Dom. De la Bastide

Visan, Southern Rhône, France The history of vinegrowing in Visan, located in in a valley west of the Rhône river, is combined with that of the Knights Templar in the Middle Ages who helped to cement wine in the culture of the region and as well with the influence of the Popes who installed themselves in Avignon from 1309 to 1376. The area around Visan was fortified by the Templars and sustained by the Benedictine and Domincan monks until the French Revolution. The Domaine de la Bastide takes up its place in the local traditions that go back to the era of monks and Templars. Bernard and Nicole Boyer, who both established the winery in 1978, come from a long line of vignerons. Bernard graduated with a diploma in Agricultural Engineering and worked for 20 years in the agricultural industry. During this period, the couple dreamed of having their own domaine and living in their native village. The Domaine is the realization of this dream. Vincent, the younger of their two children also possesses a diploma in Engineering. He has taken up the torch and is the domaine’s Chef de Cave, in charge of vinification. Bernard died in 2008 and Vincent has taken up the direction of the family business along with his wife and his mother. The vineyards extend along the communes of Visan and Suze la Rousse in the heart of the Rhône Valley west of the river. This is about 40 kilometers north of Avignon and 30 kilometers south of Montélimar. Soils of this area is made up principally of the large “pudding” stones of the Rhône Valley. Mediterranean garrigue, wild herbs of thyme, lavender and rosemary grow in abundance. The Boyer family grows mostly Grenache and a little Syrah, Mouvèdre,Carignan and Cinsault, typical of the region. For white wine, the family grows Viognier, Grenache Blanc and In the cellar, all wines are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel and are matured either in stainless steel or glass-lined cement tanks. Strict attention in the vineyard with a low intervention in the cellar leads to a range of wines always fresh, appealing and natural on the palate.