2005 Domaine de la Citadelle Les Artemes Cotes du Luberon

Just half-an-hour east of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the climate at Domaine de la Citadelle is noticeably cooler than in the famed village to its west. One key factor in this is the elevation: this carefully developed patchwork quilt of 65 small parcels sits at 1,000 feet above sea level. In warm, dry vintages, like 2005, the slightly cooler days and nights gave birth to wines that have the sweetness of Châteauneuf, but with more moderate alcohol levels, allowing for gorgeous wines of impeccable balance. Alexis Rousset-Rouard grows Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah, along with little Carignan; and some white wine grapes: Vigonier, Marsanne, and Chardonnay.

Just half-an-hour east of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the climate at Domaine de la Citadelle is noticeably cooler than in the famed village to its west. One key factor in this is the elevation: this carefully developed patchwork quilt of 65 small parcels sits at 1,000 feet above sea leve... more