From the atlas
Domaine Serre Besson
Domaine Serre Besson makes Vinsobres reds from hillside parcels, with organic farming, separate fermentation, and parcel bottlings of Syrah and Grenache.
At A Glance
| Field | Detail |
| Region | Rhône |
| Appellation | Vinsobres |
| Lieu dit | Les Côtes |
| Main grapes | Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Viognier |
| Signature wine | Serre Besson Cru Vinsobres |
| Defining feature | Organic farming, hand sorting, and gravity fed fermentation in cement tanks |
The Producer
An old stone house surrounded by vineyards forms the beginning of Domaine Serre Besson. American wine professional Victor Taylor runs the domaine with his partner Xavier Nyssen. Their wines come from estate vineyard parcels, with a principal blended Vinsobres cuvée alongside parcel wines made from Syrah and Grenache.
The property combines vineyard, forest, hillside parcels, and a cellar built into the slope. Hand harvesting, separate fermentation, and cement tanks keep the work close to the fruit from the moment it arrives.
Place
At about 450 metres, Domaine Serre Besson lies in the Les Côtes lieu dit, facing Mont Ventoux. Vinsobres is the appellation named on the red wine label. Altitude generally slows ripening and helps preserve acidity, while the hillside setting places Syrah on the highest ground beside the forest.
The domaine sits between two ravines, with natural springs and forest protection to the north. Mont Ventoux remains part of the physical view from the property.
Soil And Site
The vineyard soils combine clay, limestone, and river stones rich in calcite. Clay can hold moisture around vine roots, limestone allows excess water to move away, and stones absorb warmth during the day before releasing it after dusk. These materials create different conditions for water supply, drainage, and ripening across the parcels.
Organic farming is carried out across this ground, with the vines divided between vineyard land and surrounding forest.
Story
Victor Taylor and Xavier Nyssen began farming organically before obtaining certification in 2019. The farming change established the vineyard method behind the domaine's red wines, while the parcels remained distinct enough to support separate bottlings of Syrah and Grenache.
The cellar follows the same attention to individual lots. Parcels and grape varieties are fermented separately, then combined for the blended Vinsobres wine.
Vineyards And Cellar
The domaine covers ten hectares, divided evenly between vineyard and forest. The five vineyard hectares contain 11 parcels, including one hectare planted in 1961 with mixed rows of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. Syrah occupies the highest ground near the forest, while Grenache, Syrah, Viognier, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, and Carignan grow farther down the slope.
The grapes are harvested by hand into 20 kilogram bins, sorted by hand, destemmed, and gravity fed into cement fermentation tanks. For the Vinsobres cuvée, four lots ferment separately before blending the following spring. Maturation takes place partly in cement and partly in 400 litre oak ovals, giving the wine time in both inert and wooden vessels.
Wines
The range centres on Serre Besson Cru Vinsobres, a blended red whose grape proportions vary by vintage and typically include Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, and Carignan. The parcel wines narrow the focus. Ragots 2024 is a 100% Syrah from the highest parcel beside the forest, made without added sulfites. Pauvre Diable 2024 is a certified organic 100% Grenache from the oldest Grenache parcels, also made without added sulfites.
Pauvre Diable can be drunk young and fresh or aged for three to five years. The range therefore moves from a blended appellation wine to single variety wines tied to specific parcels.
In The Glass
Serre Besson Cru Vinsobres 2022 opens with blackcurrant, blackberry, and spicy oak. The palate is succulent and full bodied, with lively freshness and a long finish.
Ragots 2024 brings wild raspberry, black cherry, and plum skin in a vibrant, crunchy style. Its rounded, supple texture is supported by fresh acidity and fine tannins, ending with pepper and floral notes.
Pauvre Diable 2024 is deep and velvety, with present but integrated tannins. Black cherry, blackberry, spices, and roses shape the flavour, giving the Grenache a darker and more aromatic profile.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose the 2022 Serre Besson Cru Vinsobres first. It is the principal blended Vinsobres cuvée, with Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and Mourvèdre in one appellation wine. Ragots 2024 and Pauvre Diable 2024 move to single variety parcel bottlings, so the 2022 cuvée places the domaine's multi variety format before those narrower wines.
Anecdote
In 2011, Victor Taylor came across old vines descending from the Vinsobres plateau, with a view of Mont Ventoux and a for sale sign. He acquired an old stone house surrounded by vineyards and began restoring the property and vines. The work included replanting, revitalizing, and trellising old vines again. After five years of effort, Taylor and his partner Xavier Nyssen produced their first vintage in 2016.
Final Word
Domaine Serre Besson makes Vinsobres from Grenache and Syrah across clay, limestone, and calcite rich river stones, with a cellar that hand sorts fruit, gravity feeds cement tanks, and keeps parcel wines distinct.
Sources
- https://serre-besson.com/
- https://winetraditions.com/portfolio/wines/rhone/domaine-serre-besson/
- https://serre-besson.com/home/2022-2/
- https://serre-besson.com/home/pauvre-diable-2024/