Located at the foot of the mountain and in heart of the Luberon, the Château de Clapier vineyard benefits from an exceptional terroir for viticulture. To produce our white, red and rosé wines, we work with 12 different grape varieties, including Pinot noir, which is exceptional in our region. Contact our winemaker to find out more about the estate's wines.
Château de Clapier belongs to the Rhone Valley vineyards and produces mostly Luberon wines in three colours. The estate has the good fortune of being contained within the Luberon Natural Regional Park, part of UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Its vines thrive at the foot of the Luberon mountain slopes and benefit from exceptional growing conditions in a climate which is Mediterranean with an Alpine influence.
One of the key features of the Luberon terroir is its mountainous location, which favors strong temperature variations between day and night. The vines are located at altitudes of between 200 and 450 meters. The terroir is rich, with Miocene sands, clay soils and limestone scree at the foot of the mountain. The climate here is Mediterranean, with the influence of a more continental climate from the Alps and the Rhône Valley. With around 2,600 hours of sunshine a year, the Luberon is one of France's sunniest regions.
The Château de Clapier vineyard benefits from a cool micro-climate due to the Défilé de Mirabeau, a narrowing of the Durance valley where the river cuts its way between two steep limestone cliffs, acting as a climatic lock. The cold air coming down from the Alps is stopped in its tracks and remains stagnant in our vineyards. The vines always wake up later than in neighboring vineyards, which protects us from spring frosts. What's more, this micro-climate creates very cool summer nights, which are good for the vines, improving ripening and producing more aromatic precursors in the grapes.
In terms of grape varieties, the estate has 12 different varieties.
Roussanne and Grenache blanc form the basis of our white cuvées. Viognier, Clairette, Rolle complete the blends.Our rosés are mainly made from the Cinsault and Grenache noir grape varieties. Hamburg Muscat is also used for our French wines.Finally, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon make up our IGP Méditerranée while our AOC wines are blended from Grenache noir, Syrah and… Pinot noir, the exception of the estate.
Thomas Montagne's father, Marian, planted two hectares of Pinot noir in the early 80s. Château de Clapier benefits from climatic conditions that are much more southerly than Pinot noir's native Burgundy. However, the cool micro-climate contributes to wines with freshness, relative acidity and good balance.
In 1988, the Luberon AOC was created and, logically, this northern grape variety was not listed in the appellation's specifications. However, Château de Clapier's prior planting of Pinot noir has been recognized, and it now benefits from an exemption authorizing it to use this grape variety in blends until the 50th birthday of the Luberon AOC that is to say in 2038.
By remaining the sole representative of the varietal Pinot noir on the Luberon AOC, Château de Clapier so signs its peculiarity towards the other estates of the region
On the vine side, Thomas Montagne practices traditional viticulture that is a partner of nature and therefore more respectful of the earth. The soil is one of the main elements of the terroir. It interacts with the vine and influences the quantity and quality of the grapes. It is therefore important to maintain its intrinsic properties. Thomas Montagne is in favor of a natural vegetation cover between the rows of vines. This green cover makes the soil alive, promotes biodiversity, and thus improves the resistance of the vine to diseases. The growing methods and the vine cultivation aim to limit as much as possible the use of chemical products (minimal treatments) to obtain grapes with a good quality. Château de Clapier has recently obtained the High Environmental Value (HEV). This farm environmental certification covers four key areas: biodiversity conservation, plant protection strategy, management of fertiliser use and management of water, and it is based on performance indicators. Thus, the HEV level guarantees a farm's high level of environmental performance.
