zeus: rhone
Vignerons de Caractères, Vacqueyras
Vignerons de Caractère is a cooperative in the village of Vacqueyras founded in 1957 with 120 winegrowers, whose winery produces half of the Appellation (1230 hectares). The wines that the cooperative carry belong to particular domaines; we carry one of these domaines: Domaine du Grand Prieur.
The Domaine du Grand Prieur is situated entirely within the Appellation Vacqueyras, in the heart of one of the finest vineyard areas in the Southern Rhône Valley. Here, on the plateau of Sarrians in the Hautes-Garrigues, whose stone-covered clay soil is very similar to that found at Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the Domaine du Grand Prieur was created in the 10th century by William the First. Since 1880, it has had only one owner, the Gras family. The vineyard is planted with three of the traditional grape varieties of the Southern Rhône: Grenache for warmth and richness, and Syrah and Mouvèdre for solidity, color and longevity. The vines yield a maximum of 52 hectoliters per hectare; the average production is 500 hectoliters. Vinification is done by crushing and partial destemming.
The Wines