Family owned Châteauneuf-du-Pape domaine with red and white blends from clay limestone soils.
The producer
Domaine de la Pinède is a family owned estate with 13 hectares, including 8 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Its red blend uses Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Muscardin. Its white blend uses Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne. Semi-carbonic fermentation and tank ageing shape the cellar work. The red wine is fleshy and heady, while the white is fresh and fleshy, with spice and depth on the palate.
Known for
Red and white Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Notable facts
The estate has been family owned since 1870.
Georges Coulon assumed management in 1975.
The holding covers 13 hectares, including 8 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
The story
Georges Coulon's 1975 handover
In 1975 Georges Coulon took over management of Domaine de la Pinède, a 95 year old family estate. The property had been owned since 1870, and Coulon's arrival represented five unbroken generations of ownership. He became the named manager at the handover, with the estate remaining inside the same family line. The details are exact: Coulon, 1975, a property 95 years old, and ownership reaching back to 1870.
From the atlas
Domaine de la Pinède
A family owned Rhône domaine making red and white Châteauneuf-du-Pape from clay limestone soils, with semi-carbonic fermentation and tank ageing.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Appellation
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Wine colours
Red and white
Red character
Fleshy and heady
White character
Fresh and fleshy
The Producer
Georges Coulon assumed management of Domaine de la Pinède in 1975, at a property family owned since 1870. The estate covers 13 hectares, including 8 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
The cellar uses semi-carbonic fermentation and tank ageing. In semi-carbonic fermentation, whole grapes begin fermenting in a carbon dioxide rich environment, a technique that can preserve vivid fruit and fresh aromatics. Tank ageing keeps the wine in a neutral vessel without oak flavour. The average alcohol content is 13.5%.
Place
The Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyard sits on clay limestone soils with rolled pebbles and southern exposure. Clay and limestone can balance drainage with water supply, while rolled pebbles store solar heat and release it after sunset. South facing vines receive strong sunlight. The estate's white wine has a fresh and fleshy balance.
Wines
The named range includes Domaine de la Pinède Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Domaine de la Pinède Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. The red bottle is the 2019 vintage. It is fleshy and heady, developing spiced aromas with a cooked character that is not burnt after about five years of ageing.
The white wine uses Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne. In its youth, it can begin with a fine pearl like sensation that signals freshness. On the palate it is full bodied, with spice and depth.
Final Word
Domaine de la Pinède combines southern exposure and mixed grape varieties with semi-carbonic fermentation and tank ageing in its Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines.