The 4 Seasons in Wine-Making

Winter

It’s pruning time!
The wines are in the cellar, with whites developing on their lees and the reds slowly maturing.

Spring

The vineyard springs to life!
At the end of March, the buds and first leaves begin to appear. The Syrah vines are tied up for a specific growth-orientation and to protect young vine branches from the Mistral (a strong, cold and usually dry regional wind).

Summer

The grapes grow and ripen.
June is when everything starts to bloom and at the beginning of August it’s the veraison: the grape turns from green to its final colour. It’s possible to get an initial idea for the harvest quality.
Shipping stops.

Autumn

Harvest time.
All the long hours and hard work put in throughout the season will finally reveal the fruit of its efforts: harvesting a top-quality grape to produce distinguished and delicious wines.

Grape Varieties

Red Grape Varieties

Grenache Noir: distinctive grape variety of southern-France Côtes du Rhône. It’s liked for its roundness and fruity aromas.

Mourvèdre: this grape variety adapts perfectly to dry and sunny climates. Known for its tannin quality and structure, its aromatic richness and ageing ability.

Syrah: Syrah is characterized by a high tannin structure, a deep purple colour and aromas of red and black fruits (raspberry, blackcurrant) and pepper.

White Grape Varieties

Roussanne: its name comes from the ginger colour grapes adopt when they are ripe. A variety known for its subtlety and elegance.

Marsanne: vigorous and full-bodied grape variety which adds viscosity to the wine. 

Working in the Vineyard

In the vineyard

Sustainable agriculture working methods: no pesticides or herbicides.

Ploughing the soil to stimulate microbial life and oxygenation.

Use ground-covering to stimulate ground life and diminish the yield.

Bunch thinning to enhance grape quality.

Harvest

Harvest end of August for the whites and between mid-september to beginning of October for the reds.

Exclusively manual on Châteauneuf du Pape.

Berries picked at perfect maturity but not over riped as we want to harvest perfectly balanced berries.

Vinification

Red Grapes

20 to 40% in full harvest.

Fermentation for 2 to 3 weeks between 25 and 30°C.

Pumping over and rack and return to gently extract colours and tannins.

Maceration to extract fatty acids which give wine its roundness.

White grapes

Harvested solely in the morning to get fresh grapes.

Crushing and gentle pressing.

Natural decanting of must for 24 hours at 12°.

Regular fermentation for between 4 to 6 weeks.

Press Review

In France

The Guide “Revue des Vins de France 2014”:

"André Brunel is part of the elite belonging to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. He makes high-quality wines where minerality and refinement are considerable virtues. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a calm fortitude, with finesse and overtones."

Abroad

JEB DUNNUCK Top 100 Wines of 2021

16th best wine in the world

"The 2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is flat-out brilliant, and readers looking for an incredible wine that will drink well for upwards of two decades should back up the truck on this one."

They chose us

In Paris

Le Plaza Athénée : www.plaza-athenee-paris.fr

Le Jules Verne : www.lejulesverne-paris.com

Lasserre : www.restaurant-lasserre.com

Aux Lyonnais : www.auxlyonnais.com

Restaurant Allard : www.alain-ducasse.com/fr/restaurant/allard

Around the Domaine

Beaugravière (Mondragon) : www.beaugraviere.com

Les Bories (Gordes) : www.hotellesbories.com

Christian Etienne (Avignon) : www.christian-etienne.fr

L’Essentiel (Avignon) : www.restaurantlessentiel.com

Hostellerie Jérôme (La Turbie – 06) : www.hostelleriejerome.com

Key Figures

20 hectares

It’s the area surface area used to make AOC Châteauneuf-du-Pape: 45,000 bottles produced (40,000 in red wines and 5,000 in whites).

Vines which are all about 60 years old.

40 hectares

This is the surface area used to make our AOC Côtes du Rhône: 100,000 bottles produced (Cuvée Est Ouest and Sommelongue in red wines, and Bécassonne in white).

Vines which are all about 40 years old.

30 hectares

This is the surface area used to make IGP Vaucluse Vins de Pays: 100,000 bottles produced (Vins de Pays Grenache).

Vines which are all over 35 years old.

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