For a population of fewer than 2,000 people, Sabran sure has a lot of churches—six in total. Fortunately for us, this god-fearing village has another claim to fame; it’s home to one of the southern Rhône’s most progressive growers. La Réméjeanne is situated amid the oak-forested hills and rocky vineyards of Sabran, in the Rhône’s Gard department. Before the godsend of satellite navigation, the Domaine would take some tracking down. Despite that, it has always been one of those places that are “worth a special journey”, as the Michelin Guide would put it.

All the Réméjeanne vines are certified organic and sit at high altitudes between 200 and 280 meters. Here, the cooler climate and limestone-rich soils endow the wines with a freshness and refinement that is not typical of this AOC. Working alongside his pioneering father, Rémy Klein, the young Olivier Klein continues to drive quality at this address skywards. Klein junior seems to have inherited the best traits of both his parents—the strong will of his mother and his father’s famously open-minded approach to winemaking.

This great country—with the Rhône proper in your rear-view mirror and the foothills of the Cevennes ahead—is also home to one of the Southern Rhône’s most outstanding, progressive growers

Winegrowing in these rocky hills is a tough business, yet not only does Klein put in the long hours, but he also does so with a smile on his face. All the grapes are hand-harvested, then undergo long, slow fermentations with indigenous yeasts before aging in concrete or older wood. Extractions and sulphur additions (if used at all) are kept to the bare minimum. Olivier Klein follows the great growers of the north as much as he does his southern counterparts and likes his reds with a bit of crunch. He, therefore, ensures he doesn’t pick too late and prefers an infusion-over-extraction approach to his winemaking.

These are wines that proudly speak of their place—high up in the hills with soils comprised of sand and limestone. This highly distinctive terroir results in a range of fresh, highly refined Côtes du Rhônes brimming with fruit and character. They are far cooler and purer than many of the Côtes du Rhônes produced at lower altitudes and on alluvial soils. This stylistic difference suits us right down to the ground.