Domaine de Châteaumar
domaine de châteaumar
Domaine de Châteaumar has been under vine since the 11th century. The Souret family has farmed it without herbicides or pesticides — father to son, every generation.
Winemaker, Frédéric Souret
The estate sits 9 km outside Orange, in the heart of the Côtes-du-Rhône. Viticulture here goes back to the 11th century, and the Souret family has maintained continuous stewardship since the mid-20th century — four generations of father-to-son farming on the same land, without herbicides or pesticides throughout.
Jean-Félix and Frédéric Souret manage the domaine today. The approach hasn't changed much: the soil is turned several times a year to keep it aerated and supple, the vines draw energy from depth, and the grapes are hand-harvested and sorted at full maturity.
FARMING AND WINEMAKING
The estate covers 15 hectares — 10 hectares of Côtes-du-Rhône on stony clay-limestone soils, and 5 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape on red clay covered with large rounded galets. The galets store heat during the day and release it at the vine's base through the night. Farming uses no herbicides, regular soil cultivation, and hand harvesting with careful sorting.
VINEYARDS
Côtes-du-Rhône Vineyards
Ten hectares on stony clay-limestone soils in the heart of the Côtes-du-Rhône production zone outside Orange. The principal varieties are Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, all grown on goblet-trained, dry-farmed vines.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vineyards
Five hectares on the prestigious northern plain of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where red clay soils are blanketed with the appellation's signature galets roulés. Old vines ranging from 30 to 65 years, goblet-trained. The Mistral keeps disease pressure low through the growing season.
