Domaine Alain Voge - Saint-Péray Ongrie 2023

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

Alain Voge joined his father on the family estate in 1958. Abandoning mixed farming, replanting abandoned hillsides, and selling directly by the bottle, he put the vineyard on track, with 12 hectares now cultivated organically and biodynamically. Regularly in the spotlight for his Cornas and Saint-Péray wines.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About wine:

Saint-Péray Ongrie 2023 comes from vines planted on cool, clay soils with Marsanne grapes aged between 50 and 60 years old. Evoking an exotic and ripe bouquet of mirabelle plum, ripe orchard fruit, candied citrus and flowers, it is round and has a medium-bodied to full-bodied structure, elegant dry and phenolic extracts, and a gastronomic bitterness that leads into a long, powerful, salty and spicy finish. Aged equally in 400-liter and 228-liter barrels, 20% of which are new, it will require a little patience.

About the estate:

Despite the climatic challenges of 2021, CEO Lionel Fraisse had a smile on his face when I rang the doorbell of the small tasting room in the village of Cornas. I thought I caught a glimpse of the widow Voge behind the curtains to my right, where she has continued to live since Alain's death in 2020. There will be no Saint-Péray Ongrie from 2021, nor any sparkling Saint-Péray from this year, says Fraisse, as these vineyards have been devastated by frost and mildew. In addition, Fraisse said that no decision had yet been made regarding the separate bottling of a Chapelle Saint Pierre 2020 and a Vieilles Fontaines. Fortunately, the 2019 versions here are solid, with the Vieilles Fontaines 2019 (still in barrel at the time of my visit) particularly impressive. We took advantage of my visit to find out about some wines from 2011 and 2001, so owners of these will find updated reviews in this report. This organic estate remains a fine source of Cornas and Saint-Péray.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

The entire vineyard has been certified biodynamic since 2013. The estate has exceptional hillside vineyards, which are entirely worked by hand. The presence of old vines also contributes to producing wines with a strong personality. The Fleur de Crussol cuvée, located in the La Côte area, comes from a vineyard that is over 70 years old. Since the 2015 vintage, the Terres Boisées cuvée has been named after the plot from which it comes: Ongrie, located on granite alluvial deposits. There has also been a change for Les Vinsonnes, which has become Les Côtes, named after the terroir located in the village of Mauves. The red wine Les Vieilles Fontaines comes from 80-year-old vines planted on decomposed granite.

Vinous

About wine:

The Saint-Péray Ongrie 2023 is a beauty. Aged for 13 months in French oak barrels (20% of which are new), it displays lively aromas of apricot, white peach, honeysuckle, lemon flesh, and a hint of cedar. The savory finish is marked by phenolic bitterness. The elegant and refreshing 2023 is well worth discovering.