Sainte-Anne, Domaine

The Steinmaier family, originally from Austria, emigrated to France in the 1930’s. In 1965, Guy Steinmaier, born in Burgundy, purchased a vineyard in the tinyl hamlet of Les Cellettes, near Saint-Gervais on the right bank of the Rhône. Over the years he purchased 10 more hectares of land, as well as buildings from the 16th Century with cellars. In the 1980’s, his sons Jean and Alain took over; today, Alain still manages Domaine Sainte-Anne, now totaling 35 hectares, along with his wife, who tends to the estate’s visitors. Here, in the Southern Rhône region, this estate crafts wines with a reputation for excellence, lush fruit and expressiveness of the surrounding garrigue. They vinify both red and white wine grapes, including Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, and Mourvèdre. Only one of their cuvees ever sees oak; otherwise, Sainte-Anne prefers to age their wines in cement tanks to allow the freshness and purity of the grapes to be expressed.