A quick recipe for a warm September evening: grill veal scallops in a pan with a bit of olive oil; cook small Saint-Jean spinach ravioli, a speciality “Dauphiné” (the ancient roman province) from Romans-sur-Isère; sauté mushrooms in olive oil, and mix with creme fraiche, ravoli and the scallops. Serve with an “Imagine,” a red vintage from the Vindemio winery in Ville sur Auzon.
Jean Marot is a winemaker’s winemaker; he is “dans le truc” (into the thing) as they say here of gifted vintners. Honing his craft at the Domaine Le Murmurium, he launched a new brand with his son Guillaume and some friends called Vindemio, which means “I harvest” in Latin, by combining one-half of the former Domaine Le Murmurium acreage with other parcels. Note: the “Wine Advocate” gets it half-right when it reports incorrectly that Vindemio is the former Domaine Le Murmurium.
At Vindemio, Jean Marot concerns himself only with the vines and the vinifying, leaving the commercial tasks to sales agents. From about 45 acres of vines, he vinifies organically-grown red and white vintages:
Amadeus: the top-of-line vintage from the oldest vines, 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah. 17 €
Imagine: 50% Grenache, 50% Syrah, 12 €
Regain Red: Grenache-Syrah, 7.5 €
Regain White: Clairette-Grenache Blanc, 7.5 €
The high-quality of Jean Marot’s wines asserts itself on the palate, and whereas one can string out flowery adjectives of praise for these wines ‘en bouche,’ the superb pleasure arises from their great balance, texture and structure. It is no small wonder that demand for his wines are stressing supply.
With the wine shop of his friend Olivier B. also in the village, Ville sur Auzon, where Mount Ventoux faces down on it as a remonstrance, is a must for an afternoon visit of wine tastings.
Basics:
Vindemio: wine cellar at Av. Jean Jaures, Ville sur Auzon, (on the left as you enter the village on Hwy 942 east from Carpentras) tel 04 90 70 20 45, website
U.S. Importer: Eric Solomon Selections, tel. (704) 358-1565, website
Romans-sur-Isère: Ravioli and pogne (a large brioche-like desert) festival on Sept 15-16. Wine tastings. website