One estate to watch closely, with Madeline, new generation taking over! Domaine des Escaravailles is a fourth-generation family estate perched on the northern heights of Rasteau, at 350 meters elevation, with sweeping views toward Mont Ventoux and the Dentelles de Montmirail. Founded in 1953 by Jean-Louis Ferran, the estate was taken over by his grandson Gilles in 1999, then by his daughter Madeline in 2018. Gilles’ longtime friend from oenology school, Philippe Cambie, consulted for the estate until his passing in 2021. The domaine takes its name from the Occitan “escaravay,” meaning “beetle,” a 17th-century nickname for the black-robed monks who worked the vineyards. Today, Madeline tend vineyards in Rasteau and Cairanne, planted with old vines with naturally low yields, resulting in wines of exceptional concentration and character.

La Ponce, their flagship Rasteau, refers to single plot wine crafted with Grenache (80%) and Syrah (20%) planted on clay-limestone soils at 340m altitude. Fully destemmed and fermented separately in concrete tanks, Syrah is aged exclusively in used oak barrels for 15 months, and in** concrete tanks for Grenache**. The result is an elegant Rasteau, intense yet fresh with supple tannins.