Today, we immerse you in the Rhône Valley, in the heart of the Châteauneuf du Pape appellation, which you probably already know... But do you know the history and origin of its wine?
A little history...
It was from the reign of Pope John XXII (in 1316) that Avignon became the residence of the popes . He came there accompanied by winegrowers from Cahors and it was they who allowed the vineyard to develop. In the first years, production was quite low: between four and six barrels of wine per year. But from 1325, the production of the pontifical vineyard increased and reached twelve barrels. The popes succeeded one another and all, lovers of the famous beverage, each worked in turn to expand the vineyard.
Towards export
In the 18th century, the wine was exported to a merchant in Bremen, Germany, via the ports of Marseille and Hamburg. The market expanded again and again: the Abbot of Bayonne and a lord of the Court of the King of Saxony placed orders. Then, it was sent to the Duke of Uzès, the Duke of Chevreuse, the Chevalier de Sade or even the Cardinal de Luynes and the Minister Bertin. Finally… the vintage was served all the way to the court of Louis XVI. In 1786, the reputation of the Châteauneuf du Pape vineyard went beyond the borders of Europe. A barrel of wine was even sent to Boston .
Phylloxera
Like a majority of vineyards, the phylloxera crisis raged in 1860 and ravaged part of the vines in the Rhône Valley. It was Commander Joseph Ducos who took charge of the rebirth of the vineyard by replanting and grafting porcini mushrooms from Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cinsault, Counoise and Vaccarèse.
Towards the appellation
It was here that the first “ Wine Syndicate ” was born in 1894. Its goal was then to obtain recognition for the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, which would also become AOC, Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, in 1936.
The vineyard
Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation wines are produced in the commune of Châteauneuf-du-Pape (of course), and in the communes of Orange, Bédarrides, Courthézon and Sorgues. This appellation has the particularity of having no less than thirteen different grape varieties including Grenache, which is the majority (74%), Syrah (10%) and Mourvèdre (6%). The other grape varieties authorized by the appellation are, however, less widespread. There we find Cinsault, Muscardin, Counoise, Clairette, Piquepoul, Vaccarèse and Terret noir for red wines. And Bourboulenc, Roussanne, Piquepoul, and Picardan for white wines. The harvests are necessarily done by hand, and it should be noted that the harvests have moved forward by one month in fifty years.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape at Le Chant des Caves
The red Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Jas des Papes is made up of 80% Grenache Noir and 20% Syrah. It is an authentic wine which offers beautiful complexity. The structure of the Syrah supports the suppleness of the Grenache.
Our white Châteauneuf-du-Pape , for its part, is made up of 95% Clairette and only 5% Grenache Blanc. It is an elegant and mineral wine. It is aged for 10 months in barrels, which gives it relief and depth.
And good tasting, of course!