Domaine Comte de Lauze Chateauneuf du Pape Rhone Wine, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Domaine Comte de Lauze Chateauneuf du Pape with wine tasting notes, wine, and food pairing tips, best vintages, a history of the property, information on the vineyards, and winemaking. If you want to read about other important wineries and winemakers from the Rhone valley: Links to all Rhone Valley Wine Producer Profiles

Domaine Comte de Lauze Vineyards, Wines, Winemaking

Domaine Comte de Lauze is a relatively new property in the Southern Rhone Valley as the estate was founded in 1976. Domaine Comte de Lauze owns 10 hectares of vines in the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation.

9 hectares are used for growing grapes used in the production of red wine and one hectare on their cooler terroir is reserved for the production of white Chateauneuf du Pape wine. The terroir is clay with limestone with small stones and rocks in the soil.

Domaine Comte de Lauze produces 2 red Chateauneuf du Pape wines and 1 white Chateauneuf du Pape wine.

Domaine Comte de Lauze Chateauneuf du Pape is made from a blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 10% Cinsault. The grapes come from vines that are on average close to 45 years of age. The wine is aged for 12 months in foudres. The production is close to 1,250 cases per vintage.

Domaine Comte de Lauze Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve de Comtesse is produced from a blend of 80% Grenache and 42% Syrah. The Grenache comes from the estate’s oldest vines that are on average 60 years of age. The terroir is nothing but rocks and stones in the Cabrieres vineyard.

Vinification takes place in traditional cement vats. For the aging of the wine, the Grenache aged for 12 months in foudres for 12 months. The Syrah is aged in used, French oak barrels. The production is about 500 cases per year.

Domaine Comte de Lauze Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc made its debut with the 2009 vintage. The wine is produced from a blend of 45% Grenache Blanc, 35% Roussanne, 10% Clairette and 10% Bourboulenc. The wine is aged mostly in tanks, but 10% is aged in French oak casks.

When to Drink Domaine Comte de Lauze, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Domaine Comte de Lauze can be enjoyed on the young side. Young vintages can be popped and poured, or decanted for about 1 hour, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Domaine Comte de Lauze is usually better with 2-4 years of bottle age. Of course that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage. In the best vintages the wine should be consumed within 3-10 years after the vintage.

Serving and Decanting Domaine Comte de Lauze with Wine, Food Pairing Tips

Domaine Comte de Lauze is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Domaine Comte de Lauze is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, stewed dishes, sausage, barbecue and cassoulet. Domaine Comte de Lauze is also good with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, pasta, eggplant, tomatoes and cheese.

The white wine of Domaine Comte de Lauze is best served with a myriad of different seafood dishes, shellfish, crab, lobster, sushi, sashimi, chicken, pork and veal, as well as Asian cuisine.

Domaine Comte de Lauze also produces red, white and rose’ wine in the Cotes du Rhone appellation from 15 hectares of vines.

www.comtedelauze.com