Domaine des Ardoisières, Améthyste 2019

Domaine des Ardoisières was originally the brainchild of Michel Grisard, who undertook the task of replanting 400 abandoned plots belonging to local villagers (including the town’s mayor) that sat in the mountains above the town of Cévins. In 2003 Michel hired Brice Omont, and they worked side by side until 2010 when Michel handed the reins over to his protégé. The mountains are so vertiginous that they get only two hours of sunlight a day, but since those two hours of sun can reach up to 50°C on the east-facing vineyards, Brice isn’t too concerned about ripening. There’s minimal intervention in the cellar, and Brice now produces six cuvées from local varietals, all of which highlight the stony, mineral quality of the terraced vineyards while maintaining an incredible purity.