Font du Loup translates as the fountain of the wolves, a name drawn from the spring on the property where, according to local legend, the wolves of Mont Ventoux would come down to drink. The estate sits in the eastern reaches of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, near Courthézon, and has been in the Mélia family since 1942, when Anne-Charlotte Mélia-Bachas’s grandfather acquired it. Today Anne-Charlotte and her husband Laurent run the domaine as the third generation, farming sixteen hectares organically. Its recent HVE Level 3 certification formalizes an environmentally friendly farming approach the family has practiced for decades.
What sets Font du Loup apart is where its vines grow. The parcels sit at the highest elevations in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, on north-facing slopes with a high percentage of sand in the soils. Both factors slow ripening, and the estate typically harvests around two weeks after its neighbors. The exposure also puts the vineyards squarely in the famed Mistral Wind’s path, adding another cooling influence. The wines carry aromatic lift and complexity and offer a welcome counterpoint in a region whose reds have trended heavier over recent decades.