Perfect with steak, grilled meat, pasta with meat sauce, stews and game dishes.

The grapes were picked by hand in the early morning and forcibly cooled to 4°C. The bunch was then sorted, destemmed and berries sorted on vibrating tables by 25 highly trained staff. Depending on the vineyard, the berries were gently crushed in a satellite tank and deposited in open and closed fermenters, while some were kept whole. The must escaped 10 - 12%, depending on the vineyard. It was given a cold soak of 3 - 5 days at 8 °C protected by a CO2 blanket. The juice was pumped over once a day during this period. The tanks were then heated to 18 °C and inoculated with BM45, L2056 or D254 yeast. The fermentation temperature was allowed to peak at 28 °C and then reduced to 24 °C. The fermentation cap was knocked down manually four times a day with one overpumping per day. The rest received extended maceration after fermentation. The total time on the skins ranged from 12 to 32 days. The wine was then pressed in 85% new and 15% second-fill Allier French oak barrels. The press fraction was separated. Malolactic bacteria were inoculated and malolactic fermentation was completed in the barrels. After malolactic fermentation, the wines were given a low dose of sulphur and left on the coarse lees for 10 months. The wine was then racked, blended and returned to barrels. After maturing in barrels for a total of 20 months, the wine was racked and filtered through a coarse plate filter. Bottling was done with fine sheet filtration. On a small number of vineyards, fermentations of whole bunches were carried out at different percentages for greater flavour diversity. The press fraction was separated. Malolactic bacteria were inoculated and malolactic fermentation was completed in barrels. After malolactic fermentation, the wines were given a low dose of sulphur and left on the coarse lees for 10 months. The wine was then racked, blended and returned to barrels. After maturing in barrels for a total of 20 months, the wine was racked and filtered through a coarse plate filter. Bottling was done with fine sheet filtration. On a small number of vineyards, fermentations of whole bunches were carried out at different percentages for greater flavour diversity. The press fraction was separated. Malolactic bacteria were inoculated and malolactic fermentation was completed in the vats. After maturing in barrels for a total of 20 months, the wine was racked and filtered through a coarse plate filter. Bottling was done with fine sheet filtration. On a small number of vineyards, fermentations of whole bunches were carried out at different percentages for greater flavour diversity. The press fraction was separated. Malolactic bacteria were inoculated and malolactic fermentation was completed in barrels. After malolactic fermentation, the wines were given a low dose of sulphur and left on the coarse lees for 10 months. The wine was then racked, blended and returned to barrels. After maturing in barrels for a total of 20 months, the wine was racked and filtered through a coarse plate filter. Bottling was done with fine sheet filtration. On a small number of vineyards, fermentations of whole bunches were carried out at different percentages for greater flavour diversity. The press fraction was separated. Malolactic bacteria were inoculated and malolactic fermentation was completed in barrels. After malolactic fermentation, the wines were given a low dose of sulphur and left on the coarse lees for 10 months. The wine was then racked, blended and returned to barrels. After maturing in barrels for a total of 20 months, the wine was racked and filtered through a coarse plate filter. Bottling was done with fine sheet filtration. On a small number of vineyards, fermentations of whole bunches were carried out at different percentages for greater flavour diversity. After maturing in barrels for a total of 20 months, the wine was racked and filtered through a coarse plate filter. Bottling was done with fine sheet filtration. On a small number of vineyards, fermentations of whole bunches were carried out at different percentages for greater flavour diversity. After maturing in barrels for a total of 20 months, the wine was racked and filtered through a coarse plate filter. Bottling was done with fine sheet filtration. On a small number of vineyards, fermentations of whole bunches were carried out at different percentages for greater flavour diversity.