Growing Conditions
Pyrenean gravel carried along by the Garonne river during quaternary era at a depth of three to six meters. This soil permits natural drainage, creates excellent conditions for deep roots, and grows mainly cabernet and Petit Verdot varieties of grapes. These plots of land are located on the Cantenac plateau whose highest point is “Moulin Robert” at 21 meters (23 yards) above the level of the Gironde countryside. The merlots grapes are planted in sandy and/or clayey gravel soil.
- Mechanized and manual labor Anticipated protection
- Soil plough
- Thinning out the leaves
- Grape thinning
Harvest
- Manual picking in small 6-kg crates. Double sorting in the vat room.
- Grape selection (according to grape variety, soil, age, plot)
Bottling
Fining in barrel with egg white agent and a single filtration when bottling
Winemaking
- ALCOHOLIC FERMENTATION: Selected yeast to achieve the 2 fermentations at the same time.
7 to 15 days in 37 small-capacity, concrete tulip shaped tanks, thermo-regulated at 28/29°C
- PUMPING OVER: Two or three times a day during fermentation
- MACERATION: 18 to 25 days with daily taste tests
- RUN-OFF: Processed once the wine’s structure is well-defined
- PRESSING: In a vertical press with a precise pressure control, straight runoff by gravity into the barrel, in order to get optimum selection and quality on the press wines.
Aging
- From 18 to 21 months in French oak barrels
- One-third of barrels are replaced with new ones every year
- Racking barrel to barrel, every 3-4 months
