Domaine Saint Damien Côtes du Rhône Blanc Le Clos Cordier 2025

Domaine Saint Damien Côtes du Rhône blanc Le Clos Cordier is an even split of Clairette and Bourboulenc from a Gigondas grower better known for red.

Domaine Saint Damien is based at Gigondas, where Joël Saurel farms parcels at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail and in the surrounding Côtes du Rhône. The domaine built its name on old vine Grenache reds, and its whites are a small and comparatively recent part of the range. Le Clos Cordier is a named parcel bottled on its own, half Clairette and half Bourboulenc, two of the southern Rhône's most useful white varieties precisely because they ripen late and hold acidity in heat. The wine is made without oak.

Crisp and dry with a faintly saline edge, it suits shellfish, grilled fish and salads; serve at around 10 degrees.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.

Type: White Wine
Style: Medium-bodied, Crisp
Grape Varietal: 50% Clairette, 50% Bourboulenc
Tastes Like: Comparable to a dry Pinot Grigio, with citrus, orchard fruit and a faintly saline finish
Size: 750mL
Appellation: Côtes du Rhône AOC
Region: Rhône Valley, France
Terroir: Le Clos Cordier, a single named parcel at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail
Aging: Made without oak
Serving Temperature: 10°C - Serve well-chilled

Domaine Saint Damien is based at Gigondas, where Joël Saurel farms parcels at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail and across the surrounding Côtes du Rhône. The domaine built its name on old-vine Grenache reds, and its whites are a small and comparatively recent part of the range.

Seafood: Grilled prawns, oysters, or whole fish with lemon.
Poultry: Roast chicken with tarragon.
Vegetarian: Goat cheese tart or a summer salad with soft herbs.
Meat: Ardèche caillettes, pork rillettes, or charcuterie.

Picodon: Local to the Rhône, tangy and firm, meeting the wine's acidity head on.
Banon: Soft and chestnut-leaf wrapped, echoing the wine's herbal side.
Goat Cheese: Fresh and bright, enhancing the wine's citrus notes.
Comté: Nutty and savoury, balancing the wine's saline finish.

Caillettes Ardéchoises (Ardèche Pork and Chard Caillettes)

A rustic speciality from the Ardèche, on the Rhône's western bank, where seasoned pork is bound with a generous quantity of silverbeet and baked in caul fat until burnished. The wine's saline edge and firm acidity cut cleanly through the richness of the pork, while the chard and herbs echo its green, herbal lift.

Ingredients (Serves 6):

• 500g pork shoulder, coarsely minced
• 250g pork liver, finely chopped
• 500g silverbeet or chard leaves, stalks removed
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp juniper berries, crushed
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 100ml dry white wine
• Caul fat (crépine), soaked in cold water, or streaky bacon rashers
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Crusty bread and a green salad, for serving

Instructions:

1. Wilt the Chard: Blanch the chard leaves in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, drain thoroughly, squeeze out all the water and chop finely. Any water left behind will loosen the mixture.
2. Build the Farce: Soften the onion and garlic in olive oil, then cool. Combine with the minced pork, liver, chard, juniper, thyme and parsley. Season generously and work in the white wine until evenly bound.
3. Rest the Mixture: Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight, to let the flavours settle.
4. Shape the Caillettes: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Form the mixture into 6 balls roughly the size of a small fist and wrap each in a piece of caul fat, or drape with bacon if caul is unavailable.
5. Bake: Sit the caillettes in an oiled roasting dish and bake for 45-50 minutes, basting once or twice, until deeply browned and firm.
6. Serve: Rest for 10 minutes, then serve warm with crusty bread and a sharply dressed green salad, or cold the following day.

Clairette and Bourboulenc give this wine the acidity and saline grip to stand up to a rich pork farce, while its unoaked freshness keeps the pairing lively rather than heavy.