From the vineyard to the cellar
From the vine to the cellar, our aim is to help Nature along using simple but regular and careful methods.
Vine management
Pierre, our very own Hercules!
Short pruning, trellising, weeding, de-budding, tying up, mowing, thinning leaves...most of this is done manually, one step at a time, one vine at a time!
This painstaking care of the vine is our way of ensuring that we maintain the balance between soil, grape and climate.
It also means we can keep a close eye on that capricious Négrette grape!
Each grape is different…
Maturity control is essential.
We carry it out by grape variety and by parcel (just like the harvest). To determine the best harvest date, we taste the grapes from each parcel. We traditionally harvest between mid September and mid October.
The Négrette grape ripens rather early, just after the Gamay, followed by the Syrah, the Cot and finally the Cabernets, Franc then Sauvignon. That’s why we harvest and vinify each grape variety separately.
Winemaking methods
Equipment
Our cellar is equipped with cement and stainless steel temperature controlled tanks, from 50 to 150 hl. The Cuvée Sélection ages in 225 litre French oak barrels.
Methods and objectives
We prefer to let our grapes ferment on their skins over a long period, in order to gradually extract their colour, aromas and tannins.
The ‘Classic rouge’ is bottled before the following harvest, in order to preserve its aromas and typical Fronton profile.
The rosé is a blend of bled rosé and pressed rosé - that’s the secret behind this rich, complex wine.
The wines we choose for the Cuvée Sélection are aged in oak barrels (1/3 new barrels, 1/3 one-wine barrels and 1/3 two-wine barrels). The slightly toasted and vanilla/woody notes mingle with the fruity aromas of the wine. The tannins from the wood strengthen the wine’s natural tannins, thus making for a wine with great cellaring potential.
To make our top end wine, Haute Expression, we select grapes from certain parcels, and vinify and age this wine in accordance with certain specifications (established in the charter), all this in order to ensure that this cuvee has all the qualities of the Fronton terroir.
The red wines used for the Haute Expression and Selection are aged for several months before bottling. This enhances the aromas from each grape variety, smoothes the tannins and enables the wine to fully express itself.
Storage and ageing
To us, storing our wines correctly is just as important as making our wines; that’s why conditions in our wine storehouse are optimal for preserving wine.
