SINGLE VINEYARD
Clos St Patrice
TERROIR
The soils of Clos St Patrice are just as unique as the wine they produce : the
dark brown sandy soils that cover most of the Clos give way to a yellow sandy
type of soil that covers the rocky substrate, partly covered in worn pebbles.
VINE GROWING
Come November, the winter ploughing begins, the first chore after the harvest :
soils need breathing and the vine strains need protecting from the cold. The
pruning of the branches is completed as late as possible, as the ascending sap
is to be waited for in order to prevent any plant-health risk. As such, budburst
is postponed. During the spring, in early May, the second labour occurs, with a
view to aerate the feet of the stump and the rootstock, warm up the later and
stimulate the entire vine. This will be followed by some hoeing when needed in
order to level the soils and preventing dryness from affecting the stump. At that
point, the grapes will enter their growing phase. In order to obtain an optimum
ripeness, we trim the leaves within 20 cm of the bunches. Even when the
technological maturity is achieved, the slower phenological maturity is still
pending and will come later… Harvest will start end-September with Grenache
and finish mid-October with Mourvèdre.
BLEND
Grenache — Mourvèdre
VINIFICATION & AGEING
Whole crops apply for up to 80%. Pre-fermentation maceration and alcoholic
fermentation are done in concrete tanks exclusively. Light pumping-over and
infusion of grape residues for close to five weeks. Ageing in concrete vats for 14
months. Wines are bottled during the spring and stored in the cellars for a full
year before sale