Château Fortia
Encyclopedia
Château Fortia is a French wine
producing estate in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region of the Rhône Valley. With a history dating back to the eighteenth century (on land that has been producing wine since at least the fourteenth century), Château Fortia has long been a notable producer in the southern Rhône. In the early twentieth century, the estate came under the direction of Pierre Le Roy de Boiseaumarie. Baron Le Roy went on to be co-founder of the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine
(INAO) and guided the creation of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée
(AOC) system which is the basis of not only French wine laws but has also been influential in the laws and appellation
systems across the globe.
history of Château Fortia dates to the mid eighteenth-century when the Marquis de Fortia d'Urban leased a portion of his land in 1763 to sharecroppers who were producing wine. By 1783, the wine being produced from the estate was receiving favorable accolades from consumers in Northern Europe
, the British Isles
and the West Indies. In writings, the Marquis describes the red Châteauneuf-du-Pape as "... between that of Languedoc and Bordeaux. It is less smoky than the former and its bouquet close to the later."
In the early nineteenth century, the estate passed to a descendent of the Marquis de Fortia, Paul-Antoine de Fortia, who further expanded the vineyard plantings and buildings on the estate. By 1815 there were outside records of a castle La Fortiasse on the estate. In 1843, the Count de Ripert Monclar wrote favorably of the estate and described the hermitage
that was among the vineyards. That same year, Paul-Antoine died and the estate passed to his heir Louis de Séguins-Pazzis, comte du Pazzi, who held the financially encumbered estate for only a short time before selling it to a local tax collector, M. de Orollée Virville. The estate continued to pass from owner to owner for the rest of the nineteenth century, being owned at one point by the French branch of the Gondi family, until it was purchased by Bernard Le Saint in 1890. Le Saint was a former director who maintained the official journal of the Egyptian government. He further expanded the estate and gave it its current name, Château Fortia. In 1919, his daughter Edmée married a decorated World War I
pilot, Baron Pierre Le Roy de Boiseaumarie.
When Baron Le Roy died in 1967, the estate passed to his son Henri Le Roy. In 1994, Henri's son Bruno Le Roy took over as manager and continued managing the estate until 2004. During Bruno's time, Cornas wine producer Jean-Luc Colombo served as a consulting enologist and the reputation of the estate among wine critics increased. Since 2004, the estate has been run by Pierre Pastre, head winemaker, and husband to Chantal Pastre who was a granddaughter of Baron Le Roy.
, Normandy
to a family that could trace its history back to the Crusades
. As a teenager, Le Roy joined the uprising in the Languedoc
over adulteration of wine and chaptalization
led by French wine grower Marcellin Albert. Despite the threat from law enforcement, Le Roy was one of the participants who set fire to the Judicial Court of Montpellier
. After the events settled down, Le Roy returned to education earning both bachelor of science and master of law degrees.
In 1914, Pierre Le Roy was drafted in the cavalry
of the French Army
but later changed service and became a pilot in the Air Force. After being shot down twice during World War I, Le Roy was awarded the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor and the Croix de guerre
(Military Cross). Returning home to Vendargues
, he met married the daughter of Bernard Le Saint in 1919. He soon gained control of Château Fortia and became a prominent figure in not only the history of Châteauneuf-du-Pape but also the history of French wine
. In 1935 he co-founded the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) and, the next year, spearheaded the creation of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) system that would become the basis of the French wine laws and continue to influence European wine laws into the twenty-first century.
The early plans for the INAO and AOC appellation were drawn up by Baron Le Roy in 1923 after a series of meetings among Châteauneuf-du-Pape growers. The growers were responding to the rising wine fraud
that plague not only the Rhône but also most of France following the devastation of World War I and the phylloxera epidemic before it. This meeting would lead to the development of the Syndicat de Chateauneuf. Le Roy's plan, focusing then specifically on the Châteauneuf-du-Pape, was one of the first geographical delimitation of an area in France. (Previously, the Douro wine region of Portugal and the Tokaji
region of Hungary were deliminated by government decrees). Baron Le Roy's plan isolated an area around the village that was infertile and arid, suitable only for growing lavender
, thyme
and wine grapes.
Further drafting regulations on grape varieties, harvest
, yields viticulture
and winemaking
techniques, under Le Roy's guidance Châteauneuf-du-Pape began using only manual harvesting and rejecting at least 5% of the harvest during sorting. Producers also stopped producing rosé
and solely focused on making red and white blends from a set of permitted grape varieties. Le Roy's plan would go on to be the prototype
of the AOC system that would eventually influence the Italian Denominazione di origine controllata
(DOC), Spanish Denominación de Origen
(DO) and Portuguese Denominação de Origem Controlada
(DOC) systems as well as appellation
systems across the globe.
In another lasting imprint on the Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine industry, the Le Roy led Syndicat de Chateauneuf introduced the La Bouteille Armoriee embossed bottle in 1937. This bottle, featuring the crossed keys of Saint Peter and papal tiara
has become a symbol of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine region.
Over the course of his long career, Baron Le Roy was honored numerous times for his services to the advancement of the French wine industry. He served as president of the International Wine Office where he was nominated by his peers seventeen times. The French government made him a Commander of the Legion of Honor and in 1955 he received a bust
at Sainte Cécile les Vignes.
. The vineyards constitute a single block that includes 27.5 ha (68.75 acres) of red grape varieties (mostly Grenache
, Syrah and Mourvedre
) and 2.5 ha (6.25 acres) of white varieties (mostly Clairette blanc
, Roussanne
and Grenache blanc
). The vineyard soils range from sand
y in the north to clay
-limestone
in the southern reaches of the vineyards which also feature the large galets roulés stones. The white grape varieties are mostly planted in the north with the southern galets roulés layered reaches dedicated to the red varieties.
The Château itself was built in a neo-Gothic style in the nineteenth century with the north-wing being built adjacent to ancient wine cellar
s that date to the fourteenth century. During World War II
, most of the estate escaped damage from Allied bombing
except for the ancient cellars which sustained significant damage and had to be partially restored. The damage came from a Royal Air Force
mission in August, 1944 to destroy a German headquarters located 7 miles north of Avignon
with the Château being hit by collateral damage
.
s, Château Fortia will produce a white and three red blends under the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC. The red grapes are usually destemmed and fermented separately in 150 hectoliter sized concrete tanks that are temperature controlled. After around three weeks of maceration
and alcoholic fermentation, the wines are pressed and transferred to smaller 20-40 hl concrete tanks for malolactic fermentation
and then racked off the lees. Finally the separate wines are blended into the cuvee
and placed in large oak foudre barrels where they age for 12–18 months before being fined and filtered prior to bottling.
The single white bottling is produced from grapes that are immediately pressed soon after harvest
and fermented in stainless steel tanks at around 68°F (20°C) until the wine is completely dry. The wines are then kept sur lie, however the winemakers take steps to prevent malolactic fermentation from taking place in order to maintain fresher aromas. The whites are usually bottled and release in the spring following harvest.
French wine
French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...
producing estate in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region of the Rhône Valley. With a history dating back to the eighteenth century (on land that has been producing wine since at least the fourteenth century), Château Fortia has long been a notable producer in the southern Rhône. In the early twentieth century, the estate came under the direction of Pierre Le Roy de Boiseaumarie. Baron Le Roy went on to be co-founder of the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine
Institut National des Appellations d'Origine
The Institut National des Appellations d'Origine is the French organization charged with regulating French agricultural products with Protected Designations of Origin . Controlled by the French government, it forms part of the Ministry of Agriculture...
(INAO) and guided the creation of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
(AOC) system which is the basis of not only French wine laws but has also been influential in the laws and appellation
Appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown; other types of food often have appellations as well...
systems across the globe.
History
While the estate has a long winemaking history with ancient cellars that were constructed in the fourteenth century, the modern winemakingWinemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
history of Château Fortia dates to the mid eighteenth-century when the Marquis de Fortia d'Urban leased a portion of his land in 1763 to sharecroppers who were producing wine. By 1783, the wine being produced from the estate was receiving favorable accolades from consumers in Northern Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
, the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
and the West Indies. In writings, the Marquis describes the red Châteauneuf-du-Pape as "... between that of Languedoc and Bordeaux. It is less smoky than the former and its bouquet close to the later."
In the early nineteenth century, the estate passed to a descendent of the Marquis de Fortia, Paul-Antoine de Fortia, who further expanded the vineyard plantings and buildings on the estate. By 1815 there were outside records of a castle La Fortiasse on the estate. In 1843, the Count de Ripert Monclar wrote favorably of the estate and described the hermitage
Hermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
that was among the vineyards. That same year, Paul-Antoine died and the estate passed to his heir Louis de Séguins-Pazzis, comte du Pazzi, who held the financially encumbered estate for only a short time before selling it to a local tax collector, M. de Orollée Virville. The estate continued to pass from owner to owner for the rest of the nineteenth century, being owned at one point by the French branch of the Gondi family, until it was purchased by Bernard Le Saint in 1890. Le Saint was a former director who maintained the official journal of the Egyptian government. He further expanded the estate and gave it its current name, Château Fortia. In 1919, his daughter Edmée married a decorated World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
pilot, Baron Pierre Le Roy de Boiseaumarie.
When Baron Le Roy died in 1967, the estate passed to his son Henri Le Roy. In 1994, Henri's son Bruno Le Roy took over as manager and continued managing the estate until 2004. During Bruno's time, Cornas wine producer Jean-Luc Colombo served as a consulting enologist and the reputation of the estate among wine critics increased. Since 2004, the estate has been run by Pierre Pastre, head winemaker, and husband to Chantal Pastre who was a granddaughter of Baron Le Roy.
Baron Le Roy
Baron Pierre Le Roy de Boiseaumarie (5 April 1890-June, 1967) was born in MortagneMortagne
Mortagne is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.It shares its name with the eponymous river which borders the commune on its south-eastern side.-Geography:...
, Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
to a family that could trace its history back to the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
. As a teenager, Le Roy joined the uprising in the Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
over adulteration of wine and chaptalization
Chaptalization
Chaptalization is the process of adding sugar to unfermented grape must in order to increase the alcohol content after fermentation. The technique is named after its developer, the French chemist Jean-Antoine-Claude Chaptal...
led by French wine grower Marcellin Albert. Despite the threat from law enforcement, Le Roy was one of the participants who set fire to the Judicial Court of Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
. After the events settled down, Le Roy returned to education earning both bachelor of science and master of law degrees.
In 1914, Pierre Le Roy was drafted in the cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
of the French Army
French Army in World War I
During World War I, France was one of the Triple Entente powers allied against the Central Powers. Although fighting occurred worldwide, the bulk of the fighting in Europe occurred in Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Alsace-Lorraine along what came to be known as the Western Front...
but later changed service and became a pilot in the Air Force. After being shot down twice during World War I, Le Roy was awarded the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor and the Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
(Military Cross). Returning home to Vendargues
Vendargues
Vendargues is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon southern France....
, he met married the daughter of Bernard Le Saint in 1919. He soon gained control of Château Fortia and became a prominent figure in not only the history of Châteauneuf-du-Pape but also the history of French wine
History of French wine
The history of French wine spans a period of at least 2600 years dating to the founding of Massalia in the 6th century BC by Phocaeans with the possibility that viticulture existed much earlier...
. In 1935 he co-founded the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) and, the next year, spearheaded the creation of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) system that would become the basis of the French wine laws and continue to influence European wine laws into the twenty-first century.
The early plans for the INAO and AOC appellation were drawn up by Baron Le Roy in 1923 after a series of meetings among Châteauneuf-du-Pape growers. The growers were responding to the rising wine fraud
Wine fraud
Wine fraud is a form of fraud in which wines are sold to a customer illicitly, usually having the customer spend more money than the product is worth, or causing sickness due to harmful chemicals being mixed into the wine...
that plague not only the Rhône but also most of France following the devastation of World War I and the phylloxera epidemic before it. This meeting would lead to the development of the Syndicat de Chateauneuf. Le Roy's plan, focusing then specifically on the Châteauneuf-du-Pape, was one of the first geographical delimitation of an area in France. (Previously, the Douro wine region of Portugal and the Tokaji
Tokaji
Tokaji is the name of the wines from the region of Tokaj-Hegyalja in Hungary and Slovakia. The name Tokaji is used for labeling wines from this wine district. This region is noted for its sweet wines made from grapes affected by noble rot, a style of wine which has a long history in this region...
region of Hungary were deliminated by government decrees). Baron Le Roy's plan isolated an area around the village that was infertile and arid, suitable only for growing lavender
Lavender
The lavenders are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. An Old World genus, distributed from Macaronesia across Africa, the Mediterranean, South-West Asia, Arabia, Western Iran and South-East India...
, thyme
Thyme
Thyme is a culinary and medicinal herb of the genus Thymus.-History:Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming. The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing it was a source of courage...
and wine grapes.
Further drafting regulations on grape varieties, harvest
Harvest (wine)
The harvesting of wine grapes is one of the most crucial steps in the process of winemaking. The time of harvest is determined primarily by the ripeness of the grape as measured by sugar, acid and tannin levels with winemakers basing their decision to pick based on the style of wine they wish to...
, yields viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
and winemaking
Winemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
techniques, under Le Roy's guidance Châteauneuf-du-Pape began using only manual harvesting and rejecting at least 5% of the harvest during sorting. Producers also stopped producing rosé
Rosé
A rosé is a type of wine that has some of the color typical of a red wine, but only enough to turn it pink. The pink color can range from a pale orange to a vivid near-purple, depending on the grapes and wine making techniques.- Production techniques :There are three major ways to produce rosé...
and solely focused on making red and white blends from a set of permitted grape varieties. Le Roy's plan would go on to be the prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
of the AOC system that would eventually influence the Italian Denominazione di origine controllata
Denominazione di Origine Controllata
Denominazione di origine controllata is a quality assurance label for food products, especially wines and various formaggi . It is modelled after the French AOC...
(DOC), Spanish Denominación de Origen
Denominación de Origen
Denominación de Origen is part of a regulatory classification system primarily for Spanish wines but also for other foodstuffs like honey, meats and condiments. In wines it parallels the hierarchical system of France and Italy although Rioja and Sherry preceded the full system...
(DO) and Portuguese Denominação de Origem Controlada
Denominação de Origem Controlada
The Denominação de Origem Controlada is the system of protected designation of origin for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products from Portugal.-Wines:...
(DOC) systems as well as appellation
Appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown; other types of food often have appellations as well...
systems across the globe.
In another lasting imprint on the Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine industry, the Le Roy led Syndicat de Chateauneuf introduced the La Bouteille Armoriee embossed bottle in 1937. This bottle, featuring the crossed keys of Saint Peter and papal tiara
Papal Tiara
The Papal Tiara, also known incorrectly as the Triple Tiara, or in Latin as the Triregnum, in Italian as the Triregno and as the Trirègne in French, is the three-tiered jewelled papal crown, supposedly of Byzantine and Persian origin, that is a prominent symbol of the papacy...
has become a symbol of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine region.
Over the course of his long career, Baron Le Roy was honored numerous times for his services to the advancement of the French wine industry. He served as president of the International Wine Office where he was nominated by his peers seventeen times. The French government made him a Commander of the Legion of Honor and in 1955 he received a bust
Bust (sculpture)
A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure, depicting a person's head and neck, as well as a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. These forms recreate the likeness of an individual...
at Sainte Cécile les Vignes.
Estate
Château Fortia sits on a 30 hectare estate located just south-east of the commune of Châteauneuf-du-PapeChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-History:Châteauneuf-du-Pape is firmly entwined with papal history. In 1308, Pope Clement V, former Archbishop of Bordeaux, relocated the papacy to the city of Avignon...
. The vineyards constitute a single block that includes 27.5 ha (68.75 acres) of red grape varieties (mostly Grenache
Grenache
Grenache is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain, the south of France, and California's San Joaquin Valley. It is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate with a relatively...
, Syrah and Mourvedre
Mourvèdre
Mourvèdre , Mataró or Monastrell is wine grape variety used to make both strong, dark red wines and rosés. It is an international variety grown in many regions around the world....
) and 2.5 ha (6.25 acres) of white varieties (mostly Clairette blanc
Clairette Blanc
Clairette blanche is a white wine grape variety most widely grown in the wine regions of Provence, Rhône and Languedoc in France. At the end of the 1990s, there were of Clairette Blanche grown in France, although volumes are decreasing....
, Roussanne
Roussanne
Roussanne is a white wine grape grown originally in the Rhône wine region in France, where it is often blended with Marsanne. It is the only other white variety, besides Marsanne, allowed in the northern Rhône appellations of Crozes-Hermitage AOC, Hermitage AOC and Saint-Joseph AOC...
and Grenache blanc
Grenache Blanc
Grenache blanc is a variety of white wine grape that is related to the red grape Grenache. It is mostly found in Rhône wine blends and in northeast Spain. Its wines are characterized by high alcohol and low acidity, with citrus and or herbaceous notes. Its vigor can lead to overproduction and...
). The vineyard soils range from sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
y in the north to clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
-limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
in the southern reaches of the vineyards which also feature the large galets roulés stones. The white grape varieties are mostly planted in the north with the southern galets roulés layered reaches dedicated to the red varieties.
The Château itself was built in a neo-Gothic style in the nineteenth century with the north-wing being built adjacent to ancient wine cellar
Wine cellar
A wine cellar is a storage room for wine in bottles or barrels, or more rarely in carboys, amphorae or plastic containers. In an active wine cellar, important factors such as temperature and humidity are maintained by a climate control system. In contrast, passive wine cellars are not...
s that date to the fourteenth century. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, most of the estate escaped damage from Allied bombing
Allied bombing
Allied bombing refers mostly to strategic bombing during World War II, as conducted by the Allies of World War II. Targets were places under control by the Axis powers, which included e.g...
except for the ancient cellars which sustained significant damage and had to be partially restored. The damage came from a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
mission in August, 1944 to destroy a German headquarters located 7 miles north of Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
with the Château being hit by collateral damage
Collateral damage
Collateral damage is damage to people or property that is unintended or incidental to the intended outcome. The phrase is prevalently used as an euphemism for civilian casualties of a military action.-Etymology:...
.
Winemaking and wines
In most vintageVintage
Vintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
s, Château Fortia will produce a white and three red blends under the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC. The red grapes are usually destemmed and fermented separately in 150 hectoliter sized concrete tanks that are temperature controlled. After around three weeks of maceration
Maceration (wine)
Maceration is the winemaking process where the phenolic materials of the grape— tannins, coloring agents and flavor compounds— are leached from the grape skins, seeds and stems into the must. Maceration is the process by which the red wine receives its red color, since 99% of all grape juice is...
and alcoholic fermentation, the wines are pressed and transferred to smaller 20-40 hl concrete tanks for malolactic fermentation
Malolactic fermentation
Malolactic fermentation is a process in winemaking where tart-tasting malic acid, naturally present in grape must, is converted to softer-tasting lactic acid. Malolactic fermentation tends to create a rounder, fuller mouthfeel. It has been said that malic acid tastes of green apples...
and then racked off the lees. Finally the separate wines are blended into the cuvee
Cuvee
Cuvée is a French wine term derived from cuve, meaning vat or tank. The term cuvée is used with several different meanings, more or less based on the concept of a tank of wine put to some purpose:...
and placed in large oak foudre barrels where they age for 12–18 months before being fined and filtered prior to bottling.
The single white bottling is produced from grapes that are immediately pressed soon after harvest
Harvest (wine)
The harvesting of wine grapes is one of the most crucial steps in the process of winemaking. The time of harvest is determined primarily by the ripeness of the grape as measured by sugar, acid and tannin levels with winemakers basing their decision to pick based on the style of wine they wish to...
and fermented in stainless steel tanks at around 68°F (20°C) until the wine is completely dry. The wines are then kept sur lie, however the winemakers take steps to prevent malolactic fermentation from taking place in order to maintain fresher aromas. The whites are usually bottled and release in the spring following harvest.