Domaine de la Bonserine is a historic estate in Ampuis, at the heart of the northern Rhône, revived in 1961 by Charles Mandelstam and a group of passionate wine lovers after decades of decline. Since 2006 the estate has been owned by E. Guigal, who has preserved its original philosophy of vinifying each parcel separately using only native yeasts present on the grape skins, letting each terroir express itself individually rather than blending for consistency.
This 2020 bottle carries the Côte-Rôtie appellation, one of the most prestigious and demanding in France, where Syrah is grown on impossibly steep terraced slopes overlooking the Rhône. La Sarrasine is a single-vineyard cuvée named for its specific parcel, made from 100% Syrah grown on the appellation's steep granite terraces. Expect a deeply aromatic, structured red with notes of dark berries, violet, and black pepper, layered with the smoky, savory character the appellation's terraced schist and granite soils are known for.
The result is a serious, site-specific expression of one of the Rhône's most demanding appellations, built for the table and for the cellar alike.