Walls’ hidden gems: Domaine Verzier, a new future for the northern Rhône

As I snaked my way uphill through vineyards of Viognier and Syrah towards Domaine Verzier in Chavanay, I saw a lone figure silhouetted at the top of the hill.

When I eventually pulled into the driveway, there she was again, to my left: a tall statue of the Virgin Mary – the Madone d’Izeras – surveying the vines beneath her. To my right, taller still, stood a crane, pulling up new buildings.

Ahead of me – between the old world and the new – was the current Verzier winery. It was fully functioning but in disarray, with barrels, tanks, pipes and boxes stacked everywhere, waiting for their spacious new home to take shape.

Maxime Verzier emerged from the chaos to greet me. After a blustery walk around the vineyards, we sought shelter from a rampaging Mistral to taste his range.

It was a peek into a possible future for the northern Rhône.

Scroll down for notes and scores for six Domaine Verzier wines

Branching out

Maxime is tattooed, relaxed and confident, and tasting with him felt more like I was visiting an estate in New Zealand or Australia. It turns out he’s worked a season at Radford Dale in Stellenbosch, a producer I’ve always admired for its low intervention wines and innovative approach.

This approach has clearly rubbed off here.

‘We’re quite poor in varieties here,’ says Maxime. There are around 30 different grapes permitted in IGP Collines Rhodaniennes, ‘but nobody uses them,’ he says. ‘It’s a shame.’

So for his IGP Collines Rhodaniennes Bohème, he blends Viognier with Chenin Blanc – he’s quite possibly the only person to be growing this variety in the northern Rhône.

‘I love Chenin Blanc, and it has the freshness and acidity to balance Viognier,’ he says.

I was cautiously curious – or curiously cautious – but the blend works. What’s more, it weighs in at just 12% ABV.

In red, he’s planted some Mondeuse; next he plans to introduce some esoteric local grapes such as Chatus and Mornen Noir; Gamay too.

‘60 years ago there was loads of Gamay in Chavanay,’ he says, and he intends to blend it with Syrah.

South Africa to St-Joseph

Most of what he makes, however, is St-Joseph. As the cheapest red in the range, Empreinte could be described as his entry-level cuvée. It might more accurately be described as a wine that sets the scene – or a statement of intent.

Like all his wines, it’s certified biodynamic (they’ve worked organically since Maxime’s grandfather made the wines). And, as with his other St-Josephs, the vines are grown at 320m on granite around the estate in Chavanay, and they’re whole-bunch fermented with natural yeasts.

‘My style is not to “trick”,’ says Maxime, ‘so there are no additions apart from sulphites – no ascorbic acid, no gum arabic – so very natural, and as close to the terroir as possible.’

Strictly speaking however, these aren’t natural wines. Not just because he adds sulphites, but also because Maxime is ‘quite pro-filtration,’ he says, as a means to keep his wines on track.

Rather than natural, a better way to describe his reds might be clean, low intervention.

Transparent style

The result is a suite of St-Josephs that feel transparent. Like a motor with a Perspex lid, you feel like you can see the inner workings within each wine. They are detailed, easy to read and highly representative of where they’re grown.

As you taste through his St-Josephs – Madone and then Sibylline – the vines get older, the macerations slightly longer. These both spend 18 months in demi-muids, but new oak is kept to a minimum.

‘The best élevage is in barrel, but I hate the taste of wood in wine,’ he says.

These are more concentrated and structured, but they don’t lose their sense of fresh drinkability.

When I arrived at the estate, with new buildings only part-finished, I wondered if I should have waited for a year or two for the works to be completed. But having tasted the wines, there was no need. The future’s already here.

Whether by happenstance or design, Maxime is making exactly the kind of wines that more and more of us want to drink. They’re going to need that extra space.

Six Domaine Verzier wines to try

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