For the white varieties, Muscat Petit Grain is vinified to obtain 4 types of wines :
For the red varieties, each variety is vinified when it has reached optimum maturity. The grapes are destemmed and crushed. The maceration lasts from 3 to 7 weeks in concrete vats at a temperature between 27°C and 30°C, extraction by punching, delestage and pumping over, pressing through horizontal press, then wines are matured in concrete.
Famous as early as the 15th century, classified AOC, the Villafranchian Grès Saint Paul terroir comprises valuable natural elements favourable of producing two Appellations wines : AOC Coteaux du Languedoc (red wine) and Muscat de Lunel (sweet wine)
With an area of 24 hectares the vineyards are partly planted with
The lithology and mineral composition of the deep solutions in the soil are expressed through the vine producing wines with complex aromas of verbena, candied lemon, cooked peaches, rose petals, menthol for the Muscat and spicy aromas (black pepper, cinammon, mint, nutmeg, thyme, rosemary) for the red varieties.
The terroir, pebbly and gravely is situated on a plateau with north south exposure. It corresponds to the ancient terrace of a river which used to flow here in the quaternary Era. Some fine components( clay, silica) were carried by the rain waters deep into the ground. They are now concentrated in horizontal layers at different depths, resulting in an impoverishment of the superficial layers of the soil. Consequently it has become gravely and the vine roots must go deep into the clayey layers for survival. The Villafranchian terroir Grès Saint Paul has naturally well grained and poor soils offering all the qualities for the making of a great growth.
The annual rainfall ranges between 600 and 700 mm with uneven distribution (50 to 70 rai,nless days in summer). During the scorching summer heat, the terroir benefits from the evening cool breezes off the nearby Mediterranean Sea.
This cool microclimate at an altitude of almost 50 meters allows to ontain extremely fine aromas.
During the Middle Ages a small church was erected along the antique Dominitian Way between Nîmes and Montpellier in the heart of Languedoc Roussillon and named Saint Paul de Cabrières. To give evidence to this bygone monument the domain was built on this ruins bears its name today : Château Grès Saint Paul.
Property of the Serviere Family since 1830, the vineyards are situated in the village of lunel lying over the first plateau bordering the Mediterranean Sea and over looking the Camargue and l’Etang de l’Or.
© 2012 Grès Saint Paul. Tous droits réservés.