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www.buyersandcellars.ca Cellar Profile
Region
Côtes de Gascogne is a wine-growing district in Gascony producing principally white wine. It is mainly located in the ‘Département of the Gers’ in the former Midi-Pyrénées region (now part of the Occitanie region) and it belongs to the wine region South West France. The designation Côtes de Gascogne is used for a Vin de Pays (“country wine”) produced in the Armagnac area. There are some 22 vins de pays in the wider southwest zone that stretches from the Pyrenees, which define its southern border, up to the Massif Central in the northeast. But the most important by far in terms of volume, profile and exports are the vins de pays des Côtes de Gascogne. This vineyard, only formally established in 1982, is in the same defined region where white grape varieties like Ugni Blanc and Colombard were planted principally to make Armagnac. It remains predominantly a white wine stronghold, with reds and rosé accounting for only 10% of production. Today, nearly two thirds of the 13,000 hectares of vineyards in Gers are devoted to Côtes de Gascogne wines rather than Armagnac.
Vineyard
The vines are planted on the highest hills of Ayzieu, within the estate, on the borders of Gascony. The terroir, very typical of Bas Armagnac, consists of sand, silt and clay. These specific elements give the wines minerality, freshness and power. The special climate, influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees range, gives the vineyard exceptional ripening potential.
Varieties
Cabernet Franc is a black-skinned French wine grape variety grown in most wine producing nations. Cabernet Franc’s home is widely accepted as Libournais in Bordeaux. Within this sub-region are the prestigious villages of Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, which is where some of the most highly regarded Cabernet Franc wines originate. One fascinating flavor in Cabernet Franc wines is a disarming aroma often described as bell pepper. In warmer climates, the aroma is a bit sweeter like roasted red pepper or cayenne spiced chocolate, but the pepper characteristic is always notable. Tannat is a red-wine grape whose origins lie in the Basque country, on the border between France and Spain. Here, in the shadow of the Pyrenees Mountains, the terrain is rough and rugged, so it is only fitting that Tannat should create wines which are equally deep, dark, dry and rustic. There are only about 14,000 acres of Tannat grapes planted in the world and the majority of vineyards are split between two esoteric wine regions: South-West France and Uruguay.
Winemaking
Short soak on skins. Partial malolactic fermentation, followed by élevage in stainless steel tanks.
Tasting Notes
A delicate pale pink in the glass. The nose shows soft notes of wild strawberry and red berries which follows through to the palate. Bright acidity makes this rosé versatile easy and to enjoy.