The Feraud family of Chateauneuf-du-Pape estate Domaine du Pegau know a good thing when they see one. Domaine Porte Rouge is a fine Chateauneuf-du-Pape estate, created in 2003, with some very high-quality vineyards on different terroirs at the various compass points of the appellation. It has always been worked organically. When it came up for sale, the Ferrauds pounced.

Laurence Feraud spends her time at the helm of Domaine du Pegau; Porte Rouge has become the personal project of her children Justine and Maxim. They clearly love what they do (and don’t want to enlarge the domaine because it would mean they couldn’t do everything themselves). The diverse terroirs here encompass rolled pebbles, clay, limestone and sand; the vineyard is mainly planted to Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault. There is a lot of old vine stock, with an average vine age of 60, and some as old as 90. There is a real sense of a new generation making its mark here; the style of the wine is modern in the best way, intense but weightless. Oh, and yes – Domaine Porte Rouge does have a big red door, though the name is really a reference to the gate that once marked the entrance to the walled town of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. (NT 15/08/23)