People might balk at a 95-point score for a Côtes du Rhône-Villages wine. But Rotem and Mounir Saouma’s Inopia is truly exceptional. With Inopia, and indeed all of Rotem and Mounir Saouma’s Rhône wines, the finesse and weightlessness of Burgundy meets the muscle of the Rhône. In Burgundy, the husband- and-wife team acts as a mini-négociant, buying small amounts of grapes or newly pressed wine from growers—typically just a few barrels—raising it, and bottling it under the Lucien Le Moine label. In the Rhône, about a decade ago, they purchased land both in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côtes du Rhône-Villages appellations. There, they grow the grapes themselves and make the wines. The Saoumas opted for the name, Inopia, which means “made from nothing” in Latin, since the vineyard they purchased had been neglected and seemingly forgotten. Inopia’s blend is Grenache Noir-dominant with the usual other Mediterranean varieties, Counoise Cinsault, Mourvèdre, and Syrah, playing a supporting role. Rotem explained to me in 2022 at a tasting of their Burgundies in Beaune that the challenge for them in the Rhône was preserving freshness because they lack the “umbrella of acidity” they have with Pinot Noir in Burgundy. Well, the graceful and lively 2022 Inopia has plenty of freshness that beautifully buttresses and magnifies its dark fruit and herbal nuances. It commands your attention because of an extraordinary finesse and gracefulness, rarely seen in wines labeled Côtes du Rhône-Villages. Drinking window: 2024-2034.  Nov 4, 2024