Château de Nalys

Châteauneuf-du-pape "Saintes Pierres"

The exceptional soil of Châteauneuf-du-Pape was discovered by the Popes when they arrived in Avignon during the 14th Century. A couple of centuries later, the wine produced in the area is known as the “Wine of the Pope”, which made it very notorious all over Europe. Winemakers started to ship and export at the end of the 18th century, which increased even more its fame. This is actually where the French system of AOP (Protected Designation of Origin) takes its roots, as at the beginning of the 20th century, winemakers from Châteauneuf-du-Pape decided to define strict and unprecedented rules for the whole appellation regarding wine production.

Appellation

Appellation created in 1936
96 % red wines
4 % white wines
3 134 hectares of vineyard
95 000 hl/ year
1,2 million bottles
Average yield 32 hl/ ha
21 % of production is exported
Dry wines
290 Winemakers

Vineyard

Grape varietals

Grenache 65%, Syrah 25%, Muscardin 5%, Autres 5% (Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Vaccarèse et Terret Noir).

Terroir

This wine is produced from three exceptional terroirs : « Nalys » (34%) with red sandstone typical of the Comtat and Saffres, « Bois Sénéchal » (63%) and « La Crau » (3%), both made of ancient alluvial stones from the Rhône river, the famous pebbles.

Average age of vines

45 years.

Winemaking and ageing

Winemaking method

Manual harvest and careful grape selection, followed by a temperature-controlled vinification between 28-30°C (82-86°F). The fermentation lasts around 4 weeks.