Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah
The vintage
The winter of 2021 brought lower temperatures than the previous four vintages. The vines were hit by several successive bursts of frost with a particularly severe one during the night of 7 to 8 April that damaged some of the plots. This was the most severe that Val de l'Ours has experienced. The other significant weather factor was the very low rainfall. The soil’s water reserves were only replenished at the very end of the season, after the harvest. These extreme weather conditions delayed the growth and development of the vines and the ripening of the grapes. The harvest started on 13 September, two weeks later than 2020.
The weather was favourable during the harvests. A few days of rain interrupted the picking schedule, but they were welcome to help the late-ripening grape varieties to reach full maturity.
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 colour with purple-red reflection.
An expressive and joyful nose with notes of red fruits and sweet spices.
On the palate, we find the structure of the Cabernet Sauvignon and the elegance of its tannins, combined with the generosity of the very sunny Syrah, which offers a bouquet of black fruit such as cherry and blackberry. Good length in the mouth, with a very harmonious finish with notes of butterscotch
Alcohol content
13.5
Grapes
Cabernet sauvignon
: 59 %
Syrah
: 41 %