Domaine La Manarine Chateauneuf-du-Pape Pied de Baud 2023

This Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes from Gilles Gasq, who founded Domaine La Manarine in 2001 after years working alongside Paul Jeune at Domaine Monpertuis. He named the estate after a site his father, a Corsican grower, once farmed, and the vineyards are farmed organically. In 2015 he bought a small parcel in the cooler northern part of the appellation, and this wine comes from it.

The wine is 100% Grenache from mostly sandy soils. It ferments with native yeasts and ages in concrete eggs, never oak, which keeps the fruit pure and bright. Full-bodied but supple, it shows cherry and raspberry with a silky texture and a hint of dark chocolate on the finish. It’s a fresher, more elegant style than the region’s heavier examples.

It’s excellent with lamb, grilled sausages or Provençal stews.