Region: France - Cotes du Rhone
Grapes: 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 20% Carignan
Alcohol: 13%
Notes on the Wine
This red blend recalls stone fruits. The flavor is balanced by pepper and baking spice. Perfect with grilled red meats.
Notes on the Producer
Mas Théo is located at the heart of Drôme Provençale in the appellation Grignan-les-Adhemar. This little-known appellation from the Southern Rhône consists of 1,730 hectares with 32 vignerons and eight cooperatives. Laurent Clapier is the 4th generation of the Clapier family to run the farm, but the first to bottle commercially. Laurent took over his family farm in 1999 with 33ha of vines, 23ha of meadow and 16ha of lavenders. He decided right away to farm organically and got his certification in 2004. His passion for wine lead him to create his own winery and this is how Mas Théo was born in 2005.
Clapier’s winemaking roots begin with his great-grandfather, Gabriel Théolas, who was a colorful figure in the village, so much so that the elders named his own vineyards Mas Théolas, now just Mas Théo. Gabriel also left at least two other recognizable marks on the Mas Théo wines of today: one wine bears his nickname P’tit Gaby and his 1908 Mogul tractor is proudly displayed in the winery.
Upon launching Mas Théo, Laurent began to branch out beyond the organic certification and tested some biodynamic practices. He saw a real impact with the holistic approach. There was more life and energy in the vineyard upon introducing biodynamics, and now Laurent has entirely adopted this philosophy. Mas Théo got its biodynamic certification (Demeter) in 2011. The winery is also a perfect fit to this approach. Laurent was lucky enough to take over an old quarry cave called “les caves cathedrals” located in the village of Saint-Restitut. This unique cellar is dug into thick-walled, chalky rock—a perfect environment for the aging process. The temperature is constant all year-round and give a perfectly smooth cocoon for his slumbering wines.
