When Julian Mus returned to his family Domaine after studying winemaking in Burgundy, he came with a passion to make wine of his own. Up to that point, the family were strictly growers selling their fruit to the local cooperative, but in 2005 he began making his own wines from vineyards in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and the Cotes du Rhone surrounding. From the beginning, Julian intended to make wine using organic methods, a certification he achieved in 2012, and all his wines are meant to be approachable, neatly balanced, and pure. He uses no oak for any of his cuvees, from the highfalutin’ Chateauneuf to this humble Cotes du Rhone. Made of 100% Grenache, it shows a nose of wild strawberry cooked into a pie, huckleberries, and tarragon. The palate is fleshy but gentle, filled from end to end with red fruit with touches of pepper and orange peel. Just a hint of black soil on finish. This is easy to love Cotes du Rhone ideal for a picnic spread.