| Grape varieties |
92% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc |
| Soil composition |
Sand-clay and clay-limestone. |
| Cultivation system |
Every year, there are numerous manual interventions in the vineyard with pruning, de-budding and green harvesting to space out and regularise the production, while leaf-thinning and the removal of lateral buds protect and stabilise the immediate environment of the grapes. Treatments against disease are carefully managed with special regard to the natural balance of the vineyard. |
| Vinification |
Using wild yeasts, the alcoholic fermentation starts naturally after between twenty-four and seventy-two hours and the juice of the grapes will ferment over the course of nine to fifteen days. The cap of pomace which forms on the wine will be left to macerate for between three and four weeks during which time pump-overs allow us to gently extract colour, aroma and tannins. |
| Ageing |
After this maceration, the wine is run-off into barrels, of which 60% are new. The malolactic fermentation takes place in its own time between November and March. If necessary, we undertake lees-stirring to add richness and fat to the wine.The first racking of the wine takes place after six to nine months, before the summer. After two winters, and eighteen months on its lees, the wine is stabilised and ready to be bottled. |