blaye - gironde - france
The vineyard
ETALON ROUGE is a “Vin de Bordeaux” (although the vineyard is situated within the Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux appellation) as it has a single varietal production.
The soil is of very old origin (75 to 60 million years). In the middle Eocene period, however (about 50 million years ago), a marine transgression of the Atlantic Ocean immersed the lands of Blaye and deposited in this southwestern part of the Blayais, several layers of marine sediments that brought shell limestone called “Blaye limestone” with them. These layers are now interspersed with small deposits of clay. Well marked by erosion, this limestone is purer and more visible at the top of the plot.
Surface
The total surface of the vineyard is 1,46 ha of which 1.26 ha are planted with red and 20 acres with white.
Exposition
South facing the Gironde Estuary, hilly, exposed to the sun and protected to the north by trees, the vineyard benefits from an exceptional micro-climate.
Vinification
By monitoring the evolution of the maturity over a month before the harvest, the grapes get picked at their optimum maturity, with the perfect balance between the potential alcohol and the different acids.
35 years
For the reds 100% Cabernet Sauvignon of a late 2nd-century grape variety, known for its tannic and well aging wines, with an aromatic richness that grows with age, bouquet, fine, colorful, complex likes calcareous soils, it makes great wines with low yields.
For the whites 100% Sauvignon Blanc, a 2nd-period varietal, that makes fine, aromatic wines, with notes of boxwood, buds, black currant. This fragile grape is very sensitive to soil and climate, it likes limestone soils that give it mineral notes.
