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Fill out your info and we will notify you when the 2020 Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge “Il Fait Soif” Maxime François Laurent is back in stock or when a new vintage becomes available.


2020 Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge “Il Fait Soif”

Maxime-François Laurent

Il fait soif roughly translates to something like “It’s thirsty weather” or “It’s thirsty out there.” The term was coined in the 1950s by a French philosopher musing about how his countrymen viewed wine as a thirst-quenching beverage, of which one could always find a reasonable excuse to indulge.
     Maxime-François Laurent has made quite the homage to that reasoning, a thirst-quenching breuvage of Grenache with a dollop of Syrah, vinified whole-cluster carbonic style, for maximum refreshment of all sorts. Maxime, whose mother, Michèle Aubéry, runs Domaine Gramenon, logically adopted the Gramenon philosophy for his own project. Having grown up around the domaine’s organically and biodynamically maintained vineyards, giving the fruit destined for his own bottlings the same attentive care was an obvious choice.
     Maxime’s idyllic vineyards sit in the northern reaches of the southern Rhône Valley. There are gently rolling hills, beautifully forested where not planted in vines, and the views are sublime. This land produces fantastic Grenache, cooler and fresher than that of the flatlands, and the vinification style here fits the terroir like a glove.
     Inspired by the wines of Marcel Lapierre, Maxime’s “Il Fait Soif” is made for immediate, easy-drinking pleasure. Serve it now, serve it cool. This may be our most quaffable Southern Rhône red. 

Chris Santini

Wine Type: red
Vintage: 2020
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault
Appellation: Côtes du Rhône
Country: France
Region: Southern Rhône
Producer: Maxime François Laurent
Winemaker: Michèle Aubèry-Laurent & Maxime François Laurent
Vineyard: 15 - 30 years, 4 ha
Soil: Clay, Limestone
Aging: Wine ages for 6 months in stainless steel cuves
Farming: Organic (practicing)
Alcohol: 13.5%

More from this Producer or Region

About Southern Rhône

map of Southern Rhône

The southern Rhône valley is Grenache country. It’s also known for its stones. With a viticulture history dating back well before the Popes arrived in the 12th century and one of France’s oldest appellations d'origine contrôlée, Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe, the southern Rhône is unquestionably one of France’s best known and premier winegrowing regions. The wines have the pedigree and age-worthiness of Burgundy and Bordeaux, but with a rustic, Mediterranean character. Like most wines from southern France, the reds, whites, and rosés are blends. Filling out the Grenache for the reds and rosés, you’ll often find Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault. The common white grape varieties are Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Viognier, Roussane, and Marsanne among others. From the alluvial riverbed stones found in Lirac, Tavel, and Châteauneuf to the limestone cliffs of the Dentelles de Montmirail that influence Beaumes-de-Venise (where you’ll find excellent Muscat), Vacqueyras, and Gigondas, great terroir abounds.

Kermit’s entrance in the region came in the mid 1970s on his first trip with Richard Olney, an American ex-pat and friend of Alice Waters. On that trip, Richard introduced Kermit to the Brunier family of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. Soon after, Kermit began importing the Brunier’s wines—their Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” bottling remains a staple of our portfolio today. In the late 1990s Kermit teamed up with the Brunier family to purchase the famed Gigondas estate, Domaine Les Pallières. More than 40 years later, we now import wines from fifteen southern Rhône domaines spanning the entire area of the region.

More from Southern Rhône or France

2021 Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge “Il Fait Soif”

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2021 Côtes-du-Rhône “La Sagesse”

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2018 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau”

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2021 Côtes-du-Rhône “Poignée de Raisins”

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2020 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge “Le Pigeoulet”

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2021 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse “Le Pigeoulet” Blanc

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2021 Beaumes-de-Venise Rouge

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2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau”

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If you're looking for value, look where no one else is looking.

Inspiring Thirst, page 211

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Warnings


Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol


Many food and beverage cans have linings containing bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to cause harm to the female reproductive system. Jar lids and bottle caps may also contain BPA. You can be exposed to BPA when you consume foods or beverages packaged in these containers. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/bpa