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The most prestigious area of southern
Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape sits between
Orange and Avignon cities surrounded by
of some of the major appellations in the
region including Côte Rôtie, Hermitage
and Condrieu. Believed to be one of the
most beautiful landscapes of Provence,
it was one of the first regions to gain AC
status in France in the 1920s.
With its thin soils covered in rounded,
smooth stones called galets (gah-lay),
Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s unique landscape
offers two distinct benefits: an ability
to reflect and absorb the heat, to
quicken the ripening of the grapes and a
capacity to hold in moisture so soils
are not dried out by the warm sun.
Grenache is the primary variety in
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, renowned for
extraordinary refinement and complexity
when made by attentive producers such as
Maison Bouachon.
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Corsica, an island off the south coast
of France, is affectionately called "L'île
de beauté" (the beautiful island). Its
unspoiled natural beauty and colorful
history intact today, it’s believed that
the Greeks first established vineyards
on the island 2,500 years ago. With its
Mediterranean climate and exceptional
amount of sunshine, the island enjoys
mild winters and surprisingly high
levels of rainfall, creating unique
micro-climates ideal for growing grapes
for great wine. With its mountainous
interior unsuitable for vineyards, the
coastal zones’ varying geology and
weather offer a range of wines to suit
every palate. Producers such as Clos
Poggiale harvest grapes from idyllic
coastal areas like the plateau at
Pianiccian, with its granite arenite and
colluviums, and base soils of calcareous
clay, to produce complex wines bursting
with character.
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The Romans were the first to bring
grapevines to this oldest wine growing
region in France, with its perfectly
suited climate and geology for
cultivating grapes and producing wine.
Today the Languedoc is recognized as one
of the most dynamic and significant wine
growing regions in the world.
Stretching 150 miles from the Pyrenees
in the west, along the coast of the
Mediterranean to Provence and the Rhone
in the east, its northern boundaries sit
on the Massif Central. Languedoc enjoys
three distinct climates for exceptional
wines. The West Languedoc
benefits from a temperate climate and
very stony, chalky-clay soils that
produce dense, aromatic wines.
Central Languedoc exhibits a
warmer climate with gravelly clay and
limestone soils. The Northeast
Languedoc is a cooler climate with
limestone soils that provide
later-ripening for fruitier wines. With
its recent quality revolution and open
mindedness in its approach to wine
making (typically associated with 'New
World' vineyards rather than those
situated in France), the Languedoc
region is now synonymous with the finest
quality wines from producers such as
Robert Skalli. |
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