Awards and Accolades

2013 Vintage:

93 Points - Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Age Epicure
"Amazing value, this sums up the best Cotes du Rhone. A blend of grenache, syrah, mourvedre and carignan grown on 35 year old vines between Orange and Avignon, it opens with spice, raspberry and earthy aromas. It’s supple in the mouth with lovely flow and lingering flavour, supported by fine, easy tannins."

Jane Faulkner - Sydney Morning Herald – Weekend:
This blend of grenache and syrah, with a dash of mourveddre and carignan, is a ripper for the price. It's bursting with red fruits and spice, alongside hints of wood and red liquorice. You can't miss the distinctive grainy tanninsof the grenache. Les Courtilles is mediumweight and highly gluggable, thanks to its acidity and freshness. A terrific, everyday red.

93 Points - Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
"Youthful yet gorgeous and complex on the nose displaying dark plum, blueberry, floral and spice characters. The palate is succulent and rounded with lovely fruit-richness and plenty of polished tannins."

91 Points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
"It’s offered excellent value from the first release but for personal drinking preference – this is my favourite of the Les Courtilles releases so far. Blend of grenache, syrah and mourvedre. 35 year old vines. Some up-front oomph. Warm flavours. Sweet and sour cherries, chocolate powder, roses, pebbles. Feels firm in the mouth. Elegant for the most part but sure-footed and flavoursome. Nutty aftertaste. Fantastic drinking."

About the Vineyard

Les Courtilles (a series of small courtyards) is named after the village winery founded in 1997 by Bernard Schurr. The 2011 Les Courtilles Cotes du Rhone is sourced from 35 year old vines on the right bank of the Rhone between Orange and Avignon.

A core blend (80%) of primarily Grenache was hand-harvested and de-stemmed before a long cold soak and fermentation in small concrete vats, pumped over twice daily. Transferred to a stainless steel tank to finish fermentation before blending with a component (20%) of barrel-matured Cotes de Rhone Villages fruit from the Plan de Dieu, adding depth, complexity and structure to the wine whilst increasing cellaring potential.

Following an excellent spring the southern Rhone, like much of France, endured a cold and wet summer which limited yields and demanded much diligence from the vignerons. A warm and dry August and the consistent mistral wine saved the vintage, so much so that the harvest arrived exactly on time. Slightly more sorting was required than on average but the final selection was very good, medium bodied in weight but with excellent flavour and balance.