Les Vignerons d'Estezargues Plein Sud

The cooperative in the village of Estezargues, established in 1965, southwest of Avignon in the southern Rhone region of France, consists of 10 growers and covers 550 hectares amongst them. 75% of the vineyards are certified organic with the remainder currently sustainable and converting. Led by Armelle Rouault, the big focus is on individually vinifying the many terroirs to allow the distinct parcels to shine and put out the wines as representatives of their specificity. Jean-Francois Nicq, heavily influenced by natural winemaker guru Marcel Lapierre, set the Estezargues ball rolling with the removal of additives and commercial enhancements and placed an emphasis on respectful farming. Nicq’s successor, Denis Deschamps championed the separate vinification of many of their terroirs, a unique feature of the Estezargues wine cooperative. This encourages the growers to showcase their best plots and proudly bear their own Domaines on their labels. The region is reasonably hilly, with lots of small surfaces surrounded by low walls and intermingled woods. Most slopes have altitudes around 60 metres to 120 metres with soil being either pebbles (galets rules) or clay, a tertiary clay, a very rough type of clay and subject to the arid Mistral wind from the northwest. And to the taste now; floral stone fruits with a crushed wet rock minerality, a hint of honey and grass but gloriously balanced and fresh. Invigorating but with some heft. Or a ball.