Domaine

Monpertuis

• History

Paul Jeune,a wine-maker has followed the old tradition of several generations dedicated to the culture of wine making. Indeed a man called Pierre-Paul Jeune, vineyard owner was born in Châteauneuf du Pape in 1775.

The Vignobles Paul Jeune, with a total surface of 30 ha, is divided into 48 lots all located on the best soils.To the west, in the Languedoc region, it consists in the vineyard of La Ramière (Côtes du Rhône and Vin de Pays du Gard ). To the east, in Provence are the vineyards of La Croze and Monpertuis (Châteauneuf du Pape).

• The terroir

Originating from scattered lots the wines have character and widely cover the range of southern wines. The Vin de Pays whose originality comes from the « Counoise and Alicanthe, Carignan, Syrah » gives off scents of garrigues and, while in mouth, is characterized by a peppery and spicy taste. The Côtes du Rhône, thanks to its location on hillsides – different from that of the Châteauneuf du Pape – is a fully original wine with mellow tannins

The area of the appellation Châteauneuf du Pape is located on the left bank of the Rhône river, between Orange and Avignon. Besides Châteauneuf du Pape it covers part of the territories of Bédarrides, Courthézon, Orange and Sorgues. The soil, consisting in plateaux and terraces, is remarkably suited to vine-growing. The red Châteauneuf du Pape, whose intense purple and garnet red colour in their youth, turns to ruby in their maturity, charm the nose with delicate flavours and sometimes with strength and softness : scents of flowers, pulps of red fruit and the rarest aromas. While in mouth, they proudly display their vast architecture

The white Châteauneuf du Pape is a rare, elegant wine of a pale yellow shaded with green. It releases the most delicate flower fragrance and possesses a perfect balance and freshness. Altogether soft and vigorous, it will delight the most demanding palates particularly after severals years in bottle. One third of the estate is planted with vines reaching 60 to 110 years of age. These old, low-yielding vines of Châteauneuf du Pape produce an outstanding long-living wine, the Cuvée tradition.

• The cellar

The Domaine Monpertuis cellar is divided into two parts:

1) The winery

It consists in 14 concrete tanks. The plus point of this material is thermal regulation and protection in temperatures exchanges.

The maturing part comprises 6 50 to 70 hl stock vats in which the Châteauneuf du Pape based on Grenache and mourvèdre are matured. Over 60 225l barrels seasoned by 2 to 5 wines enable balanced maturing with wood acting as ageing yet not over powerful agent.

The wines stay in stock vats so that natural micro oxygenation takes place . Due to the higher volume of wine the influence of wood on the taste of the wine is weaker.

2) The ageing winery

The half buried part of the cellar makes up the ageing winery; regular hygrometry reduces wine evaporation. Ageing is not systematic but decided after monthly tastings. The White wines are not matured in barrels since the varieties used would be altered by tannins which could prevent the true expression of the varieties and the terroir.