Domaine Mayard Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2021

It is hard to believe that sixth-generation winegrowers could be considered groundbreaking, yet Hugo and Arthur Mayard of Domaine Mayard are knocking down long-established farming traditions in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  It’s all in the name of sustainability, with the goal of breathing new life into the land under their family vineyards so it can continue to thrive for the next 100 years.

Before we dive into Domaine Mayard’s present and the century to come, let’s take a look back with a short history and geography lesson.  Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the largest sub-appellation of the Rhône Valley and covers almost 8,000 acres of vineyard.  The region produces two designated wines, a red Châteauneuf-du-Pape and a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with the majority of production (over 90%) red.  While legally, there are eighteen permitted varietals for the AOC designation and no minimum varietal inclusion requirements; Grenache reigns supreme as it makes up 72% of the vineyard plantings and is often the prevalent varietal in the red blends.  A remarkable and stand-out trait of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the dominance of galets roulés (rolled pebbles in English) in the topsoil.  These soft, rounded stones are made of quartzite and were smoothed by glacial movement over millennia and deposited by the Rhône River in the region.  Growers welcome their presence in the vineyard as the rocks retain heat from the daytime sun and release it at night, which quickens the ripening process.  For the later-ripening Grenache varietal, this assistance is paramount.  In addition, the rocks help protect the vines from soil erosion due to the impeccably strong winds (called le mistral) that blow through the Rhône valley towards the Gulf of Lion.

A significant change came for Hugo and Arthur as they inherited a portion of vineyard holdings from the Mayard estate due to a familial split.  The two immediately began building a new winery and cellar while transitioning the 12 hectares of vineyard to regenerative farming practices.  Their focus is on improving soil health through planting cover crops, introducing more trees and shrubs to the vineyards for biodiversity, and minimal intervention in regard to no tilling and thoughtful, well-timed pruning.  With healthy soils, their vines can live on producing grapes with a true sense of place for the next generation of Mayard winemakers.  Hugo and Arthur carried their ideology into the design of their winery and cellar, selecting not one, not two, but three different fermentation vessels.  This careful consideration and implementation allow them to vinify plots according to the best method for preserving the terroir of those particular vines.

The inaugural 2021 Domaine Mayard Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a blend of their old-vine Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Syrah.  They ferment each plot separately, de-stemming a portion of the fruit and allowing native yeasts present in the cellar to do their magic.  After aging for the first year in wooden vats, Hugo and Arthur craft the blend, and the wine ages for another 18 months in concrete before bottling with minimal sulfur.  Fans of Domaine Mayard’s first release note that this wine is “light on its feet, and has more finesse, with beautifully clean and vibrant aromatics” compared to traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Hugo and Arthur stand on the shoulders of five generations, with knowledge and tradition, yet look to the future and make their stamp in what we hope will be a lengthy timeline for the Mayard estate.