🪨 Pudding stones (galets roulés)
Large smooth river stones that warm up by day and warm the vines at night.
Galets roulés, or river cobbles, are large smooth river stones. In French the name means rolled pebbles. The stones were rounded over thousands of years while a river rolled them along its bed.
The stones lie on the ground surface in a vineyard. By day they heat in the sun and store warmth. At night they give it back, warming the vine and grapes. Because of this, the berries ripen better, especially on cool nights. The stones also keep moisture in the soil and protect it from evaporation.
The best-known example is Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhône, France. There the whole ground is strewn with such stones, and it is one of the hallmarks of the area. These stones are a kind of gravel, but larger and smoother.
Working such soils is hard, but the wines are concentrated. This soil type can be found in other places where large rivers once flowed.
How it connects to Wine
🪨 Pudding stones (galets roulés) → kind of → 🪨 Gravel → kind of → 🪨 Soil → kind of → 🌿 Terroir → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🪨 Gravel
Frequently asked questions
What are galets roulés?
Large smooth river stones lying on the surface of a vineyard.
Why are stones useful for vineyards?
By day they store heat, at night they give it to the vine and keep moisture in the soil.
Where are such stones well known?
In Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhône, France.