Côtes du Rhône

Autard CDR

Côtes du Rhône

$1.00

Country France
Region Rhône Valley
Producer Domaine Paul Autard
Size

750mL

Style Red
Practices Sustainable
Grapes Grenache, Syrah
Other Features Vegan

70 % Grenache, 20 % Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre, from grapes grown in several parcels just outside the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation in Courthézon. The vines average 45 year old, with the oldest being 75 year old.

The grapes are all handpicked and transported to the winery in small boxes so as not to damage the fruit. Autard sorts the harvest twice, and then de-stems and lightly crushes the fruit to spontaneously begin the fermentation process by releasing the juice. Maceration and fermentation take place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks over 25 days. Autard’s tanks are equipped with a pneumatic mechanism to carry out pigeage (or punching down of the cap) to ensure optimal and gentle extraction. In addition, two pumping over operations (remontages) are carried out daily for 10 days, to enhance extraction and aerate the wine, in order to obtain a plush texture. Each of the varieties are vinified separately, assembled in late January, and aged in stainless steel tanks until bottling in late February.

Autard’s Côtes-du-Rhône is a smoky, complex wine, loaded with warm raspberry fruit, showing many of the best attributes of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. 14.5% alcohol. 

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About the Producer

Jean-Paul Autard carries on the tradition established by Paul Autard when he founded the domaine in the village of Courthézon in the 1970's. He took over very early, at 17 year old, after his father passed away. His daughter Pauline now works with him.

Autard has 26 hectares of vines, of which 12 are in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and 14 in Côtes-du-Rhône (located at the border of the Châteauneuf appellation in Courthézon.) The aging cellar is a massive, vaulted cave cut into sandstone rock, housing the domaine’s barriques. The Autards feel privileged to have inherited a domaine in which the plantations of different varieties are perfectly adapted to the soil types - ranging from galets roulés, pebble and clay, to sandy-clay. They aim to get the most out of each variety by vinifying separately and then blending judiciously. The grapes are destemmed and fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts. After the malolactic fermentation, the wines are transferred to barriques for aging, about one third of which are new for the regular cuvée of Châteauneuf and 100% new for La Côte Ronde and Juline. Since 2004, Jean-Paul has been working in his new state-of-the-art winery, which allows him greatly enhanced control over all phases of winemaking, and a concomitant increase in quality. His unique style, fusing elegance, balance and generously expressive Châteauneuf-du-Pape flavor, has won his wines an international following.

Farming/vinification practices: sustainable farming. Jean-Paul aims to achieve a perfect balance between the soil and the vine. He does not need to green harvest because his vines are on average over 50 year old. The vines’ age, together with the limited use of only organic fertilizer, naturally ensures low yields and concentrated, balanced fruit. No pesticides, chemical anti-rot products or fertilizers are used. The health of the vineyard is ensured by meticulous work by hand, such as the removal in May and June of unessential shoots and leaves that would block the proper aeration of the vines. Jean-Paul is able to eliminate the possibility of problems such as rot and mildew by not allowing humidity to remain on the grapes and leaves. In a few years, him and Pauline will start uprooting some vines to replant 5% to 10% every year.  Indigenous yeasts are used most of the time, but inoculation may be required in a difficult vintage. The grapes are 100% destemmed.  The wines are vegan.

Domaine Paul Autard
Vinous: Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc moving out of the shadows - June 2017

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