2019 La Montagne, Cairanne

This wine is a parcel selection from the altitude mono-terroir of the Montagne de Ventabren. Each grape variety reveals a different aspect: Syrah draws its freshness and structure from it, and Grenache its intensity and richness. The blend is dominantly Syrah because in the incredibly hot summer of 2019 this grape resisted perfectly. The Syrah with its energy, colouring power and its aromas was aged in barrel for 12 months to tame its power, whilst the Grenache, which is much more intense and generous was aged in stainless steel vats for 12 months. It is the blending of these two personalities that has created the excellence of this wine. It is very black, intensely cherry. The nose evokes conviviality with its soft silkiness. The Syrah offers its meaty, wild cherry notes and the Grenache its warmth and aromas of red fruit, all under the tutelage of the oak. In the mouth the wine is both light and profound, elegant and rich, with the oak delicately underpinning the aromatic palate. Elegant and fresh, delicious and warm-hearted this 2019 blend has captured the paradox and the unique balance of the Montagne de Ventabren.

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Viticulture

The Montagne de Ventabren is one of the finest terroirs in Cairanne. It covers the highest point of the village at 320m altitude. To reach it, one has to cross the village in the direction of Saint-Roman-de-Malegarde to the north and embark upon a narrow road that winds its way up into the hillside amongst superb parcels of vines. The Montagne de Ventabren owes its renown first of all to its situation at altitude and its orientation, that benefits from ideal levels of sunshine that enable the grapes to ripen to perfection. And its unique geological composition makes it a terroir that is particularly suited to old vines. Here limestone scree from the Miocene period, scattered with rare flintstone carved out of the rock by the force of erosion, alternates with lacustrian marl. This deep, well balanced terroir counterbalances the intense heat of the Provencal sun by providing unexpected freshness. The combination of altitude with the marl terroir with large limestone nodules gives the wine its wonderfully complex, powerful, elegant and fresh aromas.

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Vinification

The grapes are picked in whole bunches, into small 16kg crates. the cool hours of the morning are favoured for picking these exceptional parcels. The grapes are then destemmed by gravity and pass into small 4 to 6 tonne stainless steel fermentation vats to be vinified by parcel and by variety. Careful control of the temperature rapidly slows down the onset of alcoholic fermentation to encourage gentle extraction. Immersion of the cap by regular, gentle pumping over and running off is carried out manually every day during fermentation to aid colour stabilisation and bring out the silkiness of the tannins. maceration on the skins can last up to three weeks. The Syrah is then aged for 12 months in 300 litre barrels from different, specifically selected cooperages and in tuns of 10 to 40hl to soften its structure and power and add to the harmony of the blend. the Grenache, much more intense is aged in stainless steel vats for 12 months.

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Recommendation

Serve as a summer aperitif or with a light meal. It will pair perfectly with chicken liver pâte, duck pastrami or pan seared red mullet in a lightly spicy sauce.