France · Rhône Méridional

Domaine Chaume-Arnaud

Vinsobres domaine with biodynamic farming, Rhône red wines from Grenache and Syrah, and fresh Côtes du Rhône Blanc.

The producer

Valérie Chaume-Arnaud works Domaine Chaume-Arnaud in Vinsobres with her husband Philippe and eldest son Thibaud. The domaine farms across Vinsobres and Côtes du Rhône, with red varieties including Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvèdre, and white varieties including Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. Organic agriculture began in 2003, biodynamic practice followed in 2004, and Demeter certification dates from 2009. The Côtes du Rhône Blanc is fresh and mineral, while the Rouge brings ripe red fruit, spice and smooth tannins.

Known for

Biodynamic Vinsobres Rhône wines

Notable facts

The story

A Childhood Vocation

Valérie Chaume-Arnaud grew up among her family's 4.5 hectares of vines and knew from childhood that she wanted to become a vigneron. After completing oenology school, she made that plan real at 23, renting the family hectares and beginning the work herself. The first vines were familiar, but the responsibility was hers. Her childhood ambition had become a working vineyard. The holding remained a family vineyard, but Valérie was now farming it herself as its vigneron.

From the atlas

Domaine Chaume-Arnaud

A Vinsobres domaine with family management, organic agriculture, biodynamic practice, and red and white Rhône wines.

At A Glance

FieldDetail
RegionRhône, France
AppellationsVinsobres and Côtes du Rhône
VillageVinsobres
Main grapesGrenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvèdre
Signature wineCôtes du Rhône Rouge
Defining featureOrganic and biodynamic farming, certified by Demeter

The Producer

Valérie Chaume-Arnaud works Domaine Chaume-Arnaud in Vinsobres with her husband Philippe and eldest son Thibaud. The domaine farms 38 hectares of vineyards. Thibaud trained in oenology and viticulture before joining the family work.

The red range includes Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvèdre, while the white wines use Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. The family manages both vineyard work and the wines made from it.

Place

The property lies in Vinsobres in the Drôme department and works across the Vinsobres and Côtes du Rhône appellations. Vinsobres names the more specific appellation, while Côtes du Rhône places the wines in the wider Rhône category. The two names therefore mark different levels within the range.

Soil And Site

Clay limestone slopes and rolled pebble plateaus make up the vineyards, under a Mediterranean climate protected from mistral winds. The Vinsobres plateaus reach approximately 400 metres. Vinsobres wine from this setting is smooth and fruit driven, with full body and balanced acidity.

Story

After completing oenology and viticulture studies, Valérie Chaume-Arnaud settled at her parents' domaine in 1987. Philippe joined her. In 1999, they inherited the remaining family vineyards and took over the whole property. The domaine's present scale grew from that move within the family.

Vineyards And Cellar

Organic agriculture began in 2003, and the domaine moved to biodynamics in 2004. Demeter certification followed in 2009. Organic farming avoids synthetic treatments, while biodynamic farming adds preparations and a whole farm approach. These methods describe the vineyard work behind the domaine's wines.

Wines

The range includes Côtes du Rhône Blanc, Côtes du Rhône Rouge, Vinsobres and the 2023 Côtes du Rhône Le Petit Coquet. The red wines draw on Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvèdre; the whites feature Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier.

Le Petit Coquet is light, bright and well rounded, with smooth tannins. The Côtes du Rhône pair gives the range both a white and a red expression at the regional appellation level, while Vinsobres carries the more specific appellation name.

In The Glass

Côtes du Rhône Blanc opens with white flowers, peach and pear, light sweet spice and mineral accents. Its acidity is bright and balanced, with a lively, smooth palate and a clean finish.

Côtes du Rhône Rouge features ripe red fruit, sweet spice and Provençal herbs. The tannins are smooth, the acidity vibrant, and the finish carries fruit and spice.

A Bottle To Understand It

Choose Côtes du Rhône Rouge. It is the domaine's red wine under the Côtes du Rhône appellation, with a stated drinking window within five years. The wine pairs with red meat, hearty stews and aged cheeses, while Vinsobres remains the range's more specific appellation name.

Anecdote

At 23, Valérie Chaume-Arnaud turned a childhood plan into work at the family vineyard. She had grown up among her family's 4.5 hectares of vines and had known since she was young that she wanted to become a vigneron. After oenology school, she rented those hectares from her family and began the work herself. The holding remained a family vineyard, but Valérie was now farming it herself as its vigneron.

Final Word

Domaine Chaume-Arnaud is a Vinsobres family domaine whose range joins Vinsobres with Côtes du Rhône wines under organic and biodynamic vineyard management.

Sources

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