Chateau de la Gardine Chateauneuf Du Pape 2018

Drink now or cellar for up to 9 years. No need to decant before serving.

The Brunel family have been winemakers since the 17th century, but it was only in 1945 that the renowned wine merchant Gaston Brunel purchased Château de la Gardine in Chateauneuf du Pape. Today the estate is run by two generations of Brunels, Gaston’s two sons and their wives along with his grandchildren. In total they have 52 hectares of prime vineyards which are predominantly planted to red varieties as well as 20 hectares of woodland to aid biodiversity and sustainability.

One unique feature of the winery is their original bottle design which is modelled on an ancient bottle Gaston found buried in the ground when he began digging to expand the cellar. To copy its unique shape he had to go all the way to Italy and all of the family’s wines have been put in these distinctive bottles since 1964.

The family’s classic Chateauneuf du Pape is sourced from vineyards with four different soil types to create a complex, multi-layered wine. Pebbly “galets” soils give structure and body, limestone brings minerality, and clay and sandy soils help to create elegance in the finished wine. Once vinified the wine is aged in a combination of stainless steel tanks and oak barrels for 9-14 months.