Château Mont Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape - Half Bottle - 37.5cl

In these frenetic, gadget-crazed times, a day without an iPhone can be considered an utter disaster. However, we say nay; shun the glowing screens, pick up a quill and write a letter. For, in tradition lies an unmatched charm. So saying, let us have a peak at yonder wine region Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where ye olde Château Mont-Redon make this rustic and characterful wine, which strikes the ideal balance between delicate spice, warm cherries and garrigue. A by (it before it's gone) era, ho ho ho.

The first vines found at Mont-Redon date back to Roman times. They were planted at the bottom of the hill, sheltered from the Mistral wind, that gave its name to the Mont-Redon property. In 1923, Henri Plantin took over Mont-Redon and its 2.5 hectares of vines spread out across the appellation. He worked on grouping together as many parcels as possible, and had the foresight to plant on the wide open plateau, with its rocky soil and forest patches, never before cultivated, that looks over the Château. Today the estate is one of the largest single properties, with 100 hectares of vineyards in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region. For four generations the family has built on its rich history of wine making knowledge and continued to search out the best pieces of land to ensure the domaines growth.

Château Mont-Redon currently owns 186 hectares in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, of which 100 are planted with vines. Thirteen grape varieties (white and red) can be used to make a Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine and Mont Redon cultivates and vinifies all thirteen. Harvesting is done manually. Grapes are sorted on the vine and transported quickly to newly renovated cellars. The primary objective is to respect and protect their raw material (grapes) throughout their journey to the fermentation tank.

Within their cellars they have built a new modern, compact and efficient grapes reception room using the latest optical sorting technology, in addition to the hand sorting of the pickers in the vineyard to ensuring perfectly round, intact berries. The berries are spread thanks to vibrating table on an horizontal conveyor belt that gives them a high constant speed. Knowing the trajectory of the berries, the computer selects the non-desired items such as petioles, pieces of leaves or stems thanks to the cameras and expulses them by shooting them by means of air valves. This modern technology allows ensure only the purest of juice from the highest quality of fruit.

Red grapes are harvested when physiological ripeness, the balance of sugar and acidity. Grapes are vinified in tanks equipped with four cylinders that punch down the cap, 'pigeage technique' to extract the finest tannins from the skin. The wine is then aged in barrel for 12 monthes. The 2011 vintage is a deep hue bursting with dark forrest fruit character, refined smokiness and warm toasty oak.