Domaine d’Ouréa, Gigondas
Domaine d’Ourea
A rising star
Adrien Roustan founded Domaine d’Ouréa in 2009, taking over his grandfather’s vineyard holdings in Vacqueyras and Gigondas after mastering his art in the wineries of Burgundy and California. By 2023 Domaine d’Ouréa was already rising to prominence, the Revue de Vin de France noting their ‘lightning ascent [ascension fulgurante]’ within the ranks of the southern Rhône. These are well chosen words, and all Adrien’s wines are marked by an exceptional energy and vibrancy. His Gigondas was a revelation to me when I first tried it, combining rich and powerful fruit with an electrifying freshness and tension, floral top notes singing above a paradoxical feeling of both density and lightness on the palate.
What we say:
From a pebbly vineyard located on the sandy banks deposited by the river Ouvèze. A beautiful mix of indigenous, rare and wonderful grapes (Grenache Noir, Aramon, Counoise and Oeillade) vinified whole-bunch with a short maceration and then 6 months breeding in concrete vat produce a relaxed, supple, savoury and classy drinking and tapas wine. A great introduction to this most exciting of estates based in Vacqueyras and Gigondas. Serve cool (16c)
Organic Terroir
Adrien’s quest is to find even more vitality and dynamism in his wines, and having gained organic certification has begun biodynamic conversion in pursuit of this goal. The team here is small, with two working full time alongside Adrien, the Domaine only hiring additional labourers during harvest. All agricultural labour is manual at d’Ouréa, including ploughing, with the Domain’s 20 hectares of vineyards spread across several plots of blue and yellow clays in Vacqueyras, 4.5 exceptional hectares of Gigondas terroir on the south facing, high limestone slopes of the Dentelles de Montmirail, and a range of plots of alluvial gravels and sands along the banks of the Ouvèze River from which Adrien makes his Côtes du Rhône and a beautiful, fresh and young-drinking VDF called Tire Bouchon.
Winemaking
The winemaking at d’Ouréa searches after a limpid and transparent expression of terroir, with Adrien only aging in concrete and wholly eschewing oak. Some cuvees are made with a proportion of whole bunches, adding to their delicacy and aromatic complexity whilst helping to maintain the energy and freshness with which these wines really stand out. His top cuvee, “La Belle Cime,” originates from a single hectare of vines sat at 520m on the Dentelles. It encapsulates everything so extraordinary about these wines, marrying profundity with grace, and allowing the vibrant, mineral character of its limestone terroir to shine through, however powerful and lush the fruit. Domaine D’Ouréa are achieving something very special in AOCs known for their potential rusticity, finding a uniquely beautiful voice whose appreciative audience will only ever continue to grow.
Their Wines