Amphora vinification for Clairette

Behind the scenes at our estate, an experiment is underway: amphora vinification for our future white Gigondas made from Clairette. This ancient method is sparking enthusiasm throughout the team, especially from Jean-Marie and Adrien. Discover the benefits of this technique

Gigondas White Vintage 2023
White Gigondas in Amphorae
White Gigondas amphora

Jean-Marie and Adrien are innovating with a new approach for the future White Gigondas: Amphora vinification. This method offers a series of advantages

  • Permanent Convection Movement: The rounded shape of the amphora encourages a constant movement of the wine, providing optimal lees stirring. This dynamic nurtures the wine, adding roundness and volume on the palate.
  • Controlled Micro-Oxygenation: The amphora, made of a blend of clay and sandstone fired at high temperatures, offers a porosity similar to that of the barrel. This controlled micro-oxygenation is crucial for the Clairette, a reducing grape variety, to fully express its aromatic potential.
  • Purity of Revealed Fruit : The effect of micro-oxygenation, combined with the use of the amphora, allows for the preservation of the purity of the fruit, without the addition of woody aromas often associated with barrels. Furthermore, it brings out the saline and mineral notes from the limestone terroirs of our future White Gigondas.
  • Preserved Tension and Freshness: The amphora imparts an additional tension to the wine, thus preserving the characteristic liveliness and freshness of the Clairette grape

Marc-Pierre regularly monitors the temperature and progress of fermentation. We look forward to sharing with you the next steps of this amphora vinification experiment.

The amphora imparts an additional tension to the wine, thus preserving the characteristic liveliness and freshness of the Clairette grape