Vaucluse Font de Courtedune 2023

Lot presentation

Vaucluse Font de Courtedune 2023

The wine

The vines strive on clay-limestone soils typical of the Vaucluse, offering good water retention and an ideal structure for moderate yields. These soils impart the wine a distinctive minerality and fine length on the palate. Harvesting is done by hand, with rigorous sorting in the vineyard to retain only the ripest grapes. Fermentation occurs at controlled temperature, and ageing is carried out in stainless steel vats to preserve freshness and fruit character. The process remains simple and respectful, with no added inputs, allowing the terroir to express itself fully.
In the glass, the wine displays a brilliant ruby-red hue with purplish glints. The highly expressive nose combines ripe red fruit such as cherry and raspberry with spicy touches and typical garrigue notes. The attack on the palate is supple and fruit-forward, the tannins fine-grained, and the freshness lends both lift and length to the finish.

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.