This wine is the creation of Jean Louis Canto, who has run the great Châteauneuf-du-Pape estate Domaine de la Roncière since 1979. Jean-Louis produces this “Grande Réserve” from the cru of Plan-de-Dieu, an area of 1,500 hectares at an altitude of 100 meters. The vines grow on a bed of red clay packed to a depth of 10 metres with a mass of smooth-rolled pebbles. Given this stony foundation, the skimpy soils yield little: some barely have enough grapes to produce one bottle of wine per vine, resulting in wines that are high in color, dense and concentrated. 

The wines are all reds, made from the Côtes du Rhône’s three premier red grapes: Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.  The aromas are reflective of the surrounding garrigue, with scents of thyme and bay laurel. The grapes are fermented in concrete vats, the traditional way, with 60% whole clusters included.  After 18 days, the wine is pressed off and returned to concrete tanks to rest for 12 months before bottling.

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