Domaine Brun Avril Rouge Côtes du Rhône 2023

Some families inherit land. Others inherit a responsibility for it. The Avril family has been rooted in Châteauneuf since the 14th century—fifteen generations deep—but Domaine Brun-Avril is a relatively new chapter, founded in 2008 by Nathalie and Jean-Jacques Brun. Five inherited hectares set everything in motion, sending the couple back to school to study viticulture with a simple goal: to preserve what had been handed down, and let it speak clearly. In 2020, their son Henri joined the domaine, adding a new voice to a story that remains firmly grounded in tradition.

Despite their recent start, Brun-Avril’s approach is resolutely old school. They produce just one red and one white each vintage, intervening only when necessary and trusting the vineyards to do the heavy lifting. The fruit for this Côtes du Rhône comes from two closely situated parcels in Farguerol, just north of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. One is a south-facing, pebble-strewn hill of century-old Grenache, co-planted with a touch of Mourvèdre for natural complexity. The other is an east-facing Syrah parcel on clay, sand, and silt, younger in vine age but no less expressive.

Farming has long been organic in practice, with official certification now underway; the mistral winds keep the vines healthy and yields focused. Hand-harvested grapes ferment with native yeasts in concrete and steel, followed by a year of élevage in large demi-muids to preserve freshness and texture rather than impose oak.

The 2023 blend—60% Grenache, 40% Syrah—delivers exactly what we look for in Rhône reds of character: supple red and black fruit, gentle spice, savory undertones, and a sense of quiet confidence. It’s a wine that feels both familiar and precise, shaped by history but very much alive in the present.