IGP Vaucluse - Principauté d'Orange wines awarded at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge

I.G.P.

The Principauté d'Orange geographical designation applies to the Vaucluse Protected Geographical Indication across 36 communes in the northern part of the department, within the Rhône corridor, on the former territory of the Principality of Orange. The zone borders the Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côtes du Rhône Villages vineyards, between Orange, Vaison-la-Romaine and Valréas. The vines grow on recent and older alluvial soils laid down by the Rhône and its tributaries, the Aigues and the Ouvèze. A Mediterranean climate, marked by strong sunshine and the mistral wind, ensures steady ripening of the grapes and protects the vineyard from fungal disease. The grape varieties combine traditional southern varieties — grenache, syrah, cinsault, mourvèdre, carignan, clairette, bourboulenc and ugni blanc — with more recently introduced varieties such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot, chardonnay, sauvignon and viognier, giving the wines a broad aromatic range.

Grape varieties: Vins rouges, rosés : carignan, grenache, counoise, syrah, mourvèdre, cinsaut. Vins blancs secs : ugni blanc, clairette

The wines of this appellation

Principauté d'Orange produces still red, rosé and white wines. The reds, blended mainly from grenache, syrah, merlot and sometimes cabernet sauvignon, show a deep ruby to garnet colour with violet highlights; the nose combines dark fruit and spice with notes of leather, bitter chocolate and sometimes pepper. The rosés, based on grenache and cinsault, are pale salmon in colour with red fruit aromas. The whites, often built around chardonnay together with viognier, roussanne or marsanne, are marked by freshness and minerality, with notes of apple and lime blossom; their colour is pale yellow with green or gold highlights, bright and clear. These wines suit Provençal cuisine: the reds with grilled meats and slow-cooked stews, the rosés as an aperitif or with Mediterranean dishes, the whites with fish and seafood.