Coteaux des Travers 'Zou Zou Rouge' Côtes-du-Rhône, Rhône Valley, France 2022

Robert Charavin, the owner of Domaine des Coteaux des Travers, which has a rich history dating back to 1931 when his grandfather Elie began cultivating vines. The winery expanded post-WWII and now covers 14 hectares. The label drawing is an original and  ZouZou (literally, "a jovial, dynamic person who is always fun to be around") is the nickname of Paul's best friend. In homage to him, they decided to craft a lighter and fruitier wine using carbonic maceration, bottled early in order to preserve its naturally fresh fruit.

• Winemaker: Robert Charavin
  
• Farming: Certified biodynamic by Demeter since 2012, with a focus on encouraging healthy underground life through plowing between vine rows.
• Variety: 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre.
• Terroir: The vineyard in Rasteau features clay-rich soils with a southern exposure, while the Cairanne vineyard has sandy, clay, and garrigue soils rich in iron, giving a red color.
• Vinification: Hand-harvested with rigorous sorting to ensure only exceptional grapes are used. The wine is made using carbonic maceration, fermented and aged in concrete vats with minimal-to-no sulfur added, and bottled early to preserve fresh fruit.
• Aging: Fermented and aged in concrete vats.
• Tasting Note: The wine is full of velvety blueberry fruit with spice and low tannin, making it an eminently drinkable and lighter, fruitier red wine.