His tiny estate, Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet, sits on acidic granite soils, and includes a swathe of vines that are between 50 to 100 years old, which Hervé cultivates using a blend of organic and biodynamic techniques.

Hervé Souhaut (er-vay-soo-oh) first met his wife Béatrice while he was studying biology in Lyon. Béatrice’s family has long owned a farm and vineyard near Arlebosc in the Ardèche, located a 30-minute drive from St.-Jean de Muzols, up a hairpin-turn-filled road through the stunning, craggy, savage Doux valley.

As Béatrice’s parents gradually recouped their vineyards from lease agreements that were ending, Hervé decided to be more than just a weekend winemaker. After studying a bit in Burgundy and learning from his friends (including vignerons Marcel Lapierre and Philippe Pacalet), Hervé started his domaine with Béatrice in 1993, adding additional parcels through purchases and new plantings over the years.

The couple converted the cellars of her parents’ centuries-old hunting lodge into their winery. They now own four parcels of vines totalling 8.5 hectares in Saint-Joseph, as well as 20 additional acres of vineyards on the plateau, planted primarily to Gamay, Roussanne and Viognier. The AOC wines are labeled under Souhaut’s name, while the Vin de France cuvées are named Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet, in homage to the name of Béatrice’s parents’ estate (Les Romaneaux) combined with her family name (Destezet).

The grape varieties Hervé cultivates are all indigenous to the Ardèche VdP AOC and – here’s the important part: they are very, very old vines. Granitic soil rules in this region, with schists in between; and because of the relatively high elevation of the vineyards, the grapes are marked by sound natural acidity. Harvesting by hand is implied both by philosophy and location of his steep hillside vineyards.

…all the wines possess energy. They do not suffer “palate drag” whereby excessive fatness, sweetness, extraction, bitterness, alcohol or wood seem to hold back the very essence of the wine or cause our tongues to negotiate superimposed textures and flavours. — Doug Wregg …it is complex, yet smashable… It is also affordable. — Jamie Goode

Souhaut’s methods in the vineyard and cellar are uncontrived, informed by his time learning his craft from the godfathers of natural winemaking, the sagely Jules Chauvet and his disciple the late Marcel Lapierre. And before starting out on his own, Souhaut worked at Dard & Ribo, another cult natural wine outpost at Tain-l’Hermitage in the Hermitage enclave.

Souhaut’s reds are vinified in inert tanks, with whole bunches going through a long, cold maceration before undergoing semi-carbonic fermentation. Malolactic is usually done in tank as well. From there the wines are moved to used barrels for a brief six to eight months of aging. The whites are barrel-fermented (but with no new oak) and also see the same brief élevage.

“I just don’t like the taste of oak, and don’t want the wines marked by oak,” says Hervé.

His philosophy is to compose a balanced set of tannins from the grapes, to make wines with subtlety and finesse. This stands in contrast to many of the storied wines of the Northern Rhône which historically have been made with much more extraction of tannin, designed to be practically undrinkable in youth but to soften and open with time. Hervé prefers to make a wine that is balanced and expressive from the outset, highly drinkable right away yet with structural elements intact, sufficient to evolve positively with bottle age. (A 2003 Sainte Épine tasted at the domaine proved this point.)

Every wine from Souhaut is appealing in its wholesome purity and delectability. Even the “simple” Vin de Pays and Vin de France are stunning, punching well above their weight — they display the effortless finesse for which Souhaut is renowned, without sacrificing strength or complexity. Meanwhile, the single-vineyard Saint Josephs offer a profusion of layers, depth and complex mineral tones that guarantee long and positive evolution in the cellar: they are exquisite beauties that redefine the appellation, at once expressive and cellar-worthy. In short, a wine lover’s dream.

This offer is valid until 25 March 2021. Orders will be processed subject to remaining availability and final written confirmation. Some wines have restrictive supplies, so please understand that we may need to allocate them in order to ensure as equitable a distribution as possible. Full payment is required no later than 7 days after confirmation invoice is sent in order to confirm the purchase. All terms and conditions apply.