Domaine Milan
Domaine Milan occupies prime real estate in the holiday town of St Remy de Provence. The immaculate vineyards are framed by both suburban estates and the famous nearby mountains that provide climatic protection for the vineyards.
Here, the gregarious Henri Milan crafts elegant wines using no chemicals, no additives, no commercial yeasts and, in some cases, no added sulphur.
These wines have been very successful in Australia and we have recently ordered another shipment. The sulphur-free wines have been very popular and we have ordered as many as we can. The next shipment will be arriving in May.
Domaine Milan Les Baux de Provence Domaine Milan Rouge 2006
The
Domaine Milan Les Baux de Provence 2006 is an interesting red wine made from the
whole bunch fermentation and carbonic maceration for 5 days of Grenache, Shiraz,
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Mourvèdre. It then spent a year in used
barriques to ensure that the wood does not dominate the fruit. The average age
of the vines is 16 years and the vines grow in calcareous soils over a substrate
of blue shale. This wine is a great introduction to the wonderful wines of Henri
Milan.
RRP: $39
Domaine Milan Sans Soufre Ajouté Rouge 2010
The
name of this wine gives you a clue about how it was made. In French the words
'Sans Soufre Ajouté' means no added sulphur. This wine has not had sulphur added
to the bottle. The only sulphur in it is naturally occurring sulphur which is in
miniscule quantities. The wine has travelled well to Australia and displays a
liveliness and freshness that is typical of naturally-made wines that have not
had sulphur added. This is made using the same technique as the Domaine Milan
above, with the grape varieties Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre,
Cinsault and
Cabernet Sauvignon and it only spends 8 months in old barriques. No filtration
or fining has been applied to this wine and only indigenous yeasts have been
used to ferment the grapes. It is only 12.5% alcohol. This is a
great wine for people who have developed a reaction to sulphur or for those
addicted to the freshness of natural wines.
RRP: $37
Domaine Milan Sans Soufre Ajouté Blanc 2010
The
name of this wine gives you a clue about how it was made. In French the words
'Sans Soufre Ajouté' means no added sulphur. This wine has not had sulphur added
to the bottle. The only sulphur in it is naturally occurring sulphur which is in
miniscule quantities. The wine has travelled well to Australia and displays a
liveliness and freshness that is typical of naturally-made wines that have not
had sulphur added.
The 2010 vintage is a particularly fine example of this blended wine. This vintage sees Grenache Blanc, Rolle (the local name for Vermentino), Roussane, Chardonnay and Muscat Petit Grains used in the blend. The wine was kept on lees in old barriques for 5 months. This is a beautiful wine that is fresh and lively now but will continue to change character and improve well into the future.
No filtration or fining has been applied to this wine. This is a great wine for people who have developed a reaction to sulphur.
RRP: $42
Domaine Milan Le Grand Blanc 2009
Domaine Milan's Le Grand Blanc is a staff favourite. It is an intense,
elegant, refined, gorgeous white wine.
British wine writer Jancis Robinson in an article entitled 'A progress report on biodynamic wines in France' summed it up in these words:
While it’s just a humble Vin de Table, this outclasses many a White
Hermitage. It immediately commands attention with its pale gold sheen. An amazingly
complex nose is on offer, spice notes come through first before the floral
character – broom flowers and even a hint of lavender as it opened up. The
complexity continues on the palate, rich and expressive, retaining a fresh
character and nerve that underlines a lovely creaminess. Very long indeed, with
a slightly bitter finish. This is a very “intellectual” wine; it makes you think
and yet is wonderfully enjoyable too. A very long life ahead. Superb.
The 2009 vintage is a particularly fine, slightly fulller example of this blended wine. This vintage sees Grenache Blanc, Rolle (the local name for Vermentino), Roussane, Chardonnay and Muscat Petit Grains used in the blend. The wine was raised in old barrels on the lees for twelve months. This is a beautiful wine that is fresh and lively now but will continue to change character and improve well into the future.
RRP: $42
Domaine Milan Vin de Table de France Le Vallon Rouge 2007
Henri Milan has decided not to seek appellation status for his standard red wine anymore to give him more freedom to explore different blends and different wine making techniques. Therefore it is now bottled under the Vin de Table designation and with the new cuvee name of Le Vallon. The grapes are all hand harvested. The wine is fermented with wild yeasts then is matured for a year in old barrels after a short whole-bunch maceration.
The grape varieties are Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Mourvedre - the same grapes as in the 2006 Domaine Milan Rouge. The alcohol is 13.5% but in perfect balance.
We think that the results speak for themselves.
RRP: $28
Domaine Milan Vin de Table Le Carrée Roussane 2007
The
Le Carrée is a refined, elegant, complex wine that shows the wonderful
characteristics of the Roussanne grape in its best light. It is labelled as a
Vin de Table because white wines made from 100% Roussanne are not permitted in
the Les Baux de Provence appellation. This wine is fermented with indigenous
yeasts, matured in tanks for a year and then transferred to barriques for a
further 9 months. No filtration or fining is used to preserve the flavour of
this special wine. This wine will keep for a long time and continue to improve
in the bottle. We only have a small supply of this sought-after wine as
only 1000 bottles are produced.
RRP: $89
Domaine Milan Les Baux de Provence Clos Milan Rouge 2005
The
Clos Milan is Henri Milan's premium red wine made from 75% Grenache, 20%
Shiraz (Syrah) and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes come from vines that are at least 40 years old that
grow in Quaternary sands and gravels. The grapes are destemmed and fermented in
cement tanks for about three weeks and then aged in old barriques for a further
12 months.
The result is an elegant, perfumed, smooth, luscious wine that can be drunk now or will age further.
RRP: $58
Domaine Milan Les Baux de Provence Clos Milan Rouge 2006
The Clos Milan is Henri Milan's premium red wine made from 75% Grenache, 5% Mourvedre and 20% Shiraz (Syrah). The grapes come from vines that are at least 41 years old that grow in Quaternary sands and gravels. The grapes are destemmed and fermented in cement tanks for about three weeks then aged in old 225 litre barriques. The result is an elegant, perfumed, smooth, luscious wine that can be drunk now or will age further.
RRP: SOLD OUT