Domaine Borie La Vitarèle - Saint Chinian Les Terres Blanches rouge 2023

Camille Izarn, now supported by her husband Ulrich, produces wines that are all highly recommended. The estate is in good hands following the accidental death of her father, the late Jean-François Izarn. Terres Blanches is an entry-level wine that feels like a premium offering and is well worth seeking out. The Les Schistes cuvée shows great aging potential, while Les Crès is grown on rounded pebble soils from the Villefranchian period. Midi-Rouge, from the Saint Chinian Roquebrun appellation, is the most ambitious cuvée from this estate, which has been practicing biodynamic viticulture since 1998.

A 20-hectare estate managed since 1998 (using organic and biodynamic methods) by Jean-François Izarn, a proponent of gentle winemaking with indigenous yeasts that respects the environment and the terroir. This highly esteemed winemaker, recognized and appreciated by his peers, “left the scene” prematurely in 2014. His wife, Cathy, brilliantly took over before passing the torch to Camille, their daughter.

This vintage is particularly successful this year, with intense fruit and floral notes as elegant as the wine’s mouthfeel, thanks to fine, crisp tannins and an elegant hint of bitterness on the finish. A beautiful Saint-Chinian from limestone soil. And excellent value for the price.

Camille has been deeply rooted in the estate’s 60 hectares of holm oaks, garrigue, and vineyards since she was a child. While she was beginning her career as a journalist in Paris, fate brought her back to the heart of the family vineyard in 2014, following the death of her father, the charismatic Jean-François Izarn. The young woman has since proven herself, continuing to express the geological diversity of her region—in the eastern part of the appellation—through her various vintages. With the help of Ulrich, her partner who is passionate about agronomy, and her mother, who is always by her side, Camille is spearheading new projects, such as the construction of the wine bar and the planting of vineyards for a new cuvée set to debut in 2024.