Domaine de la Charbonnière

Eugene Maret purchased the estate in 1912 as a gift for his wife, who was the daughter of a local winemaker. The domaine takes its name from the traditional charcoal burning, or charbonnière, that once occurred in the nearby forests. Michel Maret, the grandson of Eugene, assumed leadership in 1973 and oversaw a period of modernization and vineyard acquisition. Currently, the fourth generation of the Maret family manages the property. Sisters Veronique and Caroline Maret took over the daily operations in 2014, with Veronique serving as the winemaker and Caroline managing the business administration. Their parents, Michel and Mireille, continue to assist with the seasonal work in the vineyards and the cellar.

The estate includes 19.5 hectares in Châteauneuf du Pape and approximately 6 hectares in Vacqueyras, primarily located on the Plateau de Sarrians. This specific terroir in Vacqueyras consists of clay and limestone soils covered with rounded stones, which provide excellent drainage and heat retention. The family transitioned the entire estate to organic viticulture and received official certification in 2015. Winemaking practices emphasize the health of the fruit, which is harvested entirely by hand and sorted twice before processing. Grapes are mostly destemmed, and fermentations take place in temperature controlled stainless steel or concrete vats. The wines are typically aged for 12 to 18 months in a mix of large oak foudres, demi-muids, and truncated wooden vats.

Domaine de la Charbonnière is recognized for its focused expressions of Grenache, which is the dominant variety across their vineyard parcels. In Vacqueyras, they produce a red blend typically composed of 60 percent Grenache and 40 percent Syrah, characterized by dark berry flavors and spicy garrigue notes. The estate is also highly regarded for its site-specific Châteauneuf du Pape cuvées, such as Les Hautes Brusquières and Vieilles Vignes, which showcase the diversity of local soil types. Their style is frequently described as traditional yet technically precise, offering wines with significant structure and aging potential. These bottles are valued by collectors for providing a reliable representation of the southern Rhône Valley.