The Wine-Knows group is in
the Southern Rhone where we’ve leased a wine-making chateau near Chateauneuf du
Pape from which to explore this world-class wine district. Our group recently visited two of the area’s
crème de la crème properties: Chateau Le
Nerthe and Chateau Beaucastel. At both
venues we were taken into the vineyards to view “the stones.” Called in French ‘galets,’ these are an important part of the famous wine appellation’s
terroir.
Galets are
remnants of Alpine glaciers that have been carried down over milleniums by the
nearby Rhone River which has often over-flowed it banks. The constant churning by the Rhone is responsible
for the rocks’ rounded, almost polished characteristics. As the river has receded, it’s left in its
wake land that is sometimes yards deep with these tumbled stones. These galets
have several important effects on making the appellation’s world renown
wines.
First, the galets
are extremely hard and dense which means that they retain the daytime heat and
then release it back to the vines during the colder nights. This natural system of “incubation” hastens
the ripening of the grapes, and protects the vines from the extreme cold during
the winter. Second, this top layer of rock
debris from ancient mammoth ice fields serves as a protective cover to help
retain moisture in the soil during the dry, hot summer months. Last, the upper stratum of tumbled stones
means that the vines must send their roots far down to seek water and nutrients
retained in the lower levels of earth.
In the deeper layers of terrain, the vines not only find water but come
in contact with several different minerals that add immensely to the wine’s
complexity.
Chateauneuf du Pape is
legendary for its world-class wines. While there are numerous factors that
contribute to the making of these special wines, none, perhaps, is more
influential than the galets. In some ways, it’s all about the stones.
Sante!
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