Meet the Producer // Maison Brotte
Latest news • 10/02/2021
Since 1880, five generations of the Brotte family have been making wines with passion and authenticity. They produce a wide range of delicious wines – reds, whites and rosés – for a variety of different drinking occasions and has a presence in more than 90 countries globally.
Tell us about your vineyard / winery;
Five generations of the Brotte family have passionately crafted wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the Rhône Valley. The unique know-how passed down from generation to generation, with the wines always a blend of authenticity and elegance.
The Brotte family owns estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cairanne and Village Laudun. The family’s historical roots and unique know-how enables them to select the best terroirs from the various estates. The family brings to life the authentic soul of their beloved wines and we can hear the southern French accent in each and every “cuvée”!
What grapes do you grow, and how does the climate and terroir help the varieties to flourish?
For reds, we mainly use Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Grenache for its fruit and roundness, Syrah for its freshness and Mourvèdre for its structure.
Grenache is the king of the Southern Rhône Valley (Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cairanne, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Village Laudun, Côtes du Rhône). With a warm climate and low yields, the wines develop great concentration and smoothness.
For whites, we mainly use white Grenache which is picked early in the morning and vinified without malolactic fermentation, to help the wines develop distinctive fruit aromas and freshness.
Tell us about your eco, sustainable and ethical practices;
The estates are certified by Terra Vitis and “Haute Valeur Environnementale”. Our winegrowing practices respect biodiversity and water resources, and all our fertilisers are natural.
We have made an organic Côtes du Rhône since 2016 and our historical estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape will be converting to organic practices in 2021.
As for social and ethical practices, Brotte winery is committed to various actions; The winery is certified IFS (international featured standards – food) which is a guarantee for food security and sales service quality, and the company has local suppliers and ensures the right price for them.
Additionally, the Brotte winery created the Wine Museum in Châteauneuf-du-Pape which attracts 20,000 visitors per year, with 40 per cent visiting from abroad.
If you’d could fix one problem in the industry today, what would it be?
We hope that COVID19 treatments and vaccinations take effect soon, so that we can all return to “normal” as soon as possible.
What excites you most about the future?
The new generation, Thibault and Benoit Brotte, joined the winery respectively in 2015 and 2019. Thibault has a sales role and works hand in hand with his father Laurent Brotte, current CEO and owner.
Benoit operates on the production side, with Christine Brotte, Laurent Brotte’s wife, as production director.
Laurent and Christine are happy to pass on their experience to their young sons and expect new and fresh ideas from this generation!
To what do you attribute your success?
Wine quality and customer knowledge are key to us. From generation to generation, we have passed on and improved our know-how. We love to present our wines to experts such as Jancis Robinson and Robert Parker to hear their opinions and learn from their expertise.
Our “cuvées” are fruity, aromatic, round and elegant. We constantly share with our distributors to gain insights from them, too.
Elevator pitch for retailers – why should they stock your wines in 100 words or less;
The magical approach of the Brotte Family to their beloved terroirs is applied with the same dedication; Authenticity and elegance make our wines shine!