Domaine des Escaravailles, Rasteau
Domaine des Escaravailles
Appellation orientation
Domaine des Escaravailles sits on the highest slopes of Rasteau, gifted with stunning views across the valley towards Sablet, Gigondas, and the sculptural limestone peaks of the Dentelles de Montmirail. The Domaine takes its name from the Occitan word for the scarab beetles which live in these hot mediterranean hills. A penitential order of lay monks used to own the vineyards here, wearing black in the heat of the sun to mortify their flesh through strenuous labour. In the distance, they looked like small beetles as they worked the rows of vines perched above the village, and the nickname stuck. Luckily for us all, the labour at the Escaravailles remains strenuous, but there is nothing penitential in its product.
What we say:
Red and dark purple wine colour with bright reflections. Pleasant nose, with orange peel and rosemary aromas. The palate is elegant, smooth and well structured, with blueberry paired with soft spices, cloves and Timut pepper
History
Domaine Escaravailles started in 1953, when Jean-Louis Ferrand discovered a decaying estate in the hills. At the time, he was working for a substantial maison in Gigondas as a wine broker. When he first came across the ruined farmhouse, it was without electricity, water or even many vineyards after they had been abandoned by the monks. Almost everything had to be made anew, but through the years, the property was renovated and the vines replanted. Since then, it has stayed in the Ferran family, who have sedulously maintained independence whilst expanding their holdings and transforming Escaravailles into one of the leading small producers in the southern Rhône. The Domaine is now run by Madeleine Ferran, with holdings in the Cru villages of Rasteau and Cairanne and in the named villages of Roaix and Plan de Dieu, along with a range of plots that fall under the Côte du Rhône appellation.
Terroir and winemaking
Escaravailles are committed to sustainable agriculture and are moving towards organic certification. Recent years have seen the Domaine planting olive trees to aid water and soil retention, and for much the same reason they are now actively preserving the wild garrigue that fringes their vineyard holdings. Their vines sit on a range of the classic terroirs of the area, including an enviable parcel of centenarian Grenache on the blue marls of Rasteau, a plot from which they produce their outstanding cuvee Héritage 1924. Across their portfolio yields are naturally low thanks to an overwhelming proportion of old vines, with hand picking and selection for all wines. Escaravailles favour a long maceration period for their reds (up to a month), but extraction remains gentle, obtaining full flavoured, aromatic and densely fruited wines that are never too heavy or hot. A range of vessels are used at the domain for vinification, including oak barrels and demi-muids, concrete and stainless-steel tanks, and amphorae. Although most of Escaravailles’ bottlings are in a traditional style, they are never shy of experimentation, producing a particularly fine Rasteau amphora wine ‘Argilla ad Argillam’ [from clay to clay] – exotic and pronounced spiciness on the nose alongside classic notes of lavender infused garrigue, its deep palate of red and black fruit flavours structured by a tingling, saline mineral backbone.
Their Wines