The red is a classic GSM blend using the advantages of the Mistral wind in the Rhone Valley that helps to reduce risk of mildew – which is why they can rely on producing organic wine across such a large area. Produced in parcels across the southern Rhone valley (actually around Avignon to Mont Ventoux), where Grenache is the king of grapes (rather than Syrah in the north). All wines are fermented in small stainless steel tanks. Soil type is chalky-clay-alluvial (Rhone river and Aygues river sedimentary). This is a distinct advantage for Grenache because the additional water retention of the vine roots in clay soil avoids severe drought – but allows enough hydric stress for sugar levels to optimise. The winery has found that this extra water retention and subsequent balancing of sugars/alcohol levels enables La Resistance to carry some welcome acidity in the wine. The result is a wine that has all the blackberry spice of the blend as expected but equally a freshness in the palate. To put it tangibly, this is a much more quaffable wine because of the freshness, rather than with heavily extracted dark fruit. No oak at all.

The rosé is Grenache pure and again this freshness that you find in the red is a real advantage for the pink. The result is a rosé more in the style of the lighter weight rosés you find in modern Provence rosés rather than the older style of more confected rosé wines Viti method is cordon de royat + bush vine mixture. Yields are low – 45hectolitres / hectare and they produce around 500k bottles annually.