Thursday,
12 December 2002Château Coupe Roses (Minervois), Chateau La Peyrade (Muscat)
Journalists: Ann Kiernan and Kristine Pound
Thursday,
12 December 2002 Château
Coupe Roses (Review 1 of 2)
Minervois A. O. C.
Château Coupe Roses is a family owned operation producing 100,000 bottles in accordance with the Minervois A.O.C. 60% of their yield is also produced into bulk wine for the cooperative. 35% of the wine they produce is sold privately, while 65% is exported to other countries.
The Minervois A.O.C. is composed of 220 hectares, of which Château Coupe Roses owns 30 hectares. These 30 hectares are small dry parcels consisting of several different soil types at elevations of 250 – 450 meters. Each varietal is planted according to the soil type and elevation. The vineyard yields are under direct management by the Minervois A.O.C., allowing only 49 hectoliters per hectare for red varieties, 50 hectoliters per hectare for white varieties, and 39 hectoliters per hectare for the Rosé produced by Château Coupe Roses. The lees are included in the total volumes when measured.
The varieties planted and the soil types are as follows:
Whites:
Muscat – limestone soil so the vine will struggle, planted at the higher elevation.
Grenache Blanc- alluvial plain at the lowest elevation.
Marsanne- clay soil, mid elevation
Roussanne – clay soil, mid elevationReds:
Cabernet Sauvignon - clay soil, mid elevation
Grenache - alluvial plain, low elevation
Syrah - stone, highest elevation
Cinsaut - stone, mid elevation.Viognier is also grown in a limited quantity strictly as a vin de pays.
Leaf
pulling is not practiced in the vineyards as they believe it disrupts the phenol
contents of the grapes in their particular region. Some irrigation is used to
reduce the stress on the vines. Botrytis is not encouraged nor does it occur
in the Muscat. Vineyards are planted using the Gobelet system.
Red wines produced for the A.O.C. must contain a maximum of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon or Cinsaut and a minimum of 20% Syrah, the balance is then to be made up of Grenache or Syrah. All wines produced for the A. O. C. must also be aged, while Vin de Pays must be young and aromatic.
All grapes are destemmed before the vinification process. All reds except a select amount of superior Cabernet Sauvignon under go carbonic maceration at 30°C. Aging is undergone in barrels. Delestage is performed on the superior Cabernet for at least 20 days at 30°C (determined by taste) before the wine is racked into barrels. White wines are crushed and destemmed and allowed to settle in outdoor tanks before vinification. Fermentation in the Muscat is arrested to retain the sugar content.
The Minervois A.O.C. board is composed of 36 members drawn from 1600 producers. The Minervois A.O.C. had just recently voted to rejoin the Côte de Languedoc appellation.
Château Coupe Roses – Minervois AOC (Review 2 of 2)
Ownership: Pascal and Françoise Frissant
Size:
30 hectares, more to be added in 2 years
Minervois is small (220,000 hl) compared to Languedoc (70 million hl)
Red, rosé, and white wines are produced in Minervois, although only 1% white. Château Coupe Roses produces more white wine than others do. By law, Minervois wine must have:
Varieties:
Red – Grenache, Cinsaut, Syrah, Carignan (oldest variety)
White – Viognier (not AOC, must be vin de pays), Muscat Blanc á Petits Grains, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne
Terroir: Small, dry parcels in hilly, rocky soil at 250 to 450 meters altitude (contributes to better acidity and flavor, according to Pascal). Stones have to broken up before soil can be worked, some clay. Rainfall averages 700mm, but ranges between 400 and 1500 mm.
Marketing: 65% of wines exported now, 10 years ago it was 99%. Half of exports received in Europe, half elsewhere. U.S. imports 20,000 bottles.
Winemaking: First tasted a pink wine, of Grenache, Cinsaut. Then a 100% Roussanne, 2 years old, production of 100,000 bottles, 20% aged in oak. Next, Muscat de St. Jean Minervois, “29 different esters [aromas]”, including apple, pear, quince. In two months will be “nearly lost”. 125 g/l sugar. Fermentation is stopped with alcohol – “not fortified”. Measure density 3 times per day. Sterile filtered. Natural yeast is not used. Avoid Botrytis at all costs – in the Minervois tradition. Carignan gives structure. Wine should be 14% alcohol, 27-28 °Brix.
Granaxa: 90% Grenache Blanc, selected from different vines, long fermentation, punch down, de-stem all grapes, all handpicked, one month minimum before pressing. Altitude causes some weakness, so a long maceration is standard.
[Lunch: Paella, with langoustines, cooked outdoors by Françoise’s mother, Jacqueline, and attended by neighbors and family, including grandpère, Jean Le Calvez, and winemaker Claude Loiseau]
Vineyard and cooperative winery with Claude Loiseau (Review 1 of 1)
At Claude’s vineyard, a 100-year-old mixed red (3-10 varieties) field - for “field blend”. The rest of the vineyard was mainly Muscat Blanc á Petits Grains (clone 45), planted on 3309 and SO4 rootstock. Extremely rocky “soil”. The ground is ripped one yard deep, an iron bar is used to make a cone-shaped hole, and the plant and a shovel-full of sand are added with one quart of water. The sand is added in the valley at a rate of nine tons per hectare. There are 7000 plants on four acres of very alkaline soil.
Winemaking: The Muscat is handpicked, whole-cluster pressed with a 20-ton press, in the small co-op winery. The co-op produces 4500 hl of Muscat and 9000 hl of red and rosé. Four different products: first wine, second wine, export, and supermarket. Co-op members who bring inferior quality grapes face serious consequences.
Uncoated concrete tanks, used since 1950, aid temperature control, but high acidity has caused erosion and the tanks are scheduled for coating.
One third of production is sold at the winery.
Tasted a dry 2001 Muscat vin de pays, with a full aroma and some bitterness – needs to be cold. The dry Muscat was 12.9% alcohol.
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