Piedlong 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape, Domaine Brunier

LOCATION: For the Grenache grapes, the stony Piedlong Plateau in the heart of the Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC area, north of the village, and the highest point in the production area (128m). For the Mourvedre, the Pignan lieu-dit, east of Piedlong.

SOIL AND SUBSOIL: For 22 acres, the Piedlong lieu-dit: Molasse from the Miocene epoch (1-1.5m in depth) sitting on a thick layer of clay with a high stone content, and covered by the pebble blanket of Alpine diluvium generally known as "galets roules". For 7.5 acres, the Pignan lieu-dit, well-known as one of the few parts of the AOC area with sandy topsoil, and sitting on a mixture of clay, sand and friable stone called "pierre du Gard".

GRAPE VARIETIES: 70-year-old Grenache 90% and 50-year-old Mourvedre 10%.

VINIFICATION: grapes are hand-picked, with double sorting at the vine and a third sorting in the winery. Gentle crushing and selective destemming followed by at least 30 days' traditional fermentation in concrete and wooden vats. Pneumatic pressing, then systematic malolactic fermentation.

MATURATION: 20-22 months in French oak foudres (60 hl), bottled without filtration or fining. Marketed at 2 years.

PERSONALITY AND AGEING: a Chateauneuf-du-Pape perfectly pitched between richness, freshness, robustness and femininity, velvet and minerality.