Domaine Montirius

One of the leading properties in Vacqueyras, Montirius is a pioneer in so many respects that it undoubtedly deserves the title of the Southern Rhone’s most innovative winery. For a start, this iconic estate has been run on biodynamic lines since 1999. It has been the region’s strongest advocate of banishing all artificial and chemical elements from grape growing as far as possible. The wines benefit greatly from this approach, showing a purity, balance, and depth that is unusual in the Southern Rhone. But then, Montirius own some of the finest, oldest vineyards in the region, including Grenache vines over 70 years old. And what’s more, no oak is used in any stage of the fermentation or aging process, imbuing the wines with remarkable freshness and poise – truly, these are wines that sing rather than shout!

Today, Domaine Montirius is run by the dynamic Eric Saurel and his family, growing grapes in the Rhone valley for 5 generations. Its origins date back to the mid 20th century, when the current owner’s paternal grandfather, Paul Seignour, decided to merge his small domaine with a larger wine cooperative in Vacqueyras, a founding member. The Domaine rapidly grew in size over the coming years and established a formidable reputation for its wines’ quality and consistency.

However, in the late 1970s, Eric Saurel’s father, Max, became dissatisfied with the number of artificial elements in the viticultural process. Taking his step towards biodynamic grape growing, he stopped using chemical fertilizers in 1980 and totally banned chemical pesticides from their vineyards in 1990. Finally, after much hard work and perseverance, the Saurel family were proud to receive their official Biodynamic certificate from the body ‘Biodyvin’ in 1999. In 2001, Eric decided to build a brand new, state-of-the-art cellar, which has only added to this Domaine’s appeal.

Over the past decade, this wonderful family winery has gone from strength to strength and is now an example of what can be achieved in this less exalted appellation within the Southern Rhone. Their top red wines can certainly hold their own against Chateauneuf-du-Pape, offering both exceptional richness and purity of flavor. We particularly love the Montirius Confidentiel Gigondas Red, a wine produced from old Grenache vines and excels even in difficult vintages like 2002. But across the board, Montirius is a superb source of very well-made and keenly priced wines, although the constant critical praise from some quarters is bound to put a bit of inflationary pressure on them! Our advice is to drink these delicious wines quickly.