Dispatches from SITEVI 2013
Earth, grape variety, climate: ‘The French miracle’
Rows of oak barrels to the left and right are being used to age red wine. After experimenting with stainless steel temperature-controlled vats, the firm manufactured traditional wooden barrels for this stage.
Casks in the middle were brought from Cognac for fermentation use. Wood was chosen over metal to provide more oxygen during fermentation, avoiding the odours that come with reduction.
The estate was founded thirty years ago by Gérard Bru and has since grown to 180 hectares.
As a young vineyard, Château Puech-Haut harvests, ferments and ages its 90 individual plots separately. Grapes are not blended until just before bottling.
The terroir of the estate can differ even between parcels, said Alain Asselin, oenologist, who called the combination of earth, grape variety and climate, “the French miracle”.
