Clos Saint Jean

A producer who has recently emerged as one of the stars in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Clos Saint Jean was originally created in 1900 by Edmund Tacussel. It is now run by brothers, Pascal and Vincent Maurel who work with the very talented Philippe Cambie, a consulting oenologist who is considered a driving force behind some of the region's top wines (including Les Cailloux, Domaine Montpertuis, Le Vieux Donjon and Tardieu-Laurent). It is with Philippe's help that they have been able to create some of the region's best wines which began attracting the attention of Robert Parker with the 2003 vintage, the vintage that turned their luck around. They work with over 40 hectares in mostly the south of the appellation around La Crau, the 'sweet spot' in Châteauneuf-du-Pape terroir, making them one of the largest land owners of top vineyards in the region. They produce one white and five different Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds: Clos Saint Jean; La Combe des Fous, from a majority of old vine Grenache planted at the start of the 20th century; Deus ex Machina (literally meaning 'God outside of the machine' or more figuratively, a change of situation that has come about by unexpected and external forces); Vieilles Vignes; and Sanctus Sanctorum, a 100% Grenache cuvée from vines planted over 100 years ago - a small production only available in magnum.