KERMIT LYNCH WINE MERCHANT

Over forty years of doing business in France and Italy have given Kermit Lynch a level of expertise that few in the wine industry can boast. Countless hours with growers in some of the most famous vineyards and cellars of Europe have offered more than just a casual look at what it takes to be a great grower, let alone a great winemaker. Kermit Lynch was the first to champion the benefits of unfined and unfiltered wines, long before they had become fashionable. This belief is really a matter of taste, and the proof has always been in the glass, offering a purer expression of fruit and an unadulterated reflection of the terroir. Kermit’s conviction has been so strong over the years that he has been able to persuade even the most hard-headed vignerons to test his theories.

Long-term relationships with vignerons in every major wine growing region offer a tremendous array of opportunities. Every year, Kermit enjoys a creative collaboration with some growers to find the best of their selections. Together, they work towards creating a final blend that showcases the region in all its glory at a price point that is difficult to match.

VIN DE PAYS DE VAUCLUSE

Sourced from the terroirs around Domaine de Durban (click here for more information), the grapes for this red Rhône are sourced from parcels next to the village of Beaumes-de-Venise. These vineyards were traditionally used for the family’s personal consumption, and many of the unused grapes were sold off in bulk. As none of this was for commercial bottling, the Leydier family made no effort to have these parcels included in the A.O.C. Côtes du Rhône when the boundaries were first established in 1937. Upon hearing that the family had been selling these grapes to the local cave cooperative in Vacqueyras, Kermit presented the Leydiers the idea of creating a value-driven second label. The plan soon evolved into a collaboration between the family and Kermit. Together, they bottle both a Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge and Blanc.

CÔTES DU RHÔNE

The "KL Côtes du Rhône" is a collaboration with Demazet Vignobles, a cave co-op in Morières-lès-Avignon, just south of Avignon. Since 1929, this winery has been bringing local vignerons together from the outlying areas of Avignon to produce delicious wines that epitomize the region’s complex terroirs. The fruit for our cuvée is sourced from a handful of growers in the nearby town of Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne, which boasts an excellent terroir of galets roulés, not unlike a much more famous Châteauneuf just a few miles away! Kermit works closely with winemaker Jean-François Pasturel to develop the blend each year. Pasturel is thrilled to have the chance to produce a Côtes du Rhône he does not have to filter to death. It is his tête de cuvée, his pride and joy.

CÔTES DU RHÔNE VILLAGES

Launched with the 2022 vintage, the Côtes du Rhône Villages is a collaboration with Les Vignerons d'Estézargues, a co-op located on the right bank of the Rhône just south of Tavel. Founded in 1965, Estézargues has championed sustainable and organic viticulture and natural winemaking for much of its history, making it a rare exception for a co-op of its size. They work very closely with their growers, emphasizing organic farming, and manage their cellar with a judicious use of low-intervention techniques: nothing is inoculated, sulfur is kept to a bare minimum, and wines are bottled without filtration. Our cuvée is sourced from gobelet-trained vines on the nearby plateau of Signargues, midway between Tavel and the Pont du Gard, the famous Roman aqueduct. Promoted to Côtes du Rhône Villages in 2005, Signargues sits on an alluvial riverbed terrace from the Villafranchian era, the same soil as in Châteauneuf-du-Pape just across the Rhône. The endless expanse of galets roulés (polished riverbed stones) is the ideal terroir for producing wines of great character and typicity in this iconic sun-baked region. The bottle features no capsule, and the label was designed by celebrated French artist Michel Tolmer.