AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages Saint-Pantaléon-les-Vignes
Vines have been grown in the village of Saint- Pantaléon for centuries. To emphasise their bond with viticulture, the local authorities voted to add the words “Les Vignes” to the name of the village.
To find the village, head for Drôme Provençale, where lavender and olive trees mingle; the vineyards – just 400 hectares of them – are planted at the foot of the Montagne de la Lance, protected from wind and west-facing to catch the last rays of the setting sun.
Grapes ripen slowly and steadily to ensure good concentration, and grow in clay-rich soils giving smooth, silky, well-balanced reds with fruity flavours.
Elevated to Named Village status on the same day as Rousset-les-Vignes in 1969, and although both can make any colour of wine they please, they both concentrate on reds. They even use the same varieties: Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre and a little Cinsault.
This cool corner of the Rhône Valley gives it a style of red wine that’s distinct by its lively freshness and brightness.
Informations
Climate: Mediterranean
Soils: Sandy / Limestone / Clay / Rocky
Website appellation : https://www.cotesdurhone.com/
Key figures
Production surface area in 2023: 26 HA
Total production in 2023: 732 HL
Average annual yeld: 28 HL/HA
Year of recognition within the AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages: 1967
Commune: Saint-Pantaléon-les-Vignes
Grape varieties
Main grape varieties
- Bourboulenc,
- Clairette,
- Grenache blanc,
- Grenache noir,
- Marsanne,
- Mourvèdre,
- Roussanne,
- Syrah,
- Viognier
Secondary grape varieties
- Bourboulenc,
- Brun argenté (locally known as Camarèse or Vaccarèse),
- Carignan,
- Carignan blanc,
- Cinsault,
- Clairette,
- Clairette rose,
- Counoise,
- Floréal,
- Grenache blanc,
- Grenache gris,
- Marsanne,
- Muscardin,
- Piquepoul blanc,
- Piquepoul noir,
- Rolle (or Vermentino),
- Roussanne,
- Terret noir,
- Ugni blanc,
- Vidoc,
- Viognier
To know
History
The story of this Village is closely linked to the story of wine itself: the area used to manufacture a variety of wine containers and drinking vessels.
In the 10th century, a large Benedictine abbey was built in Saint-Pantaléon, with extensive vineyards planted all around it. Peasant farmers and craftspeople flocked to the village to live under the protection of the Cluniac monks. Saint-Pantaléon-les-Vignes was officially awarded AOC status by INAO in a decree dated 1969, published in the Official Journal.
Climate
The climate here is Mediterranean, cleansed and nurtured by the Mistral wind. The vineyards enjoy 4 very distinct seasons, two dry and two rainy. Winters are mild and snow is rare.
Soils
The terroir is made up of clay/limestone slopes with pebbles and pockets of sand. The vines grow in a fairly rich, balanced soil, studded with white stones of varying hardness. The soil is easy to work, porous and breathable, combining the coolness of clay with the free-draining properties of limestone rock. The terroir produces rounded, fruit-driven wines. Clay soils add freshness in the hotter years, which seem to be becoming more commonplace.
Geography
The designation area lies within the commune of Saint-Pantaléon, in the south of the Drôme département, on the Route de Nyons.
Varieties and flavours
The beauty of the appellation wines lies in skillful blending. The main grape variety used is Grenache, vigorous and high-yielding, able to withstand strong winds and drought; it gives the wine body as well as fruity and spicy flavours, while Syrah adds a broad range of flavours and pronounced tannins.
Associated appellations
