Patricia & Rémi Bonneton
La Tangente 'Ostara' 2022

  • Region Étables, Ardèche, France
  • Grapes Grenache & Syrah
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, minimal additional sulphites
  • ABV 13%
  • Size 750ml

Quantity

About the Wine

Another debut La Tangente cuvée that serves as the older sibling to earlier-released Encore! Similarly to that wine, the grapes come from two different locations in the Gard and Vaucluse and is an inversion of the blend, with 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah.

Using the infusion method, two thirds of the grapes are direct-pressed and into this juice the remaining third is placed in whole bunches for ten days, to gently bleed their pigment and tannins into the wine in a light extraction. The wine is then aged for eight months split between amphora and a big, old foudre barrel, the latter really bringing out the spicy character of the Grenache.

A plush, glossy wine with bright aromas of cherry and raspberry, both fresh and confected, over a compact body of these gateaux-like fruits, with a subtle kriek-esque almond note hovering just out of shot. A judicious balance of grip and crunch to the finish keeps things feeling clear-cut and pure, working its magic most effectively when served with a brisk chill.

About Patricia & Rémi Bonneton

Rémi Bonneton started working the vineyards of the Northern Rhône in the early 2000s, not tending vines or harvesting grapes, but working with his two horses, Suspens and Palynka, offering his unique services to plough the soils at some of the most coveted domaines in this part of France. After making a little of his own wine along the way, cut to 2013 when he and his wife Patricia found their very first vineyard parcel of old-vine Syrah on the steep slopes of the Doux Valley, right at the very northern tip of the Ardèche. Despite the sheer terracing the land is worked à la Bonneton: by horse and plough. It’s physical, demanding work and no light undertaking - perfect for Rémi who in his previous life was a professional rower. This domaine totals just under 2 hectares and includes another parcel close to Tournon Sur Rhône planted with Roussanne and Marsanne on a hill over the border in the Northern Rhône, sitting opposite the iconic vineyards of Cornas and Saint-Joseph. The vines at both sites see no chemical treatments and this approach is followed into the cellar where the wines ferment spontaneously and have nothing added. The 3000 or so bottles of wine produced each year from these vineyards is bottled as L’Alezan. This small surface of their own means that 90% of Patricia & Remi's annual output is through their négociant label, La Tangente. Some cuvées are repeated and carefully honed each year, seeking that perfect expression. Others embrace the spirit of creativity and are either a variation on a previous vintage or a completely new wine altogether. Everything is made in the mixture of cuve, demi-muid, foudre and clay amphora (specifically ‘tinaja’, imported from Spain) that live in the cellar beneath their house. They work with a network of friends and growers in other parts of France (mainly the Southern Rhône, Languedoc & Beaujolais) and buy in a dizzying amount of fruit - travelling with their harvest teams to pick the grapes themselves before transporting them back home to Étables. The logistical feat is highly impressive, and once one considers the finite amount of space in a cellar to press the fruit and make the wine, along with the art of harvesting fruit from multiple locations at exactly the right moment, the number of moving parts starts to inspire a feeling of vertigo. Patricia & Remi thrive under this pressure, and we believe that the way they push themselves each year is exactly why their wines are such a thrill to drink. Combined with their passionate stance against any additions being used in the wine whatsoever, they are an expression of personality like none we have tried before.

Find out more about Patricia & Rémi Bonneton

More from Patricia & Rémi Bonneton

Patricia & Rémi Bonneton
La Tangente 'Enlil' 2023

An inviting hazy gold in the glass, with straw-like aromas and an undertone of tinned tropical fruit. The palate really zings; white peach, lemon rind and a mouthwatering acidity that rounds and softens as it moves into the finish. Find out more.

  • Region Étables, Ardèche, France
  • Grapes Grenache Blanc, Marsanne & Sylvaner
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, minimal additional sulphites
£25

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La Tangente 'Ho'oponopono' 2022

A maceration of Viognier, Marsanne & Roussanne grown over limestone, acquired from the Gard in the south. A powerfully structured wine, balancing a relatively low gravity with bold, mouth-coating tannins. A hazy, sandy gold in the glass, there is an abundance of intense apricot fruits with a peach iced tea-like quality that lends real dryness to the palate as it tails into a long, herbal finish. Find out more.

  • Region Étables, Ardèche, France
  • Grapes Viognier, Marsanne & Roussanne
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
£33.50

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La Tangente 'Metisse' 2023

The darker juice from the Syrah pulling more towards a rosé in appearance, but with a peachy sunset tint from the macerated Viognier, it remains a hard wine to categorise, but also begs the question, what does that matter? Worked in this way the Syrah gives some gummy red fruits to frame the herbal, anise character of the Viognier, which is extracted to leave a wonderfully fine-grained, delicate tannic profile. Find out more.

  • Region Étables, Ardèche, France
  • Grapes Syrah & Viognier
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
£33.50

Quantity

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La Tangente 'Ostara' 2022 MAGNUM

A plush, glossy wine with bright aromas of cherry and raspberry, fresh and confected. Perfect for a party in this large format! Find out more.

  • Region Étables, Ardèche, France
  • Grapes Grenache & Syrah
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, minimal additional sulphites
£58

Quantity

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La Tangente 'Potion' 2021

A distinctly Mediterranean-leaning affair with this cuvée, made using Carignan harvested in Luberon. The name Potion came from the wine's tonic quality - it is so easy to drink and bursts with spicy, sun-kissed fruits. A compelling, lip-smacking red. Find out more.

  • Region Étables, Ardèche, France
  • Grapes Carignan
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
£27

Quantity