Hi,

Welcome to the Châteauneuf du Pape region and the Domaine de Villeneuve winery.

My name is Stanislas Wallut and I am a winegrower.

I have a small vineyard covering an area of ​​8.5 hectares. Our vines are over 60 years old and we grow five different varieties of grape: the Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Cinsault and Clairette.

We produce biodynamic win and I pay a great deal of attention to the way my land is ploughed and how buds are removed. This work yields results, as we produce a finer, more elegant wine that is less sunny and with subtle tannins, and a pleasure for wine-tasters.

Villeneuve was taken over in 1993 by the WALLUT and the du ROY de BLICQUY Families.

More information on the Domain of Villeneuve

Located in the North of the Appellation Villeneuve is at the « crossroad » of several very ancient geological evolutions of the soils. Red clays and loess laying on sand from the sea which was here million of years ago and which also rolled the famous round stones of Châteuneuf-du-Pape. Yellow clays laying on sedimentary deposits. Clays are together the « bones » of the soil and the larder of the nutritive components of the organic matter which is the basis of the life activity in the soil. Loess, sans and stones give porosity which is the sign of lands of quality.

Surface: 8,40 hectares producing around 25 hectoliters per hectare (i.e less than 30,000 bottles per vintage).

*Vine varieties: * 70% Grenache, 16% Mourvèdre, 8% Syrah, 4% Cinsault, 2% Clairette

*Age of the vines: * Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Clairette from 30 to 100 years old. Syrah from 5 to 20 years old.

Wine growing:

100% ploughing. No weeds killers, no chemical except sulphur.

We use Camomille tea, infusion of nettle or horsetail, and special preparations currently used in biodynamic culture. We are permanently open-minded towards methods that aim to consolidate the self defense of the vines against aggression of artificial solutions which tend to « lock » the vine and the winemaker in a « all technologic solution ».

Our experience shows that it works. It is the inside energy of the plant which fights the diseases and viruses and not classical chemical medicine which only brings temporary solutions.

Wine making:

The basis is using the highest sanitary quality of the grapes. Careful sorting of grapes in the vineyards in order to avoid the rotted bunches to be in contact with sound ones. The cellar is built 6 meters deep in the soil with enormous porous blocks of stones which weight 7,5 tons each. In order to keep contact with earth influences (hygrometry, airing) Gravity permits to avoid pumping the must as much possible. Tanks are in cement covered with ceramic tales. Fermenting times from 20 to 35 days depending on the « raw material ». We are looking for extraction with soft methods but not for over-extraction. For a part of the volume the malolactic fermentation takes place in oak barrels (Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache). Aging between 18 to 20 months on fine lees in cement tanks for 80 to 85% and in barrels for 10 to 15%.

Biodynamic Vineyard since 1998 certified by Ecocert and Biodyvin

Today I am appealing for your help, as I would like to improve the mineral character and finesse of our wines. I can do this by purchasing a new wine tank with very specific properties that I would now like to show you.

As you can see, the tank is egg-shaped. Because of its design, the wine is kept constantly moving and the temperature is naturally self-regulated inside. The combination of both phenomena forces the lees to rise and feed the wine during the maturing process, adding a more mineral character and depth to the wine.

Thanks to your help, if I buy a second tank, I can produce a special vintage, in magnums that will be known as "Habemus Papam”. Our goal is to make an outstanding wine that will be one of the finest Châteauneuf du Pape.

Thank you for your support!

Stanislas Wallut

Domaine de Villeneuve