Southern Rhone Flashcards
Château de Beaucastel
The vineyards are planted with all 13 authorized grape varieties, though the estate is known to use a high percentage of Mourvèdre in the red wines. They have practiced organic viticulture since the 1960s.
- 70ha: Hommage à Jacques Perrin: prestige cuvée, only produced in the best years; made from low-yielding vines. Inaugural vintage 1989.
- Style: Beaucastel is considered a traditional producer:wines are de-stemmed and fermented in either cement or steel tank. Prior to fermentation, the red grapesare flash-heated for two minutes and then cooled—a process they have employed since the 1960s. Mostgrapes are fermented through the malolactic fermentation before blending. The wines are aged in old
foudres
for about 12 months and are bottled without filtering.
Château Fortia
Château Fortia has a well-regarded history, particularly surrounding their involvement with the founding of the French AOC system.
- 30 ha: Cuvee du Baron (old vines).
Style: Winemaking is very traditional here. Grapes are de-stemmed and fermented in individual lots in concrete tank. After the malolactic fermentation, wines are blended and aged in
foudres
for 12-18 months.
Château La Nerthe
One of the oldest and one of the largest.
90 ha.
Cuvée des Cadettes: Sourced from old vines. Inaugural vintage 1970.
Style: A modern producer; grapes are de-stemmed and fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged in a combination of new small oak barrels,
foudres
and concrete tanks. Both red and white wines are filtered prior to bottling.
Château Rayas
The family’s holdings include Château Rayas, Château des Tours and Château de Fonsalette.
- Pignan (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
: Pignan means “pine tree” in French, and references the surrounding trees at the estate. Produced from younger vines, 100% Grenache.
Réservé Rouge (Châteauneuf-du-Pape): 100% Grenache.
- Style: A very traditional winemaking estate, Château Rayas ferments their red and white wines without de-stemming. Wines are fermented for around two weeks in concrete vats, then aged for a year in used barrels of varying sizes.
Clos des Papes
Vineyards are trained for lower yields with green harvesting and judicious pruning techniques employed. The wines are known for their balance and elegance. Paul-Vincent forgoes the option to produce a single cuvée from his best vineyards, instead opting to make a single—and singular—red wine.
35 ha.
- This traditional producer completely de-stems, though no new oak is used. Wines are aged for a year in old, large
foudres
before being pumped into tank to rest before bottling.
Clos du Mont-Olivet
Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Blanc and Rouge)
Petit Mont: from mostly younger vines and intended for early consumption.
- Inaugural Vintage (for top wines):
1989 for Cuvée du Papet.
- Winemaking is mostly traditional. Grapes are partially de-stemmed and fermented in steel tank; wines are aged in a combination of
foudres, steel tanks and demi-muids, then bottled unfiltered.
Clos Saint Jean
-Clos Saint Jean is one of the biggest vineyard owners in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOP, with nearly 44 hectares of vines. Their holdings include old Grenache vines that average 50-60 years old. The grapes from younger vines are sold off to négociants. Their viticulture philosophies are centered on harvesting very ripe grapes; indeed, they are often one of the last producers in the region to pick.
- 44 ha.
La Combe des Fous: a blend of Grenache (aged in tank) with Syrah, Cinsault and Vaccarèse (aged forone year in new oak barrels)
Deus Ex Machina: 60% Grenache (aged in tank) with 40% Mourvèdre (aged in new oak barrels); all from 100-year-old vines with yields that average 20 hl/ha.
Style: Historically, wines were made traditionally, with node-stemming and aging in large, neutral
foudres. After management changes in 2002, the wines have become decisively more modern, using 100% de-stemmed grapes and fermenting in concrete tanks. The Grenache remains in tank while Syrah and Mourvèdre are aged in new barrels for about a year.
Domaine Beaurenard
The domaine has 32 hectares of vineyards spread throughout 25 different parcels in various parts of the appellation, and uses all of the authorized grape varieties. The average vine age of the domaine’s holdings surpasses 45, with some plots exceeding 100years of age.
- Boisrenard Rouge: from 70- to 100-year-old vines; aged in small oak barrels for 18 months. Inaugural vintage 1985.
Style: Efforts are made to harvest the grapes at optimum maturity, which can mean that the harvest often stretches across many weeks, depending on grape variety. The grapes are then de-stemmed and co-fermented in a combination of steel and wooden vats. A portion of the wine is aged in small oak barrels.
Domaine de la Janasse
Cuvée Chaupin: 100% Grenache from the
lieu dit
of Chapouin; aged in
foudre
and small oak barrels (asmall percentage of which are new)
Vieilles Vignes (Rouge): Grenache along with 80 to 100 year old Syrah and Mourvèdre vines.
- Style: they are known for a ripe, extracted and concentrated style of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Red winesare 80% de-stemmed; whites are not de-stemmed. The reds are aged in a combination of
foudres, tanks and small oak barrels (with varying percentages of new oak).
Domaine de la Solitude
Domaine de la Solitude is one of the oldest estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, as well as one of the first to have bottled their own wines (as early as 1815).
- Some of the Grenache vines are over 100 years old, and since 2005, these vines have been reserved for the Cuvée Cornelia Constanza. The other red Châteauneuf wines are blends that are known for their high percentage of Syrah (25% in the basic Châteauneuf). Both the red and white wines are aged in a portion of new barrels.
- 35 ha.
- Winemaking is semi-modern here. Grapes are de-stemmed and fermented in temperature-controlled vats. Since 1985, no
foudres
have been used to age the wines; instead, the wines are aged in a combination of new and partially used barriques
Domaine du Pegau
The domaine is considered a very traditional producer, with wines that are crafted for long-term aging.
- A traditional producer, Domaine du Pegau does notde-stem or use any filtration. The wines are fermented in concrete tanks and aged in old
foudres
for about18 months.
Cuvée Réservée (Blanc and Rouge): Inaugural vintage 1985.
Cuvée Laurence: Inaugural vintage 1983.
Cuvée a Tempo: 1/3 each Clairette, Grenache Blanc & Roussanne fermented in a combination of oakand steel. Aged in barrique. No Malo. First vintage 2014
Cuvée Da Capo: Old vine selection from 3 terroirs - La Crau, Les Escondudes andMontpertuis. Produced in just seven vintages to date. Inaugural vintage 1998.
Cuvée Inspiration: Utilizes 13 varieties from 2 terroirs - La Crau and Les Escondudes. Only bottled inmagnum. First and only released vintage is 2010
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe
All of Vieux Télégraphe’svineyards are located in a single-vineyard block in the
lieu-dit
La Crau. This parcel is particularly well known, especially for its ability to retain water even in dry years.
- The estate prides itself on using old vine material in their wines; any vine younger than 25-30 years is vinified separately and used for the second label, Vieux Télégramme.
- 60.5 ha
- Winemaking is traditional at Vieux Télégraphe, with afew modern influences. Grapes are de-stemmed and co-fermented in a combination of stainless steel and100-hl oak vats. Post-blending, the wines are aged first in concrete vats and later in old, 70-hl
foudres
Domaine Monpertuis
Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Blanc): entirely from the Mont Pertuis
lieu dit
and aged entirely in tank
Cuvée Classique: Grenache, Mourvèdre and Cinsault aged in
foudre
for just over one year
Cuvée Tradition: 100% old-vine Grenache (60-130 years old), aged in
foudre
for just over one year; also known as Secret de Gabriel.
- Winemaking is traditional, with temperature-controlled tanks used for fermentation. Wines are aged in
foudres, vats or small barrels ranging from two to five years old.
Pierre Usseglio
Cuvée Traditionnelle (Blanc and Rouge)
Cuvée de Mon Aïeul
Réserve des Deux Frères: old-vine Grenache aged in 60% new oak.
- Wines are 100% de-stemmed before undergoing athree-week-long maceration and fermentation. They are aged in oak
foudres
of varying ages for 18-24months.
