PR Log (Press Release) –
Mar 23, 2010 – This was essentially a summer home for the Pope, who in the 14th century was based in nearby Avignon. The palace survived until the 1940's, when it was destroyed in the Second World War. The imposing ruins exist to this day, standing tall over the rest of the town. Châteauneuf du Pape is also famous for being the home of Baron Le Roy, owner of Château Fortia, and founder of the appellation contrôlée system which defines much of the vineyard areas in France. The red wine itself may be a blend of up to thirteen different grape varieties, although in practice many of the top wines use only three or four.
Todays featured grower is Domaine Cristia - created by Etienne Grangeon 70 years ago, the property originally comprised 2 hectares of Grenache. It was developed further by the driving force of his son Alain, who joined the domaine in 1963. Passionate about viticulture, he notably contributed to the expansion of the domaine and planted improved grape varieties such as Syrah and Mourvèdre and created the identity of Cristia, based on the knowledge and respect of his soils.
Then, in 1999, Baptiste, Dominique and more recently Florent joined their father. Their priorities were to concentrate on selecting the best parcels in order to produce a wine of a great quality, with a good ageing potential, to commercialise in France as well as for export.
"Me and my brother, Baptiste, are the third generation of our family working at Domaine de Cristia. We started working here back in 1999, taking over from my father. The soils were in excellent condition thanks to Dad's biodynamic conception of agriculture. But trying to change old mentalities was a challenge! After our first few vintages, we really found our own style in 2003. That vintage produced some wonderful wine, and The Wine Advocate called us the 'New Superstars from Chateaueuf-du-Pape'. Winemaking is something I'm truly passionate about. And I love working with my brother Baptiste, who is an engine of energy, ideas, positivity and reassurance. But if I wasn't making wine, I'd be a professor of history, or an intrepid explorer a la Indiana Jones..." Dominique Grangeon
The featured wine is the much acclaimed 2004 Cuvée Renaissance
Grape varieties: 60 % Grenache vieilles vignes (100 years), 40 % Mourvèdre
Soil: Sandy clay soil facing East which ensures freshness.
Age of vines: Grenache vine is 100 years old, Mourvèdre vines are 50 years old
Ageing: Blend aged for 18 months in barrels of 2 and 3 wines. 25% new oak.
Tasting: Dark intense violet coulouring denoting a rich and generous body. Complex bouquet of roasted coffee, liquorice, cherry and hints of leather. Powerful straightforward taste in the mouth with dark fruit (blackcurrant), spicy (black pepper) and zan aromas.
Awards: Silver Medal - Decanter World Wine Awards 2004-May 2006
You can buy this classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape red wine today at only £43.40 ...click http://www.vinvinodirect.com/shopexd.asp?id=443 to buy online
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