La Biscarelle
| Vigneron | Jérôme Grieco |
| Location | Orange (Vaucluse) |
| Size of Domaine | 22 ha |
| Terroir | Mediterranean climate, Mistral (northern wind) influence. Rhône quaternary terraces: sand, silt, clay-limestone, river pebbles (galets roulés). Gentle undulations around 100m altitude. |
| Viticulture | Practising organic |
| View La Biscarelle wines ↓ |
In the hills of the northern sector of Châteauneuf-du-Pape around Palestor and Maucoil, Christelle and Jérôme Grieco continue the work of Christelle’s father who founded La Biscarelle in 1984. They have just over 5 ha of CNDP (plus 17 ha of Côtes-du-Rhone), from which they make two cuvées from old vines (some over 100yo) including the top wine Les Anglaises. Located in the north of the CNDP appellation on the way to Orange, the north-facing hillsides have sandy soils with limestone, red clay and the emblematic galets roulés.
Jérôme is hands-off as a winemaker, his philosophy is to work hard in his vineyards to produce tasty grapes and make accessible, digestible and balanced wines. In JLL's words, '’The wines are blessed by clarity with none of the souped-up sweetness so prevalent these days'’.
Buffeted by the Mistral for over 100 days a year, the vines are healthy and Jérôme has no reason to use any chemicals, ploughing the soils instead, and reaching naturally low yields of 20 to 25hh. In the cellar the couple use whole bunches, spontaneous fermentation and ageing occur in cement vats only, and there are no racking or fining - in the same spirit than his prestigious neighbours Laurent Charvin and Domaine de Ferrand. Jérôme makes terroir-driven wines that are tremendous value for money.
La Biscarelle Wines
CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2020
80% Grenache, 20% total of Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinsault, Syrah, Counoise
80% Grenache, 20% total of Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinsault, Syrah, Counoise (14.5% alc.)
Jérôme Grieco’s CNDP comes from old vines in a mix of limestone-clay, deep red clays and typical 'galets roulés' river stones. He aims to produce an authentic but easily drinkable wine, and so this is a wine blessed by clarity of fruit expression and none of the souped up sweetness so prevalent in CNDP today. Cuve aged, it offers a mix of spicy red and black fruits, touch of menthol and garrigue herbs, and a long finish featuring fine grained tannins.
CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2017
Les Anglaises
100% Grenache
100% Grenache (14.5% alc.)
Jérôme Grieco’s top cuvée of CNDP comes from 80yo old vines planted in sandy soils on a north facing hillside towards Orange. Not destalked and cuve aged, it has an excellent dark cherry colour that extends right out to the edge, is denser and has more matter than the normal cuvée, liquorice, menthol and clove notes on the palate, and has a long, sustained finish and perfectly judged tannins. For drinking now to 2027+.