Domaine La Manarine

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Domaine La Manarine 2021 Carignan, Vaucluse IGP	Login	—	In Stock
Domaine La Manarine 2021 Cotes du Rhone AOC	Login	—	In Stock
Domaine La Manarine 2020 Cotes du Rhone Villages 'Plan de Dieu' Les Terres Saintes	Login	—	In Stock

This small, family-owned domaine was created by Gilles Gasq in April 2001. The vineyards are located within the commune of Travaillan, on a splendid plateau northeast of Orange in the southern Rhone. Gilles Gasq is a talented vigneron who has honed his skills working as an assistant to Paul Jeune, the proprietor of Domaine Monpertuis in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Domaine La Manarine now encompasses 18 hectares of vineyards situated primarily on what is known as the "Le Plan de Dieu" (God's workfield). For generations, this specific terroir has been recognized as unique. Recent research has identified the particular character of the underlying soil: a deep layer consisting of more than 60% hard limestone "galets" (large smooth pebbles). They impart character, facilitate drainage, and retain and radiate back heat during the cooler nights. The climate is typically Mediterranean: relatively hot and dry with an average rainfall of between 600 and 800 mm per year. The rains usually come in the form of thunderstorms in late August which provide the vines with the water necessary to finish the maturation process (which tends to shut down under stressful drought conditions). Therefore, despite the lack of rain and the heat of the Mediterranean climate, Gilles is in a region blessed with soils that provide enormous potential to craft high quality, ripe and expressive wines.

Grenache Noir is the main grape variety of the region. It performs particularly well on this type of soil and gives wines with more elegance and aroma than is otherwise common. Gilles Gasq has recently acquired one hectare of Syrah vines which, when they mature and are used to supplement the Grenache, will then enable the Manarine wines to bear the appellation: Côtes du Rhône Villages – Le Plan de Dieu.

Domaine La Manarine practices organic viticulture. The vineyards are principally devoted to Grenache but include several parcels planted to white grape varieties. Gasq vinifies a Côtes du Rhône Blanc, a Côtes du Rhône Rosé and produces two different cuvées of red wine from separate plots of vines. For the moment, the two red Côtes du Rhône are 100% Grenache Noir.