The 2020 vintage is the first vintage where this wine has come solely from our Armantes vineyards: contiguous parcels planted between 1937 and 1942 situated at around 850m above sea level. We find that Garnacha on these marl and limestone soils gives more exotic and ethereal elements and imparts a precise and floral profile to the Garnacha grape with marked acidity and a low pH. Austere during fermentation and ageing but very rewarding with age.

Despite being North-East facing, we normally pick these two parcels at the beginning of harvest. The grapes were harvested into 20kg cases and were stored between 0 and 1 degrees in a cool room with controlled humidity. Fermented together in an open top fermenter with 20% whole bunches included in a layer cake fashion. Gentle punching down was applied once or twice a day during a long, slow, gentle fermentation after the grapes warmed up from their cold soak. Afterwards, we carried out a long maceration and malolactic fermentation took place on skins. After pressing, the wine remained sur lie in second use 500 litre, fine grained French oak barrels for 13 months.