TERRA BURDIGALA - Wines - La Violette
La Violette

La Violette

All the vines grown for « La Violette » of Château Manoir du Gravoux are planted on a clay-limestone plateau which is an ideal location, thus offering favourable vine growing conditions and producing fleshy, fruity wines, with great character. Among the vines of this plateau, 2 hectares were planted in 1958 and, being remarkably well-exposed, they produce, naturally, grapes with a complex and intense aromatic expression. These bunches of grapes are kept separate during the harvest, before a careful vinification, followed by a 12 months maturation in barrel, which respects the complexity of our fruit and the fine hints of violet.

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Ownership : Philippe EMILE
Location : Saint-Genès de Castillon
A.O.C. : Côtes de Castillon
Production : 9 000 Bottles
Surface : 2 ha
Geology : Clay-limestone plateau
Vineyard exposure : North - South
Draining : Natural draining by the slopes
Grape varieties : 92% Merlot / 8% Cabernet Franc
Average age of the vineyard : 45 years old
Pruning : Simple Guyot - double Guyot is being introduced
Plantation : 5 000 vinestocks per hectare
Work on the soil : Grassing every 2 rows, ploughing every 2 rows, no chemical weedkillers
Fertilizer : Adjusted supply of organic manure at the end of the winter
Vine protection : “Measured protection� which involves assessing and treating the vine according to the stage of the vegetative growth and the threat of diseases
Green works : Removal of new branches + de-budding + topping and trimming + leaf removal
Date of the harvest : Established by regular tasting of the berries, parcel by parcel
Harvesting : Machine
Work on the grapes : Berry-sorting table + total de-stemming (6 to 8 workers)
Vats : Stainless steel (100 hl)
Vinification : Parcel-based, extraction by separate pumping-overs, followed by a “délestage�
Vatting time : 30 days
Fermentation temperature : 28-30°C
Press techniques : Separate maturation
Malolactic fermentation : 100% in barrel
Maturation : 12 months, in barrel, with little racking
Filtration : Loose filtration to respect the structure of the wine
Bottling preparation : Low sulphiting
Bottling : Château

Le Grand Guide des Vins de France

Aout 2008About 2005 vintage

« Vin coloré, très parfumé, avec précisément des arômes de violette, corps charnu et immédiatement savoureux, voilà un vrai vin de plaisir, et d’une constitution pleine de santé et de générosité» 16/20

Bettane & Desseauve

Le Guide Hubert

Mai 2008About 2005 vintage

Robe pourpre, dense, nez raffiné, fruité et très mur; bouche charnue, ample, riche, avec un très joli grain, des arômes minéraux et une excellent suite. Gros potentiel. * * * * (*)

Hélène Durand

Revue du Vin de France

Février 2007About 2004 vintage

Conseillé et distribué par la société Terra Burdigala (François Thienpont et Stéphane Derenoncourt), cette propriété connaît un net renouveau avec ce millésime. Le vin a gagné en densité et en corps, malgré les tanins très présents en finale. Du potentiel. Note 14,5/20

The Irish Time Magazine

May 27th, 2006About 2003 vintage

Bottle of the Week - Before tasting this harmonious Côtes de Castillon, made from a tiny plot, I tried its 2005 brother, which is intense, sleek and seductive. The 2003 shares many of its qualities, albeit more modestly. The blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc has a nose of ripe prune that leads on to a wine of restraint and elegance. From Bailey’s, Howth; Gibney’s, Mahahide; Donnybrook Fair, Dublin 4; The Bottle shop, Goatstown, Dublin 14.

Joe Breen

L'Amateur

Octobre 2006About 2004 vintage

Chic - Profond, élégant, réglissé, floral avec ce fruité qui décoiffe : un très grand vin à un prix imbattable.

Jean-Pierre Xiradakis

Dallas Morning News

May 17th, 2006About 2002 vintage

Bottle of the Week - Bordeaux superstars Stephane Derenoncourt and François Thienpont continue to produce good-value wines from the Bordeaux region. This one’s called La Violette because of the hints of violets imparted by fruit from special parcel of old vines. Medium-bodied with elegant spicy, floral, berry fruit and integrated, smooth tannins, it is a perfect partner for a roast chicken. Available at Pogo’s

Rebecca Murphy

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