The McKinley family founded Domaine de Mourchon in 1998 in an isolated valley between the beautiful villages of Séguret and Mont Ventoux in the Côte du Rhône. The vineyard had 20 hectares of old vines but no winemaking facilities so the McKinlay family built a cellar with the latest technology. Organic techniques have been used from the beginning, with an aim to be fully certified by 2020. Combined with modern technologies and careful cultivation, the domaine is known for producing well-structured, rich wines with pronounced fruit aromas.

You’re a family-run business, what are the challenges of working with relatives?

There are definitely pros and cons of working across generations. Experience is a fine thing to have in business as it can help mitigate risk and bring confidence and authenticity to what we do however, in these rapidly changing times experience can sometimes get in the way of innovation which is why we are waiting impatiently for the next generation to come of age.

You follow an organic viticulture approach, what’s the kind of work that you do at the winery? It is not difficult for us to work organically thanks to the nature of our terroir. We are at 350 meters altitude and our vines are planted on steep slopes which means rainwater drains easily and the vines are exposed to plenty of sun and Mistral wind which comes from the North to dry up any lingering humidity and clear away the bugs. We are surrounded by woodland and olive groves which ensure a healthy biodiversity.

Do you have a good anecdote about the winery?

The winery very nearly didn’t get built and only went ahead because serendipity intervened. In the 1970s Walter’s work in oil and gas took them to Aberdeen, Scottland, where Ronnie opened a restaurant serving a house wine from Vaqueyras, a village near Séguret. Years later, searching for a vineyard they found the vines for sale in Séguret and had a coup du coeur for the place. However, they were advised not to buy because it was unlikely that they would get planning permission to build the winery and house from the local Marie who was not accustomed to outsiders coming in to the industry. Undeterred Walter went to meet the Mayor and was astonished to find that they in fact new each other as the Mayor had been a regular customer at Ronnie’s restaurant when he was working as an engineer and visited Aberdeen often. The rest is history!

Il vino è stato prodotto nella Valle del Rodano per oltre 500 anni, con alcuni dei suoi vigneti tra i più antichi della Francia. Lo Syrah domina il sud con un mix di uve mediterranee, mentre al nord, le due stelle sono l'Hermitage – coltivato su un imponente versante granitico sopra la città di Tain e da conservare in fondo alla cantina per un decennio – e Côte-Rôtie, un'appellation stella resa famosa dai vini di singoli vigneti di Guigal, ma anche sede di dozzine di produttori di qualità ancora meno conosciuti. I pendii scoscesi che si affacciano sul fiume devono essere terrazzati per rendere possibile la produzione. St Joseph e Cornas forniscono anche vini corposi e di valore, ma la migliore fonte per un buon rapporto qualità-prezzo è Crozes-Hermitage, un'appellation satellite che si è rinvigorita negli ultimi anni con l'arrivo di nuove leve. La valle fluviale si allarga a sud di Valenza nella zona di Côtes du Rhône sulle pianure alluvionali ventose e sui pendii inferiori delle colline. È uno spettacolo particolarmente suggestivo durante i cieli freddi, chiari e blu delle condizioni di Mistral. I migliori villaggi vinicoli di Côtes du Rhône sono stati promossi alle loro stesse appellazioni - Vinsobres, Vacqueyras - paragonabili in qualità al più noto Gigondas. Il re del Rodano meridionale è Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Qui i galets roulés, massi arrotondati dal letto del fiume antico, forniscono il contesto per vini rossi gloriosamente ricchi che sanno di calore ed erbe del sud, e arricchiti dalla complessità che deriva dalla miscela di più varietà di uve. Tredici sono consentite in totale, ma la Grenache di solito domina, insieme a Syrah e Mourvèdre a supporto. Una buona annata richiede otto-dieci anni di invecchiamento in cantina per ottenere i migliori risultati. Se il tuo gusto preferisce vini bianchi più corposi, ricchi e relativamente esotici, allora forse un Hermitage bianco o un Châteauneuf-du-Pape bianco della Valle del Rodano sarebbero più adatti, oppure un meravigliosamente profumato, inebriante Condrieu - quartier generale dell'uva Viognier.

Côtes du Rhône is the largest and most widely recognized appellation in France's Rhône Valley, stretching along both banks of the Rhône River from Vienne in the north to Avignon in the south. Established as an AOC in 1937, this appellation covers approximately 44,000 hectares across six départements, making it one of France's most extensive wine regions. The appellation encompasses vineyards in both the Northern and Southern Rhône, though the vast majority of production occurs in the warmer southern sections.

The appellation permits 21 grape varieties, with red wines dominating production at around 95 percent of total output. Grenache serves as the primary grape for reds, often blended with Syrah and Mourvèdre to add structure and complexity. The Mediterranean climate in the south provides warm, dry summers with the mistral wind helping to prevent disease and concentrate flavors. Soils vary considerably across the region, from granite and schist in some areas to clay-limestone and galets roulés (rounded river stones) that retain heat and aid ripening. White wines, though less common, typically feature Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Viognier.

Côtes du Rhône wines are characterized by their approachable, fruit-forward style that emphasizes immediate drinking pleasure rather than long-term aging potential. Red wines typically display ripe red fruit flavors with herbal notes from the garrigue landscape, moderate tannins, and alcohol levels that reflect the warm growing conditions. The wines offer reliable quality at accessible price points, representing the foundational style of Rhône Valley winemaking without the intensity or complexity of the region's cru appellations.