The grapes are picked manually into 30-odd kilogram harvesting crates and transported as quickly as possible to the winery, so as to avoid heat, rain, or bruising of the grapes. The contents of the cases then go through the sorting table, to get rid of stones, leaves, green bunches (verjux), etc... According to the nature of the vintage, 85 to 100% of the harvest is destemned so as to avoid excessive bitterness from the stalks.
Fermentation
with maceration then goes on for 15 to 20 days in conical vats quipped with radiators for thermoregulation. This allows control of fermentation temperatures and has direct influence on aromas and color extraction. Finally, gentle pressing makes way for the breeding and elegance of the wine.
The wines are barreled for 15 to 20 months, according to vintage, in oak casks, of which 20 to 40 % are new, with a variety of origins of wood: Tronçais, Nevers, Vosges, Burgundy. Maturation in new casks brings the fragrances and tannin of the wood, and also, via its porosity, limited natural oxygenation helping favorable
maturation of the wine. Whilst the wine is maturing, it is regularly stirred up, putting the lees back into suspension, bringing more fatness and roundness. Racking takes place prior to bottling, with no fining, just light filtration, preserving the natural riches of the appellation
.
