Rémi Pouizin’s family have been making wine on this beautiful estate, surrounded by fields of lavender, since 1922. His grandmother converted the 60 hectares to organic farming in 1964, but it was never certified. In 2008, however, it received Ecocert accreditation and is farmed according to biodynamic principles.

Until 1999, the family delivered their fruit to the local co-operative, but then Rémi started experimenting with micro-cuvées, based on his three main soil types, garrigues, terres noires and argiles. Using Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Carignan, he now makes a confusing array of different wines, which are principally raised in concrete tanks on their lees without cultivated yeasts and with a minimum of sulphur. Average yields are 35-38 hectolitres/hectare and acidification is never practised.

Richards Walford have selected a few cuvées that we feel represent the best of what Rémi is producing. The Visan Côtes du Rhône Villages Nature Rosé, a blend of Grenache and Syrah, with the Grenache dominating (usually around 60% of the blend). It is bled from the vats after a couple of hours of fermentation. Correspondingly, the blend of the Visan Côtes du Rhône Villages Nature Rouge mirrors this and both are produced from vines ranging in age from 15-35 years, grown on predominantly clay soils. Visan Côtes du Rhône Villages Vieux Grenache is from old vines grown on garrigues, with heavy red clay and galets roulés on the surface. The vines are at least 50 years old, with low yields averaging 25-30 hectolitres/hectare.

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