Hour of truth comes for French wine bottles submerged in underground river

he jury’s still out on 66 magnums of red AOC Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Saint-Andéol placed 12 metres below ground in February 2024 in the cool, dark waters of Le Goul de la Tannerie by winegrowers in southern Ardèche (2 co-operatives and 9 independent wineries). But not for much longer. On Tuesday April 8, 22 magnums will be brought back up to the surface by divers from the Val de Tourne club so that they can be tasted by 1992 World’s Best Sommelier, Philippe Faure-Brac, who will be comparing them with control wines matured in the open air.

This is the first time that the appellation’s wines have been submerged for so long. Last year, eleven winegrowers conducted an initial trial by leaving magnums in 13°C water and pitch black for five months. When sommelier Eric Dugardin tasted them he said he was “blown away by the differences” with the same wines matured conventionally. At first pour, he perceived “a sensation of red and black fruit pulp with a lot of freshness”, flowing into candied notes after airing. His impressions were confirmed on the palate.

The 22 magnums taken out of the water on April 8 will be auctioned at a gala evening hosted at the Bishop’s Palace in Bourg-Saint-Andéol on May 3. The proceeds from the auction will be entirely donated to a regional charity.