Florian André is a talented young winemaker who has found a property with superb potential. For three years he was an apprentice to Christophe Delorme, owner of Domaine de la Mordoree (Châteauneuf, Lirac, and Tavel). Florian then approached the religious order that owned the Château de Manissy, which is above and contiguous to Château d’Aqueria in Tavel. Apparently many had tried and been turned down by the Brothers. In this case, however, they were impressed by Florian’s resume and plans. The vintage 2004 was his first vintage for the chateau, and he succeeded magnificently. I visited him in late March, and together we have put together the “Cuvée des Lys”, which RVF found to be an exceptional wine. It is a blend of Grenache 60% Clairette 30% Syrah 10%, vibrant color, aromas and flavor. On the attack it explodes with a cascade of fruit, and then on the finish the Clairette brings a lovely balancing and extending minerality. The soil of of this beautiful and rugged terroir is a combination of round river rock, loze, sand and (blue) clay spread on former seabed slopes. Since the 2016 vintage, the estate has been certified Biodynamic. The Belle Étoile wines are bottled under Vignobles Florian André and are Certified Organic.