Domaine Lucien Le Moine et le Clos Saouma
access wines available for saleLucien Le Moine Estate: Haute-Couture Winemaking in Burgundy
Born from the shared passion of Mounir Saouma and Rotem Brakin, Domaine Lucien Le Moine has, in just a few years, become one of the most prestigious négociant-éleveur houses in Burgundy. Established in Beaune since 1999, this micro-domaine offers an exclusive, small-scale production dedicated solely to the Premiers and Grands Crus of the Côte d’Or, vinified and aged with the utmost respect for Burgundian traditions.
A Unique and Inspiring Story
Mounir Saouma’s journey is exceptional. Trained in winemaking in a monastery near Jerusalem, he pursued oenology studies in Montpellier, and refined his skills in Burgundy, California, and other French regions. His meeting with Rotem Brakin, an agricultural engineer from a cheesemaking family, gave rise to a shared vision of wine—artisanal, intuitive, and deeply terroir-driven.
A Unique Philosophy: Purity, Precision, and Typicity
Lucien Le Moine is not a traditional estate but a haute-couture wine atelier. Each year, the couple hand-selects the best musts from partner growers, mostly in Premier and Grand Cru vineyards from the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, such as Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses, Corton-Charlemagne, and Vosne-Romanée. Each cru is vinified separately, in ultra-limited quantities (1 to 3 barrels per cuvée), with no fining or filtration, and bottled by gravity.
Minimalist, Handcrafted Winemaking
Everything is designed to reveal the identity of the terroir. The wines are aged on their lees without racking and regularly stirred. All barrels come exclusively from the Jupilles forest, known for its fine grain oak. The couple intentionally delays malolactic fermentation to naturally protect the wines with residual CO₂. Every detail matters—each cuvée is a masterpiece.
Clos Saouma: The Mediterranean Adventure
In 2009, Mounir and Rotem Saouma acquired 2 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, on the mythical Pignan lieu-dit. This marked the birth of Clos Saouma—a natural extension of their philosophy in Rhône terroir.
High-Expression Châteauneufs
Today, the estate covers 12 hectares across Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Courthézon, Orange, Bédarrides, and Sérignan-du-Comtat. Cuvées like Arioso and Omnia come from organic farming and slow vinifications, using wooden vats, concrete eggs, or demi-muids, depending on the vintage and parcel. Long lees ageing without racking gives the wines remarkable complexity and exceptional ageing potential.
La cuvée Inopia : the best
The range also includes Côtes-du-Rhône Villages such as Inopia, a white or red wine vinified to the same exacting standards as Burgundy’s finest crus. Inopia (“almost nothing” in Latin) perfectly embodies the humility and audacity of this extraordinary domaine.
Inopia Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Rouge – A Precise and Vibrant Red
From a terroir poor in organic matter (“Inopia” meaning “almost nothing” in Latin), this characterful red blend includes:
60% Grenache – Generosity and freshness
20% Syrah – Spice and structure
10% Mourvèdre – Depth and complexity
10% other southern varieties – Nuance and finesse
Tasting Notes
Nose: Aromas of black cherry, olive, garrigue and black pepper
Palate: Sleek and fluid, with vibrant tension, fine tannins and great intensity
Cellaring Potential: 8 to 12 years
Food Pairings: Roast lamb, vegetable tagine, grilled chops, aged cheeses
Inopia Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Blanc – A Sunlit and Saline White
Crafted from southern white varieties:
40% Grenache Blanc – Texture and fruit
30% Roussanne – Roundness and honeyed notes
20% Marsanne – Richness
10% Clairette and Bourboulenc – Freshness and vibrancy
Tasting notes
Nose: Floral notes, citrus zest, fennel, saline touch
Palate: Pure, crystalline, carried by a lively tension and a slightly aniseed finish
Cellaring: 5 to 8 years
Food & wine pairing: Grilled fish, lemon risotto, creamed poultry, fresh cheeses
Clos Saouma Omnia – A Deep and Complete Châteauneuf-du-Pape
A blend of many parcels from diverse soils (sand, clay, pebbles), featuring:
Majority Grenache, with Mourvèdre, Syrah, Counoise, Cinsault, and other permitted varieties
Tasting notes
Nose: Black fruits, cocoa, dried herbs, incense
Palate: Density and balance, spherical mouth, melted tannins and liquorice finish
Cellaring: 15 to 30 years
Food & wine pairing: Prime rib, daube provençale, game birds, mature cheeses
Clos Saouma Arioso – An Elegant and Reflective Châteauneuf-du-Pape
From Pignan lieu-dit (sandy and pebbled soils), Arioso is a red of absolute finesse:
100% Grenache – Purity, delicacy, extraordinary length
Tasting notes
Nose: Dried rose, crushed raspberry, orange peel, nutmeg
Palate: Airy but intense, very long development on the palate, silky tannins and vibrant minerality
Cellaring: 15 to 25 years
Food & wine pairing: Duck fillet, sweetbreads, roast pigeon, truffled dishes
Clos Saouma Magis Blanc – A Timeless Châteauneuf-du-Pape White
An exceptional white from selected parcels on sand, clay, and limestone. “Magis” (Latin for “more”) embodies the pursuit of depth and energy.
Blend:
40% Grenache Blanc – Volume and warmth
30% Clairette – Tension and freshness
15% Roussanne – Structure and texture
15% Bourboulenc and Picpoul – Minerality and vivacity
Tasting notes
Nose: Subtle and complex, combining white flowers, citrus peel, juicy pear, almond and flint
Palate: Ample, saline, energetic, marked by long ageing on the lees which gives it density and length
Cellaring: 10 to 20 years, great aromatic evolution in prospect
Food & wine pairing: Scallops, salt-crusted fish, poultry with cream, pressed cheeses
Conclusion: Lucien Le Moine and Clos Saouma, Two Expressions of One Vision
Domaine Lucien Le Moine represents the pinnacle of Burgundy’s Grand Crus through a rigorous, handcrafted approach to winemaking. With painstaking selection, precise vinification, and deep respect for terroir, Mounir Saouma crafts Burgundy wines of rare elegance. His southern Rhône adventure with Clos Saouma continues this pursuit of excellence: profound, slow-infused cuvées like Arioso, Omnia, and Inopia, in both red and white.
Between haute-couture Burgundy and author-driven Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Mounir Saouma signs a coherent and singular body of work, acclaimed by top critics. For wine lovers seeking finesse, tension, and precision, Lucien Le Moine and Clos Saouma stand as essential, highly sought-after benchmarks.