Domaine de la Libellule

A DOMAINE OF THE CELLIER DES PRINCES

Joining the Cellier des Princes, the Domaine de la Libellule extends the latter's vineyard with 6.5 hectares of red and 2 hectares of white in the Vacqueyras appellation area. The Cellier des Princes is a cooperative cellar in the Châteauneuf du Pape PDO, where passionate winegrowers have been perpetuating the values of rigour and loyalty of the Princes of Orange since 1925. From generation to generation, they pass on the heritage of the vines, which they work in an optimal way to obtain exceptional grapes. Selected according to a very strict process, these grapes contribute greatly to the quality of the Cellier des Princes wines.

This quality has allowed the wines of Domaine de la Libellule to be noticed by the press, but also to seduce the experts of Vinatis. In addition, other wines from several vintages produced by other Cellier des Princes estates have been recognised by international journalists. Wines that have continued to evolve over the past 10 years! This increase in quality is the result of adding a modern touch to the traditional style of the winery to attract different consumer profiles. The scores obtained are a great recognition of the work done by the winemakers and the important investments made in the vineyards and the cellar.

WHITE AND RED WINE IN THE VACQUEYRAS APPELLATION

The Domaine de la Libellule du Cellier des Princes produces wines from vines planted in Sarrians on the high stony terraces of the southern Garrigues. The soil is composed of pebbles and limestone gravel on brown clay.

• Domaine de la Libellule red: the red wine of the estate is made up of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah. The harvest is based on the selection of plots harvested at optimal maturity according to the grape varieties. These types of grapes are then vinified separately with five weeks of maceration with daily punching down, delestage and pumping over. The wine is aged for six months in concrete tanks.
• Domaine de la Libellule white: this wine is made from 75% Grenache Blanc, 10% Roussanne, 5% Viognier, Clairette and Marsanne. The grapes are destemmed and then pneumatically pressed. Fermentation takes place at a low temperature between 12°C and 14°C.

AWARD-WINNING RHONE VALLEY WINES

A producer of Châteauneuf-du-Pape since 1925, the Cellier des Princes today offers quality wines that have won several awards. The winegrowers of this cooperative cellar are present in the five production villages of this appellation: Courthézon, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Sorgues, Bédarrides and Orange. However, the cellar mainly covers the eastern part of the appellation, which is made up of terroirs of rolled pebbles and sandy soils. To ensure the quality of the wines classified as Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC, the winegrowers favour selective sorting so that only the highest quality grapes are used for the production of the wines.

It should be noted that the Cellier des Princes is not only known for its Châteauneuf-du-Pape, its favourite product. This cooperative cellar is also recognised for its other Rhône wines, which have won awards in various competitions (International Challenge - Gilbert & Gaillard, Concours de Lyon, Concours Féminalise, Concours Terre de Vins, etc.). The exceptional quality of the Côtes-du-Rhône and Côtes-du-Rhône Villages produced by the winery is the result of three conditions:

• Exceptional terroirs located very close to the vines intended for the production of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
• Prestigious grape varieties identical to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape, notably old Grenache vines.
• Manual harvesting and selection of the grapes by teams of grape-pickers experienced in Châteauneuf-du-Pape sorting techniques.

In all the appellations produced by the Cellier des Princes, the combination of several components on exceptional terroirs makes it possible to obtain exceptional quality wines: complex and varied soils, optimal exposure and age of the vines, as well as the meticulous work of the winemakers.