Domaine Eddie Féraud et Fils

In 1984, Pierre and his son Eddie, both from an old family of winegrowers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, founded the estate. The first vintage was actually 1980, although the domaine was not officially created until 1983. The estate owns 5 hectares of vines in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, tucked away in the eastern part of the region. The vines are located not too far from Château Rayas and Vaudieu, which tells you something about the quality of the terroir here. The terroir is mostly sandy soils situated close to the commune of Courthezon, with parcels planted on fine sand, safre and sandstone.

Eddie Feraud is the first cousin of Laurence Feraud of Domaine Pegau, so winemaking runs deep in this family's blood. Today, the domaine is managed by the son of Eddie Feraud, Yannick Feraud, who has been in charge since 2012. Before joining his father, Yannick completed an internship at Clos Canarelli in Figari, earned a chemistry degree, and obtained an oenology diploma in Montpellier. The family's approach is straightforward: tradition, family work and terroir drive everything they do.

The winemaking here stays true to old-school methods. The grapes are not destemmed, and they work without exogenous yeasts while infusing. The wine is vinified in traditional cement tanks, then aged in old foudres for 18 months before bottling. They keep yields low, always focusing on quality over quantity. The wines spend two springs aging in their vaulted cellar right in the heart of the village, which gives them time to develop elegance and finesse.

Domaine Eddie Feraud produces 2 red Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines, a standard wine and a special cuvée from their oldest vines. The classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape is made from 90% old vine Grenache, 5% Mourvèdre and 5% Syrah, sourced from the le Pointu and le Rayas lieux-dits. The Cuvée Raisins Bleus is produced from 95% old vine Grenache, made from their oldest parcel of vines planted in the sandy soils of the Le Pointu lieu-dit. The average annual production is around 1,250 cases per year, so these are small-batch wines that reflect the family's commitment to quality and their unique corner of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.