AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages Suze-la-Rousse
The castle of Suze-la-Rousse dominates the village below. This is no fairy-tale chateau – it’s an imposing fortified stone edifice constructed on a rocky promontory. Climb to the top of one of its turrets and you can see the green vineyards sweeping in every direction across the valley below.
In the 12th century it was owned by the Princes of Orange, but since 1978 it has been home to the internationally renowned Université du Vin, where students come from all over France to learn every aspect of wine production and business. They also get to enjoy – and contribute to – the beautiful local wines.
This Named Village of the Drôme only makes reds, using Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and often a healthy proportion of robust Carignan. The low-lying vineyards are made of ancient riverbeds and are drenched in sunlight and fanned by the mistral wind, producing concentrated, bold wines that could accompany any royal banquet. They bring to mind the castle itself; strong and sturdy, but executed with peerless craftsmanship, and an eye for detail.
Informations
Climate: Mediterranean under strong influence of the Mistral
Soils: Limestone / Sandy / Clay
Website appellation: https://www.cotesdurhone.com/
Key figures
Production surface area in 2023: 239 HA
Total production in 2023: 6 783 HL
Average annual yeld: 28 HL/HA
Year of recognition within the AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages: 2016
Communes: Suze-la-Rousse, Bouchet, Tulette in the Drôme and Bollène in Vaucluse.
Grape varieties
Main grape varieties
- Grenache noir,
- Mourvèdre,
- Syrah
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
From the mediaeval fortress of Suze-la-Rousse built on its rocky promontory, visitors can view the entire vineyard area in one sweeping glance. Since 1978, the fortress, once the property of the Princes of Orange, has housed the internationally acclaimed Université du Vin, offering a wide range of wine-inspired training courses. It is also an information centre and wine laboratory, organises regular tastings and is home to the Commanderie des Côtes du Rhône wine guild.
Climate
Mediterranean climate – hot and dry, heavily influenced by the Mistral wind.
Soils
The vineyards of Suze-la-Rousse are planted across three different soil types.
The first comprises pebbles with brown and red clay from the ancient terraces of the Aygues.
These soils have limited capacity to store moisture, but store heat well. The second is Miocene molasse sandstone, characterised by fine particles of sand and clay; the third is made up of colluvium, descended from the slopes and composed of fragments of calcareous sandstone and clay. Together they produce delightful, elegant, supple wines – well-coloured, full-bodied and mouth-watering.
Geography
The vineyard area defined for Côtes du Rhône Villages Suze-la-Rousse comprises 1,935 hectares, with over 200 hectares currently under production. It encompasses the four communes of Suze-la-Rousse, Bouchet and Tulette in the Drôme, and Bollène in Vaucluse.
Varieties and flavours
The vineyards comprise Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault. Reds are intensely flavoured, with complex red fruit over notes of garrigue. They will age well, for between five and eight years.
Associated appellations
