If you take the Route de la Plaine north from the medieval town of Courthézon in the Southern Rhone, by the time you reach the top of the hill you'll be surrounded by a sea of vines. Known locally as Mourre du Tendre, or ‘the hill of love’. It’s been home to the Paumel family for seven generations.

Today the estate is run by Florence and her son Paul Verité, who farm traditionally, seeking balance and elegance through respect for the natural cycles of the land. In the cellar, they use whole-bunch to give structure, and age in both concrete tanks and foudre. The resulting wines are graceful, age-worthy with a freshness that you don't always find in this region.