This month at Glengarry… Mont-Redon

Mont-Redon is an exciting family-owned winery located in Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the southern Rhône. Established in 1344, on the one hand you could say that Château Mont-Redon is distinctly old-school, being one of the oldest wine-producing estates in France, as well as the largest single property in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. On the other hand, there is a new view from the helm of this winery and a focus on change to take the winery into the future, with quality at the forefront of everything they do.

The estate has been under the management of the related Abeille and Fabre families, who have been in charge here since 1923. A recent change has seen Jean Abeille and Didier Fabre retire and the next generation take the lead, with Pierre Fabre at the helm. Pierre is a charismatic wine lover who has already shown that, along with his deep understanding of the estate, he is not shy of change or looking for new opportunities. While located in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Mont-Redon’s range has, to date, included a Lirac Rosé from the Rhône appellation of Lirac as well as Riotor Rosé from Côtes de Provence. Next off the rank (or press, to be more exact) is a Gigondas which Pierre has made from grapes he purchased off a great site. Pierre’s preference though, is to purchase more vineyards rather than buying fruit. Listening to him discuss vineyard values, and the process to purchase, makes buying in Auckland seem a breeze.

The estate includes 100 hectares of the most perfectly-sited vineyards in the appellation. They operate from a manual they themselves call ‘ancient know-how’, with some recent additions including their optical sorting machine. A very clever tool that is one of only a few, if not the only one, in the Rhône Valley. A photo is taken of every berry and from that it is determined whether the berry meets their criteria. The berries that are rejected are then ‘blown’ away and only the best kept. Just one example of the tools that Mont-Redon is now using. With their Châteauneuf-du-Pape blend, all the parcels are kept separate as they age in barrel and they are regularly tasted. While all technically able to go into the final blend, it is very common for 30-40% of the production to be ‘downgraded’ to their Côtes du Rhône blend.

With a continuing focus on innovation, and a seamless generational transition currently underway, Mont-Redon’s future as one of the great crus looks set to be as bright as its past.

This month at Glengarry, we feature Mont-Redon as our winery of the month. Included in the line-up is the Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2018, a new import for us. Made up of around 55% Viognier, the balance of the blend is Grenache Blanc and Roussanne. It’s a wonderful wine for early drinking, unlike their Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc which is a wine for ageing. Made up of 55% Grenache Blanc, 25% Clairette, 10% Roussanne and a small about of Piquepoul. Interesting fact: There are 13 grape varieties permitted in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Mont-Redon is one of only a handful of estates that grow them all.

www.glengarry.co.nz


By: , Wine with Liz Wheadon, Glengarry

Issue 101 August 2019