Location:
The stony Plateau de la Crau, in the south-east of the appellation, where the villages of Bédarrides, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Courthézon meet.

Surface area:
173 acres.

Soil and subsoil:
Molasse from the Miocene epoch (1-1.5m in depth) sitting on a thick layer of clay with a high stone content, and covered by the pebble blanket of Alpine diluvium generally known as “galets roulés”.

Grape varieties:
Grenache Noir (65%), Mourvèdre (15%), Syrah (15%); Cinsault, Clairette and sundry others (5%).

Vine age:
60 years on average.

Vinification:
Grapes are hand-picked, with stringent double sorting at the vine. Gentle pressing and selective destemming, followed by 25-35 days' traditional fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless-steel and wooden vats. Pneumatic pressing, then systematic malolactic fermentation.

Maturation:
In vats for the first 10 months, then in foudres (50-70hl) for 12 months.
Bottled unfiltered at about 22 months.
Marketed at 2 years.

Personality and ageing:
A classic red Châteauneuf-du-Pape, very fine and elegant. The best vintages will age for 25 years and more.

Serving temperature:
17°C.

Current vintages:
2010 vintage available from Sept. 2012 to Sept. 2013
2011 vintage available from Sept. 2013 to Sept. 2014.

Output:
200,000 bts.