Domaine La Martinelle in Lafare, Ventoux, Southern Rhône, is located on the other side of the Dentelle from Gigondas and Vacqueras. It was founded in 2002 by Corinna Faravel.
Corinna was our host. Following an exciting cellar tour, including a punch-down exercise, if you were up to it, we tasted her wines in the cellar, both from bottle and barrel.
Corinna has been making white wine in Germany’s Nahe region, but was always interested in making red wine, so she came to the Rhône Valley. Love made her stay (she is married to Thierry Faravel of Domaine La Bouissière) and in 2001 she founded Domaine La Martinelle.
Ths domaine has 12 hectares of vineyard holdings on a series of small, terraced hillsides that run from 810 to 900 feet in altitude. Soils are a mix of limestone (like Burgundy, thus finesse), clay (contributes body and volume) and gypsum (good for soil fertilization; probably a result of volcanic activity from the Ventoux). While much of the Ventoux is located on alluvial lowlands, this mountainous eastern corner is widely held as the highest-quality growing area of the entire appellation. The regional ‘mistral,’ or cold northern winds from the Alps, rushes through these valleys in the summer months, keeping temperatures cool. The vineyards’ altitude works to extend the growing season, with harvest often in late September through early October.
Corinna Faravel
Corinna Faravel: In 2002, I purchased the vineyards that would become the heart of my estate in the southern Rhône Valley.
After a rough start – losing two complete vintages – I slowly built up the estate, selling some vineyards and buying new ones, and completing the construction of a cellar, carved into a rocky hillside outside the small hamlet of Lafare. Certain vineyards were replanted, and new, yet traditional, Mediterranean grape varieties introduced. The estate received official organic certification in 2015.
Martinelle wines should reflect the vintage and the land, with flavors that show the power and richness of local grape varieties in harmony with a southern definition of freshness and elegance of which they are inherently capable.
There is not one true way to make wine. For me, it has always been a question of finding balance – a fluid goal that requires regular, careful observation both in the fields and cellar. Nature communicates, and it is our responsibility to listen.
And after all the work is done, wine is to be opened and enjoyed! Martinelle is my way of expressing this essential joie de vivre, with wine the inspiration for bringing people together – a truth I learned as a child from my parents and have carried with me ever since.
Vineyards at Altitude
Martinelle occupies 11.5 hectares on the eastern slopes of the imposing limestone cliffs of the Dentelles de Montmirail. The landscape is marked by steep hills, and vineyards share space with olive and pine trees with aromatic herbs growing among vineyard rows.
All my vines are planted on southeast-facing terraces, which meet the sun the moment it crests over Mount Ventoux, and yet are protected from the afternoon’s intense heat.
Vines are cared for according to organic principles, and the estate was officially certified by Ecocert in 2015.
Ventoux
The Martinelle vineyard is my “monopole,” a contiguous 8.5-hectare plot, the centerpiece of which are terraces that cascade from 300 meters at the summit to 270 meters in altitude.
Decomposed limestone here mixes with subsoils of clay and gypsum, a combination that is rocky and nutrient-poor; the clay helps the soil retain water, preventing hydric stress even in the warmest and driest of years.
Some 5.5 hectares are planted to Grenache, 1.8 hectares to Syrah and Petite Serine, and the rest to Mourvèdre and Counoise. I also have a half-hectare of Clairette here, for my Ventoux Blanc.
Beaumes de Venise
The vineyard Bramadou forms a natural “clos,” surrounded entirely by pine, oak and olive trees, at 330 meters in altitude. It totals 2.85 hectares, with 1.4 hectares planted to Grenache and one-hectare to Syrah.
My vines, from 30 to nearly 50 years old, grow on soils from the Triassic geological period, created between 200 to 230 million years ago. These soils bring together decomposed limestone and gypsum, the soil’s high iron content giving it a ruddy, orange-red hue.
Unique in the Rhône Valley, these soils, which are usually found deep below the surface, break through on the eastern side of the Dentelles de Montmirail, exactly where Bramadou is located.
The Wines we Tasted
We tasted 5 wines.
2017 Domaine Martinelle Ventoux Blanc
In the Martinelle vineyard, my Clairette vines (planted in 2007 and 2013) grow at altitude, facing east, on limestone soils. For this late-ripening, native southern grape, a chance to reach its full potential…as a single-varietal wine. Mediterranean-inspired freshness, ripe fruit, herbal notes and balanced alcohol – this is a true southern white wine!
2009 Domaine Martinelle Ventoux Rouge
Martinelle is both the name of my first vineyard and my winery. It also represents what’s most important to me as a winemaker – to create a wine that provides pleasure while telling an interesting story about the land. It is an invitation to explore these northern Provençal hills, amid the scents of lavender and thyme, in good company. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Counoise.
2016 Domaine Martinelle Beaumes de Venise
This small-production cru wine comes from vines grown in a natural oasis of olive and pine trees, spiced with the aromas of wild thyme and rosemary. The ruddy, iron-rich soils at this special site are unique not only in the appellation but in the Rhône Valley. A blend of Grenache and Syrah.
2015 Domaine Martinelle Vin de Table – Le 15ème
My Vin de Table is a tribute to the vibrant character of southern red grapes and their endless potential. This is a wine that talks to me personally, showing me the heights that the soulful combination of Grenache and Syrah can achieve. Just as the top Champagne houses craft vintage wines only in the best years, I bottle my Vin de Table only when I feel the vintage is exceptional. It is a wine that should be cellared and shared in the best company.
Vintage 2015 is an exceptional vintage for the region. After a mild winter and spring, summer was hot and dry; yet a few rainstorms in July and August kept vines from suffering from a lack of water and helped grapes ripen evenly. The harvest was trouble-free, and fruit perfectly healthy. In short, everything a winemaker could ask for! 2015 is marked by its ripeness of fruit, its suave tannins and length; this is a vintage that offers immediate pleasure while at the same time, has resulted in wines that should age with grace for a number of years.
Harvest September 19 and October 1. Yields 25 hl/ha. Blend 34% Grenache, 33% Syrah and 33% Mourvèdre. Vines cared for organically. Grapes sorted in the fields and in the cellar. Lightly crushed, and fed into unlined cement tanks by gravity. Fermented on indigenous yeasts. Gentle extraction, with lees stirring. Aged for ten months in unlined cement egg. Bottled (unfined and unfiltered) in August 2016. 400 bottles (750ml) 120 magnums (1.5L)
2018 Domaine Martinelle Ventoux Rouge (from tank)
Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France (Already Released and Forthcoming Postings)
Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Rhône Valley Tour December 2017: From Lyon to Avignon - Wine, Food, Culture, History
Understanding the Wines of the Rhône Valley: The Classification - AOC/ Vin de Pay/ Vin de France
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Cellar Tasting, including from Barrel, at Domaine Éric Texier in Charney, with Laurence Texier - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Dinner at Le Bouchon des Filles in Lyon - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Dinner at a Bouchon - Chez Paul - in Lyon: Schiller’s Favorite Bouchons in Lyon, France
Cellar Tour, Tasting and Vineyard Drive at E. Guigal in Ampuis, Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Tasting at Maison Clusel-Roche in Ampuis, Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Tasting at Domaine Georges Vernay in Condrieu, Northern Rhône, with Owner Paul Ansellem-Vernay - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Dinner at Hôtellerie Beau Rivage in Condrieu, with Chef Chef Ludovic Mounier - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Maison Delas-Frères in Saint Jean de Muzols, Saint Joseph, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Lunch at Restaurant La Grappe d’Or in Saint-Péray, with Chef Pierre Yves Jacques Sébastien - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Tasting at Vins Jean-Luc Colombo in Cornas, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Vineyard Walk and Tasting at Paul Jaboulet Aîné in Tain-l’Hermitage, Hermitage, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Cellar Tasting at Domaine Laurent Habrard in Gervans, Crozes-Hermitage, Northern Rhône, with Owner and Winemaker Laurent Habrad - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Combier in Pont de l’Isère, Crozes-Hermitage, Northern Rhône, with Laurent Combier - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Lunch at La Grand Table de Michel Chabran, 1-star Michelin, in Pont d l’Isère, Northern Rhône, with Chef Michel Chabran - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Les Bruyères in Beaumont-Monteux, Northern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker David Reynaud - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine La Martinelle in Lafare, Ventoux, Southern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker Corinna Kruse Faravel - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France
Lunch at Restaurant Le Mesclun in Séguret, Southern Rhône
Cellar Tour and Tasting, including from Barrel, at Domaine Marcel Richaud in Cairanne, Southern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker Claire Richaud
Tasting at Domaine de Cabasse, Séguret, Southern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker Benoit Baudry
Wine Dinner at Restaurant Hôtel Domaine de Cabasse, Séguret, Southern Rhône
Lunch at Restaurant Le Dolium in Beaumes-de Venise, Southern Rhône
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting of Wine and Olive Oil at Mas Saint Berthe, Les Baux de Provence, Southern Rhône, with Winemaker Christian Nief
Dinner at Restaurant Benvengudo, Les Baux de Provence, Southern Rhône
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine du Pegau in Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner/ Winemaker Laurence Féraud and Cellar Master Andreas Lenzenwöger
At Pont du Gard: Lunch at Restaurant Les Terrasses
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine de la Mordorée, Tavel, Southern Rhône, with Owner Ambre Delorme
Cellar tour and tasting at Domaine La Bastide Saint Dominique in Courthézon, Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner Véronique Bonnet and Owner/ Winemaker Eric Bonnet
Tasting at the Caveau of the Perrin Family in Châteauneuf du Pape
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Château la Nerthe, Châteauneuf du Pape
Wine-pairing dinner at Restaurant Château des Fines Roches, with Chef Hugo Loridan-Fombonnet
New Year’s Eve at Château des Fines Roches in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France