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The High Hill Hautes Cances Vineyards
I have been impatiently awaiting the arrival of Col du Debat. I knew I wanted this wine in my glass the minute I tasted it in the chai of Jean Marie Astart in Cairanne.
Jean-Marie and Anne-Marie have a modest house in the middle of the village of Cairanne. Anne-Marie great grandparents created the property in 1890. The land passed down through the family until to came to Anne-Marie. When she inherited the property she was already ensconced in a medial career as was her husband, Jean-Marie. Jean- Marie decided to give up his medical career to farm the family land and vinify his own wine, which at the time was being sold off in bulk to the Cairanne cooperative. They named the Domaine les Hautes Cances which means the end of the vines where the tractor turns around.
Jean-Marie converted his vineyards to Agriculture Biologique in 1999 (they don't use chemicals). This not only reflected their deep desire to protect the environment but also to allow the maximum expression of authentic terroir. Jean-Marie built a new chai into the hillside for natural temperature control. His vinification is done using gravity to protect the grapes along their journey into the vat. The place is absolutely spotless, eat-off-the-floor pristine.
It was in this very chai that I had my first drop of Col du Debat. This is Jean-Marie's tete de cuvee (top of the line). It is from a special 17 hectare parcel on the top of a slope with perfect exposure to the sun. The vines are old and produce a wine that is EXPRESSIF and CONCENTRATED. You must try it. It has been on my mind since I tasted it and now it is here, ready to pour into your glass. If you love Rhones, you should not turn your back on this wine.










