La Bernadine Rouge
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 3–12 years from the vintage, though exceptional vintages can cellar beautifully for up to 15 years.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted rosemary lamb, grilled ribeye steak, wild mushroom stew
✨ Technical Specifications
M. Chapoutier's 'La Bernardine' Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge is a masterful, elegant expression of the southern Rhône's most famous appellation. While many Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines rely on complex multi-grape blends, Chapoutier focuses almost exclusively on Grenache for this cuvée, seeking to showcase the grape's ultimate silkiness and purity. The wine's name pays homage to the historic Bernardine monks and the rich papal legacy that established viticulture in the region during the 14th century. Grown on classic terroirs of 'galets roulés' (large rounded quartz stones) and sandy clays, the vines absorb the intense Mediterranean sun. To preserve the bright cherry fruit, sweet licorice, and delicate floral notes of the Grenache, Chapoutier eschews oak aging entirely, opting instead for traditional concrete vats for 12 to 15 months. This results in a remarkably refined red that balances southern warmth with an ethereal, mineral-driven freshness.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1808 in Tain-l'Hermitage in the Rhône Valley, M. Chapoutier has grown into one of France's most celebrated wine houses, propelled to international acclaim following Michel Chapoutier's visionary leadership in 1990. A pioneer in biodynamic viticulture and minimal-intervention winemaking, the estate is revered for its single-vineyard 'sélections parcellaires' that articulate the purest nuances of individual terroirs across the Rhône and beyond. Iconic for incorporating Braille script on every label since 1996, Chapoutier produces benchmark expressions of Syrah, Marsanne, and Grenache across prestigious appellations including Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Grenache (typically 90-100%), with small proportions of Syrah and Mourvèdre
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
14.5-15%