2020 Château de la Gardine Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes Marie Leoncie

The Brunel family's winemaking tradition dates back to the 17th century. Gaston Brunel, a famous merchant, bought Château de la Gardine in Châteauneuf du Pape in 1945. The estate is now run by his two sons, Patrick and Maxime, with the help of their wives Eve and Maryse and their children Marie-Odile and Philippe. The estate extends over 52 hectares of vineyards (48 hectares red and 4 hectares white) and 20 hectares of woodland, all surrounding the property. The domain is known for the quality of their wines and the unique Gardine bottle. Today, about 70% of production is exported to about 30 countries.

In 1998, the Brunel family saw the potential of the terroir in Lirac. The family therefore also bought Château Saint Roch with 40 hectares of land in Roquemaure where a selection of red, white and rosé wines is produced. It is Eve Brunel, who is also the oenologist for both La Gardine and St Roch, who runs the estate. Robert Parker once said “Don't underestimate the potential of the Brunel family's Château Saint Roch in Lirac. They make wines of an excellent price-quality ratio."

Today, the Brunel family returns to the trading tradition with "Brunel de le Gardine". They offer a wide range of wines from the Northern and Southern Rhone. Patrick Brunel chooses the best wines from each appellation using his trusting relationships with top growers in the region. The family uses all their knowledge and experience to blend and mature the wines, respecting the tradition and the characteristics of each terroir. The quality packaging, with the special Gardine bottle, is the signature of this fine selection of wines.

The Gardine bottle, original and elegant, was created by spontaneous coincidence. When Gaston Brunel first wanted to expand his cellar and dig in the ground, he found a very old mouth-blown bottle. He liked the shape, so he decided to bottle all his wine in a similar bottle. At first he couldn't find a manufacturer in France who could reproduce this bottle, it was that special. He had them made in Italy. Since 1964, all Gardine wines have been bottled in the unique bottle.