Presentation

Presentation

It had been some time that trotted in the head of Romain, the owner and winemaker of the estate, to make a cuvée with barrel aging on the Beaumes-de-Venise Rouge. We create this new cuvée with 2019 vintage : La Chapelle !

He contacted one of the most renowned coopers in Burgundy (Seguin-Moreau), and chose with them the best barrels made from hundred-year-old French oaks. He selected the best red plots on the terroir of the Bernardins, and made a blend of one-third Grenache, one-third Syrah, one-third Mourvèdre!

The vintage

The climatic hazards of the year have disrupted the work of the winemaker. Frost did not spare our vineyard with a historic crop loss of 30 to 40% depending on the grape varieties and a maturity delay of 15 days compared to 2020.

This atypical vintage of low volume has allowed for the production of very high-quality, flavorful, and fresh wines. Our Muscat vintage 2021 has a clear aromatic concentration, and its acidity, a hallmark of this vintage, will provide a solid foundation for aging.

Location

The Domaine des Bernardins is located in Beaumes de Venise on the southern slope of the Dentelles de Montmirail, in the southern part of the Rhône Valley.

Terroir

On a poor sandy, hungry and arid soil consisting of tender limestone and gritty zones of sandy mollasse.

In the vineyard

The vineyards and their terroir are the essence of our wines. This is where everything starts and where we focus our efforts throughout the year. You can’t make great wine without great grapes.

The viticulture is essentially done by hand. Five people work full-time in the vineyards. They are supplemented by seasonal employees who work during bunch thinning and the harvest in order to bring out the very best in our vines. Working by hand and the attention each vine gets are fundamental. Pruning, de-budding, trellising, leaf removal and picking are thus carried out by hand with the utmost care.

We prepare the soil by using good old-fashioned ploughing. Organic compost is made from grape marc (the discarded stalks and skins).

We use and abide by countrywide standards for ‘sustainable agriculture’.

As a way of protecting the plants, we only use phytosanitary products when necessary and within strict guidelines by staggering the treatments appropriately, to minimise the amount of chemicals used. We prefer to use as much as possible manual and organic techniques . Leaving natural grass cover, removing buds and leaves from the vines, preserving biodiversity around the vineyard: olive, almond and cypress trees, wild rosemary and capers.

Winemaking

Manual harvesting ensures a rigorous selection of the best clusters. Traditional vatting in concrete tanks with whole bunch maceration. After blending, the wine is aged for 24 months in barrels (30% new) and tanks (70%) to soften and meld the power of the tannins.

Ageing

24 months in barrels

Alcohol content

15

Allergens (sulfites)

Contains sulphites

Allergens (egg)

Does not contain egg or egg products

Allergens (milk)

Does not contain milk or milk-based products

Winegrowing label

Haute Valeur Environnementale

Cépages

Grenache noir : 34 %
Mourvèdre : 33 %
Syrah : 33 %