Coming from our oldest vines of Clairette planted in 1955 on our terroir in altitude (around 300 m), this wine is a pure rarity: 100 % Clairette, stemming from our soils of Gigondas, wine making in new French oak barrels and aged on the lies during 6 months. So many particularities which make of this wine an exception. It expresses the freshness of our terroir of Gigondas and shows itself quite in unctuousness.

Vines are harvested manually towards the end of September, pressed and vinified entirely in new barrels then aged on fine dregs during 6 months.

An outstanding wine, very well balanced, all in complexity and in fineness, showing notes of pear, apples and a touch of nuts and acacias. Still round in mouth, the wine is very delicate. To drink as an aperitif, with grilled fishes, or with a goat cheese.

Every year we produce only 7 000 bottles of this wine of exception for the whole world.

Vine is cultivated in Rhône Valley for more than 2000 years, it is one of the oldest French vineyard. It found there good natural conditions, and its location on both sides of the Rhône river, which was a privileged axis of communication, guaranteed the fame of its products.
In the north, the first vineyards appeared thanks to the Romans whereas in the south they developped later with the Popes on the left bank and with the French Kingdom on the right bank.

The Controlled Appellation

The Côtes du Rhône Appellation is born in 1937. The vineyard recovers 56 000 hectares (the second of France in surface), concerning 163 villages and 6 "départements". The minimum percentage of alcohol is 11%. Yields have to be lower than 50 hectoliters par hectare. 23 grape varieties are allowed, nevertheless the mainly cultivated are:

• for red wines: Syrah (only grape authorised in the northern part of Rhône Valley), Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Carignan.
• for white wines: Marsanne, Roussane, Viognier, Clairette, Bourboulenc, white Grenache.

Terroir

The north of the Rhône Valley is mostly composed of granite and limestone (from Vienne to Valence). The south (from Livron to Avignon) is mainly composed of limestone, clay, sand and sandstone. Dry and hot, the climate gives stronger wines.