I met Alex Suter of Domaine de l'Amandine, years ago at a wine expo in Paris. I had lost my luggage a few days earlier and was still waiting for it to turn up, yet somehow still had an entire trade fair to work through. I was feeling rumpled, tired, and more than a little out of sorts. Worse yet, I had tasted plenty of wines that day that were perfectly fine, but very few that felt memorable. Then I stopped at Alex’s table. His warm demeanor and welcoming energy were an immediate antidote to my grumpy mood — and the wines were every bit as uplifting. The estate’s vineyards straddle two of the most compelling villages in the Southern Rhône: Séguret and Vaison-la-Romaine. Séguret is famous for its hillside village, protected by ancient stone walls originally built to spot invaders from miles away. Vaison-la-Romaine, meanwhile, is best known for its Roman ruins and the picturesque village built along one of the Rhône’s tributaries. While history draws most visitors there, the area is also home to some wonderfully characterful wines — l’Amandine’s included. Alex and I immediately hit it off, and later that year I visited the estate. I was greeted by his daughter, Mathilde and a rather sassy Jack Russell terrier mix who seemed deeply suspicious of me getting out of the car. At the time, Mathilde was home from school, where she was studying oenology. She walked me through the vineyards before taking me into the cellar, proudly showing off the large concrete tanks her grandfather, Jean-Pierre, had installed by hand. I fell in love with the spirit of the place: three generations actively involved in the winery, crafting wines that are every bit as charming as the family behind them. Fast forward to today, and I often run into Mathilde at wine fairs around the world. She now plays a major role in both the winemaking and day-to-day operation of the estate, supported by her father Alex and even her grandfather, who still spends plenty of time managing the vineyards. Mathilde and I recently caught up at Wine Paris this past February, where I tasted the newest bottling of the 2023 Séguret. One of the things I always love about this cuvée is how prominently the Syrah shows itself. Made up of more than half Syrah, it brings savory spice and warm blackberry tones that beautifully complement Grenache’s lifted red fruit and subtle tobacco notes. The palate feels harmonious and complete, with ripe yet balanced fruit and supple tannins. When we talk about terroir, the conversation usually centers around soils, drainage, or exposure. But one of the most important elements is the people themselves. This is one of those wines where you can genuinely taste the passion and care of the family behind it — and that spirit shines clearly through the glass. Santé!

This has such a fresh and pretty nose lots of lovely fruit on it, bruised strawberry, bright cherry, blueberry compote, and some nice white and purple flowers. The palate has a really nice line of acidity pushing through the whole thing, the mouthwatering easily beating the drying tannins. The fruit is a little further along than the nose, there's touched of dried cherry and strawberry, but ripe raspberries and blueberries mixed together, and then some earth comes in along the finish, with some barrel roundness and just a very very light touch of spice. This is just such an easy choice for this price, easy and the kind of wine that you love to open up because it's always impressive when you tell people how much you paid. Low key strutting. Enjoy it, it deserves to be enjoyed.

The 2023 Domaine de l'Amandine Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages Séguret is more than half Syrah with Grenache in the balance, all destemmed for pure fruit expression. It's plush and fruity with notes of ripe plum, black cherry, and soft hints cocoa with a touch bouquet garni. It would go great with burgers, BBQ, or your favorite savory snacks. Pretty bottle too!