Rasteau Rouge Les Cras
Appellation
Rasteau
Farming
Sustainable, Organic (Ecocert), Biodynamic (Demeter)
Varietals
70% Grenache, 10% Carignan, 10% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah
Vineyards & Viticulture
Vines are 30 years old and pruned in cordon de Royat. Planting density 3,500 vines per hectare. Yields of 25 hl per hectare for the Grenache and 35 hl per hectare for the Carignan, Mourvèdre and Syrah.
Soils
Clay-limestone composed of red clay and rolled pebbles
Harvest & Vinification
The grapes are hand-picked and carefully sorted. The grapes are destemmed and then lightly crushed. Native yeast fermentation. The grape varieties are vinified together, except for the Syrah, which is vinified separately because of its early maturity. Pumping over every 4 days allows a smoother extraction. Vatting time is 20 days at a temperature not exceeding 25°C. The wines are blended in January and aged in cement vats on fine lees for 18 months.
