Domaine de la Cote de l'Ange

   
Located in Rhone · France

The Châteauneuf du Pape AOC is synonymous with wine excellence the world over. The area’s wine-growing history dates all the way back to the 14th century, when the papacy selected Châteauneuf-du-Pape as a summer residence and several Popes developed the vineyard.

Owners of Domaine de la Cote de l’Ange, the Mestre family, are some of the longest-standing in the area; the vineyard has been passed down across several generations, with the current brand being set up in the 1960s by Monique and Jean Claude Mestre. Since 1988, their daughter and her husband Yannick Gasparri have been managing the estate, joined more recently by the latest generation – son Jules – in 2017.

Processes of pruning, ploughing and fertilising the soil are tailored to each plot individually, but all techniques used follow the idea of preserving centuries-old traditions. With that in mind, eco-friendly techniques such as debudding, green harvesting and sexual confusion (which uses natural methods to prevent butterflies mating and therefore removes the need for insecticides).

Grapes are picked by hand, in the traditional way, and thermoregulation techniques are used to control fermentation. Red wines are created from blends of native varieties including Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre and vinified in concrete vats. White wines, crafted from Grenache, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussane grape varieties, are vinified 70% in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats and 30% in new barrels.