Southern Rhône Region:
Domaine Amido Tavel, Lirac
"There is no good wine except for Tavel!"
--King Philip le Bel
Christian Amido, who died from complications of a brain aneurysm, was a soft spoken man who had been under his doctor's care since I had gotten to know him in 2001 and, against his doctor's orders, frequently smoked while pulling samples to taste out of various casks. Ironically, in the past three years, he had completed renovated his chai, installing a new press and replacing his cement tanks with a fleet of stainless steel. His domaine was poised to move onto the next level. Domaine Amido is now run by Christian's daughter Nathalie.
Les Amandines Tavel comes from a number of different parcels of vineyard totaling 13 ha (32 acres).
The soils of Tavel, France's premier rose
The soil is primarily two different types: galets roules (red round rocks commonly found in Gigondas, Chateauneuf-du-Pape and many of the Southern Rhone villages) and flat white stones comprised mainly of schist. The exposure of the vineyards is directly south, ensuring that the grapes get plenty of maturity.
 The harvest is by hand, with sorting taking place in the vineyard. The grapes arrive in the winery and are crushed. This rose is made through the saignée method: The juice remains in contact with the skins for 24 to 36 hours, and is then bled off the skins so that the color remaining is completely natural. Fermentation is at a low temperature to preserve the subtlety and freshness of the aromas.
Tavel Les Amandines (65% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 10% Syrah, 5% Clairette): Richly colored rosé, with cherry, strawberry and a touch of almond flower flavors. Lots of freshness on the palate, and with enough body to match wonderfully with cold pork roast, chicken salad and most picnic fare.
The next generation at Domaine Amido arrives:
Christian's granddaughter Amandine (for whom the Tavel is named)
and fiance Antoine (now the winemaker) pose outside their domaine in Tavel.
Tavel
Amido's Tavel is made with a blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 10% Syrah and 5% Clairette. It undergoes a macération pelliculaire for 36 hours to extract maximum aromas. Afterwards it is fermented at a low temperature to preserve freshness to its red fruit aromas. It displays excellent value.
The soils of Lirac
Amido also has vines in Lirac. Their This bottling is made from 50-year-old Grenache vines (60%) in addition to Syrah (30%) and Mourvèdre (10%). It is aged in stainless steel tanks and sees no oak. It is a lovely balanced wine, showing raspberry and cherry notes, along with a touch of tobacco and spice. Once again, superb value!
Lirac rocks
The late Christian Amido Amidst Old Grenache Vines In Lirac
Antoine Berthaud Amidst The Limestone Fragments of Tavel
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