Domaine Ste-Anne, St-Gervais

As always, we are pleased to introduce an estate whose wines we have been following as amateurs for several years during which time we have visited their underground cellars on several occasions. More...

The Viennese Steinmaier family emigrated to Chalon-sur-Saone, France in the 1930s and in 1965, Guy Steinmaier, a Burgundian by birth, purchased his first vineyard in the hamlet of Les Celettes near Saint Gervais on the right bank of the Rhone. He followed this with a further 10 hectares in 1973 and, also, buildings with 16th century cellars. In the 1980s, Guy's sons, Jean and Alain, took over the running of the estate which now covers 35 hectares worked by Alain with Jean's wife welcoming visitors.

The estate has grown in reputation with wines showing a Burgundian-like finesse. Only the cuvee 'Mourillons' Syrah sees any wood; otherwise everything is aged in cement tanks.

As far back as the 1990s, Robert Parker described this as 'one of the best estates in the entire Rhone Valley' and suggests the wines could be regarded as 'mini-Beaucastel and/or Bandol', wines which cost two or three times as much. The emphasis on Syrah and Mourvedre obviously has something to do with this but the purity of the fruit and concentration of the wines which drink young but age well over several years.

See also: Southern Rhône     Côtes du Rhône Villages