Julien Mus is a Southern Rhône vigneron based in Bédarrides, near Châteauneuf-du-Pape. After studying viticulture and oenology in Beaune, he returned to his family vines, first vinifying at the local co-operative from 1997 before launching Domaine de la Graveirette in 2005. Farming moved to organics in 2012 and biodynamics (Demeter) in 2015; today he works by hand, with native yeasts, minimal sulphur and a light touch in the cellar. The estate spans about 10 hectares across Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and IGP sites, planted to Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, alongside Marselan and Merlot; the whites include Clairette, Roussanne and Bourboulenc. Mus’s wines are noted for purity and freshness, often aged in concrete to emphasise fruit, texture and terroir transparency. The style is supple yet precise, pairing gastronomic drive with real drinkability

The Rhône Valley, stretching from Lyon to the Mediterranean, is one of France’s most diverse and historic wine regions. Divided into the Northern and Southern Rhône, it offers a wide range of climates, soils, and wine styles.

The Northern Rhône has a continental climate with steep, terraced vineyards on granite and schist soils. This area is renowned for Syrah, the only permitted red grape, producing deeply coloured, age-worthy wines with flavours of blackberry, black pepper, olives, and smoke. Notable appellations include Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, and Cornas. Whites here, made from Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne, are rich, floral, and full-bodied. The best example is Condrieu.

The Southern Rhône enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and a variety of soils, including limestone, sand, and the famous galets roulés (rounded stones). Blends dominate here, with Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre forming the backbone of reds that are generous, spicy, and fruit-forward. Côtes du Rhône is the largest AOC, known for easy-drinking, fruity styles. Flagship appellations include Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, and Vacqueyras, producing rich and powerful wines.

Grenache, known as Garnacha in Spain, is one of the world’s most widely planted and versatile red grape varieties. Believed to have originated in Aragon, northeastern Spain, it spread across the Mediterranean and is now integral to many of the world’s great wine regions. It thrives in hot, dry climates and is particularly drought-resistant, with late-ripening characteristics that require long growing seasons.

Viticulturally, Grenache is vigorous and productive, often grown as bush vines to control yield and improve concentration. It prefers well-drained soils like schist, gravel, and sand, contributing to its rich texture and ripeness.

In Spain, Garnacha is prominent in regions such as Priorat, Rioja (often blended), and Aragón, producing wines with ripe red fruit, spice, and earthy notes. In France, Grenache is the backbone of Southern Rhône blends (e.g. Châteauneuf-du-Pape), offering warmth, red berry fruit, and herbal nuances. It is also widely planted in Australia (notably in McLaren Vale), the U.S. (especially California), and South Africa.

Grenache produces a range of styles—from fresh, fruity rosés to powerful reds and fortified wines. Typical flavours include strawberry, raspberry, white pepper, dried herbs, and sometimes leather and liquorice with age. Its soft tannins and plush texture make it both approachable and age-worthy.

Merlot is one of the world’s most widely planted and popular red grape varieties, prized for its soft texture, approachability, and rich fruit character. Originating in Bordeaux, France—particularly prominent in the Right Bank regions of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol—Merlot is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties to add suppleness and ripe fruit.

Viticulturally, Merlot is an early-ripening grape, making it well-suited to cooler climates. It thrives in clay-rich soils, which enhance its plush texture and depth. However, it can be sensitive to frost and overly vigorous if not carefully managed, sometimes leading to high yields and diluted flavours.

Today, Merlot is grown extensively around the world, including in France, Italy, the United States (especially California and Washington State), Chile, Australia, and New Zealand. In each region, it adapts to different styles—from soft and fruity to structured and age-worthy.

Merlot wines are typically medium to full-bodied, with smooth tannins and flavours of plum, black cherry, blackberry, chocolate, and sometimes herbal or earthy notes. In warmer climates, the wines tend to be richer and fruitier, while cooler regions produce more restrained, elegant expressions. Merlot’s versatility and charm make it a staple of both varietal wines and blends worldwide.

Mourvèdre (Monastrell in Spain; Mataro in Australia and California) is widely thought to originate from eastern Spain, historically linked to Murviedro (Sagunto) and the Valencia/Jumilla heartlands. Heat-loving and late ripening, it thrives in warm, dry climates and on poor, calcareous, well-drained soils. The variety has small, thick-skinned berries and compact bunches, giving deep colour, firm tannins and notable structure.

Viticulturally, Mourvèdre demands a long growing season and sheltered sites; cool, windy flowering can cause coulure, and tight clusters are susceptible to mildew if humidity rises. Canopy management and yield control are essential to avoid rustic tannins, while careful oxygen management in the cellar helps prevent reductive aromas.

Beyond Spain (Jumilla, Yecla, Almansa), Mourvèdre is a Mediterranean stalwart in southern France—key in the southern Rhône (as part of GSM blends) and the Languedoc-Roussillon, and the signature grape of Bandol in Provence, where it makes some of France’s most ageworthy reds and structured rosés. It is also successful in California (Paso Robles, Contra Costa), Australia (McLaren Vale, Barossa), South Africa and Chile.

Stylistically, Mourvèdre ranges from robust varietal reds to blending components that lend colour, tannin and savoury depth. Typical flavours include blackberry, black plum and dark cherry, with notes of violet, black pepper, liquorice, cocoa, cured meat and wild Mediterranean herbs (garrigue). With bottle age it develops leathery, gamey and earthy complexity. Rosés featuring Mourvèdre—especially from Bandol—are dry, textural and gastronomic, offering red berry, orange peel and a subtly spicy, saline finish.

Marselan is a modern French crossing of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, created in 1961 by researcher Paul Truel near the coastal town of Marseillan, from which it takes its name. Initially overlooked for its small berries and modest yields, it has since earned favour for quality, climate resilience and versatility.

In the vineyard, Marselan is mid- to late-ripening, with small, thick-skinned berries on relatively loose bunches. It shows good resistance to rot and heat, coping well in warm, sometimes humid conditions; growers prize it for reliable colour, aromatic fruit and supple tannins.

While its home remains southern France, Marselan has travelled widely. China has embraced it as a potential “signature” red, with successful plantings across regions such as Ningxia, Shandong and Xinjiang. Beyond China and France, it appears in Spain, Israel, Switzerland, Italy, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and the United States, often in small but growing volumes.

Stylistically, Marselan produces deeply coloured wines with aromatic black fruit—blackberry, black cherry and plum—sometimes edged with blueberry and violet. The palate tends to medium body, fresh acidity and fine, supple tannins; oak elevage can layer in gentle spice or cocoa. It is made both as a varietal and in blends, offering approachable early drinking yet the structure to age gracefully when yields are kept low and ripeness is carefully managed.