Hervé Souhaut
Hervé Souhaut is a vigneron from Northern Rhône who advocates for a winemaking philosophy that respects the environment and the identity of the territory, a philosophy through which he founded Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet. Originally from Paris and trained as a biologist, Hervé works precisely in the small municipality of Arlebosc, located on the northern slope of the Ardèche area, along the Doux river, a tributary of the Rhône. Here the vigneron began his adventure in 1993, supported by his wife Béatrice, influenced by two masters of artisanal wine like Marcel Lapierre and Philippe Pacalet, great interpreters of the Beaujolais and Burgundy territories respectively.
The vigneron Hervé Souhaut cultivates just 5 hectares of old vines dedicated to the varieties Syrah, Gamay, Viognier, and Roussanne, managed through an agronomic approach based on the principles of organic farming, although the producer renounces any certification. He also collaborates with some trusted winemakers from whom he purchases part of the grapes, including those of the varieties Marsanne and Merlot. The plants, that can reach up to 100 years of age, rest on granitic or schist soils, and the harvest is carried out strictly by hand with careful selection of the grapes. In the cellar, Hervé proceeds with whole cluster vinifications based on spontaneous low-temperature fermentations, in oak barrels or in stainless steel tanks, with semi-carbonic maceration and always resorting to gentle extractions. For the subsequent aging, oak barrels of multiple passes or steel tanks are used, and throughout the entire process, manipulations or invasive additions are excluded, with the only addition of sulfur at bottling when the wine requires it.
The wines of Hervé Souhaut are characterized as expressions of pure and crystalline personality, marked by a juicy and engaging drink, never unbalanced, with a minerality that is always evident. These are bottles that are already very enjoyable in their youth, but capable of evolving and harmonizing further with bottle aging.
Hervé Souhaut is a vigneron from Northern Rhône who advocates for a winemaking philosophy that respects the environment and the identity of the territory, a philosophy through which he founded Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet. Originally from Paris and trained as a biologist, Hervé works precisely in the small municipality of Arlebosc, located on the northern slope of the Ardèche area, along the Doux river, a tributary of the Rhône. Here the vigneron began his adventure in 1993, supported by his wife Béatrice, influenced by two masters of artisanal wine like Marcel Lapierre and Philippe Pacalet, great interpreters of the Beaujolais and Burgundy territories respectively.
The vigneron Hervé Souhaut cultivates just 5 hectares of old vines dedicated to the varieties Syrah, Gamay, Viognier, and Roussanne, managed through an agronomic approach based on the principles of organic farming, although the producer renounces any certification. He also collaborates with some trusted winemakers from whom he purchases part of the grapes, including those of the varieties Marsanne and Merlot. The plants, that can reach up to 100 years of age, rest on granitic or schist soils, and the harvest is carried out strictly by hand with careful selection of the grapes. In the cellar, Hervé proceeds with whole cluster vinifications based on spontaneous low-temperature fermentations, in oak barrels or in stainless steel tanks, with semi-carbonic maceration and always resorting to gentle extractions. For the subsequent aging, oak barrels of multiple passes or steel tanks are used, and throughout the entire process, manipulations or invasive additions are excluded, with the only addition of sulfur at bottling when the wine requires it.
The wines of Hervé Souhaut are characterized as expressions of pure and crystalline personality, marked by a juicy and engaging drink, never unbalanced, with a minerality that is always evident. These are bottles that are already very enjoyable in their youth, but capable of evolving and harmonizing further with bottle aging.
