La Luminaille
| Vigneron | Nicolas Brès and Julie Paolucci |
| Location | Rasteau (Vaucluse) |
| Size of Domaine | 12 ha |
| Terroir | Mediterranean climate, Mistral (northern wind) influence. Clay-limestone, blue and grey marls, galets roulés, limestone bedrock. Gentle slopes on terraces. 250m altitude. |
| Viticulture | Certified organic (Ecocert) |
| View La Luminaille wines ↓ |
The lieu-dit La Luminaille is a special place in local folklore, found behind the village of Rasteau, to the north of the appellation and surrounded by hills reaching 450m, it takes its name from the olive leaves’ extraordinary radiance during a full moon.
A contiguous 12ha domaine with a high concentration of old vines (Rasteau’s undeniable advantage over its neighbours), La Luminaille has some of the best terroirs in the AC, where deep sedimentary soils have plenty of CNDP style stones, fragments of calcaire from the Alps, and sit on precious water-retaining marls (blue and grey).
Julie Paolucci is the fifth generation at the domaine, she took the helm after her father’s sudden passing away and was joined by her partner Nicolas Brès, previously chef de culture for organic estates in the region. Starting in 2015, they assiduously ploughed the soils, applied organic principles aiming for natural balance among their vines, and in doing so reduced yields to an average of 30hh (sometimes 15hh for very old vines).
Julie‘s fine palate (she used to work as a somm in top Parisian restaurants) combined to Nicolas’ expertise produce balanced, clear cut wines with a mineral touch, and real digestibilité helped by low levels of sulphur – a consequent and promising result after only a handful of harvests! No wonder the headstrong Jérôme Bressy (Gourt de Mautens) vouches for La Luminaille, the only name he is willing to drop when asked about like-minded vignerons in Rasteau.
La Luminaille Wines
La Luminaille
One hectare of 30yo vines on clay-based terraces with 50% planted in the forest of Rasteau at 350-400m altitude where it is a little cooler and more humid. The whole bunches were slowly pressed for a little extra texture, and the finished wine was then cuve aged. The malos often don’t take place although they are not intentionally blocked. The wine has surprising freshness (low pH 3.3), low alcohol and a lovely density. Freshly sliced pear on the nose, a hint of provencal herbs on the palate and fine bitters on the finish. 3500 bottles produced.
La Luminaille
This wine comes from 30yo vines, planted on a south-west slope close to the forest in limestone, clay and sand. Aged in older demi-muids, and given one day’s skin contact for a little extra texture, it offers nicely defined orange and peach fruits with a touch of pear skin (it feels very close to the fresh cut grapes) with an attractive salinity, and some food friendly bitters on the finish.
La Luminaille
The objective here was to make a wine with local character, good fruits and elegance, not a concentrated wine that would demand too much bottle age. Mainly cuve aged with just syrah and mourvèdre in older 500l barrels, there is attractive, clear-cut cherry and raspberry fruit, some liquorice, spice and Provence herbs, all with a very digeste quality.
La Luminaille
Garance is a natural dye, made from herbs found in the vines, that produces a deep red colour. Made from the oldest parcels of vines on the property, around 70yo, this wine was destalked 100%, vinified in amphora, then aged in cement (cutting out demi-muids previously used for ageing part of the wine). It has spicy black fruits on the nose with plums and even blood orange notes on the palate, Provencal herbs and a saline twist, all with a very digeste quality and fine-grained tannins. Unfined and lightly filtered with less than 40mg/l of total sulphur. For drinking now to 2030.
La Luminaille
A very delicately extracted example, much paler in colour than the VDN from Trapadis. Cuve aged, and ‘muté’ at 8%, it offers cherry/blackberry fruit with a hint of menthol and spice and is light on its feet with a digeste quality, very fine tannins and clear-cut on the finish.