October 3, 2025 Les Raisins Suspendus In 2020, Angela Weidner and Maxime Aerts, having recently assembled in 2018 three hectares of vines in the forested hills near the village of Saint-Alexandre in the Gard region of the Southern Rhone, began to explore a new terroir, the Hautes-Alpes, to create a second domaine, Les Raisins Suspendus. For mountain lovers Maxime and Angela, it was above all the climatic conditions and geological profile of the region that won them over, where they could create wines that reflect their personality. They embarked on the challenge to restore plots of vines, most of which are centuries old and abandoned by their owners, life-long Hautes-Alpes residents who until recently cultivated their plots to make their own wine. While trying to identify all the grape varieties present in these planted vines, Maxime and Angela are also working on more recent plots, with some rather surprising mountain Chardonnays and Merlots. Nestled between 800 and 1000 metres above sea level, on hillsides overlooking the Durance, these plots are made up of mainly limestone soils, composed of marl and alluvium inherited from the last great glaciation. Considering the vineyards as a fully-fledged, living ecosystem, they work organically, making grass their ally, harvesting the grapes by hand, and making wine without artifice. In 2022 and 2023, they planted 1.5 hectares of vines in Embrun on the slopes of the Durance with a selection of native grape varieties, including Mollard, or those from neighboring Alpine regions, such as Petite Arvine and Mondeuse Blanche.
December 2, 2021 Domaine de Saint-Ser Sainte-Victoire is a sub-appellation of Côtes de Provence and became officially recognized in 2005 as a DGC (denomination géographique complementaire). The appellation is named for the Sainte-Victoire mountain range which rises to the north of the viticultural zone and together with the Sainte-Baume Massif to the south, creates a unique micro-climate that is cooler and drier than the surrounding appellation of Côtes de Provence. Domaine de Saint-Ser lies at the foot of the Montagne Sainte-Victoire and at an elevation of 400 meters, the domain’s vineyards are the highest in the appellation. On a property of 80 hectares, 47 hectares are planted with vines. The vineyards are south-facing and benefit from the refracted light coming from the mountain of limestone just above it. Jacqueline Guichot purchased the property in 2006 when it was in need of major renovations. As she says, she rolled up her sleeves and undertook the work of restructuring the vineyards and repairing the buildings. Since that time, Jacqueline’s drive for progress and improvement has never stopped. In 2017, her domain was certified as both organic and bio-dynamic and she continues to evolve a winemaking style that is rooted in minimal intervention. Her reflective nature is evidenced in her two cellars. The first cellar has stainless steel tanks and the second has an array of barrels, foudres, jars and eggs. She is not interested in chasing momentary fads, but rather in studying the effects of different vinification techniques on the expression of terroir. Read Jacqueline’s comments in the Provence Vintage Reports