Visited Wine Friends and Best Lunch Ever in Chateauneuf-du-Pape

One of the many things that drew us to Sablet was its location in the Cotes-du-Rhone wine appellation and proximity to renown villages such as Gigondas, Vacqueyras, and Chateauneuf-du-Pape. We like all the wines from this region but our favorites are the wines produced in the AOP located around the village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. 

Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a small medieval village spread out on the hillside at the foot of ruins of an ancient chateau. From the chateau hill, you have an impressive view in all directions, mostly of vineyards and the Rhone River 1.9 miles to the east. It is best known for the wine that is produced from the vineyards surrounding the village. 

Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Our favorite Chateauneuf-du-Pape winery is located just outside the village on the Route de Courthezon. We first became acquainted with Domaine de la Charbonniere when we tasted wines for our first wine list at Bistro des Copains in Occidental, CA. We have been fans ever since. 

The domaine is owned by the Maret family, daughters Veronique and Caroline and parents Michel and Mireille. They have been making wine since 1912 when Michel Maret's grandfather bought the domaine as a gift for his wife who was the daughter of a local vigneron. Michel took over in 1978 and started bottling and selling wine, most of it out the winery door.

Veronique took over winemaking from Michel in 2012 after working alongside her father beginning in 2009. Michel, although now retired, still drives the tractor and helps her in the cellar. Veronique and Caroline are the 4th generation of Maret's to oversee the domaine. Mother Mireille continues to manage the vineyard team.

Domaine de la Charbonniere

There are several cafes with outdoor terraces and a gastronomic restaurant with one Michelin star in the center of the village. Although this is a tourist town, there are not many tourists shops besides those selling wine as the business of Chateauneuf-du-Pape is wine.

The village streets are narrow, curving around the hillside or climbing up and down between the houses up to the chateau. The buildings are old but everything seems to have been completely restored. 

You can get to the chateau ruins at the top of the village by walking up Rue Joseph Ducos past the front of the Town Hall to the Church at Rue des Papes. Just to the left of the church are steps that lead up the wide stone-step street to the chateau.

Michel in the Center of Chateauneuf-du-Pape

One morning back in January, we headed to Chateauneuf-du-Pape for a degustation (wine tasting) at Domaine de la Charbonniere. We had read reports that the 2019 vintage was outstanding throughout the Cotes du Rhone and we were eager to see our friends and taste their wines.

As our visit came to an end, they said La Mere Germaine Restaurant opened a sister restaurant in the village last summer that we should try. We are always up for new restaurants so Veronique called and made a reservation for us to have lunch at Le Comptoir de la Mere Germaine.    

Le Comptoir de la Mere Germaine

Le Comptoir de la Mere Germaine is in a new complex a few steps from the center of the village. There is a terrace with views of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. I imagine it would be a lovely place to dine when the weather is a little warmer.

The view from the terrace of Le Comptoir de la Mere Germaine

We entered at the time set for our reservation and after the obligatory checking of our Pass Sanitaires, we were offered a choice of all the tables since we were the first diners to arrive. Although, it was a beautiful day outside, it was a little brisk so we decided to sit at the comptoir in front of the rotisserie.  

La Rotisserie au Le Comptoir de la Mere Germaine

The Comptoir de la Mere Germaine has an extensive wine list including many selections from Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Since we had just come from Domaine de la Charbonniere, we chose the AOP Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2015 Cuvee Domaine Rouge.  

Domaine de la Charbonniere 

We chose the leeks in vinaigrette and chickpea hummus with little rolls to share as starters for our meal. 

Leeks in Vinaigrette

Our position at the comptoir was conducive to chatting with the cooks preparing our meals. They told us the Comptoir de la Mere Germaine opened on July 14, 2021, so quite new. 

Chickpea Hummus with little rolls with herbs and spices

I went with the farm chicken from the Luberon roasted on the rotisserie. It was accompanied by roasted potatoes. 

Rotisserie Farm Chicken from Luberon with Roasted Potatoes 

Shirley selected the filet of Bar (seabass). 

Filet of Bar (Seabass)

We were happy to see the restaurant menu included a selection of sides including a pan of seasonal vegetables.

Sauteed Pan of Vegetables

We shared a Lemon Meringue Tart to finish. 

Lemon Meringue Tart

The culinary team working in the open kitchen on the other side of the comptoir were happy to pose for a picture. 

We have not been to the La Mere Germaine since long before it was awarded a Michelin star during the pandemic. In fact, it was not very good as I recall. Also, we have not found any dining establishments in the village that we would recommend. 

So I am pleased to say the Comptoir de la Mere Germaine offers a welcoming mix of friendly, professional team, comfortable, well lit dining room and last but not least, generous portions of very good food, albeit not quite as refined as at some restaurants we frequent. 

Having said that, we will return again and again. In fact, we enjoyed our meals so much that we made a reservation before we left for the next Saturday for lunch.   

The Culinary Team

Here some different dishes we tried at the aforementioned Saturday lunch. 

We shared a vegetarian board of confit eggplant, zucchini and focaccia to start.

Vegetarian Board with Confit Eggplant, Zucchini and Focaccia

For my meal, I chose the rumsteak a la Rossini which is essentially a steak pan-fried and topped with a hot slice of fresh whole foie gras, briefly pan-fried at the last minute. I will be honest that I didn't know that "a la Rossini" means it comes with a slice of foie gras. Having said that, hey when in France...it was delicious. 

Rumsteak (Sirloin) a la Rossini 

Shirley ordered a filet of trout from l'Isle sur la Sorgue. 

Trout from l'Isle sur la Sorgue

From the list of sides on the menu, we chose a bowl of crispy, hot frites. 

Side dish of Crispy French Fries

To finish, we got the Mille-Feuille to share. This was sort of deconstructed and I didn't think it was all that special and would not order again. This was the only disappointing dish we had during our two meals there.

Mille-Feuille to share

If you are in the area to taste wines from AOP Chateauneuf-du-Pape or just looking for a good place to have lunch in wine country, I recommend that you make a reservation at Comptoir de la Mere Germaine.  There is a large public parking lot a short walk from the restaurant. You will not be sorry. 

Le Comptoir de la Mere Germaine

4 Rue des Consuls

84230 Chateauneuf-du-Pape

France

Tel: +33 4 28 69 00 60

website: www.lameregenermaine-chateauneufdupape.fr/le-comptoir/

Domaine de la Charbonnière, an excellent producer of wines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and wonderful family

One of many things that attracted us to Sablet, was its location in the Côtes du Rhône and proximity to world-renown wine villages such as Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. We like all the wines from this area but our favorites are Châteauneuf-du-Papes and we go there often. Hey, its only 15 miles away.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a small medieval village on the side of a hill, guarded by the ruins of an ancient chateau towering above. From the chateau hill you have an outstanding view in all directions, mostly of vineyards and of the Rhône River 1.9 miles to the east. The village is between Avignon (7.5 miles to the south) and Orange (6.6 miles to the north).

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

As its name suggests, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is closely linked to several Popes. As early as 1157, faithful to Roman customs, Bishop Geoffroy of Avignon planted and cultivated a vineyard in his Châteauneuf territory. In 1308, Clement V also planted vines, thereby becoming one of the first winemakers in Châteauneuf.

Pope Jean XXII, the second of the popes to reside in Avignon, had a particular appreciation for wine from this area, and ordered the castle seen below to be built in 1317 as a summer residence, and bestowed upon the wine, the title of “Vin du Pape” (Papal Wine), the name by which it was known before it became “Châteauneuf-du-Pape”.

The back side of the tower of the Pope's castle is shown in the photo below, only ruins remain. The castle was sacked by Routiers (mercenaries who terrorized the French countryside during the 100 year war) when Jean XXII died and largely destroyed for the final time by the retreating Germans in 1944.

Pope's Castle Châteauneuf-du-Pape

There are several cafés with outdoor terraces around the center of the village. Although this is a tourist town, there are not many tourist shops as the business of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is selling wine.

The village streets are narrow, curving around the hillside or climbing up and down between the houses up to the castle. The buildings are old, but everything has been thoroughly restored.

The chateau ruins at the top of the village are accessed by walking up Rue Joseph Ducos past the front of the Town Hall to the church at Rue des Papes. Just to the left of the church, steps lead up the wide, stone step-street to the chateau.

Center of Châteauneuf-du-Pape Village

As I indicated above, we come often to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, for the wines. The sign below which you see alongside the roads that cross into the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation reads "Here begin the celebrated vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape."

Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC wines are made from grapes grown in the commune of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and portions of the four neighboring municipalities (Bédarrides, Courthézon, Orange, and Sorgues) in the Vaucluse.

There are 13 grape varieties permitted in Châteauneuf wines, although it's rare that most are used in one blend. Grenache is dominant in the reds, supported by Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin, Vaccarèse and Terret. White wines are a blend of Clairette, Roussanne, Bourboulenc, Picpoul and Picardin.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC Boundary

Our favorite Châteauneuf-du-Pape winery is located just outside the village on the Route de Courthézon. We first became acquainted with Domaine de la Charbonnière and its wines when we tasted wines for the initial wine list for our Bistro Des Copains in Occidental, California and have been fans ever since.

The domaine is owned by the Maret family, daughters Véronique and Caroline and parents Michel and Mireille, and have been making wine since 1912 when Michel Maret's grandfather Eugene bought the domaine as a gift for his wife who was the daughter of a local winegrower. Michel took over in 1978 and started bottling wine-most of it sold out the winery door.

He was the one who named the estate Domaine de la Charbonnière from the name used for the area around the domaine. The name means "the area of charcoal burning".

Domaine de la Charbonnière

Véronique took over winemaking responsibilities from Michel in 2012 after starting at the domaine alongside her father, in 2009. Michel, although now retired, still drives the tractor and helps her in the cellar. Véronique and Caroline are the fourth generation of Maret's to oversee the domaine. Mother Mireille continues to manage the vineyard team.

One of the most important changes Véronique made since taking over in 2012 was the move to organic viticulture.

From left, Caroline Maret, Shirley, and Mireille Maret

The wines from Domaine de la Charbonnière have not suffered at all from the change in winemaking responsibilities, in fact they seem to be getting better with each harvest, if that is even possible. Take a look at the tasting points in the November 15, 2019 issue of "Wine Spectator Magazine".

Wine Spectator Magazine
November 15, 2019
Domaine de la Charbonnière		Cuvee		Vintage		WS Points
Châteauneuf-du-Pape		Les Hautes Brusquières		2016		96
Châteauneuf-du-Pape		Vielle Vignes		2016		95
Châteauneuf-du-Pape		Red		2016		94
Châteauneuf-du-Pape		Mourre des Perdrix		2016		94
Châteauneuf-du-Pape		White		2017		93

New barrel room at Domaine de la Charbonnière

To accommodate the growing demand for their excellent wines, they have recently finished an expansion of their barrel room.

Domaine de la Charbonnière Wood Tanks

The majority of the grapes for wine made by Domaine de la Charbonnière comes from parcels in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. They also own and make wine from parcels they own in the Vacqueyras AOC and in Côtes du Rhône, just outside the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC boundary. Their two different bottlings of 2016 Vacqueyras both earned 90+ points from Wine Spectator Magazine.

Domaine de la Charbonnière 2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Mourre des Perdrix in Wood Tank

Steel Tanks Holding 2019 Grapes

Inox (stainless steel) tanks at Domaine de la Charbonnière

Terrace over the new barrel rooms at Domaine de la Charbonnière

Domaine de la Charbonnière estate vineyards

There are several distinct terroirs in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Clay soils and those with galets-large round pebbles that store heat, make full-bodied, structured reds; sandy soils produce lighter, more elegant wines. The whites, which are full-bodied and aromatic, with yellow fruits and floral notes, favor the limestone soils.

One of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards with layer of stones called galets (pebbles)

The best thing about Domaine de la Charbonnière is the Maret Family, they are all charming, funny, and always have a smile to greet you, even during the middle of vendange (grape harvest). After many tastings at Domaine de la Charbonnière over the years, I can say we are friends.

We were very happy we could meet Véronique and Caroline when they were in Sonoma and Napa County a few weeks back, visiting customers with their new California importer, Grape Expectations, and take them to dinner in Sonoma.

Girl and the Fig in Sonoma California with Caroline and Véronique Maret

If you are in the Vaucluse region of France, and tasting wine is part of your trip, it is well worthwhile to visit and taste at Domaine de la Charbonnière. If you are in shops that sell special wines or in a nice restaurant, French or otherwise in the US, Canada, or UK, make sure you check to see if they have a bottle on the list from Domaine de la Charbonnière. Trust me, you will be very happy you did.

Domaine de la Charbonnière
Route de Courthézon
84230 Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Tel: +33 (0)4 90 83 74 59
contact@domainedelacharbonniere.com

If you are planning for your next vacation and it might include a visit to the south of France, check out our website about our home in Sablet which we rent by the week or for longer periods of time. www.sablethouse.com

Truffle Season and Lunch at La Beaugravière in Mondragon

Almost without fail, we are out and about during the middle of the day so every morning I look for a new restaurant to try or a favorite dining spot to return to. So one morning last February, I was thumbing through the Michelin Guide to "Bonnes petites tables" for restaurants that had been awarded Bib Gourmands in our area looking for a restaurant.

On one page, I saw a restaurant called La Beaugravière that was located in a village called Mondragon. I recalled that the young ladies at Domaine de la Charbonnière had mentioned the restaurant to us and said "On mange très bien là-bas," we eat every well there. We had never been to this restaurant so we decided to give it a try.

Mondragon is a small village stretched out along the old National-7 highway beside the Rhône river, north of Orange. Ruins of an old castle are perched above, and some Medieval buildings and doorways remain in the narrow streets of the old town. It took us about 40 minutes to get there, longer than we expected, we hoped the trip would be worthwhile.

We finally arrived, but I wasn't sure what we were getting into when I saw the sign on the non-descript building seen below located next to the N-7 highway.

La Beaugravière Restaurant in Mondragon

We parked and walked into the dining room. It was clear from the muffled French we heard throughout the dining room that the restaurant is mostly frequented by locals, not tourists. A word we heard multiple times was "truffes" (truffles), from the server and guests. Being February, La Beaugravière was featuring truffles on menus as well as many of the dishes on the A la Carte menu.

Locals Dining

We looked over the menu options and dishes offered "A la Carte." To our disappointment, there were not a lot of options for someone like Shirley who is mostly vegetarian. She does like fish but there were none on the menu that day. The wine list was excellent and included quite a few red and white bottles from Domaine de la Charbonnière.

2012 Domaine de la Charbonniere, Chateauneuf-du-Pape

We figured out a meal for Shirley that began with a simple Butternut squash soup, one of her favorites. When the server set it down in front of her, we saw the simple soup had been gilded with a pile of thin slices of truffles. The aroma was out of this world.

Butternut Squash Soup with Truffles

I went with one of the menus and chose for starter seared foie gras with caramelized apple balls. I have had foie gras many times but the only time I truly love it is when it's served in this manner. I think eating a foie gras terrine or torchon is similar to eating a stick of butter, obviously with much more taste, not something I really like.

Seared Foie Gras with Caramelized Apple Balls

For her main course, Shirley chose atichokes barigoule, a traditional Provençal dish of artichokes braised with onions, garlic and carrots in a seasoned broth of wine and water.

Artichokes Barigoule

My main course was beef cheeks Parmentier with truffled potato puree. It was a very good choice as it was truly delicious. Parmentier is a culinary term referring to dishes garnished or made with potatoes. This dish honors Frenchman Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, an 18th-century French botanist who devoted his lifetime to promoting potato's attributes.

Beef Cheeks Parmentier with Truffled Potato Puree

Shirley was still a little hungry so we ordered a cheese plate. The selections included Roquefort (a sheep milk blue cheese), St. Marcellin (a soft cheese made from cow's milk), St. Nectaire (cheese made from cow's milk in the Auvergne), and two Reblochons (a soft washed-rind and smear-ripened cheese made in Savoy from raw cow's milk).

Cheese Plate

We chose apple tart tatin, a famous French upside-down apple tart made by covering the bottom of a shallow baking dish with butter and sugar, then apples and finally a pastry crust. While baking, the sugar and butter create a delicious caramel that becomes the topping when the tart is inverted onto a serving plate.

Apple Tart Tatin

The other dessert we chose was a chocolate fondant, a dessert that combines the elements of a flourless chocolate cake and a soufflé.

Chocolate Fondant Cake

We're usually a bit sad to see a nice meal come to an end, but in some restaurants you get a plate of mignardises to finish your meal. This parting gesture from the kitchen—usually an artful arrangement of confections like gemlike pates de fruits, something made with chocolate or tiny macaroons—is a tradition that dates back to 18th-century France. The name mignardise comes from an old French word for "precious" or "cute."

Mignardises

When I received our check after asking for "l'addition," I was dealt a surprise. I recalled that the Butternut squash soup had been quite reasonably priced on the A la Carte menu, but the addition of those truffles which we had not known was going to be done, added a lot to the bill.

I am not a person who is bothered about spending money for a good meal in a restaurant. But the price of the soup was a shock. I just said to Shirley, "I hope that was the best soup you have ever had." I have been forbidden by Shirley from sharing how much it was (she is embarrassed), but let's just say it was way more than the most expensive steak I have ordered in a steak house.

All in all, I would return again. Every dish was excellent. When I reserve the next time, I would see if there is something the chef could prepare for Shirley that was not on the menu.

The terrace at La Beaugravière

La Beaugravière Restaurant
214 Avenue du Pont Neuf (National-7)
84430 Mondragon
www.beaugraviere.com
04 90 40 82 54

Domaine de la Charbonnière, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

One of many things that attracted us to Sablet was its location in the Côtes du Rhône and proximity to world-renown wine villages such as Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. We like all the wines from this area but our favorites are Châteauneuf-du-Papes and we go there most often.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a medieval village on the side of a hill topped by the ruins of a castle near the Rhone River about 30 minutes southwest of our house in Sablet. The village is surrounded by its well tended vineyards. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is pretty to see but there is not a lot to do or reason to go except for the wine; but that's more enough reason to go.

The original name of the village was Castrum Novum, then Châteauneuf-Calcernier (after the many lime kilns in the area) and finally Châteauneuf-du-Pape, adopting the wine's name for the village. The history of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is interwoven with the history of the papacy.

In 1308, Pope Clement V relocated the papacy from Rome to Avignon, 12 miles south of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Clement V was succeeded by John XXII who reportedly drank wines from the vineyards to the north in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and did much to improve viticultural practices there.

Under John XXII, the wines of this area came to be known as "Vin du Pape" and later Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Pope John XXII built the castle that stands overlooking Châteauneuf-du-Pape (literally the Pope's new castle) as a summer residence for the popes.

The Route de Courthézon into Châteauneuf-du-Pape with the Pope's castle on the horizon.

The tower of the Pope's castle with the back drop of blue sky.

The back side of the tower of the Pope's castle, only ruins remain. The castle was sacked by Routiers (mercenaries who terrorized the French countryside during the 100 year war) when Jean XXII died and destroyed for the final time by the retreating Germans in 1944.

The view from the Pope's castle towards the Rhone River.

A sign panel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape with the names of many of the domaines.

Son-in-law Earl sitting on the fountain in Place du Portail which is the commercial center of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The buildings are old, but everything is nicely restored.

The village is full of shops and tasting rooms where you can sample and buy the wonderful wines crafted in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC. As you know food and restaurants are very important to me; as of now, we have not found a really good restaurant in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The village streets and alleys curve around the hillside and climb up to the castle.

Domaine de la Charbonnière is located just outside the village on the Route de Courthézon. We first got acquainted with this domaine and their red wines when we were trying wines for our first wine list for Bistro Des Copains and have been fans ever since.

The domaine is owned by the Maret family; Michel, wife Mireille and daughters Caroline and Veronique and has been overseen by the Maret family since 1912 when Michel's grandfather Eugene bought the domaine as a gift for his wife who was the daughter of a local winegrower. Michel is the third generation of Maret's to oversee the domaine.

The entrance to Domaine de la Charbonnière off Route de Courthézon.

There are a lot of very good wineries in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC and we have only been to a handful. Despite this, we return to Domaine de la Charbonnière almost every time we are back in Sablet. We really like their wines, they are reasonably priced but most importantly, we love the Maret family; they are very welcoming and generous with their time.

The entrance to the Domaine de la Charbonnière tasting room marked by olive tree.

Fermentation tanks at Domaine de la Charbonnière.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC rules allow up to thirteen grape varieties to be blended into the wine. The primary grape used by the Marets in blending red wines is Grenache; they also use Syrah and Mourvedre. For their white wine they use Grenache blanc, Roussanne, and Clairette.

Caroline Maret shows us how they make their wines.

Domaine de la Charbonnière makes 4 red wines and 1 white wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape and 1 red wine from Vacqueyras.

Barrel room for aging wine.

Domaine de la Charbonnière exports wine to quite a few different countries. Each country has their own regulations about what information has to be included on the label affixed to the bottle. So wine is bottled and stored without labels until orders are received at which time they print and affix labels to the bottles.

Domaine de la Charbonnière has 3 parcels totaling 17.5 hectares/43.25 acres of vineyards within the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC and 4 hectares/9.88 acres within the Vacqueyras AOC. The Maret's also own a few hectares of land that is classified as Côtes du Rhône.

Mireille Maret and Veronique took us out to see their Châteauneuf-du-Pape parcels. They also showed us how they pull leaves in the spring.

Vines are shaped as gobelets - bush vines.

The Châteauneuf-du-Pape terroir comes from a layer of stones called galets. The stones retain heat during the day and release it at night which can hasten the ripening of grapes. The stones also serve as a protective layer to help retain moisture in the soil during the dry summer months

A Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyard near one of the Maret's parcels with the Dentelles de Montmirail and Sablet on the far horizon.

As I said, we have been to Domaine de la Charbonnière and Châteauneuf-du-Pape many times. Astute readers may notice that pictures are from different visits; actually four in all.

Regretfully, we no longer carry Domaine de la Charbonnière wine on our list at Bistro Des Copains because importer Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants stopped importing the wine. I think if truth be told, it was probably because of pressure from the Brunier family who own Châteauneuf-du-Pape's famous Vieux Telegraphe and with whom Kermit Lynch has many business interests.

If you love wine and you are going to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, I recommend you go visit the Marets at Domaine de la Charbonnière. You will have a great time.