2011 Chateau de Vaudieu Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc

Le Château de Vaudieu, which is located in the heart of Châteauneuf du Pape, dates its history to the 18th century, when a naval officer based in Marseille bought nearly 200 acres and began growing grapes. Its modern history, however, dates from 1955 when it was purchased by Gabriel and Juliette Meffre, who later also purchased several other Rhone Valley estates. Today Vaudieu and the other estates are run by their daughter Sylvette Bréchet and her two sons. The domaine makes red and white wines, mostly blends of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne. Wine Advocate has written that “Château Vaudieu continues to push on the quality front, and is quickly working their way up into the top tier of producers in the Southern Rhône. These wines always have a polished feel, yet in my mind, stay firmly planted in the south of France and have plenty of Provencal character.”

Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the appellation, is a large area of nearly 8,000 vineyard acres centered around the picturesque town of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Located in southeastern France just north of the Avignon hills, the name of the appellation means “new castle of the pope” and it is a reference to the 14th century, when the Popes of Avignon built summer homes in the Southern Rhone Valley. Today the appellation is one of the most renowned in France and its terroir is known for layers of small pebbles, called “galets.” The stones in the soil are thought to help store heat and keep the soil warm, which helps ripen the grapes. The stones also help keep the soil from drying out in hot summer months. In 1923 Châteauneuf-du-Pape was a leader in establishing the idea that AOC wines in France should be made only with specified grapes, and the appellation allowed 13 grape varieties to be used. Since then the rules have been slightly modified to include several more allowable grapes. Red and white wines are produced, though in practice about 97% of all Châteauneuf –du-Papes are reds made with a blend of Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Counoise, Mourvedre, Muscardine, Syrah and Vaccarese. The red wines of this appellation are prized for being big, rich, spicy and full-bodied. White wines of the appellation are made with Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, Picpoul and Picardin. Whites are floral, fruity and relatively full-bodied.