Secret Barville is a wine of great character and a remarkable quality marked by its terroirs. The wine reflects a “secret” family winemaking savoir-faire dating back to the 19th century, handed down and improved upon from generation to generation: that of the Brotte family of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, descendants of the Barville and Laget families. The alchemy of old Grenache and Syrah vines from the finest Châteauneuf-du-Pape terroirs results in a rich and complex wine.

Appearance – Ruby hue with crimson tints.

Nose – Great finesse and complexity. Aromas of dark berries (blackcurrants, blackberries), liquorice and cherries in brandy are harmoniously interwoven with roasted notes.

Palate – The wine is broad and soft with a lovely freshness set off by spices such as black pepper and liquorice. This wine is worth cellar-ageing for a few years and will rapidly develop typical aromas of truffles combined with great complexity and length.

LOCATION

Coteau de l’Ange and Beaurenard to the northwest of the AOC.

TERROIR

The pebble-covered red silty-clay soil on the “Coteau de l’Ange” is very conducive to the cultivation of magnificent, concentrated and well-structured Grenache grapes. In Domaine Barville’s “Beaurenard” lieu-dit, we carefully work the Syrah and Mourvèdre vines growing in a clay-limestone soil covered with limestone pebbles, to achieve a remarkable freshness.

VINIFICATION & AGEING

Thanks to our family know-how, we are able to preserve and express the wine’s personality, authenticity and quality. The soils are worked sustainably with ploughing carried out over the year The green work makes use of our ancestral expertise (disbudding, leaf thinning, green pruning), to ensure the grapes are aerated as much as possible and reduce the yields thereby enhancing the quality. The harvest is carried out by hand with the grapes transported to the winery in small 12 kg crates to prevent the grapes from crushing. The grape berries are carefully separated from the stalks using a de-stemmer, then sorted berry by berry on a sorting table by a team of 4 people. The finest whole grapes are gravity fed into the fermentation tank. The fermentation is natural and the long maceration lasts about 4 weeks. We only work the wine by punching down the cap ((without any pumping). The Syrah and Mourvèdre are aged in French oak barrels previously used for one fill and the Grenache Noir in 400-litre sandstone amphorae lends it great minerality. Bottling takes place after 18 months of ageing and is carried out by gravity without filtration.

SERVING

Serve at 17°C. Best cellar-aged for a few years. Open 4 hours before serving

FOOD PAIRINGS

Enjoy, after a few years of cellar-ageing, paired with a terrine of wild boar, beef bourguignon, jugged hare with truffles, a fattened chicken in Vin Jaune, a platter of creamy cow’s cheeses such as Saint Marcellin and fresh goat’s cheeses.

Name: Secret Barville

Brand: Brotte – Les Crus

Classification: AOC Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Type: Red

Region: Southern Rhône Valley (France)

Grape Varieties: Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre