Domaine South
French Wine Tasting
Exceptional Wines from Burgundy, Beaujolais, & Bandol!
Special Guest, Beth Farris of Grassroots
Friday, November 20th, 4pm - 6pm
$20 per person
256-759-9952 to Reserve
The Wines
2024 Noblesse Bandol Blanc, Provence, France $34.99
Bandol is famous for its reds and rosés, but its white wines are a rare treat. This traditional blend of 60% Clairette, 30% Ugni Blanc and 10% Rolle offers white peach, pear, citrus and floral notes with a subtle Mediterranean herbal character. Fresh yet surprisingly textured, it's an excellent partner for seafood, grilled fish, roast chicken and goat cheese.
Agnés and her father Henri Gaussen cultivate the vineyards of the Château de la Noblesse as their ancestors have done for five generations. The vines are located around the 18th-century castle. Their Bandol blanc is a blend of Clairette, Ugni Blanc and Vermentino from their 14-hectare estate vineyard located in the basin of Le Beausset, where it benefits from maximum sunshine and very little rain.
2025 Chateau de la Noblesse "Pignatel" Bandol Rose, Provence, France $34.99
Created by Agnès Negrel and Eugène Pignatel in the 1930’s, Château de la Noblesse has belonged to the same family for 6 generations. Originally just a country house with unused land, the family planted vine in 1959 to produce wines under the Bandol appellation.
Today, the 5th and 6th generations, Agnès Cades and her daughter Eloïse, manage the estate together.
The property is a single-vineyard of approximately 14 hectares. It benefits from maximum sunshine and very little rain.
Grape varieties : 50% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, 25% Cinsault
Plot size : 5 ha (12,35 acres). Average age of the vines : 30-35 years
Soils : Clay limestone
No pesticide / no insecticide. Cover crops. Regular work of the soils. Green harvesting.
A very fruity and expressive wine, with aromas of fresh fruit. With the spice and perfumes prominent, it has rich red-berry fruits that are generously textured and full of youthful vigor.
2023 Domaine Marion Pral Cru Beaujolais "Moulin-A-Vent", Beaujolais, France $25.99
Winemaker Note
An 800 case production wine made from 45+-year-old vines growing on the slopes of Mount Beaujolais. A complex nose with rich extracted red fruits and berries leads to a sturdy and fruity palate on a subtle layer of soft brown spice. A very elegant cru Beaujolais that can be enjoyed now or aged for up to 6 years.
Beaujolais is one of the most expressive wine regions in France. One grape, yes, but so many different voices. From the golden limestone hills in the south up through the granite soils of the Crus, the range is incredible. And for this time of year, Thanksgiving through New Year, these wines overdeliver in every way: freshness, fruit, spice, texture, and above all, food-friendliness.
2022 Pascal Aufranc Cru Beaujolais "Julienas les Chers", Beaujolais, France $27.99
Grape Variety: 100% Gamay Noir.
Tasting Notes: First, a very deep red robe with garnet tints. Then a nose is showing a serious wine with ripe back fruits and roasted notes. In the palate, the wine is very rich and ample, characterised with violette and peonies flowers, and some moka notes. Overall, very fine and elegant tannins. Outstanding finish.
Food Pairing recommendations: Try it with games in sauce, lamb, pork or beef roast, and cheese a delight!
Service : Drink from 13°C. Potential Ageing: up to 15 years.
« My estate is an old farm that emanates tradition through its beautiful stone houses overlooking the village. My home is also my workplace, perched on the hillside of Remont in Chénas. I am surrounded by woods, fields, and vineyards. This mosaic of landscape amazes me every day and gives my wines a singular expression and sense of harmony.. » Artisan Wine maker: Pascal Aufranc.
Did you know ?
Juliénas wine: classic Beaujolais cru known for robust, fruity Gamay—red berry, cherry, and violet aromas with spicy, peppery notes. Juliénas cru offers medium-bodied structure, fine tannins, and minerality from granite soils, making it great for short-term drinking or light aging. Pair Juliénas red wine with charcuterie, roasted meats, and hearty French cuisine to showcase its earthy, floral complexity. Explore Juliénas Beaujolais for a flavorful, terroir-driven Gamay with excellent value and food-friendly versatility.
2023 Domaine Nudant Haut Cotes de Nuits Rouge, Burgundy, France $34.99
In 2016, we sought out a rare strain of “yellow” Chenin Blanc that turns color before it reaches peak ripeness. Once yellow, the resulting wine becomes substantial and mouth-filling rather than creating a leaner, crisper style. We spent six vintages refining our winemaking approach to Chenin Blanc under our experimental “Combe” label. We then launched the 2023 Stolpman Vineyards Estate Chenin Blanc and anyone who tasted the massively rich, decadent white wine fell in love. With our 2024 follow up effort, the wine is fancier and more delicate, another rockstar in the ever so compelling quiver of Stolpman white wines!
Healthy winter rain, almost mirroring 2023 precipitation pattern, set us off on a relatively late bud break. The vines naturally set a lighter crop than 2023, and minimal cluster thinning was needed as the vines had already balanced themselves. Summer proved beautifully moderate and weather didn’t warm up until the second week of September. We took two harvest passes through the Chenin rows, an early pass, cherry-picking yellow fruit before the grapes lost acidity, and then we gave remaining clusters another 3 days to tan.
High-toned apple and lemon-lime with taut melon flesh streaking through the palate. The firmness softened with fizzy, titillating citrus. Kissed with a richer Armagnac and crem flair, always a “tell” of a fine Chenin. Deceptively rich and mouth-filling as the wine floats through the palate so easily. An effortless, graceful swoosh through the mouth, the 2024 Chenin beautifully fits the bill for a smooth, medium-bodied white wine.
2023 Chateau de la Noblesse Bandol Rouge, Provence, France $34.99
Agnes Cade, her daughter Eloise, and her father, Henri Gaussen, cultivate the 14 sunny hectares of Château de la Noblesse, an estate that has been in their family for generations. Produced from old vines (smaller grapes) on calcareous clay soils, the wine is composed of 95% Mourvèdre and 5% Grenache. Fermentation takes place in tank and the wine is aged on the skins for 30 days. The wine is then aged for 18 months in large oak foudre. The resulting wines are full and flavorful. When drunk young, the flavors of this wine are: Licorice, morello cherry and blackcurrant; and after 10 years of good keeping they have the aromas of leather, undergrowth, licorice, truffles, venison.