GRAPE VARIETAL
100% Mourvèdre. This bold southern Rhône grape is known for its deep color, firm structure, and savory complexity, offering a distinct alternative to the more common Grenache-Syrah blends in the region.
APPELLATION
AOC Côtes du Rhône, one of France’s most expansive and diverse appellations and probably the top favorite AOC of AWM customers and staff. Domaine de la Charité is located in the southern Rhône, where the climate and soil favor robust reds with Mediterranean character.
TERROIR
The vineyards are organically farmed and sit on varied soils typical of the southern Rhône, with a mix of clay, limestone, and gravel. The presence of garrigue and sun-drenched slopes contributes to the wine’s aromatic intensity and earthy depth.
VINIFICATION
Grapes are fully destemmed and fermented with selected yeasts under temperature control. A touch of oak– 10%– is used during aging to add subtle texture without overpowering the fruit. The wine is aged in tank and lightly fined before bottling.
TASTING NOTES
La Dame Noire opens with aromas of black cherry, kirsch, and wild herbs. On the palate, it’s full-bodied and persistent, with notes of blackberries, licorice, and cracked pepper. Tannins are ripe and rounded, giving the wine a firm but approachable structure.
FOOD PAIRING
Pairs beautifully with grilled lamb, duck breast, or mushroom ragout. For a more inventive match, try it with lentils and roasted root vegetables, or a black olive tapenade tart. Its savory edge and depth make it a versatile companion for bold, earthy dishes.
Côtes du Rhône AOC stretches across the Southern Rhône, with the Signargues AOC parked on its rugged western edge in the Gard. The landscape is a mosaic of clay and limestone capped by sun-warmed galets—those rounded river stones you associate with its famous neighbor, Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Reds dominate here, built from the usual suspects—Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre.
“La Dame Noire” is an interesting standout in the Rhône region’s ubiquitous GSM blends. It’s exceedingly rare to find an appellated Côtes du Rhône that’s 100% Mourvèdre; most producers fold the grape into the GSM blends to add the final touch of structure and savory spice. For “La Dame Noire”, Mourvèdre gets the front row seating.
Domaine de la Charité is run by vigneron and caviste Christophe Coste in the village of Saze. His family estate is worked organically, with hand harvesting and triage done right on the vine. Arriving fruit is tasted, pressed, and subjected to extended maceration in modern rotating tanks, which eliminate the need for punch-downs, ensuring even and gentle extraction. Fermentation is followed by six months in stainless steel and large neutral wood, choices that preserve the fruit’s detail and the site’s typicity, rather than losing the nuance of terroir in oak.
Vigneron Christophe Cotes
Photo courtesy of imprter Jason Tippetts and Barrique Imports
For the 2016 “La Dame Noire,” bottle age is a seriously cool bonus. When cellared in perfect conditions, this wine develops complex tertiary layers over its dark-fruited core. Complex layers of leather and dried thyme meet black tea, sun-dried fig, along with a hint of olive tapenade, and smoked pepper. Mourvèdre’s natural structure remains intact, and the palate reads savory first, fruit second, with a quiet tease of minerals that lingers nicely through the finish..
Pairing-wise, go classic Southern Rhône to start: daube Provençale, herb-rubbed leg of lamb, grilled merguez with lentils, or a simple roast chicken over potatoes and onions that catch the drippings. For inventive routes, try cocoa-and-chile-rubbed pork shoulder, mushroom shawarma with tahini and pickled onions, soy-ginger glazed eggplant over black rice, or a charred cauliflower “steak” with olive-anchovy salsa verde. Aged Mourvèdre loves umami and slow-cooked textures—anything that lets those savory, layered tertiary tones take the lead.