| A.O.C | CÔTES DE CASTILLON |
| Adress : | S.C.E.A Albà
N° 4 Grimon 33350 Saint Philippe d’Aiguilhe phone/fax 05.57.40.69.34 Owners : Pilar Albà and Jean Patrick MEYRIGNAC |
|---|---|
| Geographic Situation : | South-southwest exposure to sun in the commune of Saint Philippe d’Aiguilhe. |
| Soil type : | Clay limestone soils with limestone bed.
The positioning of the “terroir” makes for a long, slow and regular ripening process. The clay soils are particularly helpful in very dry years as they trap humidity. In rainy years the limestone at just 30 to 40cm from the surface permits an excellent natural drainage of any excessive rainfall. Moreover, the limescale helps the vine in periods of drought as the rock provides a source of water through capillary action |
| Surface : | 6,80 ha |
| Varietals : | 72% merlot, 26 % Cabernet Franc, 2 % Cabernet Sauvignon. |
| Vines per hectare : | 5600 pieds/ha ... vines/ha |
| Average age of vineyard : | 45 years for Cabernets, 37 years for merlot (the oldest date back to 1953). |
| Cultivation style : | From 2010 onwards the vines are cultivated organically to achieve certification in 2012. |
| Green work : | Budding, manual reduction of leaves and clearing leaves around grapes. |
| Harvesting : | 100% hand harvested. Grapes are harvested in cases, when the maturity has reached a maximum. Grapes are sorted using a vibrating sorting table and de-stemmed upon arrival at the cellar. |
| Vinification : | During the first stage of vinification, the must is cold-soaked and during the next stage, the temperature is maintained at 28° C.
The malolactic fermentation takes place in the barrel after the first wine has spent 4 – 5 weeks in the tank. |
| Aging : | Aging in French oak for 12 months, of which 30% is new. |
| Production : | All wine is bottled at the estate. 30,000 bottles a year. |