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Alain Jaume ( Grand Veneur )
France - Rhone Valley

In the 14th century, during their stay in Avignon, the popes built a papal castle in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Impressed by the area’s exceptional terroir surrounding the castle, Pope Jean XXII planted the first vines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in 1320. Interestingly, the wine that gave Châteauneuf-du-Pape its original reputation was the white and not the red. The white wine was a favorite of Pope Innocent VI.

Today the castle is now a historic monument in Avignon, and the papacy is based in Rome’s Vatican City. But still today, the pope’s coat of arms remains on the bottles of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and the wines are still produced in a similar manner as when the popes first pressed their juice.

Established in the northern part of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in the commune of Orange, the Jaume family has been dedicated to the art of wine growing since 1826. Founded by Mathieu Jaume, the Domaine is now run by the 5th and 6th generations of Jaumes: Alain Jaume & his children Christophe, Sébastien, and Hélène.

jaume family

Historically, Domaine Grand Veneur was known for its white wines, until 1995 when the winery refocused their efforts on the reds. The estate now measures 225 acres and covers four appellations:

  • Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  • Côtes-du-Rhône 'Les Champauvins' & Côtes-du-Rhône (Rouge, Blanc & Rosé)
  • Lirac
  • Vacqueyras

grand veneu Champauvins vineyard

The Jaume family produces wines from these appellations under the Grand Veneur, Chateau Mazane and Clos des Sixte labels. They also produce wines from the AOC's of Rasteau, Gigondas, Cairanne and Ventoux under their Alain Jaume label. 

13 grape types are planted, six of which truly stand out: Black Grenache, Syrah & Mourvedre for the reds, and Clairette, Roussanne and Viognier for the whites.

alain jaume vineyard

Both Grand Veneur and Clos de Sixte vineyards are grown in accordance with certified organic agricultural practices. The soils are maintained exclusively by light plowing and fertilized with vegetal compost. The vines are only sprayed when there are justified risks to the health of the vines, and only organic-permitted treatments are used. Yields are low, or kept under control by green-harvesting. This method, carried out by hand in summer, provides optimum sun exposure for the best clusters and enables the winery to be selective on both quantity and quality of the grapes. Harvesting is by hand, from pruning the leaves to aerate the clusters to picking and sorting grapes and selecting only the best to press.

 

Reviews and News

Alain Jaume WA209

Alain Jaume WA209

Wine AdvocateCovering 30 acres in Chateauneuf du Pape (over 100 acres in Cotes du Rhone, Lirac, Vacqueyras and Gigondas), Domaine Grand Veneur is run by the incredibly talented Sebastien and Christophe Jaume. The style here, if looked at as a whole, is more traditional than not, with plenty of tank and stainless steel, yet their Chateauneuf du Papes are distinctly modern and spent plenty of time in small barrels. However, they never lose their Southern Rhone typicity, have gorgeous purity and also possess balanced, age-worthy profiles. These are some of the most exciting wines coming out of the region and they should not be missed! Note: the estate bottlings are released under the Domaine Grand Veneur label, and the negociant wines are released under the Alain Jaume et Fils label. The 2012 whites from the Jaume brothers are incredibly strong.
Wine Advocate (Issue #209, October 2013)

Alain Jaume WA195

Alain Jaume WA195

Wine AdvocateGreat bargains continue to emerge from Domaine Grand Veneur as well as from their negociant arm of the business, labeled Alain Jaume
Wine Advocate (Issue #195, June 2011)

Alain Jaume - Wine Advocate August 2019

Alain Jaume - Wine Advocate August 2019

wa"This estate and its parent company, Alain Jaume & Fils, have been staples in many American cellars for decades because they consistently combine quality and value. My visit to the estate was highlighted by the opportunity to try the full range on offer and a number of older vintages, which simply reinforced my view that this is one of the Southern Rhône's most important addresses for wine lovers. While the Alain Jaume & Fils Gigondas and Châteauneuf du Pape wines are reviewed this issue, I'll have notes on more of the company's lineup in Part 2 of my Southern Rhône report. - Joe Czerwinski"

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #247, August 2019)

Alain Jaume - Wine Advocate 2022

Alain Jaume - Wine Advocate 2022

wa"Domaine Grand Veneur's holdings are concentrated in the northern sector of Chateauneuf du Pape and just outside of it, in the lieu-dit of Champauvins. It was late in the day when I arrived at the Vignobles Alain Jaume et Fils caveau on Wednesday, September 29. After a couple of days' pause following weekend rains, they had restarted the harvest, intending to finish up by Saturday morning, when another round of rain was expected to move in. "It has been a good summer for us," said Christophe Jaume. "But maybe not the warmest."

In contrast, said Jaume, "2020 was quite warm and dry, not as big as 2019, when the numbers should have been nigher. The level of tannins and structure was less than we expected."

Given the lateness of my visit, we focused on already-bottled wines, including a short, recent vertical of the estate's top wine, the Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes. From 2016 through 2019, this cuvée has been one of the appellation's best, most consistent releases. When the "weak link" in a vertical comes in at 95 points, that's not too shabby.

We also looked back at 2011, "A vintage that was much better than people think, but not for everybody," said Jaume. "Late heat raised the ripeness of the Mourvèdre after some rain in late August—we picked ours at 16 degrees [of potential alcohol], but some people had lost leaves and then could never ripen their fruit." Certainly the 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is one of the great successes of the vintage.

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (May 2022)

Alain Jaume - Wine Advocate 2019

Alain Jaume - Wine Advocate 2019

wa"As I wrote in Part 1 of this year's Southern Rhône report, together with its Domaine de Grand Veneur in Châteauneuf-du-Pape (recent releases of those wines were reviewed previously), this firm has become one of the stalwarts in the American market. No doubt this is due in no small part to the American importer, Fran Kysela et Fils, but the overall standard of quality is high, and Americans have learned to trust Alain Jaume et Fils—with good reason. - Joe Czerwinski"

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #245, October 2019)

Alain Jaume - Wine Advocate 2015

Alain Jaume - Wine Advocate 2015

wa300"The Jaume family continues to releases a massive lineup of high quality wines from throughout the Southern Rhône. In 2013 they purchased the Chateau Mazane estate in Vacqueyras, and while a large portion of their Vacqueyras Grande Garrigue came from this estate, they now also release a 100% estate Vacqueyras Chateau Mazane that’s all from the new property. It’s a cellar selection over the Grande Garrigue and sees a slightly different élevage, but I find the quality between the two cuvees similar. The only other new change is the addition of the Le Miocène label to their traditional red and white Châteauneuf du Pape releases. Le Miocène translates to “beginning of an era”, but there is no change to the actual wine. At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong here and the portfolio is packed with both quality and value. - Jeb Dunnuck"
- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (Issue 221, October 2015)

Go to Vignobles Alain Jaume

Alain Jaume - Wine Advocate 2014

Alain Jaume - Wine Advocate 2014

wa300"This estate, under the leadership of Sebastien and Christophe Jaume, continues to be one of the reference point producers for relatively modern styled Châteauneuf du Papes. In addition to their top tier efforts, the portfolio is loaded with smoking values at just about every price point. I've listed domaine wines under Domaine Grand Veneur, and the negociant wines under Alain Jaume, which I believe might also include some vineyards owned by the Jaume family as well. Regardless, the quality here is superb across the range. In addition, they've excelled in both 2012 and 2013. - Jeb Dunnuck"

Alain Jaume - Jeb Dunnuck 2018

Alain Jaume - Jeb Dunnuck 2018

jeb dunnuck logo 250"There are few better run estates in the world than that of the Jaume Family’s Domaine Grand Veneur. Located in the northern part of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and run today by brothers Christophe and Sebastien Jaume, the estate produces a quasi-modern style of Châteauneuf-du-Pape (their Les Origins and Vieilles Vignes) as well as a growing number of negociant based wines from throughout the Southern Rhône. The 2017s whites are terrific across the board, and this vintage has produced charming, pure wines that are already drinking beautifully. The 2016 reds are some of the finest I’ve tasted from this estate."
- Jeb Dunnuck (August 2018, LE MILLÉSIME… The 2016s from the Southern Rhône - Part 1)

Go to Alain Jaume

Alain Jaume - Jeb Dunnuck - October 2020

Alain Jaume - Jeb Dunnuck - October 2020

jeb dunnuck logo 250"The Jaume family continues to produce a bevy of brilliant wines both under their estate Domaine Grand Veneur as well as a larger negociant range under the Alain Jaume label. This is an impeccably run estate, and readers should also look at the reviews on the estate Domaine Grand Veneur releases also in this report."
- Jeb Dunnuck (October 2020)

Alain Jaume - Jeb Dunnuck - November 2022

Alain Jaume - Jeb Dunnuck - November 2022

jeb dunnuck logo 250"Readers will be hard pressed to find a better run estate than Domaine Grand Veneur, which has been run by the Jaume family for decades. While the top cuvées, particularly the Les Origines and Vieilles Vignes, can see a touch of new oak, this never detracts, and these wines are always loaded with Southern Rhône soul and character."

- Jeb Dunnuck (Southern Rhône 2020 & 2021, November 2022)

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Producer Details
Founded
1979
Location
France
Wine Production Area
France - Rhone Valley - Chateauneuf du Pape AOC, Cotes du Rhone AOC, Gigondas AOC, Lirac AOC, Rasteau AOC, Tavel AOC, Vacqueyras AOC, Ventoux AOC, Cairanne AOC, Condrieu AOC, Crozes-Hermitage AOC, Saint-Joseph AOC
Owners
Alain Jaume and Family
Winemaker
Alain Jaume
Acreage
225 acres (90 hectares)
Grape Varietal(s)
Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre, Cinsault, Clairette, Roussane, Viognier
Agricultural Practices
organic
Annual Production
40,000 (9-liter cases)

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