Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge
Appellation
Côtes-du-Rhône
Farming
Organic
Varietals
50% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, 15% Syrah
Vineyards & Viticulture
In 1945, Louis Reynaud of Château Rayas purchased Château Fonsalette near the village of Lagarde-Paréol. The estate comprises 121 hectares, 12 of which are planted to vineyards. This wine is composed of Grenache (the oldest planted 1929, most in 1975), Cinsault (planted in the 1960s, 1982, 1992) and Syrah.
Soils
Gravel, red galet stone and sandy
Harvest & Vinification
The grapes are manually harvested. The whole bunches are then crushed, fermented for 8-12 days with native yeast and daily pumping over. The wine is aged for three months in enamel vats, then aged for 12 months in old liter casks - 450 and liter casks for Grenache and Syrah, and large barrels for Cinsault. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.