Domaine Ravanès - Thézan-lès-Béziers (organic)

In 1989, Guy's son Marc obtained his Oenology-Ampelography PhD, following his studies at the Institute of Oenology in Bordeaux, and took over the estate in 1990. In 1994, Marc grafted Petit Verdot (another Bordeaux variety) onto the rootstock of a Cinsault vineyard that had existed for 25 years or more. The Petit Verdot vines are therefore effectively around 45 years old. White varieties include Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc and Macabeu, along with more recent plantings of Petit Manseng and Colombard. There also exists a small plot of old Aramon, which was until recently retained merely for historical purposes, but is now blended into the quirky (and absolutely delicious) l'Ibis Rouge, along with Syrah and Cinsault. As if that weren't enough, Marc now produces a delicious wine from the once very common (though now rather rare) Alicante Bouschet. It took him 3 vintages to perfect the recipe, but he finally nailed it in 2014, and has continued to make it in certain vintages since then.

The total area under vine at Domaine Ravanès is 32 hectares, and the estate now has full Organic certification. Some plots are large, some small, and the soil (which is mainly clay/limestone) contains varying amounts of stones and pebbles (from the "gravières" - gravel pits, of which there are many here, washed down from the hills by the adjacent River Orb), making for a terroir that bears similaritiesto both Chateauneuf-du-Pape and the Graves region of Bordeaux. The proximity of the river also means that the late-harvested sweet white wines (extraordinary wines, made entirely from Ugni Blanc) benefit from botrytis (noble rot). Merlot ripens very easily here, and is usually harvested at the end of August, whilst the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot are often picked as late as October, depending on the characteristics of the vintage.

We have met Marc Benin on several occasions now (firstly in 2012 and then on several subsequent visits to the beautiful Ravanès estate - most recently in June 2022). And despite his rather shy and retiring nature, he always comes across as a passionate, dedicated and supremely talented winemaker, and we are proud to have re-introduced his fabulous wines to the UK market. If you are curious, then please give them a try - and your curiosity will be richly rewarded. And for a more detailed look at how these wines (both reds and whites) are capable of evolving over 20-odd years, have a look at my blog post on an extensive vertical tasting I presented in January 2023.