-
Add to Cart The item has been added -
Add to Cart The item has been added -
Add to Cart The item has been added -
Add to Cart The item has been added
Domaine Fontchene
Last night I had an epiphany wine. We had opened some wines for sampling from Domaine Fontchene at the shop yesterday afternoon, we were immediately floored. I knew that I wanted to come home and sit with these wines, have them with dinner, and really explore this producer, one that has been on my radar for quite some time but I have yet to taste.
When most people think of Provence, they think of rosé. But tucked into a small limestone ridge just outside Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is a very different story. Having been lucky enough to visit this storybook, fairytale land surrounding the magical village of Saint-Remy before, I was aware of just how special this place was, not only for sheer beauty, but viticulture.
This area, also know as the "Alpilles", is a rugged stretch of white limestone hills—wind-swept, sun-drenched, and covered in wild herbs, olive trees, even cactus, with scattered vineyards. Wild herbs and giant rosemary bushes are literally growing everywhere, locally called "garrigues". The soils here are poor, the Mistral wind blows hard, and water is scarce. It’s a harsh, unfriendly place to farm, but that struggle is exactly what makes these wines so gosh-darn compelling. The limestone brings tension and minerality, the wind preserves freshness, and the garrigue—thyme, rosemary, lavender—finds its way into the glass. The reds can be unbeliveably drinkable while remaining seriously complex.
For decades, the iconic Domaine de Trévallon defined what was possible here in this area. This rare, now "unicorn status" winery produces structured, age-worthy wines that challenged the idea of what Provence could be. Then came Domaine Hauvette, another rare winery with a cult-like following, pushing further into biodynamics and low-intervention winemaking, crafting wines of texture, depth, and elegant intensity that have easily become sommelier favorites.
Domaine Fontchêne is the next chapter in this story.
Founded by René Milan ins 2013 and farmed biodynamically, Fontchêne works from these same Alpilles soils with a clear respect for what came before—but with a more elegance, openness, and immediate drinkability. Native fermentations, biodynamic viticulture, and thoughtful aging give the wines a sense of purity and energy that feels both grounded but undeniably alive.
Where Trévallon is structured and built for aging, and Hauvette is layered and cerebral, Fontchêne is immediate—fresh, mineral, and expressive, harnessing its sense of place better than the best of them. The reds show dark red dusty fruit, wild herbs with a lifted, savory edge, and a finish that just seems endless and so refined. There is a serious Burgundian feel to the reds--powerful, elegant, and refined. The whites are textured, slightly oily, and saline, with citrus, stone fruit, and a persistent mineral core.
The two wines i tasted are below. To put this in perspective, these are wines I feel like I would be served by the glass at a Michelin starred restaurant, haunting, beautiful, born for amazing food pairings:
"Aupiho" Blanc, from their flagship label. A blend of 22% Marsanne, 22% Roussanne, 22% Grenache Blanc, 18% Clairette, 16% Chardonnay, aged 12 months on the lees in old barrels. There are only about 3000 bottles of this made annually. it was simply gorgeous and complex, with notes of hazelnut, lightly similar to what you may find in a Jura white, with layers of quince, apricot, citrus oil, underpinned by a floral and herbal complexity. The palate really shines here with the texture, which was slightoly ooily, but saline and vibrant.
"Les Antiques" Rouge, from their "entry" level. A blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cinsault, 20% Merlot, 10% Syrah. Dark red, dusty fruit, medium bodies with wild herbs and a lifted, savory edge, and a finish that just seems endless and so refined. There is a serious Burgundian feel to this red--powerful, elegant, and refined.
This is real Provence wine, and there is no mistaking it. Fontchêne captures the essence of the Alpilles limestone, wind, and wild herbs, almost as if its been liquified into the glass. I was transported back to this region through the glass.
Wines arrive next week.
I am happy to offer an extra 10% off of 6 and 15% off a mixed case!