charles joguet les varennes du grand clos franc de pied 2004

"this one-hectare parcel of grafted vines was planted in 1982, in collaboration with inra. it was replanted in half in 1992 and 1995. located on the same terroir as the varennes du grand clos, the varennes franc de pied are vinified separately in vintages that seem to best distinguish their typicity. this experiment should allow us to rediscover the typicity of cabernet franc before grafting, with the risk of seeing phylloxera reappear... we limit the yield of this plot to 30 hl/ha. cold pre-fermenting maceration (10°c) for 10 days, minimum of 4 weeks of vatting, vinification temperatures below 21°c and many well adapted windings (watering of the marc cap) and pigeages (pomace cap formed in the upper part of the tank pushed into the liquid part) are necessary to reveal the complexity of this cuvée. from the end of the alcoholic fermentation, gout wines and the best press wines are assembled for malo-lactic fermentation in barrels. the french oak barrels that accompany the ageing of the varennes du grand clos are renewed each year partially to obtain a melted and integrated ageing. the barrel park is composed of some new barrels and barrels of 1 to 4 wines. this cuvée continues its ageing in our cellars, in oak barrels for 15 to 16 months depending on the vintage. after racking and once the final assembly between the barrels, les varennes du grand clos will be raised in bulk (the wine will rest in vat) for 6 months, before being bottled and then marketed. wines of long guard, the varennes assert yet from their youth by their finesse and elegance."