Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah
The vintage
In the Languedoc, after a mild winter and a cool spring, temperatures rose, reaching a peak throughout the region at the end of June; this was followed by a hot summer. Fortunately, Aussières escaped the drought and the heatwave thanks to its ally the wind; in particular from the south-east: the “Marin” which brings just the right amount of moisture for the vines’ growth. Finally, some rain at the beginning of September enabled the grapes to reach the desired levels of ripeness.
The Carignan, Mourvèdre and Grenache benefited the most from these conditions and in this vintage reveal superb freshness and aromatic intensity.
Location
The estate is nestled in the rugged hills just behind the Mediterranean coastline of Narbonne, in the South of France.
Terroir
The soil is very shallow and rocky on the slopes, and then becomes deeper and sandy in the flatter areas. Yields are kept intentionally low in order to conserve the vines’ strength and to produce high quality grapes.
The grapes come from the property’s flattest, lowest areas, whose deep, well-drained soil under a layer of sandy silt provides optimal growth conditions for Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, giving a touch of Bordeaux elegance to this blend.
Winemaking
The grapes are picked at optimal ripeness, destemmed and then vinified using traditional maceration methods.
The maceration period varies from 10 to 12 days with gentle extraction and fermentation at fairly low temperatures (around 25°C) in stainless steel vats in order to preserve the wine’s full aromatic potential. Ageing is then carried out in vats so as to keep all of the fruit’s freshness and purity.
Tasting
Intense ruby-red colour with dark glints of garnet.
The powerful nose has notes of red fruit accompanied by spices such as cloves and liquorice.
The palate offers a very refined, Mediterranean expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. Good length, with a very harmonious fresh fruit finish, supported by supple, silky tannins.
Grapes
Cabernet sauvignon
: 55 %
Syrah
: 45 %