Muscular Northern Rhône-style Syrah from the Bonneton’s prized vineyard, where vines planted as far back as the 1940s cling to steep, south-facing terraces that look down to the river Doux, one of the Rhône’s western tributaries. The very oldest vines here are specifically Sérine, a thick-skinned, tightly-clustered clone of Syrah that is principally associated with nearby Côte-Rôtie. The soils here are the same decomposed granite (referred to locally as ‘gore’) one might find in the coveted Cornas AOC, but with a different aspect, sitting atop the valley to the west at around 600 metres altitude. The cooler nights bring a freshness and perfume to the wine that reflects this outlying terroir. Manual work is the only possibility here and, despite the vertiginous slopes, Remi is still working the soil by horse and plow.
Whole bunches are crushed by foot and left to macerate for a couple of weeks before being pressed into a mixture of old demi-muid barrels and amphora to age for one year, before bottling in the summer of 2023 with no additions at all. Deep, sumptuous blackcurrant fruit, black olive tapenade and toasted cacao with the kind of bold, fine-grained tannins you’d expect in this style of wine. After a couple of years in the bottle its drinking window is now starting to open. That said, it’s a bottle we also feel could happily sleep in the cellar for many years to come.
*Sérine is a historic, small-berried, low-yielding clone of Syrah, historically significant in France's Northern Rhône, especially Côte-Rôtie, known for producing concentrated, aromatic wines with finesse, smoky notes, pepper, and structure, distinct from standard Syrah by its smaller clusters and greater complexity. It's considered the original Syrah by some.
Patricia and Rémi Bonneton
L’Alezan & La Tangente are the twin projects of Patricia and Rémi Bonneton, based in the rugged hills of northern Ardèche. Working from the steep, remote slopes of the Doux Valley, the pair farm a small but growing estate rooted in manual labor, animal traction, and an uncompromising commitment to natural winemaking.
The domaine currently spans roughly 2.5 hectares of organically farmed vines, with plans to expand to four. The Bonnetons began their journey with their first parcel in 2013 and released their initial estate wines in 2016 under the L’Alezan label. To support the domaine while it grows, they also work as négociants, sourcing organic fruit from close friends and like-minded growers to produce wines under the La Tangente name.
Rémi Bonneton grew up in Hermitage, immersed in a culture of wine through family and community, even though his own family did not own vineyards. With land prices prohibitive, he found an alternative path into viticulture by working with horses, offering plowing services to local growers. This work gave him deep practical knowledge of soils, vines, and landscapes, and gradually opened the door to renting his own parcels. Along the way, he honed his skills through formative experiences with producers such as Pierre Gonon and Alatache.
Patricia Bonneton came to wine from a different background, having worked in marketing and recruitment before discovering natural wine in 2012. Drawn to the physicality of farming and the idea of working the land by hand and horse, she and Rémi began building the project together, guided and supported by a close network of friends and mentors including Babass, the Robinots, Philippe Jambon, Fabien Bergeron, Lilian Bauchet, Pascal Potaire, and Domaine des Miquettes.
The vineyards lie on some of the steepest slopes in the Doux Valley, a dramatic and demanding environment where everything is done manually or with horses. Farming here is a constant challenge, shaped by wildlife pressure, violent hailstorms, and even nearby forest fires. These conditions demand resilience and attention, and they leave a clear imprint on the wines.
In 2018, Patricia and Rémi acquired a house with an old winery and cellar, which they have since carefully renovated. In the cellar, the approach is resolutely hands-off: spontaneous fermentations, no fining or filtration, no additions, and no sulfites. Wines are aged in a mix of tank, old barrels, and increasingly amphora, with the goal of transparency and structure rather than easy immediacy.
The wines of L’Alezan and La Tangente are serious, expressive, and grounded in place—shaped as much by the intensity of their environment as by the patience and conviction of the people behind them.
