addition to the southeast-facing slopes that follow the Doubs River near the domaine, the fields are a total of 7 hectares, including the "Saint-Epine" plot, which has the same geology as Hermitage, which is said to be rare in the Saint-Joseph area, and it is all in a good location facing southeast. In the fields on the slopes at 450 meters above sea level, where the granite from a volcanic eruption has weathered and turned into sand, disease-resistant Viognier, early ripening and disease-resistant Roussanne, and old Gamay and Syrah were grown.
Due to the high altitude, the grapes are characterized by strong acidity, and harvesting begins in October, about two months later than usual. Hervé has strong eyes and looks tough at first glance, but his gentle smile leaves an impression on his grace and dependability.

He is a true winemaker who learned the basics of winemaking under Thierry Armand, a natural producer in Cornas, and trained under his friend Dar et Ribot, and is a true winemaker who produces beautifully extracted fruit even in the Northern Rhône. I was awakened to the delicate sublimity that cannot be summed up simply by the words "taste and purity." The quality of the wine continues to improve year by year, and its reputation locally is also rising. This is a truly profound Grand Vin, with careful brewing methods such as no destemming, no low-temperature control, and no SO2 added during the brewing process.