Description
Clos Bellane is a small, distinctive wine estate nestled in the hills above Valréas, at the northernmost edge of France’s Southern Rhône Valley. Its modern chapter began in 2007, when third-generation winemaker Stéphane Vedeau purchased the property with the ambition of crafting a fresher, more elegant expression of Côtes du Rhône Villages. With limestone slopes rising above 400 meters, the estate offered an ideal setting for his vision: high-altitude vineyards whose cooler growing conditions, combined with organic farming, yield wines of purity, balance, and vibrancy. Vedeau subsequently expanded the estate’s holdings into Châteauneuf-du-Pape in 2011 and Vinsobres in 2020. His restrained approach—using indigenous yeasts, gentle extraction, and maturation in tanks, concrete, and older barrels—allows the character of each vineyard to shine. From its Valréas bottlings to its scintillating Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Clos Bellane has established a distinctive identity rooted in an elegant, fresh expression of the Southern Rhône.
The 2023 La Petite Bellane Côtes du Rhône Villages is made from 100% organically grown Syrah, an unusual varietal focus in a region where Grenache typically dominates the blends. Sourced from vines planted in and around Valréas, where rocky clay-limestone parcels at elevations of 350–410 meters occupy one of the highest and coolest sections of the Southern Rhône. Certified organic by Ecocert SAS, the vineyards are cultivated without herbicides or pesticides, with high-density plantings and vines more than 25 years old. Grapes are harvested by hand into small crates before being partially destemmed and fermented with indigenous yeasts. Both fermentation and aging take place in concrete, keeping the winemaking focused on the fruit and vineyard character rather than oak influence.
Beautiful garnet color. Heady aromas of dark bramble and red berry fruit, with a touch of garrigue, leading to a mouthful of fresh blackberry, ripe pomegranate and red plum fruit; solidly framed, with gravelly minerality and supple tannins through the lingering finish.
