Domaine Mas St. Louis

This 40 hectare domaine, owned and run by the Geniest family for over one hundred years, has all its vineyard holdings in the commune of Sorgues. The gravelly/sandy soils in this southerly part of the appellation provide well drained, cooler soils than some of the heavier, clay rich parts of the region. After harvest, the heavily dominant Grenache wines are fully de-stemmed before being fermented in cement tank and aged for approximately two years in large casks. The style here is very distinct with a more Burgundian feel to the wines than commonly found.

Rhône Valley

FRANCE

Jean-Louis GENIEST acquired the Maison Vigneronne in 1909

on avenue du Baron Le Roy, Clos district in Châteauneuf du Pape, to vinify the crops from his plots located around the old “Mas Saint-Louis”, he then rebuilt the old winemaking tanks that were there; tanks, which are periodically renovated, are still in service.

Then he was succeeded by his son Gabriel and his grandson Louis.

Louis GENIEST (1909-1990) was keen to amplify the founder’s work by acquiring new plots of vines, bringing together some by multiple exchanges, thus resulting in a magnificent homogeneous and harmonious domain of more than 30 hectares in one piece. His action was extended by his son Jean, an eminent lawyer, doctor of Law, and now Monique GENIEST, the latter’s wife, runs the Domaine, favoring the improvement of soils and crops, as well as the modernization of equipment.

Viticulture

Apart from a small plot of Syrah grape variety, adjoining the Cave de Châteauneuf du Pape, located in the heart of the village, the vineyard extends to the far south of the Appellation, on places with typical names: “Crousroute” and “La Lionne”, in the immediate vicinity of an old arm of the Rhône, called the Bras des Armeniers, now The very old farmhouse, built in “tapi”, a traditional compacted mixture of clay and gravel, is established in the center of the Domaine, the vineyards bordered by groves of holm oaks and pines, descend on a gentle slope from the Côte de La Lionne to the rural road linking Avignon to Châteauneuf du pape. On the soil level, the slightly sandy soil consists of terraces of rolled pebbles and strata of burdigalian molasse typical of the appellation. These famous pebbles accumulate during the day the rays of the generous sun of Provence to, at night, restore the heat to the vines, and thus bring the grapes to their optimal maturity. We maintain a traditional and reasoned culture, respectful of the environment, always favoring the hand of man.

Winemaking

he harvest generally begins in September and ends at the beginning of October, it is entirely manual and respects the optimal level of maturity of each grape variety and each plot. The sorting of the clusters is carried out directly on the plot during picking, then they are immediately transported to the winery located in the heart of Châteauneuf du Pape. The grapes are then cut and trodden before being directed to the traditional built tanks, which ensures better thermal control during successive, alcoholic and malolactic fermentations. Vinification Vinification favors long-lasting vats, up to a month, to extract the maximum color and express all the aromas, by multiple ” remontages” and “pineages”. The Domaine has opted for long-term breeding, driven as much as possible in oak barrels that make it possible to obtain fine and complex tannins and aromas releasing all the original characters of the “Châteauneuf du Pape”