Rémi grew up in Hermitage, surrounded by the most iconic vineyards of the Northern Rhône valley. Dreaming of oneday finding the means to become a vigneron, his entry to the vines was as horse-drawn plough specialist. He met his partner Patricia in 2012 and together they decided to work on creating their estate in the region. Land in the Northern Rhone is expensive and finding vines isn’t easy. They started with a small, isolated parcel of old Syrah, and an abandoned plot on the outskirts of Saint Joseph  that they replanted with the iconic white grapes of the region: Marsanne and Roussane. Rémi and Patricia have an enthusiastic, child-like energy about wine that reminds me of my own first years wading into the waters of natural wine. They are always excited to discover new wines and feel blessed to drink those of other winemakers they idolize. This curiosity and youthful energy also lead them to become hosts of the radically alternative wine salon “Bojalien”.

Over the past years, a rapidly changing climate has led Remi and Patricia to plant Albariño, Savagnin and Pinot Noir, bringing the total surface of their estate to approximately 3 hectares, a third of which are under 6 years old. Additionally, they have launched a modest négociant activity under the name "La Tangente", allowing them to make up for poor years in the Northern Rhône and to experiment with exotic varieties. 

Wines are fermented and aged in a variety of different vessels, from tinaja to demi-muid and stainless steel. Many cuvées see three different containers before being blended, giving Remi and Patricia the chance to see how the wines evolve, which in turn informs their future decisions about vinification.

"Patricia and Remi Bonneton (L'Alezan) offer us an incredible white made from Marsanne and Roussanne, a solera of 4 vintages which reveals crazy complexity. Certainly, the steep hillside vines worked with a winch and horse are probably not for nothing, all underlined by a certain talent for winemaking" -VinChezNous