Chateau Chante Alouette, Saint Emilion Grand Cru
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Benoît d'Arfeuille
Benoît d'Arfeuille

Wine is the fruit of labour in the vines and work in the cellars.
T
hroughout the year, different jobs must be done in the vineyard, according to the state of growth and the weather. For enhanced quality, we also perform other tasks, such as :
          • leaf removal, which helps the air to circulate (water evaporates more quickly) and lets the fruit get more sunshine (for better colour and aromas).
          • thinning out , performed during the summer, removes excess bunches to reduce yields and encourage more even ripening.

The grapes are picked by hand when they are fully ripe. They are sorted to keep only the healthy grapes, which are then taken in wooden tubs to the winery to be destemmed and pressed.

The harvest goes into small cement vats, equipped with a thermoregulation system, where it stays for 21 to 25 days. This is when three essential stages in winemaking take place.
          • alcoholic fermentation.
          • tannins, colour, acids, etc.
             are extracted by frequent pumping over for short periods.
          • skin maceration.


Barrels, Bottles

After tasting each vat, the wine is run off . For the next 12 to 14 months, 1/3 of the wine is housed in new barrels 1/3 in one-year-old barrels and 1/3 in vats. Every three months, the wine is racked to separate the wine from the lees and get rid of the carbon dioxide that accumulates during fermentation. The wines, made from Merlot and Cabernet grapes, are then blended and fined. They will be bottled on the premises during the course of their second spring.

Vineyard area: 5 hectares
Grape varieties: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc
Density: 5550 vines per hectare
Average age of vines: 20 years
Production : around 28,000 bottles


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Château Chante-Alouette M. Guy d'Arfeuille 33330 Saint-Emilion France
Tel : +33 (0)5 57 24 71 81 Fax : +33 (0)5 57 24 74 82
E-mail : contact@chateau-chante-alouette.com