Etienne Seignovert 'Les Feux du Ciel' Syrah 2023

Country: France

Region: Rhône

Type: Red Wine

Grape: Syrah

Etienne Seignovert traded a family restaurant in the Doux valley for a life in vines, training at Burgundy's DomaineGouffier before returning home to make his first vintage in 2020. His granite-terrace parcels of Syrah, Merlot, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Gamay sit at 300–500 meters in Saint-Barthélemy-le-Plain and Tournon-sur-Rhône. He rounds things out with fruit from organic grower friends across St. Joseph, the Ardèche, and Savoie. In the cellar it's stainless steel and small-cooperage used French oak, with no fining, filtering, or added sulfur. pure fruit and gentle extraction, with a precision that gives them their character.

"Les Feux Du Ciel" (The Fires of Heaven) comes from vines with an average age of 45 years, grown on granite soils and exposed rocks at an altitude of about 500 meters, which lends this Syrah a distinct minerality. Whole bunches are vinified in small open vats with a brief maceration of about 7–10 days. This minimalist approach guarantees controlled extraction, focusing on freshness rather than over-concentration. The wine is aged in used oak barrels for a variable period up to 18 months.

On the nose, this wine is concentrated and spicy, with notes of dark forest berries, black pepper, smoke, and a balsamic freshness. Structured yet agile on the palate, with well-integrated fine tannins. The vivacity and energy of the fruit make it a delicious wine to drink young with some aeration, but with excellent aging potential.