Domaine Jaume

It was a gamble. The Jaume brothers had been eyeing the site for years, and when the vineyard came up for sale, they went to their father, who had also been intrigued by the spot for decades. Yes, it was risky. The light-soil, south-facing vineyards were perched high above the village, over 1,300 feet in elevation. They were fully exposed to the gusts of the Mistral, and in difficult vintages there was greater risk of underripeness. But the upside was undeniable. If the vines were farmed rigorously, both father and sons believed that, in exceptional vintages, this high elevation parcel could produce fruit that would be the class of this superb estate’s cellar.

On the heels of our success with Richard and Pascal Jaume’s 2007 Reference (and after the glowing Wine Spectator review that followed), we went back to this fraternal winemaking team and asked them what surprised them most about this new Vintage of the Century. “We’ve had four straight great vintages. But 2007 brought us the biggest surprise, one that even put a smile on our father’s face, which isn’t always easy. The Altitude 420 is incroyable. If you had to design a growing season for those grapes, 2007 was it.”

Tasting Notes from the WineAccess Travel Log

“(60% Grenache, 40% Syrah. Average age of vines is 40 years). Deep, lush, purple to the edge. Bright purple and red fruit aromas with hints of garrigue. Fine and rich on the mid-palate with gorgeous raspberry, ripe strawberry and black cherry flavors. But it’s the finish that makes this one sing. Bright and nervy on the finish providing wonderful freshness in the back palate. Drink now… or age for up 5 years.”