AOC Coteaux d'Aix en Provence

VINEYARD AREA 59 Hectares of which 14 Hectares were selected for the production of the Chateau blend. DATES OF HARVEST 20th of September to 18th of October CLIMATIC CONDITIONS The winter of 2001/2002 was exceptionally cold with temperatures at times reaching as low as minus 16° C. However the warm Spring that followed produced a normal bud-burst and an early flowering. Summer was not excessively hot and was marked by several storms which brought the rainfall needed for the ideal development of the vines and the grapes. Unfortunately, just before harvest, the weather deteriorated and the heavy rain in late September and early October made the vintage very difficult. In order to ensure that the wines of 2002 meet our usual high standards we did not hesitate to make a very strict selection, sacrificing nearly half the harvest. SOIL Limestone and clay mixed with gravel. The 59 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: 20 Hl/Ha. For the parcels selected for the production of the Chateau blend the average yield was 16 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°C 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 2003. 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 2002 may be drunk now but will continue to develop and improve in the bottle for at least ten years. SERVING SUGGESTIONS Chateau Vignelaure red wines can be served with a wide variety of dishes, red meats, cheese, Mediterranean cuisine, the list is long and varied. But more specifically, the wines are complemented by lamb, beef, pork and duck dishes served simply or with suitable sauces (not too spicy, sweet or overpowering). Guinea fowl and quail which have finer flavours work very well with the older vintages of Vignelaure as there is a balance which allows the elegance and finesse of the wine to shine through.