Nos Pépites, Cuvée Exceptionnelle, AOC Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rouge, 2019

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Quiot Family bought an old Lazaret (a hospice run by religious Lazarists who play a very important part at the time of the 1720 plague, when a third of the village population died) and built up a proper domaine by linking up plots owned on the commune. The « Domaine du Vieux Lazaret », built up over three centuries, by marriage, purchase and distribution, has this name since 1915.

This cuvee is not produced every year. The years of production must be from a beautiful vintage, on all our products, in order for our Cuvée Exceptionnelle to be a quintessence and not a qualitative extraction. The organoleptic and ageing potential of this cuvee must be conform, throughout the ageing, in order for this blend to be named Cuvée Exceptionnelle.

Our Cuvée Exceptionnelle does not come from a specific plot. It is named after the cellar selection and ageing work.

During the vinification period, on all our cuvee, some will be approached to become “Cuvée Exceptionnelle”. Following specific ageing in concrete vats, then in barrels for about one year each, only a small volume will finalize its selection and become the Cuvée Exceptionnelle after numerous tastings. The rest of the approached volume but not “elected” will be blend with our traditional cuvee from Domaine du Vieux Lazaret.