A disappointing effort This is earthy and dank, with dark, leathery notes contrasting sharply with bright acids on the finish.\n \n Producer Information\n Maison Brotte is a wine company based in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It produces wine under multiple brands from numerous appellations, mostly in the Rhône, but is most famous for its La Fiole du Pape wine, a multi-vintage wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The company was founded in 1931 when Charles Brotte moved to the famous village and set up its first bottling line. In 1952, Maison Brotte introduced La Fiole du Pape, featuring a distinctive twisted bottle intended to represent the old, twisted bush vines of the region. Brotte believed the blending techniques used in Champagne could be emulated in Châteauneuf-du-Pape to make a wine that was consistent every year. Maison Brotte consists of four estates, three of which are in the southern Rhône. Domaine Barville is the family estate in Châteauneuf, with 16 hectares (40 acres) of vines in seven parcels. It is the company's headquarters and also the location of the Brotte wine museum. The holdings also include Domaine Grosset, a 10-hectare (25-acre) estate in Cairanne owned by Alain Grosset, who is connected to the Brotte family by marriage. Château du Bord, purchased by the Brotte family in 1991, has 22 hectares (54 acres) of terraced vineyards producing Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Laudun, plus a tiny plot in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In the Gard region of the Languedoc, Domaine de l'Aube exclusively grows Viognier for the Baies Dorées IGP Pays d'Oc release. As well as estate-grown wines, Maison Brotte collaborates with other growers to produce wines from other appellations, including Condrieu, Côte Rôtie, Gigondas and Côtes de Provence.
