Comptoir des Millésimes

This is one of our beautiful partner estates in the Rhône: Le Clos Saint Jean. The estate was founded at the beginning of the 20th century by Edmond Tacussel, before changing its name in 1910. It has remained in the family from generation to generation. Today, it is run by Pascal and Vincent Maurel, who work hard to produce top-quality wine. The estate preserves the soil, using natural products to keep the vines looking as natural as possible. They were among the first plots to adopt organic farming methods in 2011. Pruning the vineyard helps the winemakers to look after each individual vine. In this article, I'll briefly tell you the story of this estate, as well as the details of these cuvées.

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History of the estate :

Thanks to a professional life that has taken them around the world, Philippe and Marie-Odile Beudet got their hands back on the farm with the aim of producing the best wines possible. The size of the farm ensures a certain closeness to the vines. Their manual harvesting methods are both concise and delicate. The family estate was created between 1900 and 1905 by Monsieur Edmond TACUSSEL. Today, it is run by the great-grandchildren Pascal and Vincent MAUREL. At the time, Mr. TACUSSEL focused his attention on the plots where the largest pebbles to be seen in the region were located. They act as thermal regulators, giving the grapes the heat stored during the day at night. Tacussel quickly gained worldwide popularity, bringing his wine to some of the world's finest tables, as well as to many royalty, and exporting his wine as far afield as New York during the end of Prohibition in the 1930s. With one of the greatest vintages " La Combe des Fous " the MAUREL brothers were keen to pay tribute to their great-grandfather.

 

The estate's cuvées :

  • Clos St Jean Châteauneuf du Pape Rouge :

The grapes are hand-picked and destemmed at 90 %, and vinified in temperature-controlled vats. Extraction is gentle, and maceration is slow and gentle. Vatting lasts up to 35 days in concrete vats. The cuvée's main grape variety, Grenache, is aged for 16 months in concrete vats. The other grape varieties are aged in new barrels and in one-wine barrels for one year. When the wine is young, the nose is intense with notes of garrigue, and on the palate there are greedy notes of red fruit with a persistent finish. It can be drunk young, but becomes more complex with age. Serve at a temperature of 16°C, with grilled red meats or leg of lamb à la provençale.

 

  • Clos St Jean Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc :

This cuvée is a spicy, barrel-aged wine. It is rich and full-bodied, with notes of white peaches, brioche and honeysuckle. The nose is floral and fruity. This is a wine that can be enjoyed young. It is also a wine for laying down, and can be drunk after 5 years, when it can develop aromas such as white truffle. It is an ideal accompaniment to strong cheeses, as well as white and red meats. The blend of grape varieties is composed of bourboulenc, clairette, grenache blanc and roussanne.

 

  • Clos St Jean Châteauneuf du Pape La combe des fous :

It has a beautiful mouthfeel, rich, fat, balanced and long. The color is brilliant red, and the nose has woody, floral and spicy aromas. The palate is powerful and well-balanced, with hints of blond tobacco and spices. A superb, prestigious cuvée from the estate.

 

  • Clos St jean Châteauneuf du Pape two ex machina :

The blend is composed of Grenache and Mourvèdre, and the name of this cuvée signifies a change of direction for the estate in terms of viticulture and vinification. The grapes are harvested by hand and the yield is 20hl/ha. The grapes are destemmed and vinified in temperature-controlled concrete vats. The wine is concentrated and racy, with intense aromas of black fruits, garrigue and spices. Like Combe des Fous, this cuvée is dense, concentrated, elegant and powerful.

We hope that this article on Clos St Jean estate you've enjoyed, don't hesitate to check out our other articles on Châteauneuf du Pape wine estates.

 

 

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