Cabernet Sauvignon, IGP Pays d’Oc – 2016
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Introduction
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“La Chevalière,” or “the knight’s lady,” is a reference to “Mas La Chevalière,” literally the “farmhouse of the knight’s lady,” the Laroche winery in southern France that was created by Michel Laroche. Surrounded by a wall, just like the “clos” enclosures in Burgundy, Mas LaChevalière is a place of history and character where the “jardins à la française” offer a Mediterranean accent.
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Vineyard Profile
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Béziers is located in the center of the Languedoc region, just 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the Mediterranean. Vineyard orientation is south and east; the soil is predominantly clay and limestone, elevation 200 meters (656 feet)
- Appellation: Pays d’Oc IGP (Indication Geographique Protegée)
- Viticulture: “Lutte raisonnée,” or “reasoned protection,” (using chemical intervention only when required); primarily cordon pruning with fruit thinning and high trellising in the vineyards
- Size: Purchased grapes, vineyard size varies based on source
- Vine Age: 20 years
- Density: 4,00 vines per hectare (1,600 vines per acre)
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Vintage Report
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This year, the grape varieties benefited from good weather conditions: dry spring and summer. August was particularly nice and yielded a slow, regular ripening. The cool evenings enhanced the aromatic potential of the grapes. The result of all being a perfectly balanced vintage with fruitiness and minerality
- Harvest Date(s): End of September
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Vinification
- Fermentation: Whole bunches pressed in pneumatic press under protective conditions, then settling at 12° to 15°C (53° to 59°F) for 24 hours; 12 days of fermentation
- Malolactic: None
- Filtration: Minimum filtration to preserve maximum natural character
- Bottled: Under low pressure on a bottling line designed to protect quality
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Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
- Production (in cases): 5,000 12/750ml
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- TA: 5g
- p H: 3.6
- RS: <2 g/L
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Tasting Notes
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Appearance: Dark ruby color
Aroma: Intense nose offering pungent black currant and subtle herbal tones
Taste: Intense fruit concentration laced with developed tannic structure; good intensity and nice, juicy mouthfeel
Aging Potential: 2 years
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