Philippe Delon and Nicole Soyris-Delon managed the estate with passion and commitment, and when Nicole passed away in 1999, her only daughter Emmanuelle decided to leave everything behind and move to the Mas with her son to continue the family adventure as winemaker, soon joined in 2008 by her husband Luc Vignal, until then a wine merchant. Located in the south of the Costières de Nîmes appellation, the Mas du Chêne estate stands out for the atypical grape varieties grown in its 50 hectares of vines (Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Merlot, Alicante, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Cinsault, Roussanne, Vermentino, etc.). The estate produces a large number of single-varietal cuvées (11), labelled as Vin de France. The vineyard benefits from a terroir of rounded pebbles, which allows rainwater to infiltrate between the pebbles and nourish the vines during summer droughts. Of the 50 hectares of vines, more than 10 hectares are cultivated organically using traditional methods, and all the wines bottled at the estate come from these plots. The range of wines is made up of original and varied cuvées. The 'Marche Avant' cuvée is a wine with a light, golden colour that unfurls its juicy fruitiness over a fine balance between roundness and acidity. Made from a blend of Roussanne, Grenache blanc and Vermentino, the wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts, put into barrels from Burgundy and Château Yquem, and then matured on its lees for 8 months. The wine has a very ripe nose of yellow fruit and flowers, and is well-balanced on the palate: ideal as an aperitif and with shellfish platters. The 100% Sangiovese cuvée is vinified in concrete vats, half of which are matured in barrels for 7 months. It has a very fruity nose and a powerful palate, and Sangiovese, a traditionally Italian grape variety, is a natural match for cuisine with a transalpine flavour. "Merlot l'enchanteur", another Domaine du Chêne cuvée, is made from 100% destemmed Merlot, vinified in concrete vats and matured for 7 months in Burgundy barrels. Its peppery nose with hints of red fruit and its round, silky palate make it a lovely accompaniment to red meats grilled over a wood fire. The red 'Amphore' cuvée is more ambitious, and should be considered the prestige cuvée of Mas de Chêne: a wine made from naturally grown vines, destemmed, vinified and matured in 500-litre terracotta amphorae from Italy. Production of this "Amphore" cuvée is confidential and limited to just 650 bottles a year. This wine has a delicate nose of cherries and red berries, and a silky, structured palate. Mas du Chêne also offers a white cuvée, "Amphore", made from a blend of the finest Roussanne and Vermentino grapes, aged on lees for 12 months. A rich, powerful wine with great persistence.
Would you like to buy a bottle of Mas du Chene wine? Discover our selection of wines from the estate as well as other great Rhône Valley wines such as Alain Graillot, Alain Voge, Beaucastel, Chapoutier, Clos des Papes, Dard et Ribo, Delas, Gérin, Jean Louis Chave, Rayas and Yves Cuilleron. You can also enjoy a wider range of Rhone reds, Rhone whites and Rhone rosés at Vins & Millésimes. Our bottles, magnums and old vintages are always in stock, shipped quickly and at the best prices!