Description
Château de Rouanne is a historic estate with a 12th century medieval castle, situated on a classified Roman site located in the southern Rhône Valley. The name of the estate comes from “Rugius”, which is said to be the name of the original Roman owner. The estate totals 177 acres (72 hectares), including 153 acres (62 hectares) of vines. Château de Rouanne was purchased by Louis Barruol, owner and winemaker of Château de Saint Cosme, in May of 2019. Barruol sees enormous potential in Château de Rouanne, having worked with the previous owners for years as a source for some of his négociant wines. “It reminds me a lot of Saint Cosme when I took it over in 1992. It’s an unknown sleeping beauty waiting for a vigneron to truly love it.”
The vineyard of Château de Rouanne is a unique one-block monopole, planted entirely with 50+ year old vines, which are a selection massale of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. The ancient terroir is comprised of limestone and sandy marl soils dating back to the Pliocene epoch.
Harvested in the cool early morning hours, the grapes undergo a lengthy pressing followed by fermentation using indigenous yeasts in concrete vats to preserve the character and purity of the terroir. The second fermentation occurs with zero dosage.
“An impeccably made sparkling wine from this talented winemaker, the 2022 Brut Nature comes all from Mourvèdre, made in the classic méthode champenoise style. Apple and stone fruits, some spice and floral notes, medium body, a juicy, elegant mousse, and a clean, crisp finish all define this sparkler. It’s going to evolve for 4-6 years or so, although I’d give it a year or two and drink up.”
