Domaine L'Alezan

Domaine L’Alezan: art, wine and love

Founded in 2013 by Patricia and Rémi Bonneton, Domaine L’Alezan takes its name from the chestnut coat of the Comtois mares Suspens and Palynka, who played an essential role in creating the vineyard. The plots lie in Tournon-sur-Rhône and Étables, in the Ardèche, along the valley of the Doux, a tributary of the Rhône rising in the Massif Central.
Good things come to those who wait…
Rémi, a former rowing champion, grew up at the foot of Hermitage. He worked as a farm hand, then in 2008 set up a horse-drawn work business with his horses Palynka and Suspens. Meeting Patricia, a painter and HR and marketing manager, in Madrid in 2012 was a turning point in their lives.
It all started with a micro-plot of 1,000 vines in Tournon-sur-Rhône, followed by a 4,500 m² plot in 2014, then another of 3,000 m² in Étables in 2015. These lands, neglected by others because they had no appellation and modest yields, quickly revealed their potential for typical varieties such as Syrah, Marsanne and Roussanne.
The vineyard now covers 2.5 hectares, only part of which is in production, nestled in wild nature. Committed advocates of organic farming, Patricia and Rémi have also planted olive, almond and other fruit trees to boost biodiversity.

Patricia and Rémi Bonneton, innovation in the cellar

From their very first wines, they stood out for natural winemaking with no additives or added sulphites. Over the years they have explored new techniques to create balanced, fresh wines, including natural sparkling wines and orange wines: infusions, ageing in tinajas (Spanish amphorae) and large casks… This range of vessels lets them adapt to the ripeness of the grapes and the character of each year, and add more complexity to their wines through blending.
“Today the work is still far from finished but, in the same spirit as in the vineyard, we do things little by little with the means we have. We know that our discoveries and our desires may still change our projects a great deal,” concludes Patricia.

The cuvées of Domaine L’Alezan

In the northern Rhône Valley, reds take pride of place and Syrah is king! A local boy for Rémi, an adopted home for Patricia: they have deep respect for these fine Syrahs, spicy and elegant, sunny yet restrained.
Ostara is a blend made by infusion to extract only the fruit: a slightly spicy thirst-quencher, perfect with grilled food or pizza.
Métisse was born from a “dip”: whole bunches of Viognier infused in Syrah juice, for a fruity, fresh red.
Résilience showcases Sérine, considered the ancestor of Syrah, from vines planted in 1944: a roasted, spicy, chocolatey wine, like a journey back in time.
Last Potion lets you rediscover Carignan: a bright, spicy, glug-glug wine aged in old casks.
Among the whites, Kintsugi is a confidential cuvée from the Ardèche plateaus dominated by Albariño, an Iberian grape, with incredible aromatic power and length. Le Temps d’Éon is a Chenin from Rablay-sur-Layon, in Anjou, grown on schist: a dense wine with breathtaking sapidity.
The most curious will also remember Les Vains (Cinsault and Gamay), Encore (Syrah infused in Grenache juice), Ho’oponopono, Libres, Enlil and Le Petit Prince.