La Durbane
Made in one of Chateauneuf's most famous cellars, the best white Chateauneuf we've tasted for years!
Located just north of Chateauneuf-du-pape, La Durbane was bought on a whim by Jean-Louis Giornal in 1999, and for years run as a hobby alongside his work as an accountant. Now managed by Jean-Louis and Martine’s daughter Florence, the pocket-sized winery is starting to produce some of the most remarkable whites in the region, and we are thrilled to discover them just at the right moment of their development and growth.
Florence, the youngest of three sisters, left her career in pharmaceuticals in Switzerland to help run the estate. With a head full of ideas and a heart full of passion, along with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, Florence, alongside her husband Thomas has taken the family wines to the next level.
As well as their exceptional terroir, the wines are made in the cellars of one of the region’s most revered estates. Thanks to the quality of fruit, character of the terroir coupled with the meticulous attention to detail in the vineyard, the resulting wines have outstanding purity and character. It's the best white Chateaneuf we've tasted in years, with an incredible similarity with Beaucastel's straight Roussanne, yet at a fraction of the price.
Florence and her husband Thomas lived in Switzerland for 7 years, and influenced by their time there, they care deeply about the environment and climate change. They'll be certified organic in 2023, and have great plans for the future too to improve biodiversity, with the planting of melliferous plants to favour pollinating insects, more trees and hedges, as well as installing bat and bird boxes. They'll also be moving to lighter glass bottles, building a new cellar powered by renewable energy and implementing a returnable bottle system.