Ideal Wine & Spirits Day 4: Mont Olivet Lirac
As part of our ongoing importer focus, I’m excited to highlight a personal love brought to us by Ideal Wine & Spirits, which perfectly captures why I’ve always been in love with the Southern Rhône: the 2023 Clos du Mont-Olivet Lirac.
Clos du Mont-Olivet is widely regarded as a benchmark traditionalist in the region. Robert Parker has called it “one of the benchmark producers of Châteauneuf-du-Pape,” while Jeb Dunnuck praises the estate for its “consistently outstanding, classic” wines under the thoughtful leadership of Thierry Sabon. This is a historic domaine, founded in the mid-16th century, and today it continues to produce wines that emphasize elegance, transparency, and a deep sense of place.
I’ll be candid; Lirac is one of my favorite value regions in France. In a region where prices continue to rise, Clos du Mont-Olivet quietly overdelivers year after year, especially in Lirac, just across the Rhône River from Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Unlike much of Lirac, which sits on a plateau, these vines grow on a gentle, north-facing slope. That exposure makes a real difference: there’s less risk of overly ripe fruit or elevated alcohol, and the wine naturally leans toward a fresher, more elegant style. That finesse is further enhanced by Thierry’s use of partial whole cluster fermentation, which brings lift, spice, and structure to the finished wine.
The blend comes from sustainably farmed vines over 35 years old, rooted in sandy clay soils laced with limestone and galets roulés. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in a mix of foudres, cement, and older barrels, the approach is minimalist but precise, allowing the terroir to shine.
In the glass, the 2023 offers beautifully lifted aromatics of red berries, wild herbs, and crushed stone. The palate is vibrant and layered, with classic garrigue notes of thyme, lavender, and earth woven into a core of fresh, pure fruit. It’s a wine of balance, showing just how delicious Lirac can be in the right hands.Move over Chateauneuf du Pape, your little brother is all grown up and ready to play.
94 Points, James Suckling
"This innovative Lirac is powerful and structured, showing excellent black-fruit, black-olive and dried wild-thyme aromas. Compact and straight with deep base notes. So much licorice in the dark yet lively finish. A limited-production cuvee dominated by mourvèdre with a touch of counoise. Matured in demi-muids (oak casks)."