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From Valley du Rhône, unlock an eternity of flavour.
HISTORY
From Valley du Rhône unlock an eternity of flavour.
In times past, Popes would spend their papacy performing tasks of a more spiritual and mystical nature than political. Legend has it that along their long path of spiritual reflection, Popes enjoyed a Cotes du Rhone famous for expressing the richness and excellence of the local land to perfection. The wine was naturally baptised Chemin des Papes – the Path of the Popes.
The liturgical ferules and mitre that make up the emblem of Chemin des Papes hark back to its past, as does the wine itself: the ruby colour of Chemin des Papes Côtes du Rhône is reminiscent of deep imperial purple, while the spicy nose recalls the aromatic scent you would expect to find in historic places. Its round, warming and spicy palate produces a pleasure that is simply unconfessable…
The brand was created 18 years ago by the first export wine company of France: GCF Group. In 2009, the brand was exported to 84 countries with 2 million bottles sold. Chemin des Papes, an exceedingly mystical wine that will unlock an eternity of flavour…
The Rhône Valley
The Rhône Valley:
The Rhône valley is assumed to be France’s oldest wine-growing region, it is believed that vines were first planted there by the Phocaeans. The Romans then developed the wine-making technique. In the 12th century, the Templars planted the first Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards.
Today, these vineyards stretch over 70,000 hectares and 200 kilometres. Wines are produced on both banks of the Rhône, with the left bank renowned for wines that are fuller-bodied and headier than those from the other side of the river. A constant improvement in quality has resulted in the wines from this region being compared with the world’s top vintages.
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Vincent Euzet
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Winemaker
Every year, our winemaker Vincent Euzet selects in the respect of the tradition the best land and wineries in order to shape wines of characters where elegance, velvety and fruit are prevailing. His know-how and his love of the land enable chemin des papes to be regularly awarded in competitions.
Range
Côtes-du-Rhône,
The authenticity of the Rhône Valley.
Amongst the top AOP regions in France, Côtes-du-Rhône is one of the front-runners in terms of land area and production volumes. From Vienne to Avignon, the « Côtes-du-Rhône » appellation stretches across both banks of the Rhône over 171 communes
and 6 departments: Loire, Rhône, Ardèche, Drôme, Vaucluse and Gard.
There are two sub regions of Rhône wines: the Côtes-du-Rhône septentrional in
the northern part of the region from Vienne to Valence and the Côtes-du-Rhône meridional
in the southern latitudes from Montélimar to Avignon.
Other appellations are produced in this area: Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Château-Grillet, Saint-Joseph, Cornas, Saint-Péray, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Côtes-du-Rhône Villages, Vinsobres, Gigondas, Beaumes-de-Venise, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, Vacqueyras, Châteauneuf-du-pape, Lirac and Tavel.
The distinctive nature of wines from the Côtes-du-Rhône is down to climate, soils
and grape varieties, all elements that help to produce wonderfully structured, lively wines. But more than these geographic considerations, it is most certainly human commitment that has forged the appellation and given it real personality.
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Côtes-du-Rhône White
Appellation d'origine protégée
- Grapes varieties: Grenache Blanc (70-80%), Roussane (<10%), Marsanne (<10%), Viognier (<10%).
- Geography: From the southern Rhône valley with a Mediterranean climate.
- Soil: Red clay over Urgonian limestone.
- Vinification: Traditional with mechanical harvesting and regulation of fermentation temperatures.
- Colour: Clear straw yellow with silver reflections.
- Bouquet: Intense aromas of flowers, aniseed plant and white fruit.
- Palate: An attack rich in alcohol, a smooth wine with delicate, complex scents.
- Wine & Dine: Grilled fillet of fish, white meats.
- Serving temperature: 12 to 14°C.
- Cellar life: 2 to 3 years.
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Côtes-du-Rhône Red
Appellation d'origine protégée
- Grapes varieties: Grenache (60%), Syrah (30%), other Rhône grape varieties (10%).
- Geography: southern Rhône Valley vineyard.
- Soil: clay-limestone and stony soils.
- Vinification: Mechanised harvest; alcoholic fermentation with 10 days of maceration followed by malo-lactic fermentation. Selection of the best vintages from our partner cellars in the Rhône Valley.
- Colour: Deep ruby in colour emphasised by dark purple reflections.
- Bouquet: Intense preserved fruit aroma with spicy notes.
- Palate: Firm attack, slightly spirit, well rounded and elegant. A good intense and lasting aromatic expression. The overall effect is well structured, fleshy and harmonious; characterised by the Grenache for its warm notes and the ending with well established tannins.
- Wine & Dine: The ideal accompaniment for a roasted leg of lamb or veal and duck recipes.
- Serving temperature: 16 to 18°C.
- Cellar life: 3 to 5 years.
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Côtes-du-Rhône Rosé
Appellation d'origine protégée
- Grapes varieties: Grenache (35%), Cinsault (35%), Syrah (20%), other Rhône valley grape varieties (Carignan, Mourvèdre…) (+ or – 10%).
- Geography: From the vineyards of the southern Rhône valley.
- Soil: Sand or alluvium with red clay and smooth pebbles.
- Vinification: Mechanical harvesting, bled rosé wine after a few hours of maceration. Low-temperature alcohol fermentation (<20°C); bentoniteclarifying to stabilise the wine’s proteins followed by membrane filtering.
- Colour: A clear sheeny pink with a slight orange hue
- Bouquet: Subtle, fresh and fruity with amylic notes, finely spiced.
- Palate: Smooth and well-balanced, suave and very typical of a Mediterranean rosé wine; a livelier finish delivers superb fruity freshness.
- Wine & Dine: Grilled fillet of fish, white meats.
- Serving temperature: 13°C.
- Cellar life: 1 year.
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Côtes-du-Rhône Red
Matured in oak barrels Appellation d'origine protégée
- Grape varieties: Wine made from a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvêdre.
- Geography: Southern Côtes du Rhône, property located between Montélimar and Avignon.
- Vinification: The grapes are harvested when just ripe, destemmed, crushed and fermented for 6 to 12 days at a controlled temperature (about 30° C). The best land and wineries have been selected for this wine. The wine is racked and matured in barrels for several months.
- Soil: Red clay on chalk.
- Colour: Dark red, clear.
- Bouquet: Oak, expressing aromas of spices and vanilla.
- Palate: Ample, where the tannins blend harmoniously with fruit and spices.
- Wine & Dine: Meat pie, goulash, orange and dates with honey, couscous.
- Serving temperature: 14 to 16°C.
- Cellar life: 2 to 5 years.
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Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Red
Appellation d'origine protégée
- Grapes varieties: Syrah, Grenache and Mourvêdre.
- Geography: Vineyards located in the southern Rhone valley between Montélimar and Avignon.
- Soil: Red clay on chalk.
- Vinification: The grapes are harvested when ripe, destemmed, and fermented under a controlled temperature for about 10 days. The wine is then blended and bottled.
- Colour: Fine deep ruby colour.
- Bouquet: Fine and powerful, with spicy and fruity notes.
- Palate: Balanced, rich and fruity.
- Wine & Dine: Red wine thaht may be served with roast meat and meat in sauce, braised ham, dried sausage, mutton daube, roast beef, processed cheese.
- Serving temperature: 16 to 18°C.
- Cellar life: 2 to 4 years.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape,
The prestige of the Rhône Valley.
In the Middle Ages, monasteries such as those found in Burgundy began to take over the management of vineyards. This is how Châteauneuf was renamed Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the moment the Popes chose the area as a holiday destination.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the wine of all important occasions. The hillsides lie between Orange and Avignon gracing the finest landscapes of Provence. The soils are particularly photogenic, a sea of pebbles from which emerge gnarled vine stock. There are three types of terroir: rolled pebbles, gravely soils and sandy soils. The appellation's different terroirs are called "quarters" by local wine-growers, and very often vine from all three are used to shape this wine. The appellation enjoys a unique micro-climate, as the sun's heat is stored during the day by pebbles which then returns this warmth at night. This day-night process helps to ensure excellent maturity of grapes.
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Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Appellation d'origine protégée
- Grapes varieties: Wine produced from a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Picardan, Cinsault, Muscardin, Terret noi..
- Geography: In Vaucluse (84), a prestigious appellation in the southern Rhône Valley.
- Soil: Comprises terraces with layers of clay to large, round pebbles, clay-sandy areas to hills with barremian chalk.
- Vinification: grapes harvested and crop sorted.
Stripping, crushing then fermentation for 15 days at controlled temperatures and gentle pressing. The wine is then matured for several months then filtered
and bottled to preserve the richness of the aromas. - Colour: very deep garnet red.
- Bouquet: bouquet of small red berries and spices.
- Palate: rich, round and full.
- Wine & Dine: to suggest with game, duck, guinea fowl, pigeon, osso bucco and flavoursome cheeses.
- Serving temperature: 16 to 18°C.
- Cellar life: 3 to 6 years.
Awards
A brand regularly awarded
| Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge | 2011 | Concours général agricole de Paris 2012 | GOLD |
| Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge | 2010 | Concours général agricole de Paris 2011 | GOLD |
| Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge | 2009 | International Wine Challenge 2010 | COMMENDED |
| Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge | 2008 | Vinalies Internationales 2009 | SILVER |
| Côtes-du-Rhône Rosé | 2009 | Vinalies Internationales 2010 | SILVER |
| Côtes-du-Rhône Rosé | 2009 | International Wine Challenge 2010 | BRONZE |
| Côtes-du-Rhône Rosé | 2011 | Saveur de l'année 2012 | |
| Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Rouge | 2009 | International Wine Challenge 2010 | COMMENDED |