Pépite de Mourvèdre (AOP Saint-Chinian)

Blend

100% Mourvèdre

Terroir

Limestone terraces

South - South West exposure hillsides

Yields 35 hl/ha

Vinification

Hand-picked at optimum ripeness. Not scratched.

Traditional vinification in semi-buried concrete vats.
Long macerations (about 5 weeks) punctuated by extraction work exclusively through daily delestage (rack and return).

The entire ageing process (post-vinification) is carried out over 12 months in 225 litre French oak barrels that have already seen a vintage of white wine (Grenache blanc and Roussanne). This allows us to transmit to our Nugget some of the aromas and molecules specific to white wines (flavonoids); but also to generate micro-oxygenation of the structure without transmitting the tannins and aromas of the barrel (polysaccharides and ellagitanins) which, from our point of view, can easily mask the qualities of certain grape varieties if they are not mastered.

A little wood but not too much,
just to soften the structure and oxygenate the tannins!

Mourvèdre is judged to be simply capable of reinforcing the structure of other grape varieties. It is accused of an excess of tannins due to the thickness of its skin, but also of a lack of typicity and originality. This is not our opinion!

Cultivated on a favourable terroir, here on limestone terraces, with controlled yields and maturing in French oak barrels, it offers us all its potential. It's up to you to judge!

Advice

Drink with whatever you like, but in good company!

The principle of our "Pépites" lies in the optimal expression of a grape variety in a given vintage. Not all vintages are suitable for high-flying.... but here.... we're not bad ;) !