Domaine Fredavelle 'Domaine Rosé', Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, France 2024
David Ravel is a third-generation winegrower in Éguilles, just outside Aix-en-Provence, whose great-grandparents' old vines had historically been sold off to local cooperatives. After studying agronomy, he founded Domaine Fredavelle in 1999 to vinify that fruit himself, naming the estate for the surrounding countryside. Olivia Menigoz, a fellow oenologist, joined as his partner in 2014, and together they've since replanted and expanded the vineyard to 25 hectares, converting the entire estate to organic farming in 2019.
WINEMAKER: David Ravel and Olivia Menigoz
FARMING: Certified Organic (FR-BIO-01)
VARIETY: 45% Grenache, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah
TERROIR: Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence AOP. Vines aged 15–25 years, planted at 250 meters elevation on clay-loam-limestone soils with balanced drainage.
VINIFICATION: Grapes are hand-harvested at dawn to preserve freshness and prevent oxidation, then destemmed, crushed, and directly pressed. A roughly ten-day pre-fermentation maceration with daily pump-overs precedes a low-temperature fermentation.
AGING: Racked after alcoholic fermentation and aged in stainless steel tanks on fine lees.
TASTING NOTES: An explosive nose of red fruit gives way to more complex vegetal and gourmet notes. The palate is full and generous, with juicy raspberry, grapefruit, and jasmine in balance, closing on a finish that combines freshness with smoothness.
FOOD PAIRINGS: Aperitif, summer salads, grilled dishes, fish tartare, and red fruit desserts.
SCORES: 88 points, Wine Enthusiast (Cody Wexler)
Domaine Fredavelle 'Domaine Rosé', Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, France 2024
David Ravel is a third-generation winegrower in Éguilles, just outside Aix-en-Provence, whose great-grandparents' old vines had historically been sold off to local cooperatives. After studying agronomy, he founded Domaine Fredavelle in 1999 to vinify that fruit himself, naming the estate for the surrounding countryside. Olivia Menigoz, a fellow oenologist, joined as his partner in 2014, and together they've since replanted and expanded the vineyard to 25 hectares, converting the entire estate to organic farming in 2019.
WINEMAKER: David Ravel and Olivia Menigoz
FARMING: Certified Organic (FR-BIO-01)
VARIETY: 45% Grenache, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah
TERROIR: Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence AOP. Vines aged 15–25 years, planted at 250 meters elevation on clay-loam-limestone soils with balanced drainage.
VINIFICATION: Grapes are hand-harvested at dawn to preserve freshness and prevent oxidation, then destemmed, crushed, and directly pressed. A roughly ten-day pre-fermentation maceration with daily pump-overs precedes a low-temperature fermentation.
AGING: Racked after alcoholic fermentation and aged in stainless steel tanks on fine lees.
TASTING NOTES: An explosive nose of red fruit gives way to more complex vegetal and gourmet notes. The palate is full and generous, with juicy raspberry, grapefruit, and jasmine in balance, closing on a finish that combines freshness with smoothness.
FOOD PAIRINGS: Aperitif, summer salads, grilled dishes, fish tartare, and red fruit desserts.
SCORES: 88 points, Wine Enthusiast (Cody Wexler)