OUR WINES
Our rich soil, terroir and grape varieties enable us to offer a wide selection of wines from six appellations carefully selected by our Cellar master and wine specialists.
Within each appellation we have a range of three wines so that you can select those to your particular taste.
Our label “Un Point C’est Tout” is a good introduction to our range. It provides uncomplicated wine showing off the best of its fruit.
Our intermediate label “Ainsi Soit-Il” has a stronger personality, is more complex and is our mid-range selection.
Finally, for the most discerning wine drinkers we offer our top level wines which will enchant the most sophisticated palates
DRY WHITE BERGERAC
Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Muscadelle, Sémillon … these are the varieties which compose our dry white wines.
A maceration of approximately 24 hours ensures the full richness of the grapes and aromas are extracted. The juice is then pressed and strained and fermentation can begin before the wine is aged on fine lees. Unlike red wines, the blending of different grapes is made before the wine making commences.
The parcels of the vineyards for our top cuvee range are selected and harvested by hand. The juice is then vinified and matured in oak barrels. The lees are regularly stirred to maximise complexity of wine. After long months of attentive care, our cuvée “Divine Miséricorde” is ready for your enjoyment.
From the simplicity of the fruit in all its freshness to the complexity of the great white wines, our range of Bergerac Sec will not fail to seduce you on any occasion.
SWEET BERGERAC
A beautiful intermediate wine between our dry whites and our sweet Monbazillac, our mellow Côtes de Bergerac holds its own in our range of quality wines.
The harvest takes place when the grapes have reached their aromatic maturity and have the perfect balance between alcohol, sweetness and aromas for the perfect sweet wine.
The blending of grape varieties is done before the wine is fermented. Once the wine has fermented sufficiently, the temperature in the vats is lowered to stop the process.
Having been stabilised in this way, the wine will be bottled the following Spring. To take full advantage of its freshness, this wine should be drunk young.
MONBAZILLAC
Château Montdoyen is situated within the commune of Monbazillac, which is one of the most prestigious regions for sweet wines in the world. This is due to the very precise wine making methods, the division of the vineyards and late harvesting by hand at different times so that each grape is in exactly the right condition. The “Périgord Gold” comes from the unique know-how of the area which gives it its own unique personality.
Sunny autumn days following after morning fog offer ideal conditions for the development of Botrytis Cinerea, the microscopic fungus from the same family as penicillin. This fungus is also known as “noble rot” and develops on the Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle and Semillon grapes. The skin of the grape becomes porous and the water evaporates leaving behind wonderfully concentrated sugar flavours which develop as the grapes mature.
The grape bunches turn brown, the skin shrivels and when the grape is “roasted” the harvest can commence. Bunches are selected for harvesting sometimes days apart which leads to a “made to measure harvest!”
The harvest is then pressed and the juice is filtered immediately to remove any potential impediments to the flavour of the future wine. The wine making process can then start. Having divided the lots of juice by reference to their richness and taste potential, some are matured in stainless steel tanks while other are matured for a long time in oak casks (not less than 26 months in the case of “Femme Je Vous Aime” (Lady I love you!)).
BERGERAC ET CÔTES DE BERGERAC ROUGES
It is the phenolic maturity (or maturity of the tannins contained in the skin and seeds of the grapes) that guides the date of the harvest for our red wines
After hand checking on a table the harvest is put into tanks for the traditional “pigeage” which is the pushing down on, and stirring of, the grapes in open vats. This daily task means that the head that forms on the fermenting wine (made up of skins and seeds that float to the top of the fermenting juice) is broken so that all the potential flavours are extracted and form part of what will eventually be the wine. If this was not done the head would become as hard as stone! As a result the grape juice is gradually infused with all the elements it requires to make great wine – flavours, tannins and complexity … and of course colour from the grape skins!
After fermentation has finished, the grape must is filtered. The must for the great wines are stored in oak barrels and those of the less complex wines will continue maturing in stainless steel tanks.
The Red Bergerac is an easy to drink wine focusing on a fruity finish. The more sophisticated of our wines, the Côtes de Bergerac Rouge for example, have a more complex and assertive personality.
BERGERAC ROSE
Developed from red grapes (Cabernet Franc and Merlot), the winemaking process is identical to that of a dry white wine.
The parts of the vineyard which are specifically dedicated to rose wine are harvested at maturity. The grapes are then pressed immediately without maceration. The grape juice is then immediately put into the tanks and the wine starts to take on body and texture until it reaches a stable stage after 4 or 5 days.
After fermenting is finished, the must is filtered and the wine is aged on fine Lees. It will be bottled a few months later to be consumed while still young.