Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Les Galets de la Berthaude, Roger Perrin 2024

Both exciting and forward-thinking, Domaine Roger Perrin consistently makes great value, top quality wines.

In the heart of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine Roger Perrin, was established in 1972. Taking over his father-in-law’s vineyard, Roger decided to make and bottle the wines himself, building a new cellar and selling the wines under his new domaine label. Since 2013 the estate has been run by Roger’s grandson, Xavier. They farm 42 ha, 15.5 of which are in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 20.5 Côtes du Rhône and 6 IGP.

Having worked organically since 2010, they are now in conversion and are due to be certified from the 2024 vintage. The modern winery was built in 1998 and is surrounded by very old vines which were planted in 1906. All grapes are hand-harvested except for four of their hectares in IGP. Xavier uses natural yeasts in the winery and is experimenting with making compost to feed the vines and using cover crops in the vineyards. The Châteauneuf vineyards are in fragmented plots around the appellation, and are mainly blended into their grand cuvée, except La Berthaude, which is a single bottling designed for earlier drinking. They cultivate more than 15 different grape varieties, majoring on Grenache, with quantities varying depending on vintage. The different varietals for the red Châteauneufs are fully destemmed, pre-blended and vinified together. The main cuvée spends 12-15 months in oak whilst La Berthaude only spends time in concrete. The white Châteauneuf varieties are vinified separately. They are aged on their lees for roundness, but do not undergo malolactic fermentation in order to avoid losing freshness.