HISTORY OF DOMAINE: The Domaine de Monpertuis has been in the hands of the Jeune family for several generations. Each successor has added bits and pieces of vineyards to the expanding whole of the estate so that the current owner, Paul Jeune, is now the proprietor of the 10 acres of vines that are scattered amongst 32 separate parcels throughout the confines of Chateauneuf du Pape. In addition, Jeune now vinifies separate cuvees of Cotes du Rhone and Vin de Pays du Gard as well as his white and reds from the Chateauneuf appellation.

COMPOSITION OF DOMAINE: Jeune has the remarkable good fortune of having a majority of his vineyards planted to vines between 60 and 110 years of age. The remaining vineyards generally are between 20 and 60 years, except for some new plantings of white varietals like Roussane. The multiplicity of parcels spread across Chateauneuf imparts a classic character to the wines of Monpertuis, absorbing the nuances of each soil type of the appellation. However, the heart and soul of the domaine lies within three primary parcels: La Croze, Le Clos de la Cerise, and Monpertuis. Although Chateauneuf du Pape may be composed of 13 individual varietals, the Domaine de Monpertuis relies most heavily on the Grenache grape. The "Cuvee Classique" blend normally is based on 70-85% Grenache with Mourvedre, Syrah and Cinsault providing the balance. The "Cuvee Tradition", produced solely from old vines of minimum age of 60 years, is supported by at least 85% Grenache. The white Chateauneuf is a mixture of Clairette Blanc, Clairette Rose, Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, and Roussane, the latter having been recently planted to add additional textural and aromatic notes to the wine. As of 1995, the Domaine de Monpertuis has vinified a Cotes du Rhone and Vin de Pays du Gard. Both of these wines come from a recently acquired parcel known as "vignoble de la Ramiere". The Cotes de Rhones is almost exclusively made from Grenache; the Vin de Pays is composed of the Counoise varietal.

METHOD OF VINIFICATION: All vineyards are hand harvested. The white varietals are picked early to preserve acidity and aromatic intensity and are fermented separately according to varietal under controlled temperatures. After several years of experimenting with barrel aging, Jeune has determined that the whites perform better without exposure to oak. The whites are normally bottled in the Spring following harvest. The red varietals are not destemmed before fermentation. The "Cuvee Classique" undergoes a 15 to 20 day cuvaison designed to produce a long-lived but not aggressively tannic wine. The wine is aged in large foudres and is normally bottled, without filtration, 18 to 24 months after the harvest, depending on the composition of the wine. The "Cuvee Tradition" is subjected to a long fermentation of between 20 and 40 days. This cuvee is aged in a mixture of small and large oak barrels and is bottled, without filtration, approximately two years after harvest. The "cuvee Tradition" is only produced in vintages considered to be outstanding, e.g. 1988,1989,1990,1994,1995.