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2021 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: | 2021 |
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% |
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About The Producer
Maxime François Laurent
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Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174