Châteauneuf-du-Pape | Jean-Charles Chapuzet, Christophe Grilhe

The oldest internationally renowned wine appellation. Established as the oldest wine appellation (decree of May 15, 1936), the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation now embodies a modernity that is boldly asserted and claimed, as presented in this resolutely contemporary work. What strikes one when entering the intimacy of this vineyard is the extraordinary diversity of landscapes and terroirs surrounding its village and its keep, a complex geometry that captivates. Plateaus and hills tested by the mistral wind, valleys where mists linger, small winding roads and paths, the cohabitation of vines, trees, and shrubs, and these different soils: rolled pebbles, limestone shards, red sandstone, sands where the 13 grape varieties (8 reds with a significant focus on Grenache, 5 whites) thrive to offer us a wide variety of wines. This "geometric" dimension is omnipresent in the book. The vertical dimension first, it is the history of the village, the vineyard, the appellation with its great figures, all leading to the new generation of winemakers. Then comes the horizontal: geography, geology, terroirs, farming practices, grape varieties, etc. Next are the diagonals, these little stories that reflect the Provençal temperament: the village and the vineyard are full of anecdotes, a hostage-taking, coffee merchants, a mad winemaker, the Italian clan or the engineers of the Suez Canal, Hannibal or the arrival of the northern winemakers, etc. And to conclude, the "fourth dimension": the conjunction of these geometries, the culmination, the depth, the tasting with its legendary vintages, the great chefs, the sommeliers, the enthusiasts. It's about wine and beyond. Foreword by Rudy Ricciotti, architect of the Mucem (Marseille).