Latest News at Chateau Carignan

The November news from the Chateau Carignan vineyards

Winemaker

At the start of November we dedicate our time each year to ‘Running off’ the wine. This consists of separating the wine from the grapepomace. Then, we extract the best juice, better known as the ‘free run juice’ and is barreled in brand new oak barrels for ‘Prima’ quality wine. The remaining juice is then barreled in 1-2 year old oak barrels for the ‘Chateau Carignan’ quality wine.

Over the last 2 years, we have used malolactic fermentation in barrel for the chateau Carignan Prima. This technique uses natural de-acidification, softening the palette which we believe creates a rounder and fuller mouthfeel to our wine.

The rose 2009 grapes are still maturing on the lees and will be bottled on, in February 2010… for the rose fans, this new vintage will be a fresh and harmonious in fruit aromas, and worth the wait.

Vineyard

We completed treating the grounds by spreading organic matter to protect the vines through the season.

We began the pruning of the vineyard two weeks ago, with the intention to achieve 10-12 buds per vine plant to retain our yield of 50 hectoliters per hectare, to do this we adopt the ‘double Guyot’ pruning system. Our density of the vineyard is 5000 to 6000 vine-plant to the hectare.

more news coming soon...