Les Vignerons d`Estézargues Taparas Côtes-du-Rhône 2021

Many of Frane’s co-ops find themselves in a rather nefarious cycle, where struggle to sell quantity leads to only lower and lower quality wines being produced. Not so at this artisanal, Rhone-based cooperative working out of a cave in Estezargues. Producing some of the Rhone Valley’s best value wines, their unique approach is a breath of fresh air amongst a sea of sub-standard production. Originally established in 1965, this unique path was first laid in 1989, when Jean-Francois Nicq took over as winemaker and elected to vinify each member’s production separately. In doing so, he created a model where each estate’s terroir was celebrated rather than obfuscated in an indistinguishable blend.