Château le Devoy Martine

Château le Devoy Martine is located in the Southern Rhône Valley along the right bank of the river and about 40 miles north of the Mediterranean Sea. The estate was originally owned by the Earl of Martine going back to the 13th century.

Brothers Joseph and Marc Lombardo brought their experience from Sicily and Tunisia and established the winery, now owned by a fourth generation of the family. In 2008, Veronique joined her father Marc as winemaker to keep the family tradition alive and to make distinct and elegant wines.

Located just across the Rhone river from famed appellation, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, le Devoy Martine is situated in the Lirac appellation with a history dating to the Romans. Appellation status was granted in 1947. Soils consist of clay and limestone, perfect for producing powerfully rich fruit and wines with a soft, velvety texture.

The vineyards of Château le Devoy Martine are planted on 40 terraced, free-draining hectares. Varieties include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Carignan, Roussanne, Bourboulenc, Clairette, Vermentine, Ugni Blanc, and Muscat. Harvesting of only the best grapes is by hand. White wine grapes are planted to the north with high exposure to the sun.

Véronique is obsessed with translating the character of her meticulously kept vineyard into her wine with as little distortion as possible. For blending, she ferments each grape variety separately in concrete tanks for maximum purity, before assembling and aging the wine in large concrete tanks.