Châteauneuf-du-Pape red 2007 (6x75 cl)

Zoom	Vins rouges Vintage : 2007 a case : 144 € a bottle : 24 €

BLEND: grenache (50%), mourvèdre (30%) syrah (15%), cinsault, vaccarese, counoise... In order to reach a maximum complexity, we  use the three types of Châteauneuf-du-Pape soils: galets roulés, sand and terres graveleuses.

AGE OF GRAPEVINES: grenaches are at least 90 years old, mourvèdres 75 years, syrah 25 years, and counoises and vaccareses are " out of age "!

YIELDS: 28 hectolitres per hectare on average, manually harvested

WINE MAKING: Our philosophy of wine production is generally the same: First of all we take a lot of care choosing the date of harvest, with daily analysis of grapes to avoid not perfectly ripe grapes, therefore no "green" defect in our wines. In a "normal" vintage, eraflage is systematic. But with the wonderful ripeness of grapevines in 2007, we could keep half of the stalks of grenaches (they were very ripe) to improve colouring intensity and ageing potential, with no herbaceous note at all. A first extraction of the tannins of dandruff takes place during a small week, in controlled temperature (around 10°C / 50°F), before fermentation, for silky and elegant tannins. Then the second extraction, with presence of alcohol, lasts 3 - 4 weeks. Finally, Most of syrah and mourvedre were raised in french oak casks (1/3 new, 1/3 of one wine, 1/3 of two wines), grenaches in wooden conic tank, which allows to mark them lightly and soften up the existent tannins of very ripe grapes. More than a year and half of tank allows a natural sedimentation, making filtering almost useless. Bottling date: May 2009.

COMMENT: Main characteristics in the nose which meet in mouth: red and black fruits, spices (grey pepper, green pepper, clove, nutmeg); balsamic notes: garrigue, laurel, thyme, rosemary; light venison (characteristics of mourvèdre). A very classical châteauneuf, in a fantastic vintage. Nice saltiness brought by old grenaches (mineral salts are located deep in the soil, but they go up in the grape thanks to deep roots of old grenache). The elegance of its tannins does not impose a long ageing to this Châteauneuf: Already balanced and good to taste today, its peak could be in 2011 or 2012, without decline before 2020.

SERVICE: at 15-17°C (59-62°F).

ALCOHOL : 15% - SUGAR : <2.3 g/l (no residual sugars) - TOTAL ACIDITY : 3.55 - PH : 3.66

IC (color intensity): 8.97 (minimum allowed in Chateauneuf-du-Pape : 4 !)