The Domain Beau Mistral
Located at the foot of the village of Rasteau between the towns of Orange and Vaison-la-Romaine, Domaine Beau Mistral is comprised of 28 hectares (70 acres) covering several appellations from the southern Rhône Valley and is rightly situated next to such famous crus from the region such as Châteauneuf du Pape and Gigondas.
With the experience of several generations of winemaking under his belt, Jean-Marc Brun took the leap to begin making wine in 1999 with one goal in mind: to make wines that reflected his personality and tastes, and which celebrated the famous Provençal wind le Mistral through his labels. Hence, Domaine Beau Mistral was born. From the beginning, Jean-Marc has been treating his vineyard and winemaking with the utmost attention and care.
Extending over most of the village’s land, the vineyard is largely composed of old-vine plots, some of which are between 60 to 90 years old, and is situated on the sloping banks surrounding the village where great respect is payed to terroir and the surrounding environment. Deliberate vine stress forces the vines’ root systems deep into the ground in order to extract the rich minerals found within, a technique which allows for greater terroir expression. In order to maximize quality, harvests are done manually and table sorting is performed.
Jean-Marc Brun, through passion for his trade, attempts to combine new techniques with his own savoir-faire, all the while trying to stay true to tradition (he recently invested in 2 terra-cotta doliums). All these elements combined guarantee balanced wines of exceptional quality, often receiving awards and recognition from top critics.
The terroir
Rasteau is appreciated for it coloured landscape and generous natural environment. Perched on a mountain hillside, the terroir is famous for its rich soils and exceptional views overlooking the Mount Ventoux, the Dentelles de Montmirail and lower Alps.
A Mediterranean climate, rich variety of soil types combined with emblematic Rhône Valley grape varietals, such as grenache, syrah and mouvedre, daily warmed by the sun and cooled by the Mistral allow for truly unique wine styles.
Rasteau wines are found as both dry red wines and sweet Vins Doux Naturels, which has greatly contributed to the appellation’s reputation for making quality wines.
