LES PÉPIEUX

Grape varieties

70% Carignan

30% Syrah

IGP Cité de Carcassonne

The vineyard

Les Pépieux is the name of a small stream that once ran around the vineyard, dry for a long time now. The soils are variegated marl, clay-limestone and white sandstone. Short pruning, gobelet for the Carignan and double guyot for the Syrah. Thinning in spring, leaf removal and green harvest in summer. Hand harvested, sorted on the vine, yield of 30 hl/ha.

Winemaking and ageing

The Carignan is vinified in whole bunches, the Syrah destemmed. Natural fermentation with no added yeast since 2006. Long maceration after fermentation. Aged in French oak for 12 months, the varieties kept apart. Blended two months before bottling, no fining and no filtration. Barrels of 400 and 500 litres, first to fourth use.

Annual production

4,000 bottles

Food pairing

A complex wine, to drink between three and ten years. Excellent with game and red meat in sauce. And as a small indulgence, with chocolate.

WEINZEITUNG 2013

A robust, tart, spicy, peppery bouquet, with notes of black cherries, plums, cedar, slate, dried spices, cold smoke and currants. A well-balanced, mineral, robust and fresh palate with finely-grained tannins, powerful, spicy aromas, good fruit and a long, sweet finish.

• WEINWISSER 2012

Dark ruby-purple. A spicy bouquet with notes of pepper, cedar and ripe cherries; quite dense on the attack. A juicy palate with a fine yet dense body, a hint of sour cherries and a nuance of grenadine; still shows fine tannic reserves that come through on the palate, with an aromatic finish. An exciting red wine with character, classically showcasing the region’s wonderful aromas.