At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Location
- Sarrians, Vaucluse
- Appellation vineyards
- Approximately 100 hectares, including 14 hectares for AOC Vacqueyras and 13 hectares for Côtes du Rhône
- Main grapes
- Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre in Reflets de l’Âme Vacqueyras
- Current ownership
- Céline and Jean François Barnier, second generation
- Defining feature
- Nursery grafting that joins the vine's external part to rootstock for vine protection and soil adaptation
The Producer
Fontaine du Clos is operated by Céline and Jean François Barnier as the second generation of the domaine. Its work combines sustainable viticulture with wine production and nursery grafting. The graft joins the external part of a vine to rootstock, which protects the vine and helps it adapt to soil. The wines are generous.
Place
Sarrians in Vaucluse is the home of the domaine. Its vineyards carry the AOC names Vacqueyras and Côtes du Rhône. These regulated appellation names place different geographic categories on the bottles. The two red wines are Reflets de l’Âme Vacqueyras and Fontaine du Clos Côtes du Rhône.
Wines
The red range is organized around two appellation wines. Reflets de l’Âme Vacqueyras is composed of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Fontaine du Clos Côtes du Rhône is the domaine's Côtes du Rhône red. The range keeps the appellation name visible on each bottle, while Reflets adds a defined three grape composition.
In The Glass
The Côtes du Rhône Rouge has a limpid garnet color, with balsamic notes, rosemary, juniper and dark berry aromas. Its palate is charming and well balanced.
Reflets de l’Âme shows an attractive garnet red color. Strawberry jam, pink berries, blood orange and milk chocolate fill the nose. The palate has tannic relief with a full bodied and fresh character.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Reflets de l’Âme Vacqueyras. The wine uses Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, with total destemming and separate vinification for each variety. Traditional and ancestral vinification lasts 21 days on marc, the grape solids including skins and seeds, under controlled temperature with two pump overs each day. The wine then ages in concrete tanks, preserving fruit character and terroir expression without oak flavour. It carries the Vacqueyras appellation, three grape varieties and a defined cellar method in one bottle.
Final Word
Fontaine du Clos links nursery grafting and sustainable viticulture with reds carrying the Vacqueyras and Côtes du Rhône names. Reflets de l’Âme brings Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre into a concrete aged Vacqueyras.