CHATEAU MONT-REDON LIRAC

Tasting notes:

Deep ruby color with powerful aromas of black currants, blackberries, and spices. A multi layered palate of dark fruit, herbs, and a hint of chocolate. Rich and complex with red and black fruits dominating. A lovely smooth mouthfeel with a lingering rich finish. 

About the wine:

This contiguous vineyard is located on the left bank of the Rhône in the town of Roquemaure, between Orange and Avignon, near Tavel. The vines are mainly planted on a plateau of rolled pebbles soil. Downhill from the plateau, the plots are terraced or on hillsides with a terroir of sandier soils mixed with a superficial rolled pebbles layer.

The climate is Mediterranean with hot dry Summers punctuated with a few showers. The Mistral wind blows fairly consistently year-round, ensuring very favorable sanitary conditions for wine growing.

Grapes are harvested at perfect maturity after validation through tasting of the berries. Harvest is mainly manual with a first sorting in the vineyard. In the cellar, the second selection realized on the optical sorting table provides perfect results. We are stringent on this point, of utmost importance for quality.

Following complete de-stemming, cold maceration for 2-3 days. Skin contact then lasts 15 to 18 days during which extraction is mainly done by punching-down, ensuring controlled extraction of tannins and colour. Once the malolactic fermentation is over, we only select the best batches. One third of the blend is matured in Burgundian barrels of 228 liters, the other part being kept in vats for 12 months. Bottling is done about 18 months following harvest. Bottled wine then rests for at least 4 months in our cellars before shipping starts.

About the producer:

Château Mont-Redon, established in 1344, is one of the oldest wine-producing Estates in France and the largest single property in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The Estate includes 100 hectares of the most perfectly-sited vineyards in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, spread over the region’s three main soil types: the western limestone slopes, sand and galet stones on the plateau. The wines are elegant, widely-loved examples of Châteauneuf that age well. Now, with joint owner and winemaker Pierre Fabre directing the estate, the Château's wines are poised for great critical acclaim, too, whilst retaining their innate drinkability. Pierre's new cuvée, Le Plateau, is emblematic of the quality Mont-Redon are now producing - a strict selection of prime fruit from Châteauneuf's plateau, amounting to an 850 case production that will only be bottled separately in the best years.

Food match:

Ideally pairs with red meats (rib roast) and matured cow cheeses (camembert, Saint- Nectaire).