|
THE
CELLAR
 |
The cellar was built in 1999.
Our modern vinification equipment ensures perfect hygienic conditions
in the cellars. Vinification occurs in stainless steel vats for
practically all the harvest, although concrete vats are used for
some cuvees. All our vats have temperature monitoring, allowing
us to keep the temperature under perfect control, both when cooling
the vats, when heating them, or to keep them at a stable temperature.
This temperature control is essential to obtain high quality products.
|
|
Before entering
the vats, the grapes are destemmed, so as to remove all leaves and
stalks, leaving only the berries and the juice.
The first 48 to 72 hours, the vats are cooled down so as to avoid
starting the fermentation. During this cooling period, re-cycling
occurs with the help of inert nitrogen gas (recycling in this context
means letting the juice flow from the bottom to the top of the vat).
|
|
After this first stage, the vats are slowly heated up, which starts
the alcoholic fermentation process. The must is regularly recycled
and two or three times, the ‘hat’ is loosened so as
to obtain optimal extraction of the tannins and aromas contained
in the fruit.
When
the alcoholic fermentation is finished, the vat is cooled down again
for a natural fining of the wine. In the next stage, we work the
wines with micro-oxygenation when they are in the post fermentation
stage, under the lees.
Once the malolactic fermentation has ended, we taste the vats with
our oenologue and decide the blend attributions of each one. This
is then followed by ageing in oak barrels for the 1ères côtes
de Bordeaux and the cuvees prestiges of our Bordeaux Supérieur.
|
 |
 |
Ageing
lasts twelve months. During this maturing period, our best cuvees
are subjected to micro-oxygenation. This technique helps develop
the tannin/anthocyane structure, which gives volume, a better structure,
and an intense colour to the wine. At the same time, the aromatic
complexity also develops.
|
As
to our sweet white Cadillac wine, it is harvested by selection of individual
berries, which are then sorted and destemmed. The grapes are delicately
pressed and the resulting juice is put in oak barrels to undergo alcoholic
fermentation. When the desired alcohol/sugar balance is reached, we stop
the fermentation, and leave it to age for twelve months in oak barrels. |
