VINEYARD AREA

57 Hectares of which 19 Hectares were selected for the production of the Chateau blend.

DATES OF HARVEST

29th of September to 19th of October.

CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

Winter 2003/2004 was dry with normal temperatures. The very low rainfall did nothing to alleviate the water deficit of 2003 and laid the foundations for another year of drought. In order to help the vines better resist further water stress, it was decided from pruning onwards to strictly limit the production for the 2004 harvest. Budburst was normal but cooler temperatures in May briefly slowed down vegetative growth. Summer arrived in mid-June with hot temperatures and still very little rain. Although temperatures were high they were less so than in 2003 and with cooler nights and the controlled production the vines held up well during this difficult period. Alcoholic and phenolic maturity were reached simultaneously at the end of September and harvest was carried out in Indian summer conditions.

SOIL

Limestone and clay mixed with gravel. The 57 Hectares of vineyard cover three distinct areas whose varying proportions of limestone, clay and gravel produce grapes with distinctly different characteristics.

GRAPE VARIETIES

Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Grenache.

YIELD

For the parcels selected for the production of the Chateau blend the average yield was 21 Hl/Ha.

VINIFICATION

Grapes harvested by hand with strict selection in the field and again at the crusher. All grapes de-stemmed and lightly crushed. Varieties and parcels vinified separately with a different vinification program for each tank. Pre-fermentation cold maceration for several days. Specially selected yeasts for the different varieties to emphasise desired characteristics. Temperature-controlled fermentation in stain-less steel tanks for average seven days. Some tanks allowed to get up to 32°C for added extraction, others fermented cool at max 23° to keep fruit flavours and aromas. Post fermentation maceration for several weeks. After pressing off (and before malolactic fermentation) the wine was transferred to small oak barrels (one third new) - 70% French oak, 30% American oak. Malolactic fermentation took place in the small oak barrels in the summer of the year 2005. The wine was racked out of the barrels after 14 months. It was bottled without fining and with a very coarse (12 micron) filtration.

AGEING

Chateau Vignelaure 2004 may be drunk now but will continue to develop and improve in the bottle for at least ten years.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Wild game dishes. Poultry lamb and other red meats as grilled fillet of beef. But also with pintade, roasted fillet of pork, plump quail, and duck. To show the wines full potential it is a good idea to decant the wine before serving and serve in large glasses.