The 30 hectares of Coudoulet are located just east of the vineyard of Beaucastel on the other side of the A7 motorway. For reasons that have now become obvious, Coudoulet is often considered the baby Beaucastel. The Coudoulet soil has many similarities to that of Beaucastel. It is made out of Molasse seabed covered by diluvial alpine deposits. These pebbles called “Galets Roulés” play a big role: They take in the heat during the day and let it if off slowly at night which gives a good start to the vines in the Spring.

The years in 9 regularly mark the memory of winegrowers and this vintage was no exception. After an early bud burst in early April, flowering was gradual and took place in good conditions in all the vineyards. Then a hot summer began in late June, which the vines bravely resisted: they suffered little from water stress, thanks to the chamomile herbal infusions we sprayed on the vegetation to cope with the heat. Finally, the harvest went as usual, without any particular precocity. The wines are promising; a vintage in 9 is born, once again, under a lucky star.

Located to the east of the Beaucastel vineyard, Coudoulet de Beaucastel Blanc covers 3 hectares within the Côtes du Rhône appellation. Its terroir of Miocene marine molasse topped with an Alpine diluvium of rolled pebbles gives it a distinctive identity. The hand harvested grapes are rigorously sorted, collected in small crates and pneumatically pressed before settling. Fermentation takes place partly in oak barrels and partly in stainless steel tanks, where the wine rests for eight months before blending and bottling without cold stabilisation, revealing all the finesse and balance of this great Rhône white.

The Coudoulet 2019 has a beautiful crystalline and shiny colour with green and golden reflections. The nose is delicate with an attractive bouquet on notes of citrus zest and ginger. Full and complex, the mouth reveals gourmet aromas of apricot and mango and has a long finish enhanced by a little bitterness.