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The Varieties
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Whites:
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Sauvignon blanc: Dry, fresh, mineral. Particularly suited to the limestone of Gabian Roussane: Round and full-bodied, characterised by aromas of exotic fruits and spices Marsanne: Elegant et delicate. The wines are capable of long ageing in the bottle. |
Reds: |
Grenache: Fruity, round and pungent. Aromas of red berries and spices. Syrah: Freshness and tanins, deep coloured. Aromas of peppers and violet. Backbone of the best blends. Mourvèdre: Soft tanins, fruit driven with aromas of tabacco and leather. |
Vinification
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Picked at optimum ripeness. |
Harvested by hand and first sorted in the vineyard. |
Picked between 6am and 11am to avoid the high daytime temperatures. |
Grapes are processed in the cellar for the rest of the day. |
The second and most important selection is achieved on the sorting table to discard any damaged grapes. |
The use of sulphur is limited and restrained until just before bottling. |
Natural yeasts are used and no oenological products. |
Aged on lees and stirred post fermentation. |
The White Wines
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Whole bunch pneumatic pressing and soft extraction. |
Cold settling at 9ºC for 24 hours. |
Wild yeast fermentation in stainless steel tank or oak barrels (warm temperatures). |
Stirring post fermentation and ageing on lees until the spring. |
Filtration and bottling before the summer. |
The Rose wines
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Bleeding of grenache and syrah up to 20% of the initial tank. |
Cold settling identical to the white wines. |
Wild yeast fermentation in stainless steel tank at 19ºC |
Filtration and bottling before the summer. |
The Red Wines
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De-stemming and partial crushing of the grapes. |
Long skin contact (5 weeks). |
Manual pressing during active fermentation. |
Wild yeast fermenation, temperature 28-30ºC |
Malolactic fermentation in barrels. |
Ageing on fine lees for 12 months. |
Racking by gravity and bottled without filtration. |