VINEYARD AREA

56 Hectares of which 16 Hectares were selected for the production of the Chateau blend.

DATES OF HARVEST

23rd September to 26th October.

CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

A very cold winter was followed by a mild spring with budburst in mid-April. From the beginning of May the temperatures rose sharply and the unusually warm conditions resulted in flowering in late May - two weeks ahead of normal. A hot dry summer allowed this advance to be maintained. A little rain just after veraison in early August averted any risk of drought-related stress. Despite a few wet days during the harvesting period the grapes were brought into the cellar in excellent condition.

SOIL

Limestone and clay mixed with gravel. The 56 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 vineyard as a whole: 39 Hl/Ha. For the parcels selected for the production of the Chateau blend the average yield was 33 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 maceration for several days. Specially selected yeasts for the different varieties to emphasise desired characteristics. Temperature-controlled fermentation in stainlesssteel tanks for average sevens days. Some tanks allowed getting up to 30°C for added extraction, others fermented cool at max 24° 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) - 75% French oak, 25% American oak. Malolactic fermentation took place in the small oak barrels in the summer of the year 2000. 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 1999 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.