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Domaine Les Aphillanthes

Domaine Les Aphillanthes is a rising star of the southern Rhône. Proprietor Daniel Boulle, together with his wide Helene, has been tending his vines for many years, and until recently he was happy to sell his produce to the local co-operative. Fortunately for those of us who appreciate the wines of the Rhône, however, Daniel Boulle's friends rightly saw that his fruit was of superb quality, and deserved to be bottled as it stood, rather than absorbed into the wines of the local co-op. So Domaine Les Aphillanthes was born.

The domaine is located in the small town of Travaillan, just northwest of Gigondas. Here Daniel and Helene have been fashioning several cuvées of Côtes du Rhônes which have burst onto the international markets to considerable acclaim, with an effusive Parker describing the wines as "spectacularly powerful, concentrated...comparable to the finest Gigondas and Chateauneuf du Papes". There are several reasons why Boulle has enjoyed such rapid success. He sees himself as a vigneron rather than a winemaker, and I always feel that this agricultural approach, followed by minimal intervention in the winery, is the cornerstone to making great wine. Very recently Boulle has introduced biodynamic practices to the vineyard, a philosophy discussed in more detail in my Clos de la Coulée de Serrant profile. Curiously, Boulle was encouraged in this new practice not by contact with other followers of biodynamic principles, but by a success in treating his own son's eczema using natural medical products which Boulle likens to a biodynamic approach. In the winery Boulle transports the wine using gravity feed, and ferments in concrete vats. It is indeed a philosophy of minimal intervention. The wines are bottled without filtration, which helps to preserve the flavours through to the bottle.

There are a number of Côtes du Rhône cuvées produced here. Leading the pack is the Cuvée du Cros, a 100% Syrah. Then there are two blends of traditional southern varieties, which are Cuvée des Galets, which is Grenache 60%, Syrah 20%, Mourvèdre 20% and Cuvée des Trois Cépages, which comprises equal parts of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. (23/9/04)

Domaine Les Aphillanthes - Tasting Notes

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Les Aphillanthes Côtes du Rhône Cuvée des Galets 2001: Grenache 60%, Syrah 20%, Mourvèdre 20%. Moderate, youthful colour. A great nose; meaty, gamey, with Grenache-derived medicinal cherry and strawberry nose. Full, sweet, slightly herby palate. More concentrated Grenache character. Rounded, a little chewy, some pepper and chalk-edged tannins. Strong finish. Rich and very ready now, but will keep for a few years. 16.5+/20 (September 2004)

Les Aphillanthes Côtes du Rhône Cuvée des Trois Cépages 2001: Equal parts of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Showing a tinge of very early maturity at the rim. Charred fruit on the nose, a little earthy, meaty and sweet, also a little gamey. Lovely texture, sweet and rounded. A hint of creaminess, but with a contrasting firm grip and charred-wood tannins. Delightfully structured through to the finish. Good fruit. Has a touch more impact than the Cuvée des Galets. Lovely. 17+/20 (September 2004)