Domaine André Brunel
- Les Cailloux -
Rich and elegant wines which are delicious when young, but for those with patience ... Their full potential will be revealed over time...
Wines grouping all the Rhône wine qualities - aromatic abundance, powerful fruit, roundness, structure - and which will be the perfect accomplice for your evenings with friends.
Fresh and accessible wines which boast all the quality of Grenache: pleasant wines to be enjoyed young!
Winter
It’s pruning time!
The wines are in the cellar, with whites developing on their lees and the reds slowly maturing.
Spring
The vineyard springs to life!
At the end of March, the buds and first leaves begin to appear. The Syrah vines are tied up for a specific growth-orientation and to protect young vine branches from the Mistral (a strong, cold and usually dry regional wind).
Summer
The grapes grow and ripen.
June is when everything starts to bloom and at the beginning of August it’s the veraison: the grape turns from green to its final colour. It’s possible to get an initial idea for the harvest quality.
Shipping stops.
Autumn
Harvest time.
All the long hours and hard work put in throughout the season will finally reveal the fruit of its efforts: harvesting a top-quality grape to produce distinguished and delicious wines.
Red Grape Varieties
Grenache Noir: distinctive grape variety of southern-France Côtes du Rhône. It’s liked for its roundness and fruity aromas.
Mourvèdre: this grape variety adapts perfectly to dry and sunny climates. Known for its tannin quality and structure, its aromatic richness and ageing ability.
Syrah: Syrah is characterized by a high tannin structure, a deep purple colour and aromas of red and black fruits (raspberry, blackcurrant) and pepper.
White Grape Varieties
Roussanne: its name comes from the ginger colour grapes adopt when they are ripe. A variety known for its subtlety and elegance.
Marsanne: vigorous and full-bodied grape variety which adds viscosity to the wine.
In the vineyard
Sustainable agriculture working methods: no pesticides or herbicides.
Ploughing the soil to stimulate microbial life and oxygenation.
Use ground-covering to stimulate ground life and diminish the yield.
Bunch thinning to enhance grape quality.
Harvest
In these past years, white grapes have been harvested at the end of August and the red grapes at the beginning of September.
No harvesting when over-ripeness sets in.
Solely manual harvest.
There are several trips into the vineyards when companion planting is used, to harvest the various grape varieties at optimum ripeness.
White grapes
Harvested solely in the morning to get fresh grapes.
Crushing and gentle pressing.
Natural decanting of must for 24 hours at 12°.
Regular fermentation for between 4 to 6 weeks.
Red Grapes
20 to 40% in full harvest.
Fermentation for 2 to 3 weeks between 25 and 30°C.
Pumping over and rack and return to gently extract colours and tannins.
Maceration to extract fatty acids which give wine its roundness.
In France
The Guide “Revue des Vins de France 2014”:
"André Brunel is part of the elite belonging to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. He makes high-quality wines where minerality and refinement are considerable virtues. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a calm fortitude, with finesse and overtones."
Abroad
It’s the area surface area used to make AOC Châteauneuf-du-Pape: 45,000 bottles produced (40,000 in red wines and 5,000 in whites).
Vines which are on average 60 years old.
In Paris
Le Plaza Athénée : www.plaza-athenee-paris.fr
Le Jules Verne : www.lejulesverne-paris.com
Lasserre : www.restaurant-lasserre.com
Aux Lyonnais : www.auxlyonnais.com
Restaurant Allard : www.alain-ducasse.com/fr/restaurant/allard
Around the Domaine
Beaugravière (Mondragon) : www.beaugraviere.com
Les Bories (Gordes) : www.hotellesbories.com
Christian Etienne (Avignon) : www.christian-etienne.fr
L’Essentiel (Avignon) : www.restaurantlessentiel.com
Hostellerie Jérôme (La Turbie – 06) : www.hostelleriejerome.com
20 hectares
It’s the area surface area used to make AOC Châteauneuf-du-Pape: 45,000 bottles produced (40,000 in red wines and 5,000 in whites).
Vines which are all about 60 years old.
40 hectares
This is the surface area used to make our AOC Côtes du Rhône: 100,000 bottles produced (Cuvée Est Ouest and Sommelongue in red wines, and Bécassonne in white).
Vines which are all about 40 years old.
30 hectares
This is the surface area used to make IGP Vaucluse Vins de Pays: 100,000 bottles produced (Vins de Pays Grenache).
Vines which are all over 35 years old.
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