Clos Saint Jean La Combe des Fous Chateauneuf du Pape 2020
Combe Des Fous "fool hill" directly translated, "Fool" Edmond Tacussel who is the great-great-grandfather of Pascal and Vincent planted back in 1905 a grenache vineyard in the southernmost and outermost range of the hill in Le Crau, which was left barren or unfruitful for many hundred years, when it was assumed that the vines planted here would never survive on the hill. This old Grenache grape forms the heart of this cuvée together with a small amount of Syrah, Cinsault and Vacccarése. This wine La Combe des Fous is made only in the best vintages.
Clos Saint Jean's history in Chateauneuf Du Pape can be traced all the way back to the 1900s, where since 1910 they have produced, bottled and sold their own wine after the foundation in 1900. Only in 2003 when Robert Parker -famous wine critic, paid tribute to these wines in the vintage, they haven't looked back. Today, it is Pascal and Vincent who manage Clos Saint Jean. Clos Saint Jean has 44 hectares of vineyards, 1 hectare of which is reserved with grapes used exclusively to produce white wines from Chateauneuf Du Pape.
Clos Saint Jean's maceration of the wines is long and can take up to 35 days. The Grenache grape is never stored in any type of wood, while Syrah and Mourvedre can be stored in a combination of barrels that are 1 to 2 year old oak barrels.