AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages Puyméras
If the mid-summer heat gets too much, there’s always some higher ground in the Côtes du Rhône where you can take some air – like the unspoilt Baronnies regional nature park, between the Alps and Mont Ventoux.
Puyméras is a diminutive village in the foothills, as the land starts to rise. It’s joined by other picturesque villages Mérindol-les-Oliviers, Mollans-sur-Ouvèze, Saint-Romain-en-Viennois and Faucon to make up one of the most beautifully pastoral appellations in the Rhône.
It’s not just people that enjoy fresh climates; vines do too.
These dramatic, hilly vineyards rise up to 400m above sea level, and are interspersed with olive groves and fields of purple lavender that sway in the wind.
They only make red wines here, in a relatively light style – transparent and bright. Like their neighbours down below, they grow Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Winemakers are fond of Cinsault too, whose big juicy berries add fluidity to
the wines.
Puyméras winemakers somehow manage to bottle a little fresh air in their reds, which are imbued with mountain scents and a breezy freshness.
Informations
Climate: Mediterranean influenced by Mont Ventoux
Soils: Sandy / Limestone
Altitude: Between 220 to 600 metres
Website appellation: https://www.cotesdurhone.com/
Key figures
Production surface area in 2023: 89 HA
Total production in 2023: 3 182 HL
Average annual yeld: 36 HL/HA
Year of recognition within the AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages: 2005
Communes : Mérindol-les-Oliviers and Mollans-sur-Ouvèze in the Drôme, and Faucon, Saint-Romain-en-Viennois and Puyméras in the Vaucluse.
Grape varieties
Main grape varieties
- Grenache noir,
- Mourvèdre,
- Syrah
Secondary grape varieties
- Bourboulenc,
- Brun argenté (locally known as Camarèse or Vaccarèse),
- Carignan,
- Carignan blanc,
- Cinsault,
- Clairette,
- Clairette rose,
- Counoise,
- Floréal,
- Grenache blanc,
- Grenache gris,
- Marsanne,
- Muscardin,
- Piquepoul blanc,
- Piquepoul noir,
- Rolle (or Vermentino),
- Roussanne,
- Terret noir,
- Ugni blanc,
- Vidoc,
- Viognier
To know
History
This land, drained by the Ouvèze and Lauzon rivers, has been inhabited since the end of the Upper Palaeolithic Era, more than 10,000 years BC. Evidence of Roman settlement has also been found, in the form of memorial stones and cremation sites; the most significant finding is a statue dedicated to Jupiter Delpusorius, discovered in Saint-Romain-en-Viennois.
In mediaeval times, winegrowing was overseen by monks originally from L’Isle-Barbe in Lyon and the Abbey at Cluny. Olive groves and apricot orchards used to grow here, but only the vines managed to survive the frosts of 1956. A few olives and other fruit trees still remain, however, dotted amongst the vines, surviving to tell the tale of the area’s agricultural past.
Puyméras became part of the Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC in 1979, then was promoted in 2005 to Côtes du Rhône Villages with geographical name.
Climate
The climate is largely Mediterranean but a little cooler than the norm, influenced by Mont Ventoux which rises to an altitude of 1,912 metres.
Soils
The terroir is made up of stony terraces with rounded cobbles and angular shale covered with fine, red, sandy gravel.
Geography
The vineyards grow across several very hilly communes, all between 220 and 600 metres above sea level. These are Mérindol-les-Oliviers and Mollans-sur-Ouvèze in the Drôme, and Faucon, Saint-Romain-en-Viennois and Puyméras in the Vaucluse.
Varieties and flavours
Côtes du Rhône Villages Puyméras applies only to red wines. They must include Grenache noir, and at least 66% of the final blend must be made of Grenache, Syrah and/or Mourvèdre. These red wines display aromas of red and black fruits in their early years, evolving over time towards notes of leather and truffles. They age extremely well, and can be kept for over 10 years.
Associated appellations
