Château Redortier, with 35 hectares of vines in virtually one single stretch, is particularly well placed, standing opposite the prestigious Dentelles de Montmirail. The estate is in the Côtes du Rhône Villages, Beaumes de Venise and Gigondas appellations all at the same time. The land is exceptional: the vines are planted at an altitude of 400m on south-facing hillsides which benefit from clay-limestone soils and a very dry summer season. The estate has kept its family character, with Etienne de Menthon working alongside his wife and their daughter Sabine. Château Redortier used to be a very important fortified castle which defended the principality of Orange. In 1956 Etienne de Menthon, an agronomist, restored the estate to its former condition. To respect the environment and to favour the natural character of the wine, the treatment of vine diseases is subject to reasonable methods. Yields are intentionally controlled at 30 to 35 hl/ha, resulting in quality wines. Harvesting is performed by hand so as not to alter the vines and bunches of grapes, enabling strict sorting procedures. Vinification is traditional, with the white obtained by pressing and the rosé by bleeding. For the reds, vatting varies from 8 to 10 days for the Beaumes de Venise and 15 days for the Gigondas. Pressing is light for all the wines and temperatures are controlled throughout fermentation. The reds spend two winters in vats before being bottled and the wines undergo very little physical treatment, in order to conserve all their aromas and their intrinsic quality. The wines do not mature in wood barrels, as the quality of the soils and vines is sufficient to give them a naturally woody character.
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