Brotte – Chateau de Bord Laudun, AOC Cotes du Rhone Villages, 2019

Brotte – Chateau de Bord Laudun, AOC Cotes du Rhone Villages, 2019, 750ml

Region
Cotes du Rhone Villages, Rhone, France

Terroir
Built in Roman times, Château de Bord in the village of Laudun belonged to the Vicars of Uzes during the 11th century and later by the Count of Toulouse. It was abandoned after the French Revolution in 1789 and changed hands several times until it was purchased in 1991 by the Brotte family, who saw incredible potential in its surrounding vines. Walls of a medieval castle with tall stature overlook the vines. Situated on a south facing hillside, the vineyard is spread over 22ha of terraces. Its soil is a well drained mixture of clay and limestone and is rich in fossils of oysters and other sea shells left by the retreating sea in the Mesozoic era, some 250 to 65 million years ago.

Grape Variety
Grenache, Syrah

Tasting Note
“Suppleness and Finesse”

Colour – Dark ruby.

Nose – Aromas of dark fruits, violets and cedar, ending on notes of thyme and coffee beans.

Palate – Ample and elegant with apparent yet soft tannins. Flavours of wild berries and black cherries. The finale is remarkably long.

Wine Making
Sustainable viticulture, de-budding, de-leafing and green harvest to limit the yield and increase the quality. Hand-picking into small cases and fast transportation to the winery to avoid berries’ crushing and oxidation. Desteming, gentle crushing. Fermentation at 28°C, followed by a 3 week maceration. The tannic Grenache and Syrah are aged in French oak barrels (1/3 new, 1/3 one wine, 1/3 two wines), while the softer Grenache is matured in concrete vats and 100 year old oak vats to preserve the fruit. Bottling takes place in March, after more than a year of ageing and a light filtering.