Clos Saouma

Rotem and Mounir Saouma (or. Sawma)
Ruelle Moulot 21200 Beaune (the negciant firm)
Tel. +33 380 249 998
Direct sale: No. The bottled wines are transported to Beaune
Mail: l.m.sas@lucienlemoine.com

Rotem and Mounir Saouma run a negociant firm in Beaune. The couple have lived in France since 1995. Mounir Saouma got his oenological education at the wine university in Montpellier in France. He went to Burgundy to be a winemaker at a negociant firm there and after dicovering the way of winemaking here he found that he wanted to make wines in a different way and the couple established their own negociant company in 1999 with the name Lucien le Moine.
One thing is to buy wines and elevate them in a more or less personal manner. Quite another matter is to own the vineyards and have full control of the process from soil to wine.
Mounir Saouma has chosen the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation to try his capabilities to make wonders also from Grenache and other local grapes, quite different from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
After purchase of vineyards in Chateauneuf du Pape and renting of some parcels  Saouma's vineyards covers 4,5 ha of which 2 ha are situated at lieu-dit Pignan (close to Rayas) when the rest are small parcels at Les Grès, Cabrières, Pied de Baut and Grandes Serres.
In 2012 Mounir Saouma bought a domain between Orange and Serignan-du-Comtat. The Domain's vineyards had not been looked after for decades and was in fact not existing anymore. On the other hand there was an underground cellar, which was found usable by Mounir. This cellar is now used for ageing of the wines. The vinification takes place in a new cellar built above the underground cellar. The vineyards have been totally renovated and replanted.

Mounir Saouma is very dedicated to make the very best out of the grape material he has at hand and not afreid to make some experiments. Initially he worked with pièces from Burgundy, but they are now replaced by demi-muids. He has experimented with clay amphoras to vinify Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre and will probably go further by this path. He will probably in the years to come make a number of mini cuvées. In 2014 he plans to bottle a barrique with the 2009 vintage, which for five years has been left in barrels with sediment - without racking. It happens probably in magnum bottles that are not expected to be for sale. "I might drink them myself".

Wines

Chateauneuf du Pape Omnia
2010: 70% Grenache and the rest Syrah, Mourvedre and other varieties.
Aged for 2 years in pièces.

Chateauneuf du Pape Arioso
2010: 100% Grenache with a small share of Mourvedre from Pignan.
Aged for 3 years in pièces.

Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Magic
2010: 70% Grenache Blanc, 10% Clairette, 10% Roussane and 10% Bourboulenc.
Fermented and then aged in demi-muids or pièces for around 20 months.

Cotes du Rhone INOBIA
2013: 70% Grenache og 30% Counoise, Mourvedre, Syrah og Cinsault

Cotes du Rhone Blanc INOBIA
2013: 70% Grenache Blanc og 30% Clairette, Bourboulenc, Marsanne og Roussanne