Vignobles Brunier

in 1898, Hippolyte Brunier laid the foundation for the Brunier family history in Bédarrides, southeast of Châteauneuf. He planted his first own vines on the La Crau plateau, where vines had already been traditionally grown in the 14th century. Almost 100 years later, Frédéric and Daniel Brunier took over the family vineyard on the southern Rhône in the fourth generation.  Certainly the most important property of the Brunier family is the Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. The estate is located in Bédarrides and comprises about 70 hectares of vineyards. The soil conditions are stony, covered with thick rolled pebbles, typical of the region. The name of the winery is inspired by the old telegraph station that once connected the south of France with the metropolis of Paris. Strict yield limitation for the red and white wines, slow fermentations and traditional aging and maturation in large wooden barrels are just some of the self-imposed principles by which the Bruniers produce their incredibly concentrated Châteauneuf-du-Pape . 

Since 1986, the 32-hectare Domaine La Roquète has also belonged to the Brunier family, and since 1998, the brothers have run the Domaine Les Pallières in Gigondas together with their good friend Kermit Lynch. The name of this domaine is derived from the staircase-shaped terraces . The vineyards cover 25 hectares. In the north of the Dentelles de Montmirail mountain range, the vines grow on northwest-facing slopes. Because of the varying altitudes of 250 to 400 meters, the vineyards had to be terraced to create horizontal, usable areas. These allow rainwater to be collected, stored and released to the roots. The work in the steep vineyards is arduous, but the advantages of the location outweigh the disadvantages. The altitude causes strong day/night temperature fluctuations, thus ensuring only slow ripening even in hot years and, together with the calcareous soils, promotes the development of color and phenols.

Brunier wines are vinified from the following grape varieties:

• Grenache
• Syrah
• Mourvèdre
• Cinsault
• Clairette