CÉRVOLES ESTRATS

Type of wine. Red wine, highly expressive. Meticulous selection from the best zones on each plot of our vineyards. Varieties. Cabernet sauvignon 45%, garnacha 20%, tempranillo 20% and merlot 15% Vineyards. The season began with a hard winter. Spring was warm and very dry. The daytime temperatures in early summer helped for the concentration of the compounds of the skin, and the mild end of summer maintained the high acidity and resulted in a perfectly healthy harvest carried out slightly later than usual. Throughout the cycle, the total rainfall was only 250 litres, but the depth of the roots of these already mature vines (20 and 40 years) enabled them to extract water from the deepest strata of the Cérvoles soil. Exposure. As a result of the scarce rainfall and the selection of buds after the spring were very much on time. The small areas of our vineyads where the ground was deepest were chosen, which encouraged ripening and ensured a perfect balance between complexity and character for Cérvoles . Altitude. Our plots are at an altitude of 700 and 750 meters, protecting the aromes coming from extreme heat and, in particular, ensuring the temperature contrasts produced by the typical cool nights of the mountainous area of Les Garrigues, where Cérvoles is located. Soil. Clay-loam soil, combined with plentiful gravel, provides balance between the water drainage and the retention in lower levels of the sub-soil. The structure of these soils, together with this year’s low levels of rainfall (250 l/m2) provide a scarce water supply, which is the perfect one for wine production quality in this case. Harvest. Manual, with a meticulous selection of the grapes. The harvest was perfectly healthy with extraordinary ripening. The Tempranillo was picked in mid-September, and the Merlot at the end of the same month. The Garnacha was harvested at the beginning of October, and the Cabernet Sauvignon on the 11 of the same month. Fermentation. Above 28 oC. Maceration for 30 days. Regular remontage (pumping over) and manual punching down of the cap. Each grape variety was fermented and aged on its lees. Malolactic fermentation was carried out in new oak cask. Ageing. 18 months in new French oak casks. The Garnacha and the Tempranillo are aged in casks from Radoux (Radoux Blend is an extra fine-grained blend), the Cabernet Sauvignon in casks from Taransaud and the Merlot in François Frères casks. Regular bâtonnage during the first 5 months to reach the unctuousness and volume. Alcoholic content. 15% Vol Tasting notes. Red dark cherry color, medium-high intensity, with highlights of the same hue. Dense, colored legs. Intense, pleasant nose with aromas evoking the ageing process (cedar, cloves, pepper and dried fruit). Aeration reveals the full aromatic complexity of the wine, with spicy and balsamic notes, black fruit jam, plum, hints of tabacco, aniseed, liquor and the mineral touches which make Cérvoles characteristic. Pleasant, voluptuous mouth feel. Good acidity adding liveliness and freshness. On the palate, exceptionally mature tannins, well-integrated. Very long ending with smoky and spicy hints and notes of toasted almond skin and praliné. Recognitions:
  • Estrats 2009 Guia Peñín 93.
  • Estrats 2012 Guia Peñín 95.
  • Estrats 2012 Guia Peñín 95.
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