LAURENT CHARVIN A Coté 2024 VdP (Rhône Sud) 75cl Red

Grape varieties: 90% Merlot, 10% Artaban

Terroir: Sandy slopes with clay and rounded pebbles. À Côté is produced from just under 2 hectares of vineyards planted to Merlot and Artaban, with the final blend varying according to each vintage. The Merlot comes from the Campredon parcel, planted in 1999, while the Artaban is grown in the Les Mereuilles parcel. Both sites feature silty clay-limestone soils. The vineyards are organically farmed, with full soil cultivation, and trained using both Royat cordon and Guyot pruning systems.

Vinification / Ageing: The Artaban and Merlot were harvested on 27 August and co-fermented using the estate’s traditional approach, focused on achieving balance and the gentlest possible extraction through daily pump-overs and careful temperature control. The wine was aged with the sole aim of preserving its finesse and vibrant fruit character. It was bottled in a single run on 23 February 2024 without fining or filtration.

Tasting notes: A wine made purely for pleasure. Its name, À Côté (“Beside”), is a tribute to the film Sideways and reflects the desire to craft a balanced wine in which Artaban softens the more structured, familiar character of Merlot. Produced with the same philosophy as the estate’s appellation wines but from vineyards just outside the official appellation boundaries, À Côté embraces a more contemporary style, less bound by tradition, yet every bit as authentic. Juicy, approachable and full of bright fruit, it is a wonderfully easy-drinking red with real personality.

🍷 Serving temperature: 16–17°C

One of our long-time favourites at the shop! Laurent Charvin crafts wines of remarkable finesse with precision and care. He took over the 13-hectare family estate near Orange in 1990, chose to vinify independently instead of through the local co-op, and quickly converted the vineyard to organic farming. From the start, he has worked in harmony with nature, lovingly tending to old Grenache vines for his top cuvée. In the cellar, you won’t find a single barrel, only concrete vats, where whole clusters gently macerate without destemming. Extraction is soft, allowing the wines to express both aromatic complexity and a rare finesse for the region. He produces wines under Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes-du-Rhône, and IGP Principauté d’Orange, all offering incredible value. A true benchmark of the appellation.