2023 Clos Saouma Inopia Cotes du Rhone Rouge

Burgundy icons Mounir and Rotem Saouma apply their meticulous, low-intervention methods to an estate-grown Rhone Valley Grenache blend

Price:
Sale price$89.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

Mounir and Rotem Saouma are famous for making legendary, high-end Burgundy under their Lucien Le Moine label, but they brought that exact same obsessive mindset to the Rhône when they set up Clos Saouma. Inopia literally translates to "made from nothing" in Latin, named after the empty, stone-strewn plot in Orange they bought and planted back in 2011. They approach this Southern Rhône vineyard like it's a Grand Cru slope, keeping yields minuscule.  

The 2023 release is a blend of mostly Grenache, backed by Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cinsault, and Counoise. Mounir treats the fruit with a wild, non-interventionist approach. He runs a cold soak with whole clusters, then moves the juice into a mix of cement eggs, foudres, and older barrels on full lees for 16 months. He completely skips pumping over or punching down, famously asking why anyone would actively chase extraction.  

This lack of manipulation gives the 2023 an incredibly savory, fluid personality. It shows a lift of red forest berries, damp earth, and dried licorice root. The texture is the real story here; it's supple and seamless, driven by a long line of crunchy acidity and chalky, fine-grained tannins.

The structural finesse of a top-tier Burgundy inside a traditional Rhône framework.  

"We call it INOPIA—Latin for 'made from nothing'—as the land was empty and abandoned when we bought it in 2011. The soil is very poor and we decided not to bring any food to the roots. The objective is pure quality."
- Mounir Saouma (Owner/Winemaker)

To understand the wines Clos Saouma is to understand their winemaking philosophy of their Burgundian wines. They employ the same techniques they use in Burgundy yet in the Rhone they manage every stage of the process, starting with the vineyards they own, all aspects of winemaking through to bottling.

Region: Rhone Valley, France
Blend: Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Cinsault
ABV: 14.50%
Closure: 750ml
Bottle Size:
Production:

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type Red
Body Full Bodied
Variety Grenache
Variety Style ["Grenache Blends"]
Country France
Region Rhone Valley
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Cork

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