Description
Established by Valerie Chaume who rented 4.5 ha of vines from her family, at the age of 23 years old. Valerie created the cellar (now expanded) that has become Chaume-Arnaud when her husband Philippe joined her in 1989. Located in the northern part of the Cotes du Rhone villages not far from the famous olive growing region fo Nyons.
Until 1956, the olive trees were more numerous than the vineyard in the municipalities of Vinsobres and St Maurice but one night in February, all the olive trees perished by frost. At the time, crops were skillfully distributed between apricot, cereals, lavender, olive trees, vineyards, there was always an ovine herd; An agricultural model that has gradually got lost but which turns out to be logical nowadays. This is why, today in the field, olive trees, cereals, tomatoes are holding company in the vineyard.
The municipalities of Vinsobres and St Maurice are located in the south of the Drôme department, in la Vallée de l’Eygues. They look at the north face of Mont Ventoux. The climate is of the Mediterranean type, conducive to the cultivation of the vine and the olive tree. The hillside with clayey, limestone and stony soil offers us beautiful south and south-east exposures, where we grow Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre and Syrah.
Our plots are well grouped around the farm which facilitates biodynamic work. 38 ha of vines spread over the municipalities of Vinsobres and St Maurice sur Eygues. A magnificent terroir with limestone and stony clay soil with beautiful exhibitions to the south, opposite Mont Ventoux. The plateau of Vinsobres at more than 400m altitude is more clay and very stony. This extra altitude brings notable freshness throughout the growing season. Always ventilated, he gives us cooler conditions, we cultivate Syrah and white grape varieties: Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier. The fertile Eygues plain is the ideal location for grape varieties “from elsewhere”. We are experimenting with Chenin, Vermentino, Chasselas, Caladoc, Merlot and Syrah.
Our local wind: The Pontias is very important for the region of wine. Cold and dry morning wind, it is born in Nyons. In summer it refreshes the valley, it avoids morning dews often generating diseases, in spring, sometimes it protects the crops of frosts.
About this wine: Vinsobres is the most Northerly of the Crus in the Southern Rhone and one of the highest at 400 to 450 metres (higher than the highest vinyeard in Gigondas). Vinsobres benefits not only from the Mistral (from the North) but also the ‘Pontias’ which blows from the East, and from the pre-Alps. Organic since 1997 and biodynamic since 2003.
93/100 Coup de Coeur, La Revue de Vin de France 2023
THE estate’s cuvée, it represents 50% of production, a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault and 10% Mourvèdre mostly from the high plateau and also from south-facing stony, limestone clayey terroir. De-stemmed and crushed and fermented only with indigenous yeasts seeing light pigeage and maceration for 3 weeks with ageing in concrete tanks. Brambly black cherry, perfumed and fresh aromatics. Intense, concentrated fruit but not heavy. Very stylish and fresh.
94 points, Decanter 2023 “A superb nose with notes of cherry blossom, raspberry and redcurrant coulis. This wine is intense without being heavy. It awakens a feeling of great purity. Its fruit is bright, the acidity and tannins are very fine. ready to drink, it is precise and concentrated and gathers around a refreshing balsamic note.”
RRP $56 Our Special Price $44.50 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
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