Châteauneuf-du-Pape Font de Courtedune 2016

Lot presentation

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Font de Courtedune 2016

The wine

Font de Courtedune is a small family estate cultivating its vines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape with an artisanal approach. Profound respect for their terroir lies at the heart of its philosophy. Harvesting is carried out by hand at full ripeness, with meticulous sorting in the vineyard, followed by a careful selection of the finest berries on a sorting table. Alcoholic fermentation starts naturally with native yeasts in concrete vats, following traditional methods. Ageing then continues for 12 months in concrete vats and old foudres (large wooden tuns), with no new oak, to preserve the purity of the fruit and the natural freshness of the vintage.
Deep garnet hue, shimmering with ruby highlights. The nose captivates with aromatic complexity, combining ripe black fruit with sweet spice, garrigue notes and a delicate floral touch. On the palate, the wine is ample, generous and elegant.

About the Producer Font de Courtedune

Established in 1997 by the Charrier family when they decided to leave the winemaking cooperative and vinify independently, the estate has steadily built a reputation as one of the appellation’s respected and consistent producers. Today, Caroline Charrier oversees winemaking, while her brother Frédéric manages the vineyards, continuing a family venture that may, in time, be passed on to the next generation.
The vineyard extends over around 35 hectares across several appellations. Grenache forms the backbone of the plantings, alongside Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvèdre, with smaller proportions of lesser-known varieties such as Caladoc. The soils, composed of nearly 80% sand, recall those of certain neighbouring terroirs – notably Château Rayas – and naturally lend themselves to wines of great refinement and delicacy.
Vineyard management is conventional and pragmatic, with regular soil cultivation and sheep manure used as fertiliser. Harvesting is adapted to grape variety and training system: trellised Syrah parcels are machine-harvested, while the old Grenache vines trained using the gobelet method (forming four arms around a central base to distribute and aerate the clusters) are picked by hand.
In the winery, long macerations with whole bunches and ageing in concrete vats – up to two years for the Châteauneuf-du-Pape – are designed to preserve freshness and aromatic purity. The wines stand out for their expressive fruit, balance and elegance, qualities regularly praised by specialist guides such as La Revue du Vin de France.