In 1998, Diane de Puymorin left it all behind; a fancy corporate gig in Paris, international travel, prestige and a lucrative salary for the ultimate long shot: wine. Normally, of course, we don’t recommend this route, but, well, it’s hard to argue with the results. More to the point, it’s really hard to argue with Diane, who, quite likely, is the most charismatic person currently making wine in the entire Rhône (if not beyond.) Barely 5 foot even, she nonetheless possesses an unlimited supply of "I'm in charge here,” energy, which along with her marked resemblance to a gallic Eddie Falco suggests that it’s best to get out of her way.

After completing a degree in agronomy, Diane purchased an old winery deep in Saint Giles, deep within the Southern Rhône and started shaking things up, applying her limitless ambition to the sleepy appellation of Costieres de Nimes. Thirty years later, she’s become a pillar of the community and helped shape its future; advocating for mapping the region’s unique terroir, developing a cru system, championing traditional viticulture, and leading the charge to biodynamics on her over 50 hectares of vineyards, all of which are fully demeter certified. That would be enough, perhaps, but Diane, with the help of her husband Mathieu Chatain and daughter Chloe, has also been creating some of the most delicious, southern Rhône wines we’ve tasted, vibrant wines of place that we absolutely fell in love with on the Salon circuit this winter and that we couldn’t wait to get in your glasses.

The terroir of Domaine de le Petite Cassagne hinges on two critical factors. The first is the spring Mistral winds which whip down from the North in the spring and cut through the heat and incipient chaleur, lending vigor and energy to the wines. The second factor is the soils, made up of the same galets roules that define Chateauneuf de Pape. Locally, these are only found around St. Giles and Diane is a big believer in their potential for elevated winemaking, going so far as to advocate for a sub-appellation based on their presence. These stones accelerate the ripening process, hold moisture in the soil and prevent wind-based erosion. Together, these two factors develop phenolic ripeness and complexity and are a true boon to biodynamic viticulture, cutting disease pressure and ensuring healthy harvests.

In the cellar Diane’s a big advocate of the if it's not broke, don’t fix it school of winemaking, a rarity in a Southern Rhône still dominated by industrial winemaking and the cult of the roaming oenologists. The grapes are hand harvested, crushed, spontaneously fermented, and raised in inox tanks – all with a steady soundtrack of tonal music that encourages the wines to grow healthy and harmoniously. In a rarity for the region, the wines are vinified without any additions, with so2 only being applied judiciously at bottling. As a result of these factors and the glorious growing conditions, the wines from Domaine de la Petite Cassagne possess a depth and vibrancy that would be surprising at twice the price. As they stand now, the wine quality to price ratio is shocking – which, let’s face it, it’s really nice to have reverse sticker shock once in a while.