Domaine de la Berthete, Côtes du Rhône Villages Rouge Sainte Cecile

From the Middles Ages, vines have
been grown on the Plaine du Plan de Dieu in the heart of the Southern
Rhône. Back then you were taking your life in your hands crossing the
plain as bandits freely roamed the land. This perhaps gave rise to the
plain's name as whether you lived or died was up to God's plan.

Pascal Maillet's original plan,
having studied computer sciences, had nothing to do with wine, but
almost overnight this changed. In 1993, Pascal and his wife,
Marie-Pierre, bought this family domaine. They now work the stone
ridden, clay-limestone soils of the plain to create wonderful vigourous
wines in a traditional style from 35 year old vines. Full of garrigue
notes with sweet black fruit and nuances of spice, these wines are some
the best hand crafted offerings in the Southern Rhône. God's plan can
indeed be mysterious.

Planted with Grenache 45%, Syrah 30%, Cinsault 5% and Carignan 20%, the
vineyard work is now carried out following the principles of reasoned
viticulture with the utmost respect for the environment and harvesting
is done mainly by hand with de-stemming of the grapes.