Maison Lavau is one of the last independent family run wine estates in the Rhône Valley with a rich wine-making history stretching back to the 1800s in Saint-Émilion. Having established themselves in the Rhone in 1965, Jean-Guy Lavau and his wife Anne-Marie built a reputation for themselves as top quality wine-makers and successful business people in the region because of their high standards and attention to detail, with historic cellars in Sablet. Sons Benoit and Frederic Lavau joined the family business in 1995 and 1997 respectively, taking over in 2000 and oversaw the building of new state of the art cellars in Violès and who continue to be intrinsically involved in the winemaking and running of the company. A classic, solid, Châteauneuf-du-Pape from parcels in the north of this prestigious appellation. The grapes are de-stemmed and macerated in temperature-controlled vats for around 30 days with two rack-and-return operations at the start of fermentation. This is followed by two pumping-over operations per day. Ageing lasts for 12 months:50% of the wine aged in vat, 50% in 450L barrels used for 1 or 2 previous vintages. Vat and barrel aged elements are then blended before bottling. Grenache 50%, Syrah 40%, Mourvèdre 10%. Good fruit concentration and weight with an open quality. Complex notes of plums and black cherries with a hint of cocoa and cloves.