The domain of LA BASTIDE DU CLAUX was created by Sylvain MOREY, whom you also know through his Burgundian wines.
Except that destiny wanted things to go against the flow, since our winemaker, originally from Burgundy, began to produce his first wines...in the Luberon!
In 1996, he moved to the Vaucluse region and founded the domain of LA BASTIDE DU CLAUX in 2002, applying his knowledge and talent in the winemaking of grape varieties grown in a region totally different from the one he has always known, but with a very Burgundian vision of his profession.
After years spent to observe and analyse the vineyard, Sylvain MOREY was able to detect the high quality potential of some of his terroirs, which he began to isolate by redefining his range of wines through the production of parcel-based cuvees.
The Luberon vineyards occupy the relief formed by the Provençal range, which is composed of hard limestone from the Cretaceous period, and which is submerged to the west under the Vaucluse plain.
To the southwest of Apt, the Urgonian is in the form of sandy beds and banks of large flints with low areas where red decalcification clays have accumulated. Towards the East, the Oligocene sediments are numerous and varied, there are limestones and marls, or powerful conglomerates which constitute good wine-growing terroirs when the stony load and the topographic situation favor their warming to compensate for the altitude of certain sectors.
The Miocene sea which covered the whole region deposited sands in the Aigues country where the vineyard of LA BASTIDE DU CLAUX is located. The topographical situation, the depth of the soils and the stony coverings on the surface determine the qualitative potential of the sector. This is what Sylvain Morey has observed in his vineyard, where the parcels of land are divided up and offer a beautiful diversity of terroir, both in terms of exposure, altitude and the properties of the subsoil, which are particularly well suited to the vine.
Finally, the Quaternary era is responsible for all the stony glacis of the piedmonts and the plateaus of ancient alluvium made of rolled pebbles which border the Durance valley.
The climate of this region forms a transition between the Mediterranean climate of the Rhône and the cooler climate of Haute-Provence. The average annual temperatures vary between 12 and 13°C, with an east-west gradient that is partly explained by the altitude. The effect of the Mistral wind is considerably reduced by the orientation of the massif and by the presence, to the north, of the Vaucluse plateau and Mount Ventoux.
The vineyard is certified Organic Agriculture by Ecocert since January 2021. Generally speaking, the grapes are harvested by hand and the winemaking is done without yeast addition, that is to say that the alcoholic fermentation occurs with the indigenous yeasts naturally present on the soil and in the cellar. Sulphits addition is also controlled, about 2g/hl.
Before bottling, the musts are coarsely filtered to guarantee the microbiological stability of the wine.
For white wines, fermentation takes place in thermo-regulated vats, and the wine is aged in concrete vats and demi-muids for 14 to 17 months.
For the red wines, the grapes are totally destemmed but never crushed. They are macerated in vats where the fermentation starts spontaneously. Press juice and free-run juice are blended.
Depending on the vintage, the wine is aged in concrete vats, in tuns, in barrels or in demi-muids and the duration of the maturation period varies between 14 and 24 months.
As for the rosé, it is made from press juice only. A part of the grapes is pressed directly after harvest, the other part is subject to a short maceration of 6 to 8 hours. The wine is aged in vats for 7 months.
- Nose: tasty and spicy. Notes of roasted coffee, black fruit and black pepper.
- Palate: beautifully supple and fragrant, with fine tannins.
Tasting date: February 2024.
OUR OPINION: a fine wine, rich and complex, delicious and generous!
| Rich - Tasty |
- Nose: resh and delicious. Floral and aniseed notes, fragrances of white peaches with a hint of apricot.
- Palate: silky, round and full, supported by a nice acidity.
Tasting date: February 2024.
OUR OPINION: pretty, spring-like and very fresh for a southern white wine. Very thirst-quenching.
| Fresh - Thirst-quenching |
Other vintage available :
- Nose: ntense and spicy. Gourmet notes of crunchy red and black fruit, black pepper and a hint of coffee.
- Palate: ightly structured with silky tannins. Slight oaky finish.
Tasting date: March 2023.
OUR OPINION: a charming, elegant and fruity wine with a good cellar ageing potential.
- Nose: powerful and elegant. Notes of crunchy black fruits, black pepper, with a hint of vanilla and menthol.
- Palate: full-bodied, structured by fine tannins.
Tasting date: April 2023.
OUR OPINION: we immediately recognise the slightly wild aromas of the Syrah planted on north-facing slopes. This cuvée offers a very nice aromatic complexity, dark and powerful, with a good cellar ageing capacity. Think of decanting it half an hour before, while it is young.
- Nose: elegant, distinguished and spicy. Notes of sweet spices and fresh citrus fruit.
- Palate: tasty and very fresh.
Tasting date: April 2023.
OUR OPINION: a very fine & gastronomic rosé!
- Nose: fresh and floral. Notes of white flowers, citrus fruits, aniseed with a hint of white peaches.
- Palate: fresh and salivating. Nice aromatic persistence.
Tasting date: May 2023.
OUR OPINION: it is delicate, fresh and very thirst-quenching. Very nice!
- Nose: very fresh. Slightly toasted notes, lemon, white flowers and green apple.
- Palate: fresh and light.
Tasting date: April 2023.
OUR OPINION: this wine is fresh and thirst-quenching. If the nose is slightly reminiscent of Burgundy, the southern terroir of Luberon remains dominant, offering a light and fresh Chardonnay.
- Nose: intense and fragrant. Notes of citrus fruit and fennel, star anise.
- Palate: supple and flavoursome. Fragrant. Long-lasting aromas.
Tasting date: June 2023.
OUR OPINION: very beautiful! This blend of southern grape varieties offers a lovely aromatic complexity. Very pleasant to drink!
Other vintage available :
- Nose: intense and tasty. Notes of red & black fruits, sweet spices with a hint of cinnamon.
- Palate: round and tasty. Silky tannins.
Tasting date: April 2023.
OUR OPINION: a very successful vintage, full of charm and with a beautiful aromatic complexity!
AMPHORA WINES
Specialized in amphora wines, we offer a sharp selection of white, red or rosé wines, vinified in amphora.
You will find crus:
- fermented and aged in clay amphorae.
- fermented in traditional tanks and aged in clay amphorae.
- only partially aged in clay amphorae.
...including the rare wines completely vinified in Qvevris !