Tasting notes
Deep ruby red, with a purple shade at the rim, veering to garnet with just a few years of ageing.
The nose is remindful of stone fruit, strawberries, violets, vanilla, almonds, with occasional smoky notes. On the palate, it is tasty and full-bodied, sometimes supported by good acidity. When young, it displays slightly astringent tannins, but, because of its remarkable structure, it is never overpowered by oak.
It provides an excellent pairing with red and grilled meats, game, roasts, cheeses and soups.
Serving temperature: 19-21° C.
Total alcohol: 13.8-14.9% by vol.
Vinification
The beginning of harvest can fall between Sept. 2nd and Oct. 8th, based upon the weather pattern of the season.
Traditional vinification in steel and oak vats is immediately followed by storage of 100% of the product in strictly new oak casks having a capacity of 225 or 300 litres. A second racking is performed between December of the same year and Septeber of the following year, based upon the wine's sensory evolution owing to the presence of lees. The wine is left in small barrels between 12 and 20-22 months, and is then moved to a large cask for a short period of time, just before bottling. All these decisions are made by a team of 7 oenologists and winemakers, who repeatedly and consistently taste from each individual barrique and reject any which is not up to standard. This wine can age between 10 and 30 years, depending on the vintage, as a proportion of alcohol, extract, colour and acidity