Burgundy meets the Rhone! When Mounir Saouma and his wife Rotem Brakin (owners of highly sought-after Burgundy micro-negociant Lucien Le Moine) had an opportunity in 2009 to purchase a neglected vineyard in the Pignan area, they did not hesitate! The Clos Saouma winery is based near Orange, in the Vaucluse, just north of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Today they farm a total of 21 acres across 8 vineyards in all 5 villages of the appellation (Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Bedarrides, Sorgues, Courthezon and Orange) including that cherished piece of Pignan site (nieghbor of Château Rayas). In almost every respect, the Saoumas are vinifying their southern Rhône wines in the same manner as their Burgundy wines: they employ ‘whole-cluster’ fermentation; no punch down, no racking and subject the wines to exceptionally long cellar aging (24 to 36 month élévage)  in a cold underground cellar; and minimize their use of sulfur by trapping trace Co2 left over from fermentation.

80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. Mounir Saouma likes to describe Chateauneuf-du-Pape as a mosaic, with all the wild traditions and differences together making for very different interpretations. Omnia, Latin for “all,” is his attempt to encompass the entire region’s terroir and winemaking history in one glass. The fruit comes from across all 5 of the Chateauneuf communes, and the wine is vinified in a variety of vessels. The fruit is pressed firmly with small presses dating from the late 1970s, left in tank to macerate at relatively cool temperatures for 8 days, and then transferred to a combination of barrels, foudres, cement, and even eggs are used, all except the last of which can be considered “traditional” within the diversity of Chateauneuf’s viticultural history. The wines are never punched down, never racked, and only receive minimal sulfur after 18 months, and not filtered before bottling.

''Sublime, with a beguiling mouthfeel to the layers of cherry puree, steeped plum and warmed raspberry coulis fruit flavors, melded with rooibos tea, bergamot, incense and jasmine notes. The long finish features subtle minerality and remarkable persistence, seeming to move with grace. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2021 through 2045.''