14 DOMAINE DE LA CITADELLE

 

VINEYARDS // 44 ha on the northern slopes of the Luberon. 33 ha in CÔTES DU LUBERON AOC (red varieties: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinsault; white varieties: Grenache, Roussanne, Marsanne, Clairette, Ugni, Bourboulenc, Vermentino). 11 ha of VIN DE PAYS DE VAUCLUSE (Cabernet, Merlot, Viognier, Chardonnay). Cool terroir (low-lying slopes, garrigue) with various exposures and altitudes up to 300 m. Soils: chalky-clay, marl, scree. Vine management: lutte raisonnée since 1990.

CELLAR // Temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats with gravity feeding. Vats fitted with hydraulic cap-punchers. Grapes destemmed and pneumatically pressed. Air-conditioned ageing and storage cellars.

WINES // CÔTES DU LUBERON • Gouverneur St Auban: old vines, mainly Syrah plus Grenache and Mourvèdre. Aged 12 months in barrels (15% new). White: Roussanne, Viognier and Chardonnay, vinified in barrels. • Les Artèmes: selected parcels, mostly Grenache and Syrah. Ageing: half in vats, half in barrels. White: Grenache, Clairette and Roussanne, vinified in vats. • Le Châtaignier: blend of young vines. Red: Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault vinified and aged in vats. Short vatting; Carignan carbonic-macerated. White: Grenache, Bourboulenc, Ugni and Clairette. • Les Ultimes: selection from barrels in best years. VIN DE PAYS VAUCLUSE: Cabernet and Viognier, vinified and aged in vats. Vins de terroir rather than varietals.

 

DOMAINE DE LA CITADELLE
Yves et Alexis Rousset-Rouard - Route de Cavaillon
84560 Ménerbes
Tél. : +33(0)4 90 72 41 58-Fax : +33(0)4 90 72 41 59
Email : domainedelacitadelle@wanadoo.fr
www.domaine-citadelle.com

Branching out

Yves and Alexis Rousset-Rouard, father and son, have charted parallel routes with a single goal: achieve high standing for Domaine de la Citadelle. Alexis, delicate of face and firm of voice, resembles the landscape with his pronounced but finely-drawn features. He came to Provence in 1995, leaving the urban din behind for the challenge of building from scratch here. He loves his 65 parcels with their different terroirs; the last thing he wants is to standardise them into one wine. Yves, naturally self-assured and a straight talker, is the kind who enjoys conducting the business of this world, “for altruistic and selfcentred reasons”. He never forgot that his father secretly dreamed of owning a vineyard, and now he has realised the dream in his stead. While Alexis treads the Citadelle's ground, Yves, who is mayor of Ménerbes, divides his time between his village and his love of wine. His stays in the new world have convinced him that wine must open itself to the public, offering reception venues and attractions. So, at the Domaine, Yves has installed the Corkscrew Museum; and for the Town Council he has created, in a 17th century house in the heart of the village, the Luberon Truffle andWine Centre. There you can explore the wine library, attend tasting classes, and, once a year, watch the award-winning films from the Oenovideo Festival. Truffles, cheese, concerts, painting and fine cuvées…wine tourism in all its facets. He soon realised that wine, combined with other terroir assets, could be a tremendous cultural vehicle. Yves and Alexis Rousset-Rouard have embarked on a vast undertaking, each of them following their natural inclination. A lovely family story.