winery

Domaine Semaska

The discovery

A pearl in a deep sleep.

The vineyards of the venerable Château de Montlys lay fallow for over 70 years. Wine pioneer Christophe Semaska is bringing the top wines from the banks of the Rhône back onto the menu.

Das Weingut Weine entdecken

The winery

The almost forgotten top wines from the Rhône.

The Côte du Rhône is one of the top wine-growing regions in France and is better known for the south of the region. The focus here is on white wines and rosé wines. In the north of the top region there are renowned locations such as Côte Rôtie and St Joseph. This is also where the winery of Christophe Semaska and his son Eugène is located.
The winery used the venerable Château de Montlys for many years. The castle, which dates back to the early modern period, survived the revolution of 1789 unscathed and stands enthroned above the Rhône. With the First World War, the winegrowers gave up the vines. Phylloxera put a definitive end to the 8 hectares of terraced vineyards.
It was not until 1988 that wine pioneer Christophe Semaska dared to plant new vines. At first he did this out of love and passion for the region's history. But it was to become so much more. It turned out that the vineyards produced absolutely top-quality wines. So over the years the original 1.38 hectares grew into an impressive 15 hectares. Among them are names that make the hearts of wine connoisseurs beat faster: Côte Rôtie with the Château de Montlys vineyard, Condrieu, Rasteau, St Joseph and many more.

All organic or what?

There are many definitions of what NATURAL means in winemaking. Not all winemakers are certified to treat nature responsibly. So we check for ourselves on site whether a winemaker meets our standards for treating the natural product wine.

✔ Organic, vegan, unfiltered, natural, etc.

✔ Biodiversity instead of monoculture

✔ Natural products produced at the pace of nature

Trust as the most important currency

Over 50 additives can be used in wine production, none of which have to be listed on the label. Mass-produced and cheap wines are flooding the market with artificially produced smells, appearances and tastes. The security of holding an HONEST product in your hand is therefore our top priority.

✔ 100% family wineries

✔ Personal relationship with the winemaker

✔ No influence from ratings, seals or points

Responsibility for the team in the engine room

The work in winemaking is often physically demanding and time-consuming, and not just during harvest time. Cheap workers from low-wage countries are popular. Against this background, high standards in the SOCIAL area are of fundamental importance to us.

✔ Fair wages and humane treatment

✔ Social responsibility

✔ Social commitment

"The sun-baked slopes of the Côte Rôtie on the northernmost banks of the Rhône produce renowned top wines."

70 years

Forget

1988

new planting

15ha

vineyard

The location

On the banks of the Rhône.

A deep valley with steep slopes takes visitors to the northern Côte du Rhône breath away. Syrah has been cultivated here since Roman times and the vineyards are laid out in terraces. The soil is heterogeneous and, with varying compositions of granite, slate and gravel, produces fascinating individual vineyards that are considered top wines by Francophile wine connoisseurs around the world. The sun-drenched Côte Rôtie (French for "the baked bank"), which is considered the empress of Syrah, stands out in particular. At its epicenter is the Château de Montlys - the hub for Christophe and his team.