High on a plateau above Tournon, Paul Esteve and Chrystelle Vareille make singular northern Rhone wines in a cellar of buried clay jars rather than the region's usual oak.
Backstory
The couple created Domaine des Miquettes in 2003 in the village of Cheminas, on the high ground above Tournon and Secheras in the southern part of the Saint-Joseph appellation. Paul Esteve trained under two major figures of natural winemaking in the northern Rhone, Rene-Jean Dard and Francois Ribo, before setting out on his own.
The Region
The estate lies in the Saint-Joseph appellation of the northern Rhone, on terraced hillsides of granite and old stone walls. From the start the couple farmed without chemical inputs.
Vineyards and Farming
The vineyard was gradually built up to around six hectares, planted with Syrah for the reds and Marsanne and Viognier for the whites. In 2020 they took the decision to concentrate on their best plots and reduced the estate to about 2.5 hectares, prioritising quality over volume.
Winemaking
The defining feature is the cellar of buried terracotta jars, Spanish tinajas similar to Georgian qvevri, in which white, orange and red wines are macerated, vinified and matured. They built a dedicated chai for some twenty-six buried jars, and use them for their amphora cuvees, including the orange and red wines they call Madloba, the Georgian word for thank you.
The Wines
The range covers taut, silky reds from Syrah and textured, energetic whites and orange wines, all aiming for frank fruit and freshness without additives.
