MONT REDON

The Abeille-Fabre family of wines continues to expand under the stewardship of Pierre Fabre. So too does a focus on the environment. Mont Redon is one continuous estate sitting atop the Châteauneuf-du-Pape plateau, crafting wines from their home appellation and around the southern Rhône. The range includes a bold, fruit-forward red from nearby Gigondas and a vibrant rosé from Lirac. The most recent project at the base in Châteauneuf-du-Pape has been the construction of a new winery, cooled by natural air-conditioning using a Canadian well. Warm air is circulated through pipes that are buried below the vineyard at a depth where the ground temperature is more stable. The resulting cool air is then used to control the temperature in the winery.

Cairanne is located not far from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and is home to Pierre’s newest acquisition, Domaine de l’Oratoire Saint-Martin. The style of Cairanne is very elegant, with moderate fruit concentration – less than Lirac, Gigondas and Châteauneuf - but delivering great length and complexity. The whites have slightly more texture than the Mont-Redon style. Oratoire Saint- Martin has been farmed according to organic and biodynamic standards for ten generations. Winemaking under previous owners, the Alary brothers, involved a very low intervention approach, a philosophy that Pierre is excited to continue. The estate has been organic since the 1990s and biodynamic since the 2000s.

Those of you who have been with us for some time might recall the excellent Riotor rosé. Riotor was crafted by Mont Redon, and the name for their new Provence rosé is Saint Max. Its fruit comes off vineyards located in the inner valley of the Cuers plain, on the sides of the foothills of the Massif des Maures and on the Arçois inland country at the foot of these same hills. The vine-yards enjoy the benefits of a Mediterranean coastal influence, while the inland Arçois vineyards experience a cooler climate that yields fruit of great freshness.