Méthode Ancienne Cabernet Sauvignon

Thirty-five years ago we cleared a 2.8 hectare triangle that had previously been ignored because it wasn't "good enough". Too rocky and almost too steep, infested with thorns, with the odd abandoned ox cart under the trees. It was the Cabernet Sauvignon and our desire for it that brought us to this desolate place.

Our vines grew, with difficulty at first - practically no soil, the roots had to crawl around rocks; they took much longer to bear than the others, but eventually they did. The miracle was in the fruit. Tiny berries - intense in colour and flavour - this modest crop was vinified in the traditional way. No crushing of the berries, no yeasts except from the skins, no fining agents and no filters. A wine made on its own, kept for two years in the finest new French oak barrels suitable for this miracle. It is our best expression of Cabernet Sauvignon and the best we can do. It will age for another 15-20 years.

VINICE

35 year old Cabernet Sauvignon vines, rocky and stony subsoil.

PRODUCTION

Harvested at full maturity, cold maceration in open fermentation vessels for 10 days. Fermentation without crushing in 100% new 300l Seguin Moreau barrels, 100% spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrel, 24 months barrel ageing, 4 years bottle ageing at 14 °C

ANALYSIS

Alc%: 13.7%
pH: 3.42
TA: 6.52 g/L
RS: 2.3 g/L