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2024 Harvest at Château de la Gardine : Excellence in balance
An Exceptional Terroir as Background
Château de la Gardine, a historic Châteauneuf-du-Pape estate, spans 52 hectares including 48 in red and white wines. The vineyard enjoys a privileged location, with plots distributed across the appellation's characteristic soils :
- The rolled pebbles of the Alpine Diluvium, providing body and structure
- The Urgonian limestone, essential for minerality
- Brown soils and safres, guaranteeing finesse and elegance
A year of beneficial contrasts
"This year was unique," explains Jérôme Tilli, the estate's Cellar Master. The 2024 vintage was characterized by a rainy spring followed by favorable sanitary conditions. The cold spell in early September, unusual but welcome, played a decisive role in grape maturation. This unexpected freshness resulted in moderate alcohol levels, particularly in Grenache, while maintaining excellent phenolic maturity.
Innovation and tradition : a balanced approach
Evolving Winemaking Methods
The estate continues its quest for excellence by introducing new practices while respecting tradition. The major innovation in 2024 is the introduction of two amphoras for integral vinification trials on red wines, following promising results with whites the previous year. "These trials are part of our constant but reasoned innovation approach," notes Patrick Brunel.
Strong Environmental Commitment
The estate maintains its ecological commitment with:
- More than 20 hectares of forests serving as natural refuges
- Controlled grass cover
- Rigorous water management in the cellar
- Vinification with minimal SO2
The Signature of the 2024 Vintage
Remarkable Balance
The major characteristic of this vintage lies in its exceptional balance. Fermentations were "exemplary, with a very linear progression," according to Jérôme Tilli. The wines show:
- Beautiful concentration
- Supple tannins
- Moderate alcohol levels (around 14.5°)
- Excellent aging potential while being accessible young
The Whites : Excellence in Production
Representing 17% of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape production, the 2024 whites are particularly successful. Mainly grown on the Urgonian limestone terroirs in the western part of the estate, they develop remarkable minerality combined with beautiful freshness.
The Art of Winemaking
The vinification process reflects the estate's philosophy, combining tradition and modernity :
- Manual harvesting in small crates
- Rigorous grape sorting
- Blending of varieties before fermentation
- Minimal intervention vinification
- Adapted aging according to the cuvées, now including 600-liter barrels for more subtle oak treatment
Future Perspectives
For 2025, the estate is strengthening its environmental commitment. "Our philosophy has always been to express the purest essence of our terroirs," states Patrick Brunel. This vision translates into minimal intervention, both in land management and winemaking, allowing the wines to fully express their terroir of origin.
The 2024 harvest at Château de la Gardine marks an exceptional vintage, where the natural balance of the wines perfectly reflects the estate's philosophy: respect for terroir, controlled innovation, and adaptation to climatic challenges. The exceptional quality of certain vats, notably two of Syrah and one of Mourvèdre, promises excellent tastings to come, once again confirming the excellence of this historic Châteauneuf-du-Pape estate.
