Producer Profile
Fontaine du Clos
Vauclause, Southern Rhône, France

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Fontaine du Clos

Vaucluse, Southern Rhône, France

Nursing the best wines and vines in the Southern Rhône

Fontaine du Clos benefits from a unique location, with Châteauneuf-du-Pape to the south west and Vacqueyras to the north east presided by the peaks of the Dentelles de Montmirail and Mont Ventoux. Their vineyards stretch for 100 ha, with 14 hectares within the Vacqueyras AOC and 13 hectares of Côtes du Rhône, providing the fruit for their range of 14 wines as well as the substrate for their prestigious nursery. Altitude, slope, cool winds and well-drained soils with large pebbles make up the terroir on which Fontaine du Clos has built its prestige and trademark quality, for both wines and vegetative stock.

Location: Vaucluse, Southern Rhône, France

Total area under vine: 100 hectares

Website: www.fontaineduclos.com

Our pick of the best wine from this producer: Cotes du Rhône

Interesting fact: Fontaine du Clos operates as a vine nursery that supplies some of the most prestigious estates across the French territory. Their operation covers 50 hectares of “mother vine” on original rootstock and 50 hectares of graft “mother vines”.

Fontaine du Clos Wines

The Barnier family has established Fontaine du Clos as one of the most well-regarded vine nurseries in the Rhône, supplying growers all over France with the best rootstock and grafts. Having established a firm reputation as specialists in ampelography, wood selection, grafting and planting, they eventually decided to apply their knowledge in-house and develop their own range of wines.

Needless to say that the best plants from multiple varieties are at their disposal and therefore the best raw material to produce great wines is guaranteed from the outset. As a vine nursery their farming practises are obliged under strict controls not to add many chemicals. This ensures that the mother vine can be prepared to withstand disease on its own when sold, transported and planted or grafted elsewhere. The same precision and care is carried on in the winery, where winemaking is made with minimal additives. Alongside their premium Vacqueyras and Cotes du Rhône Village classical blends, Fontaine du Clos’ Vins de Pays Vaucluse range includes extremely interesting (and delicious!) combinations of perhaps unexpected varieties. Their ‘Aura’ red , a blend of Caladoc, Marselan & Gewurztraminer and their ‘Liberté’ rosé are good examples of the experimentation that their expertise allows.