Domaine Raymond Usseglio is one of the leading producers of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, producing a number of different red and white cuvées from the appellation. The domaine’s most famous wine is their Châteauneuf-du-Pape Impériale, which comes exclusively from vines that are over 100 years old.
Raymond Usseglio founded the estate in 1964. He was the son of Francis Usseglio, an Italian who moved to Châteauneuf-du-Pape in 1931 and started in the vineyard as an agricultural worker. He eventually established his own domaine in 1948. His sons Pierre and Raymond went on to create two separate domaines – both of which are amongst the region’s top estates today.
Today Domaine Raymond Usseglio is run by Raymond’s son, Stéphane Usseglio, who took over in 1999, aged just 22. Stéphane started converting the estate to biodynamic farming in and has been fully certified since 2015.
The estate produces four red Châteauneuf-du-Pape cuvées: the classic estate Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the Impériale (both of which are aged entirely in concrete), La Part des Anges (which contains a higher percentage of Mourvèdre, aged in 100% new oak) and Les Apotres (a small production cuvée aged in amphorae).
The estate also produces three Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blancs. Two of these are 100% Roussanne – one unoaked, the other matured in 100% new oak; while the third white is the estate’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc.
