Domaine Étienne Seignovert

Étienne Seignovert, a new face of the Northern Rhône

A return to his roots in the Doux Valley

Originally from Saint-Barthélemy-le-Plain, Ardèche, Étienne Seignovert did not come directly from the world of wine. It was during a stay in New Zealand that the desire to become a winemaker became clear, before he trained in Beaune and then Montpellier and worked at several estates, notably with Yann Chave in Crozes-Hermitage and Peter Fischer at Château Revelette. He eventually returned to his family's land and settled in the early 2020s, in the Doux Valley, a few kilometers from Tournon-sur-Rhône. His estate is gradually being built up between farmed vineyards, new plantings, and grape purchases from winemakers he knows.

High-altitude vineyards and a real desire for biodiversity

A large part of the project is taking place on the Ardèche heights, with parcels located around 400 to 500 meters above sea level, often north-facing and planted on granitic soils. Étienne mainly works with Syrah, Gamay, and Marsanne, while also seeking out other grape varieties when they make sense in his blends. But his idea goes far beyond the vineyard: he wants to build a farm focused on polyculture and agroforestry, reintroducing fruit trees, animals, and spontaneous vegetation to restore a greater balance between fauna and flora. Treatments are kept to a minimum, with low doses of copper and sulfur, as well as manure and infusions.

Free, fresh, and unadorned wines

In the cellar, Étienne maintains the same philosophy: winemaking without additives, with only a little sulfur when the wine needs it, and aging that varies according to the cuvées between tank, amphora, barrel, and demi-muid. There is no fixed recipe, but a clear search for freshness, fruit, and drinkability, far from the sometimes more massive expressions of the Northern Rhône. His cuvées range from the light Merlot of Première Lecture to deeper Syrahs like Les Feux du Ciel, as well as more free blends like Murmure de l’Eau. These are lively and spontaneous wines, with a lot of energy, but above all a real personality behind each bottle.