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Domaine de la Citadelle Winery Guide

Cellar Tours Insight — Since 2003, Cellar Tours has planned private wine journeys through the world’s leading wine regions, pairing tailor-made itineraries with VIP winery visits, fine dining, and expert regional guidance.

Winery Overview

Among the absolute top flight of wine producers in the gorgeous Luberon appellation, Domaine de la Citadelle continues to break new ground in this less prominent but up-and-coming part of the Rhône wine region. Its secret weapon is undoubtedly an impressive portfolio of choice vineyards, with 39 hectares of vines (averaging 15-75 years old) spread across no fewer than 65 separate parcels. This complex mosaic of vineyards hides a range of highly varied soils and terroirs, expertly harnessed by winemaker Alexis. Over the past 15 years, he has achieved nothing short of remarkable in a region that was once regarded as a humdrum part of the Southern Rhône.

Domaine de la Citadelle is one of Southern Rhône’s newest stars, founded as recently as 1990. It started life as a nondescript albeit beautiful farm purchased by the entrepreneur Yves Rousset-Rouard after being captivated by the region’s outstanding scenery, landscapes, and untapped potential. Originally a mere 8-hectare farm, today, the 39 hectares surround the pretty village of Menerbes on the majestic Luberon mountains’ north-facing side. Motivated by a constant search for higher quality, viticulture is moving towards an organic approach after 20 years of managing the vines without chemical inputs. Rousset-Rouard realized, however, that technology would also need to play its part and, to that end, invest in a state-of-the-art winery built into the sides of the hill. It is one of the region’s most innovative and striking cellars.

Careful vineyard management, modern vinification techniques, and tight quality controls continue to produce excellent results. Always emphasizing elegance over power, these are complex and refined wines, in contrast to some of the more heavy-handed examples from the appellation. All the wines impress, but the true stars are the red Les Artemis and the top cuvee Le Gouverneur, an impressively dense and yet elegant blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre with a little very old Carignan adding a dark spicy complexity to his wonderful wine. Indeed, if you drink only one wine from the Cotes du Luberon, this is surely it. Apart from great wines, this is a wonderful place for its charm, beauty, and hospitality.

Private Wine Tours in the Rhône Valley

Private Wine Tours in the Rhône Valley

Discover the Rhône Valley with private winery visits, superb Syrah and Grenache tastings, refined regional dining, and expert-led touring from Côte-Rôtie to Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

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Further Reading

Author

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James Lawrence

With a passion for food & drink that verges on the obsessive, wine writer James Lawrence has traveled the world in search of the perfect tipple. To date, nothing has surpassed the 1952 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Reserva, tasted in the cobweb-filled cellars with owner María José. Meanwhile, James has been writing for a wide variety of publications for over 12 years, including Telegraph, Decanter, Harpers, The Drinks Business, and Wine Business International. He lives in South Wales and returns to his former university city, Bilbao, as much as possible.

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