Domaine des Nymphes : Producer of AOC Rasteau, Vin Doux Naturel, Côtes du Rhône Villages 

"Rasteau is a fleshy wine with a generous spirit. A deep wine whose
whose blue clay terroir combines richness and finesse. A true wine, whole, which
which reconciles the strength of the being and the spirit. A Wine Body & Soul ".

The history of the village Rasteau 

Rasteau, the land of Natural Sweet Wines, is a small village in the Vaucluse, located between Vaison la Romaine and Malaucène, which covers 900 hectares. Clinging to the side of the Baronnies massif and facing the Dentelles de Montmirail, it has a typical climate of the region: a dry and hot summer and a mild winter.

With 2,000 years of history, the Rasteau AOC vineyard is known for its wines with a strong character, but also for its Natural Sweet Wines. In 2010, the AOC Rasteau wines became a Cru des Côtes du Rhône, gaining in prestige thanks to the dynamism of the region's winegrowers, but especially to their perseverance in the will to make quality wines, in order to promote the elegance and character of this wine and to allow it to stand out from the family of Rhone Valley Wines. Intense and sincere, these are the two adjectives that characterize the wine of Rasteau. 

The history of the Domaine des Nymphes

This is where the Domaine des Nymphes is located. It was created by the Meyer family in 1979. The domain was taken over in April 2019 by Eric Petitjean, convinced of the for-midable potential of these lands. The Domaine des Nymphes produces Rasteau, Côtes du Rhône Villages white and red wines and Vins Doux Naturels, from a seven-hectare vineyard located in the towns of Rasteau and Roaix.
The name of the Domaine comes from an altar dedicated to the Nymphs, a vestige of the Roman era, found in 1850 on the present site of the cellar. The whole reputation of the domain was then built around mythology, with labels representing a Nymph looking like Marianne, or names of vintages such as "les Ménades" or "les Peintres" inspired by Nymphs. This name has been much talked about in the press, with titles such as "les Nymphes ont de la cuisse", or comparing the winery to the "sanctuary of Bacchus".

The terroir of the AOC Rasteau 

The Domaine des Nymphes benefits from an exceptional terroir made up of clay-limestone soils, blue and red marl on sandstone distributed between Rasteau and Roaix, which accumulate heat during the day and release it during the night, with an ideal exposure to the south and the Mistral wind which optimizes the slow maturation of the grapes. The vineyard, planted on a variety of soils with very uneven relief, gives the wine character and a strong personality, typical of the wines of the AOC Ras-teau. Moreover, the soils of Rasteau are said to be "poor" and it is thanks to this that the wine expresses fruity aromas with spicy and peppery final notes.
The main grape varieties are Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan. Grenache, the true king of the Rasteau vineyard, is the main player in the AOC Rasteau appellation. This vigorous grape variety resists ideally to the climatic conditions of the region and adapts perfectly to the terroirs. Mostly coming from old vines, it contributes to give character and generosity while imposing its power, to make a dry red wine which makes the particularity of Rasteau. It is generally associated with Syrah and Mour-Vèdre to balance the whole. This mixture allows to obtain an intense dress with notes of black fruits and violet.
Thus, you will have during the tasting, a greedy mouth, rich with an intense aromatic palette.

Domaine des Nymphes, producer of AOC wines

Today, thanks to the quality of this terroir, to the experience and know-how of Christophe Didier, in charge of the cellar and the vineyard, the Domaine des Nymphes produces generous, fine and elegant wines. The conversion to organic farming and organic wines was undertaken as soon as the estate was taken over. Therefore, the Domaine des Nymphes offers you wines that will delight your taste buds from the aperitif to the dessert, whether it is with Rasteau, Côtes du Rhône Villages, or Natural Sweet Wines.
The Domaine des Nymphes cellar welcomes you from Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 12pm and from 1:30pm to 6pm all year round, and from 10am to 12pm and from 3pm to 7pm in July and August. We offer you a unique experience, combining a visit to the cellar, the history of the estate, but also the discovery of our Rasteau, Côtes du Rhône Villes and Natural Sweet Wines, all without appointment. Come and visit us at 295 route de la Cave, 84110 Rasteau.