A FAMILY WINE ESTATE SINCE 1880 :Owned by nobility from the 16th to 18th century, the Chateau de Clapier turned to winemaking in 1880 when the great-great uncle, Theodore Barataud, bought the estate. Thomas Montagne took over the family estate in 1995, becoming the fourth generation of winemakers. Since then, he has been relentlessly caring on 87 acres of vines to conceive wines in the spirit of independant winegrowers: sustainable work in the vineyard with natural vegetation cover between the rows of vines, low yields, few treatments, vinification plot by plot, use of natural yeasts, limitation of sulfites...VITICULTURE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NATURE :Chateau de Clapier has recently obtained the High Environmental Value (HEV). This farm environmental certification covers four key areas: biodiversity conservation, plant protection strategy, management of fertiliser use and management of water, and it is based on performance indicators. Thus, the HEV level guarantees a farm's high level of environmental performance.ESTATE'S MICRO-CLIMATE :One of the key features of the Luberon terroir is its mountainous location, which favors strong temperature variations between day and night. The vines are located at altitudes of between 200 and 450 meters. The terroir is rich, with Miocene sands, clay soils and limestone scree at the foot of the mountain. The climate here is Mediterranean, with the influence of a more continental climate from the Alps and the Rhone Valley. With around 2,600 hours of sunshine a year, the Luberon is one of France's sunniest regions.The Chateau de Clapier vineyard benefits from a cool micro-climate due to the Defile de Mirabeau, a narrowing of the Durance valley where the river cuts its way between two steep limestone cliffs, acting as a climatic lock. The cold air coming down from the Alps is stopped in its tracks and remains stagnant in our vineyards. The vines always wake up later than in neighboring vineyards, which protects us from spring frosts. What's more, this micro-climate creates very cool summer nights, which are good for the vines, improving ripening and producing more aromatic precursors in the grapes.PINOT NOIR EXCLUSIVITY :Thomas Montagne's father, Marian, planted two hectares of Pinot noir in the early 80s. Chateau de Clapier benefits from climatic conditions that are much more southerly than Pinot noir's native Burgundy. However, the cool micro-climate contributes to wines with freshness, relative acidity and good balance.In 1988, the Luberon AOC was created and, logically, this northern grape variety was not listed in the appellation's specifications. However, Chateau de Clapier's prior planting of Pinot noir has been recognized, and it now benefits from an exemption authorizing it to use this grape variety in blends.By remaining the sole representative of the varietal Pinot noir on the Luberon AOC, Chateau de Clapier so signs its peculiarity towards the other estates of the region.RANGE OF WINES: Thomas Montagne combines modern techniques and traditional know-how to provide the vines with the best growing conditions and the wines with the best ageing conditions. The numerous grape-varieties present on the estate are reflected into very personal cuvees. Each year Thomas Montagne produces a large range of wines (Luberon AOC and Mediterranean IGP in three colors) which reflects the potential of the Luberon terroir, combining the power of Rhone and the sunshine of the South of France.