Notify me
Soaring Grenache from Domaine Gramenon
Soaring Grenache from Domaine Gramenon
by Tom Wolf by Tom Wolf
2021 Côtes-du-Rhône “Poignée de Raisins”
2021 Côtes-du-Rhône “Poignée de Raisins”


Michèle Aubéry-Laurent

Maxime François Laurent
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône | Côtes-du-Rhône
Few grape varieties are more earthbound than Grenache. Wines made from this star of southern France often taste stony, full of garrigue, and, well, earthy. So it is something of a miracle that Domaine Gramenon has crafted a cuvée that proudly retains that essence of Grenache yet is still so ethereal. Largely due to this kind of paradoxical magic, Michèle Aubéry-Laurent and her son Maxime are among the most respected vignerons not only of the southern Rhône, where they produce roughly twenty distinct bottlings, but in all of France.
They grow Grenache and Syrah, among several other regional varieties, but instead of making rich, robust wines—which is easy to do in these parts—their reds tend to sit at the more lively, exuberant end of the spectrum. Chalk this up to their devotion to biodynamic and organic farming as well as their more “natural” winemaking practices in the cellar. This Poignée de Raisins—“handful of grapes”—accomplishes the elusive feat of boasting both soul and a soaring joie de vivre. It doesn’t get much more perfect than that.


Michèle Aubéry-Laurent

Maxime François Laurent
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Grenache |
Appellation: | Côtes-du-Rhône |
Country: | France |
Region: | Southern Rhône |
Producer: | Domaine Gramenon |
Winemaker: | Michèle Aubèry-Laurent & Maxime François Laurent |
Vineyard: | 4-30 Years |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone varied with gravel, galets roulés, and/or sand |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14% |
More from this Producer or Region

2022 Côtes-du-Rhône “Sierra du Sud”
France | Southern Rhône
A pure Syrah bottling offering wild flavors of the Provençal countryside gently wrapped in a thick coat of tooth-staining deep purple fruit.

2022 Côtes-du-Rhône “Poignée de Raisins”
France | Southern Rhône
Serve this one cool, from a carafe, with a plain old burger—generously seasoned with herbes de Provence.

2021 Tavel Rosé HALF BOTTLE
France | Southern Rhône
This dark, autumnal rosé is a beacon of tradition in a sea of paler styles.

2021 Côtes du Rhône Rouge
France | Southern Rhône
A fresh, pure entry point to the Rhône’s great reds with aromas and flavors of black cherries, stones, and a hint of black olive.

2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau”
France | Southern Rhône
The majesty of the La Crau vineyard is encapsulated in this wine. I can't think of a grander expression of Southern Rhone terroir to be enjoyed this winter.

2007 Gigondas “Les Racines”
France | Southern Rhône
Deep and expansive; perfect for rich stews or a cut of dry-aged beef over coals.

2022 Côtes du Rhône Villages Rouge
France | Southern Rhône
We aimed for maximum drinkability in our blend, and accordingly, you’ll find plenty of hedonistic purple-tinged fruit in this wine, along with a hint of wild herbs and lovely floral notes akin to lavender and violet.

2021 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge “Le Pigeoulet”
France | Southern Rhône
The life of the party at any cookout, picnic, or potluck.

2021 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable”
France | Southern Rhône
An abundance of violets and velvet, amid a cooling sensation of a cold spring on a hot day.

2021 Côtes-du-Rhône “La Sagesse”
France | Southern Rhône
A masterpiece of old-vine Grenache—decant, or hold up to ten years in a cool place.
About The Producer
Domaine Gramenon
More from Southern Rhône or France
2022 Côtes du Rhône Villages Rouge
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône
NV Clairette de Die “Tradition”
Achard-Vincent France | Southern Rhône
2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc “La Crau”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
NV Clairette de Die Brut
Achard-Vincent France | Southern Rhône
2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” HALF BOTTLE
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2021 Beaumes-de-Venise Rouge
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône
2021 Tavel “La Combe des Rieu”
Gaël Petit France | Southern Rhône
2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Piedlong”
Famille Brunier France | Southern Rhône
2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2021 Côtes du Rhône Rouge
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône “Poignée de Raisins”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
2022 Côtes du Rhône Villages Rouge
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône
NV Clairette de Die “Tradition”
Achard-Vincent France | Southern Rhône
2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc “La Crau”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
NV Clairette de Die Brut
Achard-Vincent France | Southern Rhône
2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” HALF BOTTLE
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2021 Beaumes-de-Venise Rouge
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône
2021 Tavel “La Combe des Rieu”
Gaël Petit France | Southern Rhône
2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Piedlong”
Famille Brunier France | Southern Rhône
2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau”
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône
2021 Côtes du Rhône Rouge
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône “Poignée de Raisins”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
Where the newsletter started

Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch