Learn everything about Chateau de la Gardine, Chateauneuf du Pape with wine tasting notes, wine and food pairing tips, wine ratings, a history of the property, information on the vineyards, and winemaking. If you want to read about other important wineries and winemakers from the Rhone valley: Links to all Rhone Valley Wine Producer Profiles
Chateau de la Gardine History, Overview
In its current state, Chateau de la Gardine dates only back to 1947. However, the property has a much longer history in Chateauneuf du Pape dating all the way back to at least the early 1700s.
When the estate was purchased by the well-known Brunel family in 1947, the vineyards were in poor shape after years of neglect and World War 2. At the time, the property at its best had about 10 hectares cultivated with vines.
The Brunel family, headed by Gaston Brunel began replanting the vineyards in their Southern Rhone Valley vineyards, expanding the estate and building the tower that is an important part of the landscape today. The winery was renovated again in 1989, this time with stainless steel fermenting tanks.
Since purchasing the estate with its original 10 hectares of vines, the Brunel family has managed to grow the vineyards into their current 52-hectare size today. Currently, Chateau de la Gardine is managed by Marie-Odile Brunel.
Chateau de la Gardine Vineyards, Wines, Winemaking
While most estates in Chateauneuf du Pape have vines spread out over the appellation, that is not the case with Chateau de la Gardine as most of their vineyards are next to each other in the northwest section of the appellation.
The 52-hectare vineyard of Chateau de la Gardine has a terroir of gravel, loam, limestone, and pebble soil. The oldest vines were planted in 1925. 48 hectares are planted for the production of red Chateauneuf du Pape wine.
4 hectares are reserved for white wine. The wines of Chateau de la Gardine are aged in a combination of small, French oak barrels and foudres.
The best vintages of Chateau de la Gardine are: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2001, 2000 and 1998.
Chateau de la Gardine produces 4 red, Chateauneuf du Pape wines and 2 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc wines.
Chateau de la Gardine Chateauneuf du Pape – 60% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 15% Syrah, and 5% Muscardin. The wine is aged in a combination of vats and barrels, on average this works out to 60% in vats, and 40% in barrel for close to 12 months. On average the production is about 11,500 cases per year.
Chateau de la Gardine Cuvee des Generations – 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 20% Mourvedre 20% Syrah. The wine comes from some of their oldest vines, some of which are more than 100 years of age.
The terroir is rocks, stones, limestone, sand, and clay soils in the la Gardine vineyard. The wine is aged in up to 100% new, French oak barrels for between 14-16 months. 800 cases are produced each year.
Chateau de la Gardine Cuvee Peur Bleu – 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 25% Mourvedre. The wine is aged in tanks for between 12 to 14 months. This is an odd wine and a bit experimental.
Chateau de la Gardine is making what is called a natural wine, meaning that it was bottled without any sulfur, making it unstable for long-term aging. The wine is not produced in every vintage. The production is small with only 250 cases made per year.
Chateau de la Gardine Cuvee l’Immortelle – 34% Grenache, 33% Mourvedre and 33% Syrah. The terroir is pure galets in the La Gardine lieu-dit. The wine is aged in a unique shaped vessel, short, conical French oak tank. Very little wine is produced making this impossible to find. Production is about 90 cases per year.
Chateau de la Gardine Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc is a blend of 45% Grenache Blanc, 25% Clairette, 20% Roussanne and 10% Bourboulenc.
Chateau de la Gardine Cuvee de Generations Marie Leoncie Blanc is made from 90% old vine Roussanne and 10% Clariette. The vines are planted Urgonian limestone soils situated on the western portion of the estates’ vineyards. The wine is aged in mostly new, French oak barrels.
When to Drink Chateau de la Gardine, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau de la Gardine can be enjoyed on the young side. Young vintages can be popped and poured, or decanted for 1-2 hours. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.
Chateau de la Gardine is usually better with 3-5 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage. In the best vintages, the wine should be consumed within 5-15 years after the vintage.
Serving Domaine de la Gardine with Wine, Food Pairing Tips
Domaine de la Gardine is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Domaine de la Gardine is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, stewed dishes, sausage, barbecue, and cassoulet. Domaine de la Gardine is also good with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms pasta, eggplant, cheese, and tomatoes.
The white wine of Domaine de La Gardine is best served with a myriad of different seafood dishes, shellfish, crab, lobster, sushi, sashimi, chicken, pork, and veal, as well as Asian cuisine.
The family also produces wine in the Cotes du Rhone appellation and in Rasteau as well.
Château de la Gardine Wine Tasting Notes
32 Vintages 73,394 Views Sort by Vintage-Rating
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2020
Château de la Gardine Peur Bleue (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
One of the darker wines of the vintage displays an espresso, black cherry and licorice profile. Lush, round and supple, this is one of the better vintage their Peur Bleue, which never uses any SO2 used during bottling. Drink from 2023-2032. 492 Views Tasted Jan 27, 2023 |
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2020
Château de la Gardine l'Immortelle (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Dark, lush, full, polished red fruits are on display on the nose and fruit filled palate. Drink from 2023-2033. 545 Views Tasted Jan 27, 2023 |
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2020
Château de la Gardine Cuvée des Generations Gaston Philippe (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Vanilla, espresso, dark red fruits and a nice, juicy, sweet, mouthful of ripe cherries in a forward, modern-style are what you find here. Drink from 2023-2031. 599 Views Tasted Jan 27, 2023 |
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2020
Château de la Gardine (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Black raspberries, dark plums and cherries fill the fruity profile here. The wine is soft, round and polished with a forward, dark kirsch finish. Drink from 2022 - 2030. 800 Views Tasted Jan 27, 2023 |
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2019
Château de la Gardine Cuvée des generations Marie-Leoncie (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
From a blend of 90% old vine Roussanne, and 10% Clairette the wine pops with spicy white peaches, flowers, orange rind, nuts, vanilla bean and citrus, Opulent, lush and rich, with layers of ripe, sweet, lusciously textured fruit, there is volume, depth, viscosity and freshness here. Drink from 2023 - 2032 1,476 Views Tasted Jan 9, 2022 |
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2019
Château de la Gardine Cuvée des Generations Gaston Philippe (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Smoke, oak, espresso, licorice and black with red and blue fruit aromas are all over the place here. Concentrated, powerful, rich and intense, this is built for the modern hedonist. It is quite a stylized wine, but if this is your thing, you are not going to find a better example. Drink from 2025 - 2040 1,139 Views Tasted Jan 9, 2022 |
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2019
Château de la Gardine (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Smoke and coffee bean are apparent on the nose, along with dark red fruits, licorice, olives, herbs and earth. Round, lush, fruity and already just great to drink today, the ripe fruits are generous, mouth-filling and rich, with a touch of cocoa and espresso that comes through along with layers of perfectly ripe fruits. This decidedly modern styled wine is already fun to taste. Drink from 2022 - 2034 2,030 Views Tasted Jan 9, 2022 |
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2019
Château de la Gardine Peur Bleue (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Full-bodied, richly textured, long and dense, the wine is packed with loads of sweet, ripe, deep, dark, juicy, fruits, licorice, spice and a touch of smoke. This is a wine to drink in its youth as there is never any SO2 used during bottling. Drink from 2022 - 2032 1,000 Views Tasted Jan 9, 2022 |
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2019
Château de la Gardine Blanc (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
White flowers, honeysuckle, orange peel, mango, citrus, and a tinge of vanilla come through easily on the nose. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, elegant, supple, fruity, fresh and ready to go. Drink from 2022 - 2029 1,190 Views Tasted Jan 9, 2022 |
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2018
Château de la Gardine Cuvée des Generations Gaston Philippe (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
With a strong, smoke, espresso note to start things off, the fruit is deep, fleshy, round and flashy. The wine is powerful, ripe and sweet, with a lot of flesh and flash. Give this modern styled, bodacious wine time for the oak to integrate and it will be a much better wine. 1,327 Views Tasted Oct 12, 2020 |
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2018
Château de la Gardine (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Oaky with a hint of espresso along with the fat cherries on the palate. The wine is round, sweet, forward and focused on its core of spicy, red berries. This decidedly modern styled wine is already fun to taste. 1,311 Views Tasted Oct 12, 2020 |
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2017
Château de la Gardine Cuvée des Generations Gaston Philippe (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Powerful layers of dark, spicy, intense fruits soak your palate and hit your nose. This is going to need time to develop, allowing the layers of peppery fruits, herbs and tapenade to come together. The wine is always a bit of a chance as there is never any SO2 used during bottling. The wine is a blend of 40% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre and 30% Syrah. 1,660 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2019 |
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2016
Château de la Gardine Cuvée des Generations Gaston Philippe (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Big, deep, powerful, fleshy and ABVic, this makes quite an impression with all its layers of ripe, dark sweet, ripe, flesh fruits. 2,167 Views Tasted Sep 8, 2018 |
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2016
Château de la Gardine (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Ripe, round, dark and juicy, the oak is out in front to greet you, followed by espresso, deep, dark waves of fruit, lush tannins and an opulent textured finish. 2,739 Views Tasted Sep 8, 2018 |
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2015
Château de la Gardine l'Immortelle (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Deep in color, with molten black cherries, licorice, smoke and espresso beans that just keep on coming The wine has weight, depth, volume and character. Give it a few years to better integrate all its moving parts. 1,498 Views Tasted Aug 21, 2017 |
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2015
Château de la Gardine Cuvée des Generations Gaston Philippe (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
With volume and depth of flavor, the wine offers up its dark, red cherries, coupled with pepper, thyme and herbs with ease. Polished and long, with a saline quality, adding nuances to the finish, this should age and develop nicely. . 2,826 Views Tasted Aug 21, 2017 |
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2015
Château de la Gardine (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Lush, fat and forward, there is a touch of wood, but there is ample fruit here to move past that point, leaving you with spicy, dark red berries, herbs and kirsch in the finish. 2,478 Views Tasted Aug 21, 2017 |
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2015
Château de la Gardine Peur Bleue (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Layers of fat, dark, juicy, fruits are easy to notice. From there, you find licorice, herbs and olives with more dark berries in the end note. This is a wine to drink you the side as there is never any SO2 used during bottling. 1,370 Views Tasted Aug 21, 2017 |
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2014
Château de la Gardine Cuvée des Generations Gaston Philippe (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Black raspberries with a saline quality to the minerality, fresh herbs and plums, the wine has a richness to the texture and much of the oak has already integrated. Modern in style, for sure, but that seems to really work in this vintage, giving the wine an extra element and additional roundness. 1,718 Views Tasted Jun 23, 2016 |
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2014
Château de la Gardine (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
With a kiss of oak at the start, the nose quickly moves to a cherry liqueur and Provencal herb profile. Polished, clean and made in an approachable style for near term drinking. 2,735 Views Tasted Jun 23, 2016 |
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2013
Château de la Gardine Cuvée des Generations Gaston Philippe (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Concentrated, rich and powerful for the vintage, there is a fatness to the texture, with lush textures that pair perfectly with the fresh, soft, peppery fruits. The blend of equal parts Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre is very successful for the vintage. 1,678 Views Tasted Sep 7, 2015 |
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2013
Château de la Gardine (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Lush, forward, round and fruity with a peppery, thyme accent that really shines with all the kirsch. The wine was made from a blend of 65% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, 15% Syrah and 5% Muscardin. 3,828 Views Tasted Sep 7, 2015 |
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2012
Château de la Gardine Cuvée des Generations Gaston Philippe (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Deep in color, with a pronounced oaky aroma, which is going to be a problem for staunch traditionalists. The wine is filled with licorice, sweet, black cherries, smoke and garrigue. The luscious finish does show an oaky slant to the ripe, dark berries. 2,421 Views Tasted Apr 30, 2015Polished and supple, with soft tannins and a rich, velvety, cherry and kirsch center. Using an almost equal blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah, the wine reached 15% ABV. 2,517 Views Tasted Sep 17, 2014 |
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2012
Château de la Gardine (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Fresh, dark, ripe berries, herbs and spice are present all the way through until the kirsch finish kicks in. Blending 65% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, 114% Syrah and 1% Muscardine produced a wine that reached 14.5% ABV. 5,292 Views Tasted Sep 10, 2014 |
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2011
Château de la Gardine (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Medium bodied, easy going, simple, peppery, red fruits are presented in a pleasant, straight forward manner. 2,196 Views Tasted Aug 19, 2014 |
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2010
Château de la Gardine l'Immortelle (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Still dark in color, with a depth of flavor that matches the level of concentration and ripe, fruits found here. It is easy to spot the old vine intensity, in all that dark, red fruit, licorice, spice, smoke and earth. This lushly textured wine should age and develop quite well. 2,309 Views Tasted Feb 13, 2017 |
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2010
Château de la Gardine Cuvée des Generations Gaston Philippe (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Modern in style, which is a bit drying on the palate due to the wood, the wine still offers ample layers of sweet, ripe, jammy berries and spice, along with hints of vanilla and coffee. 3,727 Views Tasted May 31, 2013 |
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2010
Château de la Gardine (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Soft red cherries dominate this structured, concentrated tannic wine. Give this a few more years to develop. 3,583 Views Tasted May 29, 2013 |
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2009
Château de la Gardine (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Nice traditional Chateauneuf that is drinking well, with its open, jammy kirsch, peppery, garrigue profile. 5,051 Views Tasted May 27, 2014 |
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1975
Château de la Gardine (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Better on the nose, with its strong, garrigue, peppery herb and earthy, fading cherry nose, than on the medium-bodied, bright, red berry palate. Past its prime, the wine requires drinking... 1,932 Views Tasted Sep 12, 2021 |
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1955
Château de la Gardine (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Not much there, there, the little fruit remaining made a valiant effort to find its way though the all the earth, forest and tobacco notes. High in acidity, this is history, but not much in the way of a wine. 1,669 Views Tasted Apr 16, 2016 |
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1952
Château de la Gardine (Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Bricky in color, with a light, red fruit, herb and earthy profile, this soft textured, light, fresh wine manage to retain some sweetness in the cherry and kirsch finish. 2,007 Views Tasted Feb 2, 2020Only a smattering of fruit remained, yet the wine was still interesting with its barnyard, horse, earth, garrigue and spicy personality. When you consider this is a 60 year old bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape, it was all things considered, showing quite well. 2,597 Views Tasted May 23, 2013 |
