Alcohol: 13%
Grape(s): Fer Servadou
Localization: Marcillac, France
Tasting Notes: A vibrant purple in colour. Bright red fruit notes of cranberry and raspberry on the nose with hints of pepper and spices. On the palate, dry and concentrated with lovely vanilla notes from the oak. Smooth tannins leading to a mellow finish.
Notes: Manual harvest. Long maceration of 35 days in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. Extraction by punching down, reassembling, and shedding.
Food Pairing: Pairs well with beef and venison
The Domain: For four generations, until 1982, the Domaine du Cros had just one hectare of vineyard and produced about 4000 bottles a year.
Starting in 1982, the surface areas were increased. As well as buying and renting older vineyards, we planted on our best hillsides, some of which have a slope of 60 or even 65 per cent.
In 1984, we created a father and son agricultural corporation on three hectares of vineyard, and we constructed a wine storehouse where we vat and rake the wine by gravity. The bottle storage room is located below the storehouse. This room is now air conditioned.
From 1984 to 2012 we continued to purchase and to rent older vineyards: our surface area has gone from three hectares to thirty hectares.
Grape Variety: Mansois, which is the local name for Fer Servadou. This is the only grape variety used in our A.O.C.(guaranteed vintage) wine. Of the twenty two hectares, 19,5 hectares used for AOC production, one hectare does not yet produce, and 1,5 hectares is used for table wine (these figures are approximate).
Vinification: lt is long (20, 25 days) for the AOC wines . The process takes place in stainless steel, thermoregulated vats.
The wines from our younger vineyards (over 25 years on the average) are more supple, yet solid, and represent our basic vintages. These wines have a berry (black currant, raspberry) flavour.
The special vintages produced from our old vineyards (50 to 80 years and oider) are more structured, solid wines with liquorice and spice flavours.
After an 18 month maturation in casks, they are bottled. Sale takes place one month after bottling. These wines are ideal for ageing; they will reach full quality and develop their secondary flavours only after three or four years. They can also be enjoyed young because they have all the primary black currant and raspberry flavours of our grape variety. The choice is yours!
