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About the producer
Domaine de Marcoux, a small Châteauneuf domaine, is owned and managed by the Armenier sisters, Catherine and Sophie. The domaine, whilst in the hands of their father, began experimenting with biodynamics way ahead of its time and today all of their vineyards are farmed according to biodynamic principles. The initial aim was to bring the vineyard back into balance after the post-war excessive use of chemicals. He also felt that this renewed balance, resulting in more effective photosynthesis, contributes to a steadier, more even ripening process.
Visit Website: https://www.domainedemarcoux.fr/en/
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Organic
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Biodynamic
Catherine, with assistance from Sophie’s son Vincent, now oversees the vines. They farm about 18ha in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 8ha in Lirac and a little over 2ha just north of Châteauneuf where they make lovely Côtes du Rhône. The majority of their vineyards are planted with Grenache (70%) with an average age of 50-years-old. The rest of their vineyards consist of Mourvèdre (10%), Cinsault (5%) and Syrah (5%) with another 5% given over to varieties such as Muscardin, Counoise and Vaccarèse.
Marcoux has its vineyards dotted around the appellation and is therefore blessed with a large variation of soil-types, ranging from the large round smooth stone soils, to sand, gravel and limestone. Their regular Châteauneuf-du-Pape is one of the best examples in the appellation, while the Cuvée Vieilles Vignes is a powerful and concentrated wine and is now one of the most sought-after deluxe cuvées in Châteauneuf.
Sophie is in charge of the cellar where each cuvée begins with hand-harvested grapes that are destemmed and crushed upon reaching the cellar. The wines each undergo a short pre-fermentation maceration of a few days, then fermentation lasts around two to three weeks. Wine is aged half in concrete, half in foudre, with a small amount aged in 350 litre barrels to produce elegant and balanced wines that showcase the potential for Grenache.
Vineyard
The domaine has been organically farmed since 1991 and certified since 2010. The 18ha of vines, most over 50-years-old, are planted on varied soil types - from smooth stone soils, to sand, gravel and limestone - that give the wines more complexity.
Winery
Hand-harvested, destemmed and crushed, the grapes for each wine undergo a short pre-fermentation maceration of a few days then fermentation lasts around two to three weeks. Wine is aged usually half in concrete and half in foudre with a small amount going into 350 litre barrels.