Domaine Rotem & Mounir Saouma

Location: Orange, Rhône Valley
Surface area: 15 hectares in Châteauneuf du Pape and 22 hectares in Côtes du Rhône
Viticulture: High-density replanted vines
Vinification: Partial de-stemming, alcoholic and malolactic fermentations of up to 1 year in cold cellars, long aging of up to 60 months on lees
Winemaker: Mounir Saouma
Main appellations: Châteauneuf du Pape Omnia, Châteauneuf du Pape Amphorae Crau, Châteauneuf du Pape Amphorae La Bigote, Châteauneuf du Pape Amphorae Pierredon, Châteauneuf du Pape Arioso, Châteauneuf du Pape Magis, Côtes du Rhône Villages Inopia

The Châteauneuf du Pape appellation represents a wonderful playground for Rotem and Mounir Saouma, an ambitious, charismatic couple with undeniable talent. After proving themselves in Burgundy, they have turned their attention to the Rhône Valley, where their wines are already acclaimed by wine lovers the world over.

Having settled in Burgundy in the late 1990s, Lebanese winemakers Mounir and Rotem produce authentic wines with a strong personality. Following the almost immediate success of their very fine range, which showcases the most prestigious parcels in the Côte d’Or, the couple set out to conquer the Rhône Valley in 2009.  Acquiring a handful of acres in the locality of Pignan, the first vinifications took place in the Famille Perrin winery. His winegrower friends from the Rhône, including Laurent Charvin and Henri Bonneau, have always been supportive of Mounir’s winemaking approaches, even when they were the most surprising. Now well established in this beautiful region, Mounir and Rotem own 15 hectares of vines in Châteauneuf du Pape and 22 hectares of Côtes du Rhône Villages.
Favoring very long maturation periods, often up to 60 months, Mounir is sure of himself and the wines he wants to make. The search for purity and an intense style, both in terms of substance and aromatics, is the winemaker’s priority. The result is deep, perfectly balanced wines that are magnificently representative of the terroir in which they were born.